tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26154795096327932132024-03-15T18:02:56.848-06:00Loving to Read the StorySusannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-27316924819679628052024-01-23T14:59:00.007-07:002024-03-07T08:55:19.420-07:002024 Reads and Reviews<p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVVFG9BusIqS-4Q3te9bFN1S2qAUOva7NzBRqSXgHZxVOkppTmfBvMmJRC1zuUuHoON5WezqwopM9icKNCeG7n4X9GHGbRDpq0wHqb6BxbVilsVW2uQPKHVWntTPGP5lMfM4hnudFH8RiMMvUOYn2hoB68NABKbTYOY8-Rt0tKdc56ZuPL9zggAzoSHw/s400/A%20Silken%20Thread.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVVFG9BusIqS-4Q3te9bFN1S2qAUOva7NzBRqSXgHZxVOkppTmfBvMmJRC1zuUuHoON5WezqwopM9icKNCeG7n4X9GHGbRDpq0wHqb6BxbVilsVW2uQPKHVWntTPGP5lMfM4hnudFH8RiMMvUOYn2hoB68NABKbTYOY8-Rt0tKdc56ZuPL9zggAzoSHw/w133-h200/A%20Silken%20Thread.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>1. A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer</b></span> <p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: January 16, 2024</span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Laurel Millard is the youngest sibling in her family. Her father passed away when she was three and her Mom had never remarried. All her siblings are married with families of their own but Laurel still lives with her Mom (who is in her forties). Unbeknownst to their mother the siblings issue Laurel an ultimatum that as the youngest without a family of her own she must forgo her dream of one day marrying and having that family in order to take care of their Mother. In shock that they would expect that of her, Laurel holds out hope that she can actually find a good man who would not only love her but would also take her Mother under his household also. When the Atlanta Cotton Exposition of 1885 comes to town, Laurel's mother encourages her to apply to work there in the hopes that maybe she can meet a suitor. Laurel does meet a very wealthy Langdon Rochester who is heir apparent to his father's steam engine business. He is charming and wealthy and sets his sights on Laurel in order to appease his own mother who is pushing him to get married. Laurel also meets a young security guard named Willie who may not have two cents to rub together but has a good and kind heart. In becoming friends with Willie and his black friend Quincey who is a groundskeeper at the exposition, Laurel starts to see first hand the the division of class and education and racism that is prevalent in her city. As the exposition contends with some disasters the two young men Laurel has gotten to know are pitted against one another.</span></p><p><span> I really enjoyed this Christian fiction from a favorite author. Under the historical setting of the exposition the author explores themes of racism and bigotry, the have vs the have nots, friendship and integrity, the desire in all humans to be loved and to belong, injustice and standing up for what is right. The characters were interesting and though sometimes Laurel might have seemed a tad naive and therefore frustrating, it would come from her sheltered life as a younger sibling in those times. Willie and Quincey's friendship was beautifully written, I thought, and the struggle, misunderstandings and turmoil that the situation they found themselves in really brought out what it might have been like back in that time. The love to hate character did his job well, I loved to hate the character. And though the ending was not a surprise the journey to get there was moving and thoroughly kept my attention. </span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDonzHXHldmANkaglz94sy1kLXAwwo-ZZ8cjfwQJzbW9TTUNXQa4mjsGvYFSaXQi63WLp1BdfjHOxUTLTy4inhoRP27971nqUiXt2uxXvAdsZ9Brgvp5_HfmBO2oDtkLVRy4MyZ7m9uRzV8mpyroiAILPiBnoISlXYZNfcYhmblsLpKNApxY2Ik-mPsI/s500/On%20the%20Cliffs.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDonzHXHldmANkaglz94sy1kLXAwwo-ZZ8cjfwQJzbW9TTUNXQa4mjsGvYFSaXQi63WLp1BdfjHOxUTLTy4inhoRP27971nqUiXt2uxXvAdsZ9Brgvp5_HfmBO2oDtkLVRy4MyZ7m9uRzV8mpyroiAILPiBnoISlXYZNfcYhmblsLpKNApxY2Ik-mPsI/w200-h200/On%20the%20Cliffs.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>2. On the Cliffs of Foxglove Manor by Jaime Jo Wright (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: January 23, 2024</span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VWItUgIFNZUJFIsTpsuRAQw9l7GLbEDhSD8vIohRADfa3s7UJvf9JoiNpaVcaNtnXaJ4yyHA0s-LaF6KanNQFRBt7bT5k13rGO7pCxEmm0FxfvO5lHQuSYZxXKpqOBO03u-73uWF4Jn6tEWDft3Mfukuetbq7wvQJ2payr5WB6Oa30gsCuxnIbx_K5A/s522/the%20last%20exchange.