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Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts: A Novel
Dreams aren’t just for the young, and Ginny Lawther is happy to prove that even at the age of fifty-eight she can still brave a leap of faith…she just needs a little prodding from like-minded individuals. Step one: place an ad in the local newspaper inviting other dreamers to form an Ideal Life Club. Step two: see if anyone shows up.
When Ginny meets four hopeful strangers at the first club meeting, she thinks they’re off to a great start.
Now it's only a matter of time before the sixty-something widow Hilda turns her crafting into a full-time career; the twenty-something Jerry becomes a professional musician; and the thirty-something housewife Lydia publishes her cookbook. That is, until the rugged divorcé, Lee, sets a goal to solve his ghost problem—and upends all their lives!
Suddenly the support group isn’t just trying to navigate the ups and downs of pursuing their dreams; they’re also wrestling with a strange cast of spirits who keep interrupting their endeavors. What do these apparitions want? And why have they latched on to the Ideal Lifers?
Haunting, humorous, and hopeful, Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts sparks the imagination and breathes unexpected life into everyday reality.
When Ginny meets four hopeful strangers at the first club meeting, she thinks they’re off to a great start.
Now it's only a matter of time before the sixty-something widow Hilda turns her crafting into a full-time career; the twenty-something Jerry becomes a professional musician; and the thirty-something housewife Lydia publishes her cookbook. That is, until the rugged divorcé, Lee, sets a goal to solve his ghost problem—and upends all their lives!
Suddenly the support group isn’t just trying to navigate the ups and downs of pursuing their dreams; they’re also wrestling with a strange cast of spirits who keep interrupting their endeavors. What do these apparitions want? And why have they latched on to the Ideal Lifers?
Haunting, humorous, and hopeful, Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts sparks the imagination and breathes unexpected life into everyday reality.
253 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2015
About the author
Janet Delee
2 books13 followersProlific writer and author, Janet DeLee is now a second time author of two wonderful books. Her new release titled, 'Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts, A Novel' is her best work to date.
Janet DeLee is a self-appointed, self-actualization guinea pig who firmly believes in leaps of faith and is committed to creating an ideal life for herself.
The Texas author, who lives in the Dallas area, was inspired to write ghost stories after experiencing unsettling events during stays at several bed-and-breakfasts, as well as an old New Orleans hotel.
In addition to having a hint of mystery, DeLee's novels also tend to follow characters struggling to pursue their dreams. Her unique writing style, storylines, and characters in her novels are born from this sassy little Texan's delightful imagination and personal experiences.
Janet DeLee is a self-appointed, self-actualization guinea pig who firmly believes in leaps of faith and is committed to creating an ideal life for herself.
The Texas author, who lives in the Dallas area, was inspired to write ghost stories after experiencing unsettling events during stays at several bed-and-breakfasts, as well as an old New Orleans hotel.
In addition to having a hint of mystery, DeLee's novels also tend to follow characters struggling to pursue their dreams. Her unique writing style, storylines, and characters in her novels are born from this sassy little Texan's delightful imagination and personal experiences.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 8, 2015
Ginny has a lifelong dream, to own her own house, a cottage. She starts up a social group for people who have a dream they want to fulfil. There she meets numerous people all with different dreams, and they help each other on the road to accomplishing them. From an aspiring musician to a man who wants to rid his business of ghosts. Yes ghosts... They form a wonderful friendship along the way.
This was a delightful, feel good book about the power of intention and positive thinking. I am a firm believer that you take from this life what you give, so it was refreshing to read about a happy character who believes similar things.
The characters themselves were delightful. There were some witty conversations and humorous occurrences through the book which were entertaining, and I certainly didn't dislike any of the characters. It was obvious that the characters meant a lot to the author.
However, I feel this book was a bit slow for me. I was interested in the ghost story, but I felt it was quite anticlimactic. Also I found I was not interested in a lot of the subject matter. I'm not really into arts and craft or cooking and it fell a little flat for me.
There was such potential for a beautiful romance! The characters were there, one was divorced and one was single, and there was even talk of attraction and romance from other characters, although not the characters directly with each other. There were numerous chances for something to happen between the characters when they were alone - So I was expecting and looking forward to something happening. I was disappointed that this didn't occur at all and not explored further. I felt this was the most disappointing thing about the book.
However, it was still a lovely read, but potentially more suited to an older audience. I really enjoyed the positiveness and cheerfulness of this book.
Many thanks to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews visit my blog
www.booksbabiesbeing.com
Find me on twitter
www.twitter.com/BBB_Mel
This was a delightful, feel good book about the power of intention and positive thinking. I am a firm believer that you take from this life what you give, so it was refreshing to read about a happy character who believes similar things.
The characters themselves were delightful. There were some witty conversations and humorous occurrences through the book which were entertaining, and I certainly didn't dislike any of the characters. It was obvious that the characters meant a lot to the author.
However, I feel this book was a bit slow for me. I was interested in the ghost story, but I felt it was quite anticlimactic. Also I found I was not interested in a lot of the subject matter. I'm not really into arts and craft or cooking and it fell a little flat for me.
There was such potential for a beautiful romance! The characters were there, one was divorced and one was single, and there was even talk of attraction and romance from other characters, although not the characters directly with each other. There were numerous chances for something to happen between the characters when they were alone - So I was expecting and looking forward to something happening. I was disappointed that this didn't occur at all and not explored further. I felt this was the most disappointing thing about the book.
However, it was still a lovely read, but potentially more suited to an older audience. I really enjoyed the positiveness and cheerfulness of this book.
Many thanks to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews visit my blog
www.booksbabiesbeing.com
Find me on twitter
www.twitter.com/BBB_Mel
October 20, 2015
I would say that this book is a standalone, however it is connected to DeLee’s first novel. However, it can still be read as a standalone.
I was pretty skeptical when I first chose this book because I didn’t think it would be my kind of book. However, I decided to give it a chance and read it this month because of its mention of ghosts. I am certainly glad that I did because there is a lot more to this novel than meets the eye.
It is told from multiple points of view of all those who are members of the Ideal Life Club. I loved the idea of such a club where we can all aspire to reach for our dreams. In general this book was so inspiring as a whole and made me so happy by the end of it. I even found myself doing the club exercises as I was reading the book in hopes to make progress towards my own dream – which is being a published author. The book is something a reader can participate in because of those exercises and I am sure nearly everyone can relate to if they have a dream of some sort they want to pursue.
