Completed: January 6, 2013
Rating: 7/10
Review: Charlie and Donna Barton own the Bridge, a popular new and used book store where the people of Franklin come not only for books but for coffee and good company. Charlie considers it not only a vocation but a ministry and the couple have never made much money as Charlie literally gives away books for a fraction of the cost to those who can't afford the full price. When the 100 year flood sweeps through town and literally wipes out the store, Charlie hangs on with everything he's got to get the store going again. But with the insurance company giving him very little and the building owner pulling the lease and only giving him a week to purchase the store, Charlie feels likes he's failed everyone. Filled with anxiety and worry, he doesn't know what to do. When a horrible accident occurs, it looks like all hope is gone.
In this quaint and loving store, Molly Allen and Ryan Kelly come to study during their college years. Building a deep friendship which turns to love they are both devastated when life & percieved reality pulls them in different directions. With broken hearts and neither really understanding how the breakup could have occurred they try to move on with their lives. When Ryan learns of what happened to the bookstore and the tragedy that has come upon the Barton's he rallies the former customers of the Bridge bringing Molly back into his life if only for a short time.
This is a sweet story of second chances. Centered around a bookstore. What could be better than that? Seriously though, it was a lovely story reiterating the fact of how our deeply our lives can touch others even when we don't realize it. A Hallmark movie kind of story. The story tugs on the heart strings with the two different story lines. It was nice "escape" read to start off the year that doesn't make you think too much. I will say though, that considering it is a very short story, the price paid was way too much. In Canada the hard cover was around the 20 dollar mark. It's a smaller sized book and double spaced so it was a mite deceptive in length for the price.
Completed: January 12, 2013
Rating: 9/10
Review: J.D. Jessup has left his former life to move to Tuscon area and volunteer on an organic farm hoping to learn everything he can about organic farming. His tough boss has an unbreakable rule, that if J.D. finds an "Illegal" he is to immediately call Border Patrol. But when out early one morning, he comes across a young Mexican woman near death, J.D. is moved to get her some help rather than call the border. This one decision changes his life forever as the dangerous world of drug trafficking causes a chain of deadly events that threaten to take over his life. As he and the woman run for their lives, J.D.'s own secrets start to surface and he must also come to terms with them.
This is the second book from this author that I've read and I would say he's two for two. I loved this book. Suspense mixed with danger, mixed with a bit of a romance, mixed with characters dealing with very real things in their hearts. The romance took a back seat to the suspense and action, which I really liked. The characters developed over the course of the story and so their flaws really surfaced as they tried to deal with keeping themselves alive and safe. A little bit more "preachy" than his other book that I read, but those parts were blended well into the story instead of sticking out and seeming misplaced. The majority of the book only spans a period of four days and it is divided accordingly which really helped to keep the timeline in focus in the midst of everything happening. It kept me on the edge of my seat and it was a story that was hard to put down.
Completed: January 27, 2013
Rating: 9/10
Review: Patience Murphy is a midwife helping women through the births of their children in Depression era Appalachian mountains. Her clients are the poorest of the poor and cannot always pay Patience. But her heart cannot turn anyone away and she attends all who call on her. When Bitsy, a young black girl with no where to go, comes to live with her in her small cabin up on the mountainside, Patience, in spite of her hesitance, doesn't realize what a good friend Bitsy will become. She starts to take Bitsy along on her deliveries and is soon training her to be her assistant. But when tensions start to rise in the town due to mines closing down and men out work, both women start to feel the backlash against their friendship. And in the midst of it all, Patience is trying to hold it together while she hides deep regrets and a deep buried secret from her past.
I have to say I have never read a novel quite like this. The setting is at the beginning of the Depression and the tensions and difficulties both to the poor mine workers and the well to do mine owners, the rural residents and the city dwellers is told in such a way as you really get an idea of what it was like, yet the author is able to do so without getting too wordy. The whole character of Patience was so interesting to me as I had never really thought about what it was like for women of that era to have babies, with hospitals only available to those who could afford them and for those who could bring themselves to trust the hospitals methods of the time. As Patience attends her deliveries, she keeps a written account of all the births. The author takes you through all the births with vivid descriptions without sounding like a medical textbook. I'll have to admit, there might be some who would not enjoy all the descriptions, but I found it a fascinatting. The work, the pain, the joy and sometimes the heartache of bringing life into the world was told so richly. The author herself was a professional midwife so her writing rings very true and is able to capture all the emotions and thoughts of the participants so well. I love the developing story of Patience and Bitsy's unexpected friendship in a time when it was taboo and how Patience showed courage in the midst of very tense and scary situations within the story.