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="346" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VWItUgIFNZUJFIsTpsuRAQw9l7GLbEDhSD8vIohRADfa3s7UJvf9JoiNpaVcaNtnXaJ4yyHA0s-LaF6KanNQFRBt7bT5k13rGO7pCxEmm0FxfvO5lHQuSYZxXKpqOBO03u-73uWF4Jn6tEWDft3Mfukuetbq7wvQJ2payr5WB6Oa30gsCuxnIbx_K5A/w133-h200/the%20last%20exchange.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>3. The Last Exchange by Charles Martin</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: February 10, 2024</span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgeyYxUNcjyKJun1_oCFQ_vZaOygY8Am45p2gJ8ZoBAoU0jN-yIcZ9J4DN1eQgT1cdriEXw2tZOzYKpDzHQTIHCv64QaGog5f4pNKNPX1cG2oTnQGSwpfqrEMNtkcfSLPzXwQxkDy4kbqX8nywMMqEpPH0QikWlvNNL5DKJwQwqqV67BMWXwSvqYnEvc/s500/becoming%20free.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgeyYxUNcjyKJun1_oCFQ_vZaOygY8Am45p2gJ8ZoBAoU0jN-yIcZ9J4DN1eQgT1cdriEXw2tZOzYKpDzHQTIHCv64QaGog5f4pNKNPX1cG2oTnQGSwpfqrEMNtkcfSLPzXwQxkDy4kbqX8nywMMqEpPH0QikWlvNNL5DKJwQwqqV67BMWXwSvqYnEvc/w200-h200/becoming%20free.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>4. Becoming Free Indeed by Jinger Dugger Vuolo (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: February 15, 2024</span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQhBPyiDLVvYxbm46VsqqKXqQJDWWXZlzEdEY1EH94lxhyGo42hoXr4hrSOlT6bnpa0qzgq7L3DmiGbPY2y3dQu8Ev1Ly4IpEjnKIVsgZ-eFmDVgctRVdtnVoTZ6eiWYoeMTwevkh1PoCDzNKo0UsPAGVlsN8z_hVinHmcxFh8iZKX0L13bgmp_UeAB0/s522/universe%20of%20two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="347" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQhBPyiDLVvYxbm46VsqqKXqQJDWWXZlzEdEY1EH94lxhyGo42hoXr4hrSOlT6bnpa0qzgq7L3DmiGbPY2y3dQu8Ev1Ly4IpEjnKIVsgZ-eFmDVgctRVdtnVoTZ6eiWYoeMTwevkh1PoCDzNKo0UsPAGVlsN8z_hVinHmcxFh8iZKX0L13bgmp_UeAB0/w133-h200/universe%20of%20two.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>5. Universe of Two by Stephen P. Kiernan</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: March 5, 2024</span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-33950590489694609032024-01-03T19:18:00.004-07:002024-01-12T19:58:37.340-07:002024 Reading Challenge and Goals<div>New Year, time for a new reading challenge. How did 2023 go in the reading department you ask? Not too bad. I missed my Good Reads goal of 40 books by two, but I did get a lot of the other goals accomplished. So onto a new year. In looking back over what I did read last year, even though I did manage 15 of the books off my own shelves a lot of those were books that I got a Free Little Libraries or I found at library sales for a couple of bucks. I only read 5 of the books I actually purchased either full price or discounted price at <a href="https://bookoutlet.ca/" target="_blank">BookOutlet</a>. This kind of really surprised me. That's why I kind of like setting goals because then I can see what's happening with the books I actually shell out hard earned cash for. Though one look at my overflowing new purchase book bag should have been a major clue!!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt8jAgdt-7ao0EvrBNPvnUNUA3xkTe5QD4sF8cGnsklLXhxbXXJDiEDZOD5DNp-nSbobLeYuNNKtLvXcE4apIzRQkkdQpUhDUrkKM3im85FSYYyGJ3I0PrpXkXfSv2krwv-u2xiihVqoeHoIPvS2jJ-l4CkMKclacmxXZIiMDxS1qu-Kmws5S/s4000/20240102_150752.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt8jAgdt-7ao0EvrBNPvnUNUA3xkTe5QD4sF8cGnsklLXhxbXXJDiEDZOD5DNp-nSbobLeYuNNKtLvXcE4apIzRQkkdQpUhDUrkKM3im85FSYYyGJ3I0PrpXkXfSv2krwv-u2xiihVqoeHoIPvS2jJ-l4CkMKclacmxXZIiMDxS1qu-Kmws5S/w360-h640/20240102_150752.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>And believe it or not, I actually forgot two books that were sitting in my non-fiction stacks. These books have all been purchased over the last 4 - 5 years. So this is going to be my goal for this year. There are 26 books total and my goal is to read them to zero. Meaning reading this stack is going to be first priority before I put any more books on library hold or reach for ones that are second hand that I've gotten for free. I'll put a goal of at least 2 per month from this pile before I can get a library book or another from my free books pile. That way it will still let me get to some of those throughout the year. I may surprise myself and chug right through this stack without looking elsewhere. We'll see how it plays out. Now the bigger trick is going to be not purchasing anymore this year. Yikes. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvcqok-H3H0hrMmg8jd8QE-A5QDV55GVvIOzyZbZGOlsHV3psOJVA-a4uA_LKNu9l5FsBM4Q1z8Akg24MCwE-20in6Zopb8Zb9s9iLyEkz4rsbjmGMNYW6jNRWxJks9uEv0p9e5QkwvzNPTVCtXfKdqmACnod8Ll7GdcefmMG-xdRg_izez66/s4000/20240102_150402.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2252" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvcqok-H3H0hrMmg8jd8QE-A5QDV55GVvIOzyZbZGOlsHV3psOJVA-a4uA_LKNu9l5FsBM4Q1z8Akg24MCwE-20in6Zopb8Zb9s9iLyEkz4rsbjmGMNYW6jNRWxJks9uEv0p9e5QkwvzNPTVCtXfKdqmACnod8Ll7GdcefmMG-xdRg_izez66/w640-h360/20240102_150402.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-59778398227801909952023-01-05T09:04:00.064-07:002024-01-04T20:24:28.964-07:002023 Reads and Reviews<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFpff6hwPMVN3_Jhap9jGIhb7Gr-ftQ8R5qRIwqa3zCkob5mwJx51oS4zKGyHVhFfvUsBEYQ2q-vqIncXF8h7dCV31f6AyuF5LgbRVzeDiWru4b5rxOookVp4VWXQK0NF0Wv5aZRMzOJQa_pR-lTsQauh6ukKTUfEjzXuDFzms9qjRvX5Pn1qlnv-/s2560/the%20Lindbergh%20Nanny.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFpff6hwPMVN3_Jhap9jGIhb7Gr-ftQ8R5qRIwqa3zCkob5mwJx51oS4zKGyHVhFfvUsBEYQ2q-vqIncXF8h7dCV31f6AyuF5LgbRVzeDiWru4b5rxOookVp4VWXQK0NF0Wv5aZRMzOJQa_pR-lTsQauh6ukKTUfEjzXuDFzms9qjRvX5Pn1qlnv-/w133-h200/the%20Lindbergh%20Nanny.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>1. The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: January 3, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Charles Lindbergh has risen to hero status in the eyes of the American public due to his much revered flight across the Atlantic. His wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and he are building a home in a secluded area of the New Jersey countryside in efforts to keep their privacy. When Ann gets pregnant they hire a nurse (nanny) originally from England to help in the day to day care of their son, Charles Jr. Betty Gouw, finds herself buiding a strong bond with the child but at times questions Charles Lindbergh's child rearing methods and Anne's willingness to go along with them. But she does her best to abide by the rules. When in 1932, Charles Jr is kidnapped from his bedroom while he was sleeping, Betty becomes suspect of aiding the kidnapper. Her whole life is thrown into the spotlight and she is all of a sudden the questionable one. Betty takes it upon herself to try to find the truth about that night and who really might be the co-conspirator so that Charles Jr. can be safely found. But when the baby turns up dead, Betty just wants to find justice for the little one she loved. </span></p><p><span> This story is a look at the internationally known kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh Jr as seen through the eyes of the person who spent the most time with him, and loved him as her own, his live in nurse (nanny), Betty Gouw. The author weaves the historical facts of the case with fiction filling in the missing spaces. Betty Gouw really was the child's nanny and her whole life was turned upside down with the crime, being accused of helping the kidnapping and then testifying in court against the man finally charged. She went from obscurity to sudden fame and noteriety all while trying to deal with the kidnapping and death of an innocent child she loved. While the whole story itself is captivating I found the beginning of the novel to be quite choppy and the introduction of new characters a bit confusing and therefore didn't pay a whole lot of attention to them as they seemed so secondary. Turns out I should have payed more attention. The pacing didn't get it's feet under itself, so to speak, until the baby gets kidnapped and that is when the book actually took off for me. Once it does happen it is suspenseful and gripping. My heart really is taken with Betty who was just trying to get over a failed love affair and try and make her way in a new country. The author's notes helped to discern between what was actual fact about Betty, the Lindbergh's, the kidnapping, the investigation and the subsequent court case. It turned into an interesting and emotional read though I was frustrated at the end not remembering exactly who some characters were that were introduced in the beginning.