There were five main characters in this novel and you get to follow all their journeies pretty closely except for Lydia’s whose we only see once or twice. We have Jerry who is aiming to overcome him stage fright so he can perform. There’s Hilda who is into craft making and wants to sell enough to live through it. Lydia is there who is a chef/baker aiming to sell and make her own cookbook for the sake of charity. The lead role is Ginny who is already an author but is aiming to become a homeowner. And lastly, there is Lee who is only aiming to get rid of ghosts who seem to be meddling with his work. At first many in the group are skeptical towards the idea of ghosts but later when it starts to affect them too, they start to believe.
This book crosses so many more themes than it lets on. There is a mention of courage and ambition of course, but it also touched on the themes of death and grief which I think was handled incredibly well.
Once or twice the book mentions religion although it isn’t something that takes up a lot of the book. I did think it was included just enough and handled exceptionally well too. I also have to bring in the friendship now that all these characters lean towards as they grow and develop throughout the story. Again, that was something lovely to see happening as the novel progressed.
The ghost story in this one isn’t too suspenseful but it was there and very well handled. I think it did have quite a bit to do with the plot and in the end the conclusion they reached as a group surprised me, but it wove all their lives together and everything seemed to fit into place. It was a clever conclusion.
Overall, this book left me feeling inspired, eager and happy after reading it. I couldn’t really ask for more.
This review and more can be found at Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...
I was pretty skeptical when I first chose this book because I didn’t think it would be my kind of book. However, I decided to give it a chance and read it this month because of its mention of ghosts. I am certainly glad that I did because there is a lot more to this novel than meets the eye.
It is told from multiple points of view of all those who are members of the Ideal Life Club. I loved the idea of such a club where we can all aspire to reach for our dreams. In general this book was so inspiring as a whole and made me so happy by the end of it. I even found myself doing the club exercises as I was reading the book in hopes to make progress towards my own dream – which is being a published author. The book is something a reader can participate in because of those exercises and I am sure nearly everyone can relate to if they have a dream of some sort they want to pursue.
There were five main characters in this novel and you get to follow all their journeies pretty closely except for Lydia’s whose we only see once or twice. We have Jerry who is aiming to overcome him stage fright so he can perform. There’s Hilda who is into craft making and wants to sell enough to live through it. Lydia is there who is a chef/baker aiming to sell and make her own cookbook for the sake of charity. The lead role is Ginny who is already an author but is aiming to become a homeowner. And lastly, there is Lee who is only aiming to get rid of ghosts who seem to be meddling with his work. At first many in the group are skeptical towards the idea of ghosts but later when it starts to affect them too, they start to believe.
This book crosses so many more themes than it lets on. There is a mention of courage and ambition of course, but it also touched on the themes of death and grief which I think was handled incredibly well.
Once or twice the book mentions religion although it isn’t something that takes up a lot of the book. I did think it was included just enough and handled exceptionally well too. I also have to bring in the friendship now that all these characters lean towards as they grow and develop throughout the story. Again, that was something lovely to see happening as the novel progressed.
The ghost story in this one isn’t too suspenseful but it was there and very well handled. I think it did have quite a bit to do with the plot and in the end the conclusion they reached as a group surprised me, but it wove all their lives together and everything seemed to fit into place. It was a clever conclusion.
Overall, this book left me feeling inspired, eager and happy after reading it. I couldn’t really ask for more.
This review and more can be found at Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...
July 16, 2015
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review!
In Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts we follow Ginny, an author whom is starting a club at her local library called "The Ideal Life Club". She wants to start this club as a venue to help people pursue and achieve specific goals or dreams by using techniques like affirmations and visualization that she used in pursuing her lifelong dream to become a writer. The story takes us through the journeys of each of the four members of the club as they struggle through reaching their goals.
I really enjoyed reading this story, it's definitely a good, light read. I found it to be pretty heartwarming and interesting. I loved Ginny as a character, especially as a main character and loved her outlook on life. I found this book to be very inspirational even with goals that I am working to complete myself which was really cool. I don't think I've ever read a work of fiction that had the effect of a self help book on creativity so that was pretty interesting in itself. I liked seeing how the members of the club approached and conquered their fears in order to achieve their goals. The emphasis in this book on faith, fearlessness and even friendship was wonderful to read. I also liked the small paranormal aspects that were included throughout the book in both Lee and Ginny's cases. I thought the twist regarding Ginny's experiences in here home was really cool and something I didn't expect! That was such an original idea in a story to me! I really wanted to learn more about Lee's experiences too. I feel like out of everyone that participated in the Idea Life club he had one of the most interesting situations that I would have liked more detail and story about.
I was interested in the book right away even though I thought that it was a little slower at the beginning. Even through that, it never ceased to be an interesting story and I always wanted to find out what happened next with the characters. I really liked Ginny and Lee and for some reason, I was hoping that they would end up falling for each other by the end of the book. I really loved the ending of this book though as it is, it was very heartwarming and although I didn't get my romance angle between Ginny and Lee, it did feel complete to me and I was satisfied with it. I really enjoyed this book and give it a 4 out of 5 star rating!
In Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts we follow Ginny, an author whom is starting a club at her local library called "The Ideal Life Club". She wants to start this club as a venue to help people pursue and achieve specific goals or dreams by using techniques like affirmations and visualization that she used in pursuing her lifelong dream to become a writer. The story takes us through the journeys of each of the four members of the club as they struggle through reaching their goals.
I really enjoyed reading this story, it's definitely a good, light read. I found it to be pretty heartwarming and interesting. I loved Ginny as a character, especially as a main character and loved her outlook on life. I found this book to be very inspirational even with goals that I am working to complete myself which was really cool. I don't think I've ever read a work of fiction that had the effect of a self help book on creativity so that was pretty interesting in itself. I liked seeing how the members of the club approached and conquered their fears in order to achieve their goals. The emphasis in this book on faith, fearlessness and even friendship was wonderful to read. I also liked the small paranormal aspects that were included throughout the book in both Lee and Ginny's cases. I thought the twist regarding Ginny's experiences in here home was really cool and something I didn't expect! That was such an original idea in a story to me! I really wanted to learn more about Lee's experiences too. I feel like out of everyone that participated in the Idea Life club he had one of the most interesting situations that I would have liked more detail and story about.