This was a great read with many aspects to the story. But the beauty of bringing life into the world and service to others was at the forefront making a very emotional story.
Completed: February 10, 2012
Rating: 8.5/10
Review: After a life time spent wondering why her mother and father would abandon her at the age of 5, Georgia Peyton feels as if her past is coming back to haunt her. She is yet again abandoned, this time by her unfaithful husband. When he turns up mysteriously dead, Georgia is left to put the pieces of her life back together again and to build a future for her two young girls. Wondering what to do, she notices the old sign of the abandoned Stardust motel in the distance. Belonging to a distant relative, the Stardust is where Georgia last remembers being with her mom and dad. When it turns up that the relative has passed away and left the Stardust to Georgia on the condition that she cannot sell it for five years, she takes a risk and agrees to the terms. Gathering hope and confidence, Georgia sets to cleaning and renovating the old motel with the vision of sheltering those who need it and having families enjoy a getaway. Soon a handful of characters are involved in her life and in the Stardust and she finds herself coming face to face with her past, her future, family secrets, her husband's choices and the forgiveness it will take to move on.
I love the way Carla Stewart tells a story. Set in the '50's, this book is a step back in time. It's rich descriptions of East Texas, the attitudes and outlooks of the era are told in wonderful detail. A good part of the story tells of the polio outbreak of the time and it helped me to have a better understanding of the panic and fear that must have surrounded the people that it came near. My heart went out to Georgia as she deals, with as much grace as possible, the horrible circumstances facing her. The choices she makes had me applauding her courage and for walking in graciousness, forgiveness and recognizing and meeting others needs. I wondered if I could do the same had the circumstances been mine. It's an inspirational story of second chances, finding what you were meant to do, love and forgiveness.
Completed: February 28, 2013
Rating: 8/10
Review: Dr. Elena Burroughs is at a crossroads in her life. It's been 5 years since her beloved husband died. They were only married for 5 years and she is having a hard time moving on in spite of having a successful counselling career. She specializes in dreams and has become world renowned on the subject after having written a book on the topic. Patients from all over the world seek her help. Right around the anniversary of the death of her husband a new patient seeks her out, a patient who must remain private at all costs and comes with bodyguards. This patient along with an ancient book that her dear friend passes on to her, change the course of Elena's life forever. It will take a great step of faith and stepping out of her comfort zone to realize God's gifting and call, especially when that call and the new patient bring an element of danger.
Elena and the other main characters in this story were each required to let go of something and step into new territory for each of them. It required faith on each of their parts to fulfill what they felt God was calling them to do. God's lead took each of them in very different directions than what each had planned out for their lives. What they went through seemed to be the biggest disappointment of their lives and yet it was the catalyst for what became their biggest triumph. The story was an encouragement to fully let and let God.
The part of the story that was more difficult for me was that it dealt with the banking world and global finances, a topic which I will readily admit I have no knowledge whatsoever. So that side of the story was a touch over my head. But what I found very interesting was how the author brought the spiritual influences on the actions of men into the story. The fight of good against evil was clearly defined and Elena's gift of interpreting the dreams of the main characters and of discerning the motivations of the major players being manipulated by evil forces made for a very interesting read.