</span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3kRdKkm8WE-nQQmuIZ6g4jJilD9lp56zLpraqYDCFmLEjDbR_VRmlMJKlH6jfloP1WGbT_ZpFxQeyuHRym8WSztcJcxKi_9VlJChCmQc4NOdDdJ9A6H_52ynOnW--ApVECm-JE50NjCtWZLliVry7cffX0eTpstpFDYMDQ9MpDzyLJiA4e6GgpuJ/s2475/the%20woman%20with%20two%20shadows.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3kRdKkm8WE-nQQmuIZ6g4jJilD9lp56zLpraqYDCFmLEjDbR_VRmlMJKlH6jfloP1WGbT_ZpFxQeyuHRym8WSztcJcxKi_9VlJChCmQc4NOdDdJ9A6H_52ynOnW--ApVECm-JE50NjCtWZLliVry7cffX0eTpstpFDYMDQ9MpDzyLJiA4e6GgpuJ/w133-h200/the%20woman%20with%20two%20shadows.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>2. The Woman With Two Shadows by Sarah James</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: January 19, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Though totally opposite personalities, Lillian Kaufmann and her identical twin sister Eleanor were very close. Lillian is very studious and is studying to be a physicist while Eleanor is a carefree actress. When Lillian gets word that she is to be accepted into Harvard she is thrilled until she learns that Eleanor has landed a part in play that also must take her to Chicago. There is now the dilemma of who will care for their mother if both girls are gone. Lillian was counting on Eleanor and a battle of who will get their dreams realized starts to come between their sisterly bond. When Eleanor unexpectedly takes a mysterious job at an army base in Tennessee, Lillian is dumbfounded that her sister would go to those lengths to get away from her. But when Lillian gets an odd phone call from Eleanor's boyfriend telling her Eleanor is missing, Lillian heads to Oak Ridge to clear up the matter and talk Eleanor into coming home. What she finds there is a mysterious, fenced town of thousands that officially does not exist where she must assume Eleanor's identity in order to even get inside the perimeter. As Eleanor digs into the days before her sister allegedly went missing, she finds others reporting missing friends and a town that holds dangerous secrets of one of the biggest scientific projects of all time. Who can she trust is telling the truth in this town her sister became a part of? </p><p> I really enjoyed this historical novel set around the most closely guarded secret of WWII and the biggest scientific discovery of it's time. The tension between the sisters that causes Eleanor to abandon her dreams and take the job at the army base is told in flashbacks as Lillian is at the base posing as Eleanor to gain information. There was lots of mystery, cover ups and layers as Lillian tries to pose as her sister to figure it all out, not knowing who can be trusted, and not knowing exactly what is going on at this facility. Lots of twists and turns keep the story moving to it's conclusion and the revealing of the project. In the end it's a story that questions how some of the smartest scientists of the time could have justified the end results of a project in order to rise to the challenge of the project itself. I thought this was a great debut novel.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6osOFnDcpPCQh1kptvENV3lzRcmljPW34PPHDpAwHbay7kBOWjtcP2tNqzQcu6cT7-iNAvcsubrrdnmqw23X3bHRxblxNiTloFIPA0tQDUTAZHliC4_ZrXcZxK-KfkGeTY2mgZLJfobTyhTIfkQav61DUtPiDIrHITxEzgWaF3Wzh7QcJ0r8e0_od/s400/A%20Promise%20to%20Remember.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="262" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6osOFnDcpPCQh1kptvENV3lzRcmljPW34PPHDpAwHbay7kBOWjtcP2tNqzQcu6cT7-iNAvcsubrrdnmqw23X3bHRxblxNiTloFIPA0tQDUTAZHliC4_ZrXcZxK-KfkGeTY2mgZLJfobTyhTIfkQav61DUtPiDIrHITxEzgWaF3Wzh7QcJ0r8e0_od/w131-h200/A%20Promise%20to%20Remember.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>3. A Promise to Remember by Kathryn Cushman</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: January 28, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> Andie and Melanie couldn't live more different lives. But they do have something in common and that is that their beloved sons were killed in the same car crash. Both are devastated from their loss. In Andie's well to do world of Santa Barbara, she is having trouble dealing with her grief and tries to continue her charity work as she thinks her son would want her to do. Melanie, being a single mother, has no choice but to get back to work, working long hours to pay her bills and provide for her remaining child. Both Mom's will make decisions in their quest to have their son's remembered that will set into motion their opposite world's colliding head on. </span></p><p><span> This story is about love, loss, grief and forgiveness. The author takes a very emotional subject and writes their grief journey