I was interested in the book right away even though I thought that it was a little slower at the beginning. Even through that, it never ceased to be an interesting story and I always wanted to find out what happened next with the characters. I really liked Ginny and Lee and for some reason, I was hoping that they would end up falling for each other by the end of the book. I really loved the ending of this book though as it is, it was very heartwarming and although I didn't get my romance angle between Ginny and Lee, it did feel complete to me and I was satisfied with it. I really enjoyed this book and give it a 4 out of 5 star rating!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2015
Ginny has a dream of owning her own cottage, but her love of procrastinating has kept her from pursuing it. She decides a new club of people going after their dreams and achieving their goals would be perfect to help keep her on track, which is how the Ideal Life Club was created. She never imagined the friendships she’d find with those who joined her club.
Lydia has a goal of creating her own cookbook to sell at a school event to help the school update their computer lab. Lee, a contractor, is having supernatural problems on his job sites and is seeking for a solution before he loses his business. Jerry is a song writer and is searching to overcome his stage fright so he can perform in front of people without panicking. Lastly, Hilda has a dream of pursing a crafting business full time so she can quit her job at the nursing home.
There were bits from each character that I could closely identify with and I felt a kinship with each of them. By the end of the book, the characters all felt like friends I had known forever.
Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts is a delightful story filled with humor, a bit of ghostly adventure, and the deep bond of friendship. I cheered their triumphs and teared up at their heartbreaks. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Janet DeLee is a talented writer to watch.
I give this book a 5. I highly recommend this book and will be looking for other books from this author in the future.
Lydia has a goal of creating her own cookbook to sell at a school event to help the school update their computer lab. Lee, a contractor, is having supernatural problems on his job sites and is seeking for a solution before he loses his business. Jerry is a song writer and is searching to overcome his stage fright so he can perform in front of people without panicking. Lastly, Hilda has a dream of pursing a crafting business full time so she can quit her job at the nursing home.
There were bits from each character that I could closely identify with and I felt a kinship with each of them. By the end of the book, the characters all felt like friends I had known forever.
Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts is a delightful story filled with humor, a bit of ghostly adventure, and the deep bond of friendship. I cheered their triumphs and teared up at their heartbreaks. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Janet DeLee is a talented writer to watch.
I give this book a 5. I highly recommend this book and will be looking for other books from this author in the future.
August 16, 2015
Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts by Janet Delee is a charming book revolving around a group of folks looking to realize their dreams. Led By Ginny, we get to know their plans and fears and the steps they take to accomplish one and overcome the later. Add a little mystery and supernatural elements and Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts is a great read right up the alley of any fan of light paranormal or cozy mystery. While not my usual fare, I enjoyed it and think I know some people who would adore this book! It would also be fun to try reading it to my mom.
It also inspired me to examine, define and create goals for my own Leaps to Take.
I hope to see more from Janet!
It also inspired me to examine, define and create goals for my own Leaps to Take.
I hope to see more from Janet!
August 6, 2016
Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts is quite a teaser. Midway into the story I found myself wanting to know (in particular) about Lee’s life; like exactly what was causing the issues at his business that disrupted his personal and professional life. You really have to hang on to catch little snippets, which the natural upbeat dialogue and sprite encounters between the others in the group make it easy. This is just an all-around entertaining story including the type characters many would love to have as friends in real life. The perfect light read for a long train or plane ride.
August 16, 2015
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
This review was originally posted on my blog Little Miss Reader.
Even though this book is about older people it reminds me of The Jane Austen Book Club, each of the characters have a life outside of the club which we'll learn about and they form a bond you can only wish for. I really enjoyed the relationships in this book and I enjoyed getting to know each and every one of the characters!
Our main, main character, Ginny starts an Ideal Life Club to help herself and others pursue their dreams. Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts is about the 5 people in this Ideal Life Club and how they pursue their dreams with the help of each other. As the summary say; it's hair-rising, hilarious, inspiring and always surprising. It holds every emotion and it was a delight to read.
Characters
Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts centers around 5 characters; Ginny, Lydia, Hilda, Jerry and Lee.
Ginny is an author, she's 58 and she's the initiator of the Ideal Life Club, as she calls it. Her dream is to buy the perfect cottage
- Lydia is in her thirties, she's married, has a kid and she wants to publish her very own cookbook!
- Hilda loves crafts and her dream is to use all her time crafting and selling these crafts
- Jerry is a younger man, I belive, and his dream is to become a professional musician
- Lastly we have Lee, he's in his fifties, divorced and he owns a construction company. He's had to deal with weird occurrences and his dream, or rather goal, is to get rid of these occurrences.
I think the characters are quite well developed, I would have liked to see some more of Lydia outside of the club since I love that she loves food and cooking!
I had not expected them all to be so old, but as it turns out, I have no problem with it. I couldn't really relate to any of the characters, but in this case it doesn't matter as much since I liked them all!
The Story
Even if the Ideal Life Club is what draws our 5 main characters together they each have a life of their own and it's an aspect I really enjoyed!
Seeing how they actually tried to reach their goal or dream was so inspiring! Even though the Ideal Life Club chapters is my favorite I definitely loved seeing how their life was outside of group!
This book holds so many different stories and different characters and oddly enough it's so easy to follow!
This story is definitely a character-driven story, so you'll find yourself at quite a loss if you don't like any of the characters. Though, I can't image anyone not liking any of the characters, even the least!
Even though the ghost part of the story is part of the title, Lee's life and maybe more of our character's lives it's actually not that big a part of the bigger picture. I can promise you that it's not creepy at all!
My thanks
I want to thank Janet DeLee for giving me the opportunity to read this book! It came at a time in my life where I didn't know I needed it and I'm grateful. Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts helped me realize that even if my life doesn't turn out according to plan, it's never to late to pursue my dreams and it's definitely cured me of some of my fear for my future.
This review was originally posted on my blog Little Miss Reader.
Even though this book is about older people it reminds me of The Jane Austen Book Club, each of the characters have a life outside of the club which we'll learn about and they form a bond you can only wish for. I really enjoyed the relationships in this book and I enjoyed getting to know each and every one of the characters!
Our main, main character, Ginny starts an Ideal Life Club to help herself and others pursue their dreams. Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts is about the 5 people in this Ideal Life Club and how they pursue their dreams with the help of each other. As the summary say; it's hair-rising, hilarious, inspiring and always surprising. It holds every emotion and it was a delight to read.
Characters
Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts centers around 5 characters; Ginny, Lydia, Hilda, Jerry and Lee.
Ginny is an author, she's 58 and she's the initiator of the Ideal Life Club, as she calls it. Her dream is to buy the perfect cottage
- Lydia is in her thirties, she's married, has a kid and she wants to publish her very own cookbook!