Completed: March 8, 2013
Rating: 10+/10
Review: Dr. Ben Payne is in Salt Lake City for a doctor's conference and is eager to get back home as he has lots of surgeries in his schedule the next day. While waiting in the airport he meets another passenger eager to get home too. Ashley Knox is on her way east to be married that weekend. Both are finishing up things related to work while they wait to board their plane and strike up a conversation. But when flights are cancelled to a storm coming in and a broken plane deicer, Ben seeks out a charter flight to get him to Denver so he can catch a connecting flight. Finding a pilot willing and able to take him, he asks if the plane could fit one more. Thinking of Ashley and her wedding, Ben offers to share the charter and Ashley accepts. When the storm blows in the little plane gets blown about a hundred miles off course, but the aging 72 year old pilot is confident in his abilities as a pilot to get them safely where they are headed. That is until he suffers a heart attack in the air. Though he manages to crash the plane as safely as possible, saving the lives of Ben and Ashley, he passes away. Now Ben and Ashley and the pilot's dog are in a fight for their lives, in dire circumstances with absolutely no one knowing where they are and being stranded in one of the remotest and most unforgiving areas of the U.S., the High Uintas Wilderness. No one will be coming to rescue them and now it falls to Ben to get himself and Ashley, who has suffered a bad leg fracture back to civilization alive. Through this experience, Ben keeps himself very private, even while recording his thoughts and feelings into a hand held recorder for his wife. In the recording, we are given a look into him and his wife's love story even while it is revealed that they are separated. As Ashley struggles to try to feel useful she sees in Ben and his love for his wife that her own relationship is lacking and that she might be settling just to be married. And she wonders how a couple with such a deep love could be separated. But as their lives hang in the balance on a moment to moment basis, and the days turn to weeks, they both need to dig deep to survive.
I loved this story. It drew me in right from the beginning with their hard struggle to survive. But if that wasn't enough to keep you in the story, there was such an emotional element to it. Ben's "notes" to his wife and his privacy about talking about her to Ashley created an air of mystery, his strong commitment and instinct to get Ashley out of there alive and his having to face things that occurred throughout his life were all things in the story that just grabbed at my heart. Both Ben and Ashley's character development was so captivating to me, I found it hard to put the book down. I felt like I was really getting to know them both. You knew they would never get out unchanged, that is if they ever did make it out. And whether they would both make it out alive was something that you wondered right to the end. Some have said it was quite convenient that Ben just happened to be an orthopedic surgeon and a hiker, but I personally didn't let that affect what I took from the story. Yes it is a story of survival but it is just as much a story of love, regret, of giving and receiving forgiveness, of letting go and of hope. Just when I had it settled inside me how the story will end, there is a twist that I totally did not see coming. Heartbreaking and yet beautiful. It's been days since I finished the book but it is still in my mind and heart and I haven't been able to pick up my next read.
Just as an extra note, the author's acknowledgements and note to readers at the end were really something that also touched me knowing that he had some letting go of his own to do.
Completed: March 11, 2013
Rating: 9/10
Review: Young twins, Lizzie and Kara, only 3 when their father is killed in a plane crash, have grown up in dire poverty with their maternal grandparents, their mother having been tragically killed when they were only weeks old. Through abuse and neglect they have only grown closer and have learned how to survive and stick together. As they grow up their grandparents have made reference continuously to the fact that they are indeed heirs to a billionaire's fortune which belonged to their paternal grandparent's, who also died in the same plane crash as their father. But they also tell the story of how their stepmother, Amanda, killed their father and stole their inheritance. They tell great stories of how the girls can sue Amanda when they turn 18 and rightfully take back what belongs to them. And of course, share a huge portion with them seeing how hard they have sacrificed to raise the girls. The girls look forward all their lives for that day when they can be rich and leave their life of squalor behind. As they grow up, Amanda shows up in their lives at different times bearing gifts and telling them she loves them and that when they turn 18 they can come and live with her and everything she has will be theirs. She won't just sign over the fortune to them, but they would go with her and learn the family business and eventually take it over. Everything she has is theirs. It goes against everything the girls have ever been told about Amanda or the inheritance. Lizzie likes Amanda and believes she is to be trusted but Kara is suspicious and wants nothing to do with Amanda's offer sticking with the plan she has heard all her life, to sue Amanda for the inheritance. She refuses Amanda's gifts and offer again and again. She wants the inheritance all right, but on her terms and not Amanda's. As Lizzie's life turns for good when she goes with Amanda, Kara's goes equally in the opposite direction and gets worse. When things are at their most rock bottom and her life is on the line, Kara wonders if she hasn't insulted Amanda one too many times to ask for her help.
This was a very emotional, touching story. It was hard to read of the abuse and neglect the twins suffered at the hands of their grandparents and my heart was broken many times. But it was also a very beautiful, uplifting story of true love and grace and mercy, not unlike God has for us. The story paralleled the prodigal son story of the bible in many ways. It showed how God reaches out over and over again to individuals and how some accept God's blessings openly and easily while others have struggles leaving the old life behind, believing the lies, and not being able to let go of doing things their own way.