realistically and with sensitivity. Their struggles and feelings seemed very real and the consequences of decisions made and the influence of their backgrounds on these decisions was an interesting angle to their stories. Faith definitely played a part in the story but wasn't done in a preachy manner but instead, to me, contrasted the difference between a living faith and a "Sunday" faith. Though heavy in topic I did find the read worthwhile and enlightening not only in the journey that the main characters take but also in how those around them chose to show them support in their grief. It definitely gave food for thought. </span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwpstO5iXKu1sErreUKHKhuoZUf3mrJoVWJaGsZXfec_YLS_Kkwm1OLYjuC82grzr5q1VN_z7zRtGArjBXuovjx9O9-9Jemb4tV86Xl5zHJw6kWZ8lW8hDt0DWO_0rQMcMAv4dHLl7fse-9H87UOp7lM32vGnB7F6lsqR-W-t2Qi3am7RPW-Bmpei/s2400/It's%20Not%20Supposed.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1571" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKwpstO5iXKu1sErreUKHKhuoZUf3mrJoVWJaGsZXfec_YLS_Kkwm1OLYjuC82grzr5q1VN_z7zRtGArjBXuovjx9O9-9Jemb4tV86Xl5zHJw6kWZ8lW8hDt0DWO_0rQMcMAv4dHLl7fse-9H87UOp7lM32vGnB7F6lsqR-W-t2Qi3am7RPW-Bmpei/w131-h200/It's%20Not%20Supposed.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>4. It's Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: February 2, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> Has life turned out way different than what you ever thought or hoped it would be? Have your dreams and prayers been crushed? Have you ever wondered where God was in all of it? Then this book is for you. Lysa wrote this book in the midst of crisis in her own life. She is very transparent and honest about what she went through, her disappointments and fears. So she comes from a place of understanding. But she doesn't just leave us there. She shows us how to find the path back having our disappointments and disillusionments become opportunities to encounter the work of God in our lives. She leads us in how to better process these times in our life and how to train ourselves to stay strong and persevere and not panic. She points us to the truths of scripture that help us to change our mindset about God in these life circumstances.
I found this book to be super encouraging and uplifting. Even though not going through any of her exact pain or circumstances I found she was able to directly speak into my own trials of the moment. It's very relatable as she was able to be transparent and honest about her raw feelings in the midst of her trials even while pointing us to biblical truth and insight. It's great just for reading through, each chapter ends with an easy reflection section, and then when the reader is ready to get right in and study all scriptures used are listed by chapter in the back along with a chapter titled "9 scriptures for surviving the times when God seems silent" that records lies we let our minds tell ourselves in turbulent, uncertain times and the scriptural truths to counteract those lies. My book is underlined on every single page with lots of dog ears ( I never dog ear but I did with this book!) The only part that didn't speak to me was a journal entry she shared in the back but others might get a lot out of it. Highly recommend if you are feeling in any way swamped by disappointment and trials you never thought you'd be going through or if you are wondering where God is in it all.
</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoygg8HffomFZrsNtf3LSUeoRQ5tILOyZQxyFzHRhSxiPTYPMiOFHsP4nDaSf0q-Hn6U1XDl01iRmubDElI3ocaCtC79XaW4kj6aNj6t2xkeIcrsadYKbptqsTYUC1E05pBoo3vVpeY6loucty9PHqFtqGgsNg0JH4pKUKVgX-tCEpf2ugwrzdc8dE/s400/the%20extraordinary.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoygg8HffomFZrsNtf3LSUeoRQ5tILOyZQxyFzHRhSxiPTYPMiOFHsP4nDaSf0q-Hn6U1XDl01iRmubDElI3ocaCtC79XaW4kj6aNj6t2xkeIcrsadYKbptqsTYUC1E05pBoo3vVpeY6loucty9PHqFtqGgsNg0JH4pKUKVgX-tCEpf2ugwrzdc8dE/w129-h200/the%20extraordinary.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>5. The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: February 19, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Aiden Kelley is a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. Having spent a year in this position Aiden is debating whether to go over her supervising editor's head and send an email to the main editor of the paper asking for a feature story. When her friend sends the email for her it earns Aiden a huge reprimand and relegates her to writing an obituary for a woman who just entered hospice care. Aiden can't believe she has to stoop so low but in order to save face, and her job, off to the facility she goes where she meets one Clara Kip.