- Hilda loves crafts and her dream is to use all her time crafting and selling these crafts
- Jerry is a younger man, I belive, and his dream is to become a professional musician
- Lastly we have Lee, he's in his fifties, divorced and he owns a construction company. He's had to deal with weird occurrences and his dream, or rather goal, is to get rid of these occurrences.
I think the characters are quite well developed, I would have liked to see some more of Lydia outside of the club since I love that she loves food and cooking!
I had not expected them all to be so old, but as it turns out, I have no problem with it. I couldn't really relate to any of the characters, but in this case it doesn't matter as much since I liked them all!
The Story
Even if the Ideal Life Club is what draws our 5 main characters together they each have a life of their own and it's an aspect I really enjoyed!
Seeing how they actually tried to reach their goal or dream was so inspiring! Even though the Ideal Life Club chapters is my favorite I definitely loved seeing how their life was outside of group!
This book holds so many different stories and different characters and oddly enough it's so easy to follow!
This story is definitely a character-driven story, so you'll find yourself at quite a loss if you don't like any of the characters. Though, I can't image anyone not liking any of the characters, even the least!
Even though the ghost part of the story is part of the title, Lee's life and maybe more of our character's lives it's actually not that big a part of the bigger picture. I can promise you that it's not creepy at all!
My thanks
I want to thank Janet DeLee for giving me the opportunity to read this book! It came at a time in my life where I didn't know I needed it and I'm grateful. Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts helped me realize that even if my life doesn't turn out according to plan, it's never to late to pursue my dreams and it's definitely cured me of some of my fear for my future.
August 25, 2015
Ginny Lawther is a successful author and wants to share with others the chance to reach for their dreams. So, Ginny puts an ad in the local newspaper. Although she is expecting a huge crowd of people, she only gets four. Hilda works at an assisted living facility and dreams of making money from her crafts. Jerry wants to be a successful musician but has a hard time just trying to perform in a local bookstore. Lydia wants to publish a cook book and Lee is trying to perform a renovation but is plagued by a ghost.
Ginny gives them all notebooks to write down their dreams, their plans, and anything else related to reaching their goals. They also meet to discuss what is going on and encourage each other. Along the way they have different things that happen that both seems to crush their dreams. But with the group backing them and perseverance they all will reach their goals.
I loved this book. Ginny starts a small group to try and inspire others to reach for their dreams. Although the turnout is not what she expected, the group is there to support each other and make this book come together beautifully. I loved the whole ghost hunting section the best. Especially when Ginny is taking notes for her own problems.
This is a great story. It’s not a typical one in the sense that you can get encouragement, hints, and tips to reach your own goals. This is a great story and I can’t wait for other books from Janet DeLee.
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Ginny gives them all notebooks to write down their dreams, their plans, and anything else related to reaching their goals. They also meet to discuss what is going on and encourage each other. Along the way they have different things that happen that both seems to crush their dreams. But with the group backing them and perseverance they all will reach their goals.
I loved this book. Ginny starts a small group to try and inspire others to reach for their dreams. Although the turnout is not what she expected, the group is there to support each other and make this book come together beautifully. I loved the whole ghost hunting section the best. Especially when Ginny is taking notes for her own problems.
This is a great story. It’s not a typical one in the sense that you can get encouragement, hints, and tips to reach your own goals. This is a great story and I can’t wait for other books from Janet DeLee.
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
August 12, 2015
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a quick but engaging read that inspires you to think about your dreams in life. Almost the entire time I was reading about the characters working on achieving their Ideal Life (Ginny always refers to this in capital letters), I began to think about what my dreams are and possible ways to achieve them. There were several different characters, each with a life and personality easily relatable for most people probably. What made this story really interesting were the ghost and spirit encounters. Lee owns a construction company specializing in vintage restorations and has been experiencing all kinds of seemingly unexplainable things on job sites that are negatively affecting his business. I would have really liked to hear about some of Lee's experiences. Ginny, too, begins to have things happen in her own home! In addition to this story having some interesting things happen, it really attests to the power of positive thinking and visualizing the things your dreams in order to attain them.
This book was a quick but engaging read that inspires you to think about your dreams in life. Almost the entire time I was reading about the characters working on achieving their Ideal Life (Ginny always refers to this in capital letters), I began to think about what my dreams are and possible ways to achieve them. There were several different characters, each with a life and personality easily relatable for most people probably. What made this story really interesting were the ghost and spirit encounters. Lee owns a construction company specializing in vintage restorations and has been experiencing all kinds of seemingly unexplainable things on job sites that are negatively affecting his business. I would have really liked to hear about some of Lee's experiences. Ginny, too, begins to have things happen in her own home! In addition to this story having some interesting things happen, it really attests to the power of positive thinking and visualizing the things your dreams in order to attain them.
June 26, 2015
The atmosphere is electrifying.
His friends are eagerly waiting to cheer him- a warm audience is all set to welcome the new talent.
Limelight is entirely on him.
It is now a matter of time before the unknown singer cum songwriter turns out to be the darling of the town-and why not?
He has a fresh voice and he is immensely talented in terms of song writing.
It is a perfect launching pad for the new Elvis presale.
But where is he?
To be or not to be-that is the question.
A fresh plot with warm narration- coupled with immaculate sense of humour- is an one sentence impression of ‘ Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts’ by Janet De Lee’ – a novel that will make you think, make you imagine, make you shiver and at the end will make you embrace the beautiful life more closely. The book is just like the life itself-full of ups and downs-full of joy and grief-full of hope and despair- and at the end?
Read full review at
https://jayasreesown.wordpress.com/20...
His friends are eagerly waiting to cheer him- a warm audience is all set to welcome the new talent.
Limelight is entirely on him.
It is now a matter of time before the unknown singer cum songwriter turns out to be the darling of the town-and why not?
He has a fresh voice and he is immensely talented in terms of song writing.
It is a perfect launching pad for the new Elvis presale.
But where is he?
To be or not to be-that is the question.
A fresh plot with warm narration- coupled with immaculate sense of humour- is an one sentence impression of ‘ Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts’ by Janet De Lee’ – a novel that will make you think, make you imagine, make you shiver and at the end will make you embrace the beautiful life more closely. The book is just like the life itself-full of ups and downs-full of joy and grief-full of hope and despair- and at the end?
Read full review at
https://jayasreesown.wordpress.com/20...