Completed: March 14, 2013
Rating: 8/10
Review: Too many people think that when they become Christians there is some kind of magic formula where they will never go through another hardship or trial. But the bible never promises that. It does promise that the Lord will be our strength, peace, comfort and high tower through the trial. It is so important to know how to strengthen ourselves in the Lord so that when trials and temptations come we won't be found floundering and panicking. Bill Johnson takes us step by step to being able to count it all joy even though there is turmoil swirling around us. I found this book very encouraging and helpful in establishing a lifestyle of biblical habits that will help me get through the tough times and allow me to have that confidence that God is in control.
Completed: March 19, 2013
Rating: 9.5/10
Review: This is the last in the series of Julia DeSmit, a young girl who has had a very tough childhood. With her mother abandoning her when young and her father dying of cancer she was raised by her grandmother. In this part of her life Julia is a young 24 year old with the responsibilities of someone much older, living with her grandmother raising her 5 year old son and her 10 year old half-brother whom her mother also abandoned. Her life is finally seems back on track. She has a job that she loves, is going back to school and has been in a solid, loving relationship for 5 years. But there are still struggles. Michael, her boyfriend, is attending medical school in a city 6 hours away so their relationship is long distance. Julia longs to be married to Michael but he instead of a marriage proposal he asks her to move to the city, abandoning her life, not for marriage but just to be closer to him so they can see if they should move toward something more permanent. Her brother is constantly struggling with feeling loved and accepted and she feels a deep instinct to care for him but feels helpless at times. Her grandmother is getting older before her eyes. Then she gets the email that will once again change her life forever. She has never had contact with her son's father since he left her in a college parking lot after she refused to get an abortion. Now he is contacting her apologizing and asking if he has a child. She struggles whether she should even reply but decides that both her son and his father need to know about each other. As she deals with the fallout of the decision and the implications of what it will do to her relationship with Michael and her life, her world seems to spiral out of control and she grasps for hope and faith that it will turn out for good.
I loved this series by Nicole Baart. Her writing grips my emotions and draws me right in from beginning to end. I really felt for Julia as she deals with what life has given her and tries to do the right thing. Her relationship with her grandmother is beautiful and I love how the character of her grandmother has been a strong, quiet guide pointing her to faith without preaching constantly at her. This was such a wonderful wrap up to the story of Julia as she struggles to find love, acceptance and faith.
Part 1 - After the Leaves Fall reviewed here
Part 2 - Summer Snow reviewed here. Scroll to number 37.
Completed: March 23, 2013
Rating: 8/10
Review:
Completed: April 5, 2013
Rating: 7/10
Review: Marnie Whittier finally has what she's worked so hard for. Her very own coffee shop book store. And she couldn't be happier. Or could she? After leaving her old life behind 15 years before, she still struggles with regrets and guilt over her past as is evidenced by the box of "regrets" she keeps locked away but keeps adding to. Bits of paper, napkins, momentos all with secret meanings only she knows. Reminders to help her never to make the same mistakes. Those who know her think she is compassionate and kind, helping others but they would be shocked to know her secrets.
Then with no warning her past comes crashing into her present when the sister whom she's had no contact with for those 15 years dies tragically and in a weird twist of fate had given custody of her 15 year old son to Marnie. A son whom Marnie didn't even know her sister had. And what's worse is the lawyer trying to contact her about it all is the very person she ran from so many years ago. When the boy arrives, Marnie is shocked to see the he has Down's Syndrome. How can she handle the chaos all of this is bringing into her life. But something about the boy draws her to him, even while he is causing her distress, especially when he will not leave her box alone. No matter where she hides it he finds it, and in the most inopportune times he places yet another item from it in front of her, forcing her to relive her memories and regrets.