Clara is a live wire on the cusp of turning 80 who is not wanting to be in hospice care. While loving life she does figure she has lived a very unextraordinary life. So when "Miss Kelley" is sent to her to do her obituary, she asks Aiden to invent some extraordinary deaths for her. The catch is for every extraordinary death that Aiden invents she will be allowed to ask Clara three questions. Clara can see Aiden is struggling, not just with being there interviewing her, but with her place in life. At once Clara knows God has placed this ambitious young lady into her path. </span></p><p> This is the debut novel of this author and what a debut it is. I had heard nothing but good reviews about this book and couldn't wait to read it and it definitely lived up to the hype. It is a Christian fiction novel and this, in my opinion, is what Christian fiction should be. Interesting characters, a relatable story that in the end makes the reader reflect and think. The story also delves into the Laotian refugee resettlement crisis of the '70's when the Vietnam war ended and how Kansas City was involved in that world history. It was a story I have never read about in fiction. This was a lovely account of a senior at the end of their life connecting with a young person just beginning theirs. It is, in essence, uplifting with grace, love and mercy even while it breaks the reader's heart. Recommend having tissues on hand.</p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDyKSRn7aAHLhxaKuYidKkGCbYyrvqgMRo299j9Hep0H-2tQH5dfoyJJd96HqVpr_z9pyBgbLhPEelRRBoEQFCansgt27P8dfRtQFJVnv0Z0W1RjE8mQ4qDWD_Zm46BcpULDK5dGInXwGqgjGrz8XDnpuu2-jjD_4ejzVgK_TtF_AJ4s7H0tx0Ilw/s2400/Taste.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="2400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDyKSRn7aAHLhxaKuYidKkGCbYyrvqgMRo299j9Hep0H-2tQH5dfoyJJd96HqVpr_z9pyBgbLhPEelRRBoEQFCansgt27P8dfRtQFJVnv0Z0W1RjE8mQ4qDWD_Zm46BcpULDK5dGInXwGqgjGrz8XDnpuu2-jjD_4ejzVgK_TtF_AJ4s7H0tx0Ilw/w200-h200/Taste.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>6. Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">DNF'd</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> I was looking forward to reading this food memoir of Stanley Tucci. I borrowed it off Libby (audiobook format) from the library because it was read in the author's own voice so I thought that would add to it. Unfortunately, I ended up dnf'ing (did not finish) the book, turning it off about half way through. But before I go into why I Did Not Finish the book, what I did like it was the joy of the connection of the author's family to their Italian roots and food. That was so interesting. And the author shares some of his family's Italian recipes that are talked about in the book. I enjoyed hearing about their celebrations and everyday meals and the foods that made them memorable. I enjoyed reading about how the author's love of food developed through this life. But, to me, some of his narration fell flat in the audio version. For example: in relating conversations the author was reading in a flat voice "My mother: "what she said". My grandmother: "response" My mother: "what she said" My grandmother: "response". You get what I'm saying? While that may work in the written version, in the audio it had me rolling my eyes back in my head as it went on for some time as the author relayed the whole conversation between the participants in this manner. These kinds of conversation reenactments happened several times and he lost me with them. The other reason that finally caused me to turn the book off halfway through was the more and more frequent use of the f-bomb which is something I do not enjoy in my reading, much less so in audio. While the use of it wasn't in the beginning of the book at all, it started to show up very occasionally and then it's use continued to snowball significantly as the audiobook went on. When the author literally screamed it at me while talking about Carbonara, I was done. I think maybe in this instance the physical copy version might have served me better as in some cases I am able to more easily skip over the swearing and being f-bombed audibly on a regular basis definitely affected my enjoyment of the book. I may pick up the physical copy at some point but for now it has put a distaste in my mouth for the book, which makes me kind of sad. And it made me sad to give it a two star rating on goodreads because of this. According to goodreads one star means "I didn't like it". I gave it a 2 star which means "it was ok" because I was enjoying the stories centered around food. Quite a conundrum for me because in my mind if I DNF'd it it should really not have a star rating but that option is not available on goodreads. It's for this reason I really do hate to give a rating to a memoir. For those who don't think twice about being f-bombed in their reading, the book has been getting lots of great reviews.