August 25, 2015
Ginny Lawther finally made one of her dreams come true in the fall of her life, being a published author. She wanted to share the things she learned with other people, and help them achieve their goals as well as a new one of hers. She started the Ideal Life Club which had four other members, Lydia, Hilda, Jerry and Lee. The goal was to set out specific steps at a meeting each month for six months to attain each members goal. Ginny wanted to be a homeowner, Lydia wanted to write a cookbook, Hilda wanted to build a craft business, Jerry wanted to be a singer-songwriter, and Lee wanted to rid his renovation business of stranger occurrences. DeLee uses her style and voice to keep the reader engaged in this charmingly entertaining story.
January 29, 2016
2.5 stars.
Note: A 2.5 star rating does not mean this is a terrible book. I feel I should make that clear to the author and any potential future readers. Had I not liked it, it would have got no-stars and a scathing review. The intention of this review is to be constructive, rather than negative, and my opinion is based purely on my own reading preferences. The author kindly provided me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts by Janet Delee is a light, relatively easy-to-read novel about what we can achieve when we acknowledge our dreams and set out to make them happen.
The central character is Ginny, whose dream is to one day own a cottage. She's successful and potentially has the means to make it happen, but perhaps lacking a little in motivation. So, at the prompting of her friend, she puts an advert in the local paper for the creation of a group whose members will help fellow dreamers achieve their goals. One such member is wanting to rid his premises of ghosts, and this is where the "finding ghosts" aspect of the title comes into it (although as a heads-up to future readers, there might not be as much ghostly happenings as one might expect given the title).
As a whole, this book fell somewhere between mediocre and slightly engaging for me. There were times where I found myself quite interested in what was taking place in the story, but it wasn't consistent. I felt I spent a lot of pages waiting for something to happen, and then when it did, it wasn't quite to the level I was anticipating (or hoping for), which in turn left me feeling a bit disappointed, because the story had potential to really go places.
I also had a bit of an issue with the style and prose. Whilst uncomplicated in style, there is a lot speech - perhaps too much. The story itself is often being told through conversation. This, unfortunately, is a bit of a pet-hate for me. Perhaps it was all the "talking", but I struggled to relate to Ginny, and the other characters in the book. I understood and could appreciate their desire to fulfil an aspiration, but I couldn't connect with them on a personal level. I would have preferred more descriptive narration, and greater personal insight into the characters. I feel had there been more of this, the overall story might have been far more enjoyable for me.
However, I also recognise that this novel is probably not marketed to my particular age demographic. As I was reading, I couldn't help but think that if I was thirty years older, I'd be into it a whole lot more. I'll keep it on the bookshelf, and perhaps in thirty years time, I'll read it again.
Note: A 2.5 star rating does not mean this is a terrible book. I feel I should make that clear to the author and any potential future readers. Had I not liked it, it would have got no-stars and a scathing review. The intention of this review is to be constructive, rather than negative, and my opinion is based purely on my own reading preferences. The author kindly provided me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts by Janet Delee is a light, relatively easy-to-read novel about what we can achieve when we acknowledge our dreams and set out to make them happen.
The central character is Ginny, whose dream is to one day own a cottage. She's successful and potentially has the means to make it happen, but perhaps lacking a little in motivation. So, at the prompting of her friend, she puts an advert in the local paper for the creation of a group whose members will help fellow dreamers achieve their goals. One such member is wanting to rid his premises of ghosts, and this is where the "finding ghosts" aspect of the title comes into it (although as a heads-up to future readers, there might not be as much ghostly happenings as one might expect given the title).
As a whole, this book fell somewhere between mediocre and slightly engaging for me. There were times where I found myself quite interested in what was taking place in the story, but it wasn't consistent. I felt I spent a lot of pages waiting for something to happen, and then when it did, it wasn't quite to the level I was anticipating (or hoping for), which in turn left me feeling a bit disappointed, because the story had potential to really go places.
I also had a bit of an issue with the style and prose. Whilst uncomplicated in style, there is a lot speech - perhaps too much. The story itself is often being told through conversation. This, unfortunately, is a bit of a pet-hate for me. Perhaps it was all the "talking", but I struggled to relate to Ginny, and the other characters in the book. I understood and could appreciate their desire to fulfil an aspiration, but I couldn't connect with them on a personal level. I would have preferred more descriptive narration, and greater personal insight into the characters. I feel had there been more of this, the overall story might have been far more enjoyable for me.
However, I also recognise that this novel is probably not marketed to my particular age demographic. As I was reading, I couldn't help but think that if I was thirty years older, I'd be into it a whole lot more. I'll keep it on the bookshelf, and perhaps in thirty years time, I'll read it again.
November 13, 2015
This book isn't what I expected at all but it was still good. It was very inspirational and really made me feel good and want to follow my dreams, like the characters in the books. The characters were fun and really cared for each other even though they were all at different points in their lives.
Ginny has always had a dream to own her own cottage. So she decides to start a social group so others that have dreams can share their stories. She meets a handful of great people with their own dreams, there is Jerry and his dream of being a musician, Hilda and her dream to sell her crafts for a living, Lydia and her dream to make and sell her own cookbooks at the next PTA meeting at her kids school. There is also Lee and his dream or goal to get rid of spirits that keep popping up at his job sites. They come together to help each other achieve their goals and become great friends in the process.
I'm not going to lie this book was kind of boring to me, at least at times it was. I enjoyed Jerry and his scenes and I liked Ginny too but the others were a miss for me. I didn't really see Lee's "dream" as a dream so I didn't really think he should be there but I liked his character in the end. Hilda and Lydia kind of bored me but I think it's because I don't having a crafty bone in my body and I can cook but not like Lydia. So maybe their dreams just didn't interest me enough to want to read about them, I don't know but they were boring. Ginny's dream was kind of odd to me too, I get wanting to own a house but wanting it so bad to create a support group instead of just doing it herself? That's weird.
That being said I would have joined that group in a heartbeat. I liked how close it brought all of them in just a few short months and at all of their different ages. When I first started reading I didn't picture Ginny being that old but then it was said that she was 58. I guess, I thought by 58 she would have already had her own house.
I enjoyed the little bit of ghostly things that was in the book but I wished there was more. I mean, ghosts is in the title so I thought there would be more ghosts. I liked how the author tied everything and everyone in together though, even the ghost. It was very creative and I give her props for it. It was a very enjoyable read and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. I highly recommend for anyone scared to take that leap to follow their dreams.
Ginny has always had a dream to own her own cottage. So she decides to start a social group so others that have dreams can share their stories. She meets a handful of great people with their own dreams, there is Jerry and his dream of being a musician, Hilda and her dream to sell her crafts for a living, Lydia and her dream to make and sell her own cookbooks at the next PTA meeting at her kids school. There is also Lee and his dream or goal to get rid of spirits that keep popping up at his job sites. They come together to help each other achieve their goals and become great friends in the process.