I had mixed feelings about this one. The overall story line and plot were really good but the writing style was one that I found hard to run with. The story goes back and forth from past to present throughout usually without any warning. It took me many chapters before I could get into it and then it rose and fell for me throughout until the end. Some parts of the story I could hardly put down, others I found myself skimming to get through. A great variety of things are touched on through out the story but the theme of regrets for sins, wrong decisions and not being good enough or doing enough is the main stay throughout. But the story isn't left there. Forgiveness, renewal and a transformed life, God's unending love and caring are strongly presented. By trying to hide her past, Marnie was blinded to the fact that all the regrets and guilt she carried were affecting not only the people from her past but all her relationships in the present and even her own spiritual growth. But it took God's answer to prayer, in a form she didn't recognize at first, to see that God wanted to not just bury her past like she was trying to do but that He wanted to transform her. The beginning confused me a bit but my "huh?" moments were answered in the end and especially when I reread the Prologue after I finished the story. The Author's notes and Reader's Guide questions added to the story.
Completed: April 11, 2013
Rating: 8/10
Review: Vikram, Jay, Francis and Lali all meet as students at UCLA and become friends because of their Indian heritage. Coming from vastly different backgrounds from different parts of India, each came to America to try to become successful and live the American dream and live up to the expectations of those back home. But after graduation, their lives once again go in different directions and they lose touch. That is why when Vikram sends them an invitation to his son's graduation from the prestigious MIT it throws the other 3 into a mini crisis of feeling obligated to go yet curious to see how the rest have fared in life.
Vikram was the nerdy, studious one of the group and went on to found his own successful computer company and is all about showing off his success. Lali left university still single much to the dismay of her mother back home but has since married a very successful American doctor. But she feels at a crossroads in her life because her husband has become very involved with studying Judaism and she feels left out. And now, when appearances are everything, her son wants to take a year off of Harvard and her and her husband are not in agreement about it. Jay and Francis were the golden couple of the group who were expected to be nothing but successful. But when Francis quite her schooling after marrying Jay and starting a family she never did go back. And Jay has been stuck in middle management jobs because he was short of actually getting his degree because of one lousy assignment he didn't hand in and never got around to getting done. Add to that a teenager failing high school and the desire to attend the party is minimalized. All are nervous to attend because of the different things in their lives they have kept secret and consider failures but little do they know that the really "successful" one of them, Vikram, is also watching his dreams fall apart around his very feet.
This was such an interesting story of 3 immigrant Indian families trying to resolve their Indian heritage while living the American dream. All the drama of high expectation versus reality played out so interestingly. I found it fascinating reading of Indian regional differences. All the angst of a high school reunion was present in the story even though it was 25 years after their university graduation as they each tried to hide their secrets from each other. I found the exploration of the pressures of image and expectation of a culture very absorbing. However, the story ended way too abruptly and unsatisfyingly for me with story lines unresolved and many unanswered questions. It was almost as if the author had to end it. right. now. Or as if it was left as a cliff-hanger to a book that is in the future. But I didn't see any reference to another part 2 coming. So I felt left hanging. If not for the ending I would have rated it a 9 or 9.5. Other than that, I really enjoyed this story and want to read her other book: "A Good Indian Wife".
Completed: April 25, 2013
Rating: 9.5/10
Review: Zoe Broussard is living the life of her dreams. Married to a wonderful Cajun man who deeply loves her, she lives in an apartment above the successful Cajun restaurant they own together in an idyllic Louisiana town. Her life is perfect. That is until she starts receiving threatening notes from an anonymous person that is threatening to expose her secret past. A secret that could ruin everything. Her marriage, her business, her life that she has worked so hard to build. So in an effort to thwart this person who is trying to expose her she takes a trip back to confront her past and hopefully fix things before it all blows up. But the murder of a friend shakes her to the core and she wonders if she can handle it all.