</p><p>Because I was half way through I am counting it as read toward my goodreads goal.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnmZtfhJPhijHzGkwnsYoXR3aizn4vQBYNsB7KAXrPOAB2nEn_jaHAyZ-FkXxZIziMiIXh6KAaSGyxFLrmYdcOtHhJJMTx_t2y-4-sDf0dYRACNtZFOlfrAkBNjH7VYQD21Zsf6P4hY8kYRBd0jbZxT5lh9wrotTfksE1_pSOcukuzPNeV9R7HVXf/s400/Librarian%20of%20Boone's%20Hollow.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnmZtfhJPhijHzGkwnsYoXR3aizn4vQBYNsB7KAXrPOAB2nEn_jaHAyZ-FkXxZIziMiIXh6KAaSGyxFLrmYdcOtHhJJMTx_t2y-4-sDf0dYRACNtZFOlfrAkBNjH7VYQD21Zsf6P4hY8kYRBd0jbZxT5lh9wrotTfksE1_pSOcukuzPNeV9R7HVXf/w131-h200/Librarian%20of%20Boone's%20Hollow.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>7. The Librarian of Boone's Hollow by Kim Vogel Sawyer</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: February 27, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 8/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Addie Cowherd is in her 3rd year at University of Kentucky during the depression years hoping to accomplish her dreams of becoming a writer when the rug is pulled out from underneath her. After losing his job her father is no longer able to pay for her school bills or her lodging and Addie must leave the university. Not finding a job in the city, she is recommended by her former library employer for a job delivering books by horseback to poor families in the hills of Kentucky. When she arrives she finds a town and people very wary of outsiders. With this already against her, Addie struggles to make friends and be accepted only to have things become even harder when generations old superstitions against the Nanny Fay, the woman she finds lodging with, causes her to be swept up in the fear and grudges against the old woman. When Emmet Tharp returns home from the same university degree in hand but unable to find a job in the city due to the economy, he is faced with having to get a job at the same coal mine his father works at. While this pleases his father, it is not what Emmet had in mind. When an opportunity arises to take charge of the packhorse librarian program in his community, he wonders if the chasm between him and his father will ever be repaired. Will Addie and Emmett ever realize the hope of having the books they deliver actually change the people and bring compassion and understanding to the community instead of the division that has existed? </p><p> Kim Vogel Sawyer is a Christian author and has brought the element of faith, love and forgiveness into a packhorse librarian story. It is definitely a character driven story that deals with a lot of issues including family violence, prejudice, assumptions, forgiveness and perserverance. The story is told in mulitple perspectives so you do get a well rounded look into the life of not only packhorse librarians but also the the people of the community who live very hard lives. In spite of everything it deals with it is easy to read as it flowed so well. While it did seem to not wrap up fully I have found out that there is a sequel: "Return to Boone's Hollow". While it was not a page turning, can't put it down type of read it was absolutely a story I enjoyed.
</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvtrhjeaUao0pC7vFBegSgHbwbOh9i9dEXumI1kwAdPxZxDbUhfHS8VV603LhUB08SVIJTiCsw3oY-VOwr7o0XJES2XPqjwydtI9NchUXdL9N5yHlQD6pb4XZJjeC_Mbofd1LT1_1B7LlGdfqOSAjZL4b3eo0zp6JBNHtIrxG8_1NBCEmTEHA8Mxe/s400/Facing%20Fear.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvtrhjeaUao0pC7vFBegSgHbwbOh9i9dEXumI1kwAdPxZxDbUhfHS8VV603LhUB08SVIJTiCsw3oY-VOwr7o0XJES2XPqjwydtI9NchUXdL9N5yHlQD6pb4XZJjeC_Mbofd1LT1_1B7LlGdfqOSAjZL4b3eo0zp6JBNHtIrxG8_1NBCEmTEHA8Mxe/w131-h200/Facing%20Fear.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>8. Facing Fear by Nik Wallenda</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: March 7, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Rating:</span><span> Nik Wallenda's family has been living the circus life for 7 generations. As high wire walkers, his family has learned how to face fear. They have learned to how to face it, compartmentalize it and trust their training and their skills. But one day during a practice of their 8 person pyramid things went horrible wrong. The pyramid collapsed severely injuring many of his team including his sister and aunt. In the months that followed Nik did what he knew to do and what he'd been trained to do. He kept on. But during practices someone was shaking the wire. Nik was surprised and stunned to figure out that it was himself that was trembling on the wire. Soon the fear was creeping into all parts of his life and work and he started to doubt what he had always believed: that walking the wire was his God-given purpose in this life. Facing Fear is Nik's story of overcoming the fear and insecurity the fall produced, of getting the negative thinking under God's control and getting back up after a fall, both literally and figuratively. </span></p><p><span> I loved this book. I have always been amazed at Nik's life and how he glorifies God during his walks. His personal story of tragedy and how he overcame the debilitating fear and guilt that literally would change life as he knew it if he succumbed to it was both interesting and very practical. Nik is a man of faith in God and he doesn't back down from that, as that is his story, but the book is written in a very approachable manner to any reader, whether they are a Christian or not. It's like sitting down with him and having a conversation with him where he tells you his story and how he overcame but also understands that you might not be at that place.