I'm not going to lie this book was kind of boring to me, at least at times it was. I enjoyed Jerry and his scenes and I liked Ginny too but the others were a miss for me. I didn't really see Lee's "dream" as a dream so I didn't really think he should be there but I liked his character in the end. Hilda and Lydia kind of bored me but I think it's because I don't having a crafty bone in my body and I can cook but not like Lydia. So maybe their dreams just didn't interest me enough to want to read about them, I don't know but they were boring. Ginny's dream was kind of odd to me too, I get wanting to own a house but wanting it so bad to create a support group instead of just doing it herself? That's weird.
That being said I would have joined that group in a heartbeat. I liked how close it brought all of them in just a few short months and at all of their different ages. When I first started reading I didn't picture Ginny being that old but then it was said that she was 58. I guess, I thought by 58 she would have already had her own house.
I enjoyed the little bit of ghostly things that was in the book but I wished there was more. I mean, ghosts is in the title so I thought there would be more ghosts. I liked how the author tied everything and everyone in together though, even the ghost. It was very creative and I give her props for it. It was a very enjoyable read and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. I highly recommend for anyone scared to take that leap to follow their dreams.
January 1, 2016
This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.
Ginny has an Ideal Life plan. After her first 50 years of life, she wants to own her own home. Armed with a close friend who is a real estate agent, she sets out on the hunt. She needs some backup though, so she forms an ‘Ideal Life’ club, and gets together a group of misfits who want to be musicians, artists and writers, as well as a man who wants to work out his haunting problems.
The book dragged on and on. I was half-way through before anything vaguely interesting happened. There were attempts to bring ghosts into things, but really the ghosts were minor inconveniences. I didn’t once feel frightened about the ghosts hurting any of the characters – it might have provided a well-needed pick-me-up for the action of the story!
The ‘twist’ in this was not really a twist. The hints towards something interesting happening? Simply hints. Nothing to see here folks, keep moving on. Just regular life ‘Ideal Life’ dreams that seem very short, and unimportant. I understand the worth of working towards something like that, but honestly it’s not very interesting to read about in a novel.
This novel was perfectly written. No, really, perfect. The problem was that there wasn’t a compelling storyline underneath it. The language choices and the sentence construction were all textbook perfect. But this also meant that the dialogue came across as ‘perfect’, and seemed quite stilted, because each of the characters used full words, and honestly, there was no distinctions in the way that made me like one more than another. If you read the text to me out loud, I wouldn’t be able to tell you which character was which.
I lie in wait this this author will bring other works out that I may love more, because the foundations for a fantastic novel are there – the author would just benefit from getting out there and grabbing a really dirty, fast-paced plot and slinking it into her beautiful writing style.
I want to give it 3 stars, and I would if I could think of an audience for it. Sadly for me, it was just so slow and boring that although I finished it, there are better things to read out there.
Ginny has an Ideal Life plan. After her first 50 years of life, she wants to own her own home. Armed with a close friend who is a real estate agent, she sets out on the hunt. She needs some backup though, so she forms an ‘Ideal Life’ club, and gets together a group of misfits who want to be musicians, artists and writers, as well as a man who wants to work out his haunting problems.
The book dragged on and on. I was half-way through before anything vaguely interesting happened. There were attempts to bring ghosts into things, but really the ghosts were minor inconveniences. I didn’t once feel frightened about the ghosts hurting any of the characters – it might have provided a well-needed pick-me-up for the action of the story!
The ‘twist’ in this was not really a twist. The hints towards something interesting happening? Simply hints. Nothing to see here folks, keep moving on. Just regular life ‘Ideal Life’ dreams that seem very short, and unimportant. I understand the worth of working towards something like that, but honestly it’s not very interesting to read about in a novel.
This novel was perfectly written. No, really, perfect. The problem was that there wasn’t a compelling storyline underneath it. The language choices and the sentence construction were all textbook perfect. But this also meant that the dialogue came across as ‘perfect’, and seemed quite stilted, because each of the characters used full words, and honestly, there was no distinctions in the way that made me like one more than another. If you read the text to me out loud, I wouldn’t be able to tell you which character was which.
I lie in wait this this author will bring other works out that I may love more, because the foundations for a fantastic novel are there – the author would just benefit from getting out there and grabbing a really dirty, fast-paced plot and slinking it into her beautiful writing style.
I want to give it 3 stars, and I would if I could think of an audience for it. Sadly for me, it was just so slow and boring that although I finished it, there are better things to read out there.
April 6, 2016
Author Ginny has sold many books and become a household name, yet the one thing that she truly would like, is a home to call her own. She would love to buy her own place, yet she just doesn’t have the courage to do so.
With that in mind, Ginny decides it’s time to get her act together and has a plan. She will set up a club where the members will meet once a month and work though their wishes, and help each other achieve them – ‘The Ideal Life Club’.
At the first meeting, 4 members turn up, all with separate goals that they want to achieve.
Lydia – She has always dreamed of writing her own cook book and donating the profits, but she doesn’t know where to start, or if people will even love her recipes.
Hilda – Has a passion for crafting, and would one day love to give up her job as a carer at an old peoples’ home, but first she has to make enough money selling her creations, and to come up with new ideas that people will love.
Jerry – Exceptionally shy and unsure of himself, he wants to become a singer and perform his songs in front of people. The problem is, he has severe stage fright.
Lee – His only wish is to get rid of the ghost or ghosts that are ruining his construction business. They have already ruined his marriage, and he is willing to do anything to make them just disappear for good.
The book is a light-hearted, perfectly-paced book, that packs a lot into the pages. Janet has written a fantastic and unusual story that brings together a whole range of emotions. It will have you feeling joyous, tense, sad and at times wanting to laugh out loud – ‘Take That’ (you will understand when you read the book).
Told from the various view points of the five members of the club, you get to delve deeper in to their lives, and see what makes them tick.
This is a book that I can honestly say I didn’t see the twist towards the end coming. Janet certainly steered me down the wrong path with my train of though. It’s nice when you can hold your hand up and say ‘you got me’. I won’t give the game away, but I did have to look up what was really happening as I had never heard of it before.
This book is Definitely worth your time and is a fantastic read.