I have to admit I love a Kathy Herman mystery. I have read lots of her books over the years and have enjoyed every one of them. I was nicely surprised to see that characters from her last series are interwoven in this series too along with new main characters and a new setting. "False Pretenses" deals with lies and secrets. Zoe in trying to bury her old life and her shame, committed wrongful acts and wove such a story of deception that she could not even see her own sin even though she professed to be a believer. It was so easy to justify it all to herself. I, as the reader, was drawn in emotionally as you felt for what she was trying to hide but at the same time you wanted to shake her for trying to keep the pretense going and for not seeing that the lying is what got her into trouble in the first place. This story explores how we lie to ourselves when we justify those sins or pretend they don't exist. But as Zoe founds out, when it all comes knocking on our doors, as it eventually will, it just takes more lies and more deception to keep the pretense going to the point that you worry how you'll ever keep all the lies straight and eventually the shame she was trying to cover is added to with even more shame. Zoe finds out that even though hard at the time, the truth is always better, that lying and running will not set her free but binds her in even more ways than she thought possible. Woven into Zoe's struggle is a murder that shakes the town to it's core and threatens to stir up the racial tensions that they thought were long buried. The police department is stretched to the max trying to keep up with solving the murder of one of the town's favorite citizens while keeping a handle on the tension and violence starting to occur. I really like this author's ability to keep the mystery tension going throughout the story even while a character is dealing with some really difficult heart issues. I found it a great read that kept me interested all the way through and also presented me with some great things to think about as I dwelled on how "everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:13).
Completed: April 29, 2013
Rating: 8/10
Review: Joni Eareckson was only a teenager when her life was totally changed after a shallow diving accident left her completely paralyzed from the neck down. In her thirties with a growing international ministry to the disabled, she never imagined that she would ever find a man who would love her and accept everything that came with being a quadriplegic never mind that she would be married. But enter Ken Tada, also in his thirties. They met at church and within a couple of years were married. This book is their love and marriage story.
Ken was a gentle high school teacher and coach. He fully thought he was prepared to handle the day to day and struggles of living with quadriplegia. Joni worried that Ken held her on a pedestal. Neither were expecting what was to come in their marriage journey. Not only the day to day grind of everything that comes with living with her disability but sudden onset of chronic, devastating pain and then cancer for Joni and depression for Ken. But what they found was that God's immeasurable grace was enough. Once they let themselves go and totally gave themselves to Him and allowed His grace to carry them and give them strength they discovered a bond that has seen them through the worst and bought them closer than ever. They share their story so that other's may be inspired to draw on God's grace through the worst of times for their marriages.
I remember when I first became a Christian in the '80's and attending Joni's movie. It deeply afffected and inspired me. She and Ken were married around the same time my husband and I so I was excited to read their love story because let's face it, 30 years married to the same person is becoming more and more rare these days for an average couple such as my husband and I never mind a couple with such obstacles from the get go. The story is written in the third person through another author, one Joni has worked with before. It starts with the day she finds the lump in her breast and the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer and then it backs itself up to when they first met in church. With bits and pieces of their growing up years thrown in and then tragic accident of Joni's retold, we are given a glimpse into what formed them into their 30ish year old selves when they came together.
It was a privilege to be let into their private lives as they shared the joy of finding each other and deciding that yes, they could make a marriage work and the very private feelings of frustrations that both experienced with different aspects of married life, disability, and a major international ministry. One of the most profound sections of the book for me was when Joni was offended with Ken after she had just excitedly shared something she read that day and Ken was "polite" but not engaged. She retreated into silence, which to her not being able to storm out of the room, was the way to handle her offense. As Ken coaxed her into telling what was wrong she admitted how disappointed she was that her expectations of his also being excited were not met. It led to a discussion between the two on expectations and Ken finally looked at her and said,
"Joni, If I met all your expectations, you wouldn't need God" pg. 103
And I think that this is the message the couple are trying to get through to the reader of their story. That we are all just human, no matter who the couple is that is in the marriage. It is God that will see each couple through the hard, seemingly impossible times.
There is on comment comment written through the author on Joni's thoughts that I was not sure about. They were at a speaking engagement and Joni was telling her story of
her "black heart", her need of a Savior, and how Jesus Christ won the right to be her substitute on the cross." pg 172
I'm not sure what was trying to be conveyed by that thought as it was not a competition to see who would "win" going to the cross for my sins. The bible is clear that Jesus the Son of God came to earth as a man to do the will of His Father and that He chose to do the will of the Father even unto death and taking upon Himself the sins of every individual that ever was and ever will be on the face of the earth. I'm not sure what she means by "winning the right". Anyhow.
I loved the story but must admit almost exactly in the center of the book, right after the photo album that is in the middle, the writing started to jump around timelines a little too much for my liking. I think if the beginning half of the book had started that way it wouldn't have been such a jarring change to me in the story telling. But when the book started with the cancer and then went back in time and built year upon year working back to the cancer that is the pattern I expected to continue through the rest of the book. That was not the case and it took a bit to get my mindset into going back and forth.
