Winner of Kiss Me I'm Irish Giveaway....

Congratulations Michelle you are the winner of My Kiss Me I'm Irish Romantic Nora Roberts Giveaway!!! I will be contacting you through email for your address!

Unforgettable Fire...

Who can forget U2 the best rock band to come out of the 80's and Ireland. This particular album, Unforgettable Fire is my favorite of theirs. Such classics as Pride in the Name of Love, Bad, A Sort of a Homecoming, MLK, Heartland (Elvis Presley tribute), etc.

A young Bono and Edge at about the time of the Boy Album

U2 is truly a homegrown Irish commodity with a voice. Out of Dublin comes 4 young men who attended high school together and formed a band in Larry Mullens (drummer) kitchen. They didn't have any political agenda they just wanted to make music. They came from Catholic and Protestant backgrounds. All very talented and committed young men who have become great mentors for future aspiring rock stars. They sky rocketed to fame after their Live Aid performance of Bad and Sunday Bloody Sunday in 1985.

Rattle and Hum days

In celebration of my St. Paddy's Day Party (that no one seems interested in) I absolutely had to include these guys, a living Irish legend.



Pride in the Name of Love, Unforgettable Fire, 1984



Live Aid Concert 1985. Fantastic!!! Performing Bad from Unforgettable Fire

Truly great biography of the Band. I love it, couldn't put it down. Available on Amazon (used) or Ebay. It's worth the investment if you are a fan.
Gives you some great insight into Ireland during in the 70's and 80's.


Don't forget to sign up for my Nora Roberts Irish Trilogy giveaway!!!
Feel free to grab my Kiss Me I'm Irish button for your side bar.

For Your Love for the Irish Viewing Pleasure...

I am recommending today for my St. Paddy's Day month long party The Hanging Gale. A BBC production done in 1995 filmed on location in Ireland.
I really enjoyed this series. Great stars, the men are hot, hot, all very passionate and dramatic. Cinematography is beautiful. Just know that it is about the famine in 1846 so this isn't a warm and fuzzy type of flick, but so worth it. Gives you food for thought.
I found this on Netflix.

The four-part {@BBC1} miniseries {#The Hanging Gale} was set in 1846, the year of the Irish potato famine. As starvation stared them in the face, a group of farming families banded together to survive. Among these hardy souls were the {%Phelan Brothers} (played by the real-life {$McGann} brothers), who struggled to save their family farm despite the persecution of a cruel British land agent. Filmed on-location in Ireland, {#The Hanging Gale} was initially telecast from May 14 to June 4, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Kiss Me I'm Irish ROMANCE GIVEAWAY!!!!!!

O.K. ,like it has been forever since I have done a giveaway. Now it's time once again! I'm having fun with this one. I am giving away the Irish Trilogy by Nora Roberts in celebration of St. Paddy's day. Born of Fire, Born of Ice, Born of Shame
The next couple of weeks I am going to be featuring an Irish theme for your great reading and viewing pleasure.

I love the Irish!!! They are so passionate and have such a tumultuous history.

I thought I would start the month off with this romantic fiction give away by none other than Nora Roberts who does know how to write romance. I for one am not a big romance reader, maybe one book a year. These are the exceptions. I read these straight through in a week while on vacation in Florida!

Many of you probably have already indulged but I know there are some young ones out there who haven't had the pleasure.

There will be other give aways coming up in the next couple of weeks, and because I have started a little late I will be having this St. Paddy's party for the rest of the month so check back often and make sure you don't miss out.

Rules of the game:

• Must be a follower
• Make a comment indicating why you want to read these or let me know you already have.
  
• Leave your email
  

Added Points:

• Post my Kiss Me I'm Irish Giveaway button on your blog! Leave me the link.
  
• Tweet or facebook about it

This contest ends:

• Friday March 18th

USA followers only

Happy Monday
Susie

Black History Month 5 Star Recommendations!