Reviewed by Stacey at www.whisperingstories.com
With that in mind, Ginny decides it’s time to get her act together and has a plan. She will set up a club where the members will meet once a month and work though their wishes, and help each other achieve them – ‘The Ideal Life Club’.
At the first meeting, 4 members turn up, all with separate goals that they want to achieve.
Lydia – She has always dreamed of writing her own cook book and donating the profits, but she doesn’t know where to start, or if people will even love her recipes.
Hilda – Has a passion for crafting, and would one day love to give up her job as a carer at an old peoples’ home, but first she has to make enough money selling her creations, and to come up with new ideas that people will love.
Jerry – Exceptionally shy and unsure of himself, he wants to become a singer and perform his songs in front of people. The problem is, he has severe stage fright.
Lee – His only wish is to get rid of the ghost or ghosts that are ruining his construction business. They have already ruined his marriage, and he is willing to do anything to make them just disappear for good.
The book is a light-hearted, perfectly-paced book, that packs a lot into the pages. Janet has written a fantastic and unusual story that brings together a whole range of emotions. It will have you feeling joyous, tense, sad and at times wanting to laugh out loud – ‘Take That’ (you will understand when you read the book).
Told from the various view points of the five members of the club, you get to delve deeper in to their lives, and see what makes them tick.
This is a book that I can honestly say I didn’t see the twist towards the end coming. Janet certainly steered me down the wrong path with my train of though. It’s nice when you can hold your hand up and say ‘you got me’. I won’t give the game away, but I did have to look up what was really happening as I had never heard of it before.
This book is Definitely worth your time and is a fantastic read.
Reviewed by Stacey at www.whisperingstories.com
May 1, 2016
Review originally published on my blog, In the Stacks: http://nikkitheknack.blogspot.ca/2016...
This book is absolutely delightful. It's a funny, hopeful story that makes you want to get up and take your own leap of faith and follow that dream that's been niggling at your mind.
The characters are so very different from one another and yet they come together to support each other and make sure each of them knows they can take steps to achieve their dreams. I felt like I was there in the Ideal Life Group with them, and am actually currently coming up with some steps I can take to put one of my own ideas into motion.
I really identified with the characters' desires to follow their dreams and admired their bravery and determination to take a leap of faith in order to do so. I especially related to Hilda and Jerry, who wanted to make crafts and be a musician for a living, respectively. They wanted to do something creative for a living but struggled to figure out precisely how to do that. In this day and age, it seems like almost everyone wants to do exactly that, and you have to have something really unique in order to be successful. And they certainly have that!
I love the way the characters' stories interweave, and in many ways, they show us how interconnected our lives are on this little planet of ours. The ghostly apparitions really brought everything and everyone together to get to the bottom of some mysterious happenings, and I love that the group could come together in such a way to try and help each other.
My one complaint in all this is that there are quite a few grammatical errors, but if you're not as particular about grammar as I am, then this really isn't an issue.
If you're looking for a little push to follow a dream, or if you're just looking for a sweet, optimistic read, this is the book for you.
This book is absolutely delightful. It's a funny, hopeful story that makes you want to get up and take your own leap of faith and follow that dream that's been niggling at your mind.
The characters are so very different from one another and yet they come together to support each other and make sure each of them knows they can take steps to achieve their dreams. I felt like I was there in the Ideal Life Group with them, and am actually currently coming up with some steps I can take to put one of my own ideas into motion.
I really identified with the characters' desires to follow their dreams and admired their bravery and determination to take a leap of faith in order to do so. I especially related to Hilda and Jerry, who wanted to make crafts and be a musician for a living, respectively. They wanted to do something creative for a living but struggled to figure out precisely how to do that. In this day and age, it seems like almost everyone wants to do exactly that, and you have to have something really unique in order to be successful. And they certainly have that!
I love the way the characters' stories interweave, and in many ways, they show us how interconnected our lives are on this little planet of ours. The ghostly apparitions really brought everything and everyone together to get to the bottom of some mysterious happenings, and I love that the group could come together in such a way to try and help each other.
My one complaint in all this is that there are quite a few grammatical errors, but if you're not as particular about grammar as I am, then this really isn't an issue.
If you're looking for a little push to follow a dream, or if you're just looking for a sweet, optimistic read, this is the book for you.
November 13, 2015
Who wouldn't want to join a social club called "The Ideal Life Club? Especially when one realizes its about helping people to attain very specific goals by using affirmations and visualizations. Interesting, huh?
Janet DeLee's "Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts" is a light and heartwarming read about four members who have joined "The Ideal Life Club" in hopes of navigating their personal journeys through comradery, hope, and the power of positive thought. The main character here is Ginny Lawther, a 58-year-old lady who has many aspirations and hopes but finds her lacking a bit in the motivation department. With the help of her new friends, she embarks on a journey to self-realization and finding out who she really is. Her foray into creating this group yields three new friendship, each with their own set of goals and unique motivations.
The novel's clear themes are confronting one's fears and having faith, two roadblocks that I think many people can relate to in their own personal lives. With the quick pace and storytelling of this motley crue of unique characters, DeLee succeeds in telling a story that is at once both inspiring and insanely creative. The reader is propelled along for the ride, right beside each of the 4 characters, and are allowed to glimpse into lives that while at first glance may seem ordinary are actually rife with a myriad of emotions and intents. Throw in a taste of the supernatural, and you've got yourself one heck of a page turner.
Like this review? Read more like it at www.readingotherpeople.com
Janet DeLee's "Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts" is a light and heartwarming read about four members who have joined "The Ideal Life Club" in hopes of navigating their personal journeys through comradery, hope, and the power of positive thought. The main character here is Ginny Lawther, a 58-year-old lady who has many aspirations and hopes but finds her lacking a bit in the motivation department. With the help of her new friends, she embarks on a journey to self-realization and finding out who she really is. Her foray into creating this group yields three new friendship, each with their own set of goals and unique motivations.
The novel's clear themes are confronting one's fears and having faith, two roadblocks that I think many people can relate to in their own personal lives. With the quick pace and storytelling of this motley crue of unique characters, DeLee succeeds in telling a story that is at once both inspiring and insanely creative. The reader is propelled along for the ride, right beside each of the 4 characters, and are allowed to glimpse into lives that while at first glance may seem ordinary are actually rife with a myriad of emotions and intents. Throw in a taste of the supernatural, and you've got yourself one heck of a page turner.
Like this review? Read more like it at www.readingotherpeople.com
December 28, 2015
Ginny Lawther is a strong character with a great idea for a new group – the Ideal Life Club. It’s for anyone with a dream and the drive to see it come true. Her own dream is to be a homeowner.