All in all, I'm glad I was able to read this encouraging and beautiful story of what true love is, a love relying on the grace of God, in a world of mixed messages and hollywoodized versions of milked down, lust logged, so called love.
15. "Dangerous Mercy" by Kathy Herman
Completed: May 7, 2013
Rating: 8/10
Review: Book 2 in the Secrets of Roux River Bayou finds Adele Woodmoore moving to Les Barbes to be closer to Zoe and Pierce Broussard and their now 2 year old daughter Grace. Adele is like the mother/grandmother figure in Zoe's life and because of Adele's grace and forgiveness towards her, Zoe is able to move on in her life and see her hopes coming to fruition. Adele is a people person and when she needs help around her home, the 86 year old doesn't hesitate to hire a couple of handy men from a halfway house for the homeless in town thinking to show some mercy and give them the break in life that they are looking for. Murray comes recommended as the hardest worker in the house and Noah is already working as a grounds keeper for friends of Zoe's at their bed and breakfast so Adele is quite comfortable in her decision. But when some shocking murders start to happen in the town Pierce is very concerned that maybe Adele is being naive in not being more cautious about befriending these men. Adele is adamant that these men are good men and just need someone to show them mercy and grace and give them a break. But when Noah becomes a person of interest in one of murders and her house keeper quits because of Adele's insistence of continuiing to allow the men into her home, Adele starts to question her wisdom.
Again I enjoyed Kathy Herman's mystery as in this installment to the series she delved into the subject of showing God's mercy and grace to those whom most of society would turn their back on. In trying to obey God, Adele put herself at what most of those close to her considered great risk. She and the Langleys, the young couple with the bed and breakfast, had to ask themselves how well they knew Noah and where their trust with him lay. Where was the line on being cautious and using wisdom and knowing in your gut that what others are saying cannot be true. How far does one go with showing mercy when everyone is telling you to do otherwise? What do you do when you question your own wisdom? All these questions were woven into the mystery of some prominent citizens being murdered. With a lot of the town suffering from some big layoffs and home foreclosures that had occured in the past years, the connection with the murdered bank executive, sugar factory CEO, and computer company president was easy to connect but how does the murder of the mother of 2 and the homeless man tie in? The pressure is on Police chief Jude and his staff to find the pieces to the puzzle. The mystery held my attention until it was finally revealed. I found I had guessed who it was but that didn't bother me so much because it was how it all tied together that gripped my attention. I really like how the author kept the story going even after the reveal of the mystery and finished up the loose ends of the characters.
There was one minor detail that drove me nuts in the story. And seeing it doesn't reveal anything, I'll mention it. It was the fact that the murders were constantly being hashed over, questioned and discussed in the presence of the two year old child. Even by the parent. It was a pet peeve in the story for me, and I kept wanting to shout at them to cut it out. But anyway, it didn't detract from the story itself. It was a good mystery with some moral questions to chew on.
16. "Jesus - The Greatest Life of All" by Charles R. Swindoll
Completed: May 11, 2013
Rating: 10/10
Review: Jesus Christ was and is the most influential person in history. In this ninth and final book in the Great Lives from God's Word Series, Charles Swindoll takes an indepth look into who exactly Jesus was. He looks at the whole life of Jesus here on earth from His prophesied birth, to His coming into His ministry, to His teachings and displays of power, His claim of Divinity and then His brutal death and astonishing resurrection. He delves into what most of Jesus followers at the time of His life really thought of Him and why they had to come to terms with their preconceived ideas of who and what the Messiah would be. The author then takes these lessons and gives practical applications we can use towards our lives today.
I loved this book. I love how the author made the life and teachings of Jesus so "real" and so very relevant for me today. His style of writing kept my attention through the whole book, from first page to last. Because it is part of a series that I want to collect the whole of, I refrained from underlining or writing in the book, but then so regretted that decision. It is chock full of wisdom and things I took away for my own self and my life. I really felt I could understand a bit of the disciples confusion and wonder at who this Teacher was that they were following. We have history's and the bible's hindsight, but they really did not and the things Jesus told them must have been absolutely mind blowing to them. They were looking for a Messiah who would physically restore the glory days of King David to Israel. He was so much more of a Messiah than they could ever imagine. This will definitely be a reread sometime in the future as it has so much to chew on and think on and learn from. An excellent read and study for anyone.