The following books are books I have read and loved every page! February is Black History Month and I am recommending these books in honor of this occasion.

The Warmth of Other Sons by Isabel Wilkerson is about the great American migration of the southern African Americans to the northern United States. Featuring three families and their trials and triumphs.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, autobiography simply is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. I read it in an afternoon, I just couldn't put it down. All Americans should read this book it's part of their heritage. Available for free kindle addition.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett is the only fiction book I am recommending for Black History month. A delightful, beautifully written book. Started out as a sleeper and now has become a national bestseller. Couldn't put this down either. So much to love in this book!

Would love to hear from you if you have read any of these three or have other Black History Month recommendations of your own. All of these books are available on Amazon either in paperback or Kindle.

Susie

Book Review:Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horowitz

Imagine if you will that your Great Great Grandfather at nineteen years old immigrates from Eastern Europe at the turn of the 2oth century. He can't speak a word of English. You might wonder
what does this adventurous 5'2" Yiddish speaking young man do when he first arrives in New York City? Of course, he wanders into a book store. Does he purchase an English translation book or a map of New York City? No, he purchases a pictorial history of the American Civil War!
Is this for real? Yes indeed it is. That young man was the Great Great Grandfather of Tony Horowitz the renowned war time journalist and author of Confederates in the Attic...

This one purchase by Isaac Horowitz 80 + years ago set the pattern for the future Horowitz men in the family. Tony, his father and grandfather all know Isaac's book intimately. They know every battle, general and both minor and major players of the conflict. Tony was woken up every morning by his father charging up the stairs brandishing a sword shouting "Rouse the TROOPS". The Horowitz family took the American Civil War very seriously. It wasn't just a hobby but a commitment of serious study for life.

Tony grew up and won a Pulitzer prize for his journalistic coverage of the volatile Middle East conflicts over the years as well as the war in Bosnia. Coming home to America to settle down with his new wife in Virginia he discovers an aspect of the Civil War that the Horowitz family wasn't really aware of THE REENACTORS! Oh my what a discovery it was too. You know there is a cast system classes of reenactors. There are the once in awhile hobbyist, then the more serious weekend group, but nothing compares to the hardcore enthusiasts.

Being the man Tony is he couldn't let this opportunity pass by he had to see for himself what it means to be truly hardcore reenactors of the Civil War. He sets upon a year long journey through-out the southern united states finding out more than he could ever imagine about The War Between the States.

Tony meets all kinds of folks, all with definite opinions about slavery, Yankees and state rights.
The journey will end with Tony finding out more about himself than he could ever imagine and what he stood for. Don't miss out on this journey with Tony. It will make you laugh out loud, cry, scare you to death and angry! Every one should read this book American or not. We can all thumb our noses at the actions of our ancestors in the past, but wait a minute, has things really changed in human nature that much? Find out!

This book is now available in Kindle as well as paperback through Amazon.

5 big stars rating from me!

Changed it up a bit...

I needed a change for the new year. I no longer am a part of the HFBRT. I just couldn't keep up with it and found myself wanting to read other things. I am a very eclectic person especially when it comes to literature. One day I will get in a mood and need to read all about the American Civil War and then on another day jump back into 14Th century England.
I eat up anything worth reading about WWII in particular involving rescue and resistance stories. I am always surfing the net when something strikes me as interesting. I am not beyond reading trial transcripts about Adolf Eichman or researching the Opium Wars between China and England. I just never know what will strike me as interesting. I just find the world is a very interesting place and I want to learn as much as possible about the people, culture and history that inhabits it.

That is why from now on I will be reviewing what I read and there will be no rhyme or reason to it, but if I choose to review the book then I'm recommending it as well. Hopefully my followers will be pleased with some of my recommendations and find new discoveries.

I promise to be posting far more often now that I don't feel so confined. I really appreciate all you wonderful followers who have stuck with me in my absense!