She advertises her group and gets four members who are ready to fulfill their dreams. What I enjoyed was that each dream is realistic…not some “pie in the sky” desire to win millions of dollars. These are dreams that are very much attainable. Readers will be able to relate to these everyday people and their individual situations.
Although the members of the group start out as strangers, after only a few weeks they grow close and develop loyalty and support for each other. Their new found friendship is touching.
The group has more than just a dream to work through. There's also the possibility that ghosts are interfering with their success.
It’s a moving, poignant story that touches your heart. I wasn't sure about the ghost aspect of the story, but it really worked in this book.
This is a standalone book, but I can easily see a sequel and I hope there will be one. It’s a great concept and very well written. Janet DeLee is a “new-to-me” author who I’ll continue to look for.
FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
She advertises her group and gets four members who are ready to fulfill their dreams. What I enjoyed was that each dream is realistic…not some “pie in the sky” desire to win millions of dollars. These are dreams that are very much attainable. Readers will be able to relate to these everyday people and their individual situations.
Although the members of the group start out as strangers, after only a few weeks they grow close and develop loyalty and support for each other. Their new found friendship is touching.
The group has more than just a dream to work through. There's also the possibility that ghosts are interfering with their success.
It’s a moving, poignant story that touches your heart. I wasn't sure about the ghost aspect of the story, but it really worked in this book.
This is a standalone book, but I can easily see a sequel and I hope there will be one. It’s a great concept and very well written. Janet DeLee is a “new-to-me” author who I’ll continue to look for.
FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
February 5, 2016
Everyone has dreams, not all dreams are pursued or fulfilled, but you have to have dreams or why else exist? Dreams can be pursued at any age and that is what Ginny Lawther does. She places an ad in the local paper and waits. She goes to the place where the meeting is to take place and meets four people who are interested in the group. Hilda, Jerry, Lydia and Lee all have dreams and not sure how to go about doing anything to fulfill these dreams.
Ginny's goal is to have a dream cottage.
Hilda does crafts who wants to be able to sell what she makes at craft fairs and quit her job at a care facility.
Jerry is a musician who writes his own music and sings but has stage fright and his dream is to be able to perform in front of an audience.
Lydia loves to cook and wants to publish a cookbook.
Lee works in construction and his goal is to get rid of ghost problems he has on a lot of the sites he works on.
The object of this group is to help each other brainstorm and come up with ways that they can all attain their dreams. As chapters go by we learn the ways that each one of these people achieve what they wish for and their paths cross in more ways than they can imagine. A fun story with a ghostly element that tells us that anyone can get what they wish for, especially with help from others.
Ginny's goal is to have a dream cottage.
Hilda does crafts who wants to be able to sell what she makes at craft fairs and quit her job at a care facility.
Jerry is a musician who writes his own music and sings but has stage fright and his dream is to be able to perform in front of an audience.
Lydia loves to cook and wants to publish a cookbook.
Lee works in construction and his goal is to get rid of ghost problems he has on a lot of the sites he works on.
The object of this group is to help each other brainstorm and come up with ways that they can all attain their dreams. As chapters go by we learn the ways that each one of these people achieve what they wish for and their paths cross in more ways than they can imagine. A fun story with a ghostly element that tells us that anyone can get what they wish for, especially with help from others.
February 5, 2016
Leaps and Ghosts! Everyone has dreams, not all dreams are pursued or fulfilled, but you have to have dreams or why else exist? Dreams can be pursued at any age and that is what Ginny Lawther does. She places an ad in the local paper and waits. She goes to the place where the meeting is to take place and meets four people who are interested in the group. Hilda, Jerry, Lydia and Lee all have dreams and not sure how to go about doing anything to fulfill these dreams.
Ginny's goal is to have a dream cottage.
Hilda does crafts who wants to be able to sell what she makes at craft fairs and quit her job at a care facility.
Jerry is a musician who writes his own music and sings but has stage fright and his dream is to be able to perform in front of an audience.
Lydia loves to cook and wants to publish a cookbook.
Lee works in construction and his goal is to get rid of ghost problems he has on a lot of the sites he works on.
The object of this group is to help each other brainstorm and come up with ways that they can all attain their dreams. As chapters go by we learn the ways that each one of these people achieve what they wish for and their paths cross in more ways than they can imagine. A fun story with a ghostly element that tells us that anyone can get what they wish for, especially with help from others.
Ginny's goal is to have a dream cottage.
Hilda does crafts who wants to be able to sell what she makes at craft fairs and quit her job at a care facility.
Jerry is a musician who writes his own music and sings but has stage fright and his dream is to be able to perform in front of an audience.
Lydia loves to cook and wants to publish a cookbook.
Lee works in construction and his goal is to get rid of ghost problems he has on a lot of the sites he works on.
The object of this group is to help each other brainstorm and come up with ways that they can all attain their dreams. As chapters go by we learn the ways that each one of these people achieve what they wish for and their paths cross in more ways than they can imagine. A fun story with a ghostly element that tells us that anyone can get what they wish for, especially with help from others.
November 8, 2015
This is a sequel to Creating An Ideal Life, but it is easily read as a standalone novel. I love the original concept of forming a group to keep each other accountable and work on steps to reach a goal of making a dream come true. And then, when one group member's goal brings ghosts into all of their lives, it just gets even better.
The wide range of characters, from twenty-something Jerry to sixty-something Hilda and all the others in between, work well together. There is a great deal of humor, and all the characters are likeable. The story is told from the points of view of all characters, so that we get a chance to know each of them more intimately. I would have liked to have had more of Lydia's story, however. She seemed to get lost in the shuffle somehow.
This is largely a story of friendship, support and encouragement. The ghost story isn't exactly suspenseful, but it is covered very well, and helps to bind the group together. The conclusion was a bit surprising, but incredibly clever. I look forward to more from this author.
The wide range of characters, from twenty-something Jerry to sixty-something Hilda and all the others in between, work well together. There is a great deal of humor, and all the characters are likeable. The story is told from the points of view of all characters, so that we get a chance to know each of them more intimately. I would have liked to have had more of Lydia's story, however. She seemed to get lost in the shuffle somehow.
This is largely a story of friendship, support and encouragement. The ghost story isn't exactly suspenseful, but it is covered very well, and helps to bind the group together. The conclusion was a bit surprising, but incredibly clever. I look forward to more from this author.
July 8, 2024
Detailed Review here https://www.anuradhagoyal.com/taking-...
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