Completed: May 7, 2013
Rating: 8/10
Review: Book 2 in the Secrets of Roux River Bayou finds Adele Woodmoore moving to Les Barbes to be closer to Zoe and Pierce Broussard and their now 2 year old daughter Grace. Adele is like the mother/grandmother figure in Zoe's life and because of Adele's grace and forgiveness towards her, Zoe is able to move on in her life and see her hopes coming to fruition. Adele is a people person and when she needs help around her home, the 86 year old doesn't hesitate to hire a couple of handy men from a halfway house for the homeless in town thinking to show some mercy and give them the break in life that they are looking for. Murray comes recommended as the hardest worker in the house and Noah is already working as a grounds keeper for friends of Zoe's at their bed and breakfast so Adele is quite comfortable in her decision. But when some shocking murders start to happen in the town Pierce is very concerned that maybe Adele is being naive in not being more cautious about befriending these men. Adele is adamant that these men are good men and just need someone to show them mercy and grace and give them a break. But when Noah becomes a person of interest in one of murders and her house keeper quits because of Adele's insistence of continuiing to allow the men into her home, Adele starts to question her wisdom.
Again I enjoyed Kathy Herman's mystery as in this installment to the series she delved into the subject of showing God's mercy and grace to those whom most of society would turn their back on. In trying to obey God, Adele put herself at what most of those close to her considered great risk. She and the Langleys, the young couple with the bed and breakfast, had to ask themselves how well they knew Noah and where their trust with him lay. Where was the line on being cautious and using wisdom and knowing in your gut that what others are saying cannot be true. How far does one go with showing mercy when everyone is telling you to do otherwise? What do you do when you question your own wisdom? All these questions were woven into the mystery of some prominent citizens being murdered. With a lot of the town suffering from some big layoffs and home foreclosures that had occured in the past years, the connection with the murdered bank executive, sugar factory CEO, and computer company president was easy to connect but how does the murder of the mother of 2 and the homeless man tie in? The pressure is on Police chief Jude and his staff to find the pieces to the puzzle. The mystery held my attention until it was finally revealed. I found I had guessed who it was but that didn't bother me so much because it was how it all tied together that gripped my attention. I really like how the author kept the story going even after the reveal of the mystery and finished up the loose ends of the characters.
There was one minor detail that drove me nuts in the story. And seeing it doesn't reveal anything, I'll mention it. It was the fact that the murders were constantly being hashed over, questioned and discussed in the presence of the two year old child. Even by the parent. It was a pet peeve in the story for me, and I kept wanting to shout at them to cut it out. But anyway, it didn't detract from the story itself. It was a good mystery with some moral questions to chew on.
Completed: May 11, 2013
Rating: 10/10
Review: Jesus Christ was and is the most influential person in history. In this ninth and final book in the Great Lives from God's Word Series, Charles Swindoll takes an indepth look into who exactly Jesus was. He looks at the whole life of Jesus here on earth from His prophesied birth, to His coming into His ministry, to His teachings and displays of power, His claim of Divinity and then His brutal death and astonishing resurrection. He delves into what most of Jesus followers at the time of His life really thought of Him and why they had to come to terms with their preconceived ideas of who and what the Messiah would be. The author then takes these lessons and gives practical applications we can use towards our lives today.
I loved this book. I love how the author made the life and teachings of Jesus so "real" and so very relevant for me today. His style of writing kept my attention through the whole book, from first page to last. Because it is part of a series that I want to collect the whole of, I refrained from underlining or writing in the book, but then so regretted that decision. It is chock full of wisdom and things I took away for my own self and my life. I really felt I could understand a bit of the disciples confusion and wonder at who this Teacher was that they were following. We have history's and the bible's hindsight, but they really did not and the things Jesus told them must have been absolutely mind blowing to them. They were looking for a Messiah who would physically restore the glory days of King David to Israel. He was so much more of a Messiah than they could ever imagine. This will definitely be a reread sometime in the future as it has so much to chew on and think on and learn from. An excellent read and study for anyone.