</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihk-YM7N21fLlAJ9dU-9YNhVAciL69cH0DlTFRNqE2PIBPFJRDjnPMc2_8moa_85Va4dOzH9Ufep1m6tN6m0ugx_MIOzUTNdMqMW45bL0iV5VBkjh0aKCX2dBhx9NWAc4jfoVXmBk4LAFFB0rkudGm3Xa3lQdZVxSl0ThQNEDFBDcdTGnj-pmqxBL_/s1462/No%20place.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="1033" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihk-YM7N21fLlAJ9dU-9YNhVAciL69cH0DlTFRNqE2PIBPFJRDjnPMc2_8moa_85Va4dOzH9Ufep1m6tN6m0ugx_MIOzUTNdMqMW45bL0iV5VBkjh0aKCX2dBhx9NWAc4jfoVXmBk4LAFFB0rkudGm3Xa3lQdZVxSl0ThQNEDFBDcdTGnj-pmqxBL_/w141-h200/No%20place.jpg" width="141" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>9. No Place For A Lady by Gil Paul</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: March 8, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> When Lucy met Captain Charlie Harvington at the young age of 18, he swept her off her feet. Only knowing each other a very short time, Charlie proposes and Lucy accepts much to the dismay of her older sister, Dorothea. Dorothea is 10 years older than Lucy and has taken care of her younger sibling since their mother passed away when Lucy was just a young teen. Knowing that Charlie will be heading to the war in Crimea, and as his wife, wants Lucy to go with him Dorothea is doing everything she can to persuade Lucy to stay behind. But with no support from their father who has dementia, Dorothea is fighting a losing battle and Lucy marries and leaves resenting Dorothea's control and interference.
While Lucy is off at war supporting her husband, Dorothea works at a hospital at home in London. When the opportunity comes up to apply to work with the famed Florence Nightingale in the Crimean hospitals, Dorothea sees it as an opportunity not only to work and learn from Florence Nightingale but as a chance to try and find Lucy hoping she is still alive. When she arrives there she is thrown into the hard work of nursing the injured soldiers and unbeknownst to Dorothea is closer to Lucy than she imagines. But Lucy has lived her own hardships and has chosen to hide even from those who know her in the area. </span></p><p><span> This was a story that really drew me in. I have not read a historical fiction yet centered on the Crimean war which was a heartbreaking and horrendous war fraught with many errors leading to the deaths of many. The author seems to have researched it well and I was surprised to learn that officers were allowed to take their wives and many women did just that, leaving families and children behind and following their husbands, taking care of them in the worst conditions imaginable. The author did a great job with the roles that women played in the war including not only the officer's wives but that of Florence Nightingale setting up hospitals and Mary Seacole, a British Jamaican nurse who opened a hotel behind the lines and fed people. It's a heartbreaking read, and yet hopeful. There are a couple of descriptive intimate scenes between a couple but it is easy to skim over if that is not a thing you like in your reading. </span></p><p><span> An interesting find in the story was a Captain that had the same last name as that of my city. That is the first time ever I have come across that in my reading.
</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPclZ0Swfm9sU0brBAEr_Lg-AWknbz4yqUNfRQNKPQxCnLm3B0z4qnxwdZXOcxyzyhjiuRvn3u_v0tWTQwiRhpJdJp_4XsU8tSEdBuwsmEnppOmT6I9khusaVqgjZ5NkMBOGCid4MMRoPn43M1KgrcMQk9yHEy47yzKZ-ZhA5fxxwhicVZzcFYj-S/s500/Live%20you%20Life.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPclZ0Swfm9sU0brBAEr_Lg-AWknbz4yqUNfRQNKPQxCnLm3B0z4qnxwdZXOcxyzyhjiuRvn3u_v0tWTQwiRhpJdJp_4XsU8tSEdBuwsmEnppOmT6I9khusaVqgjZ5NkMBOGCid4MMRoPn43M1KgrcMQk9yHEy47yzKZ-ZhA5fxxwhicVZzcFYj-S/w200-h200/Live%20you%20Life.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>10. Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero by Amada Kloots (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: March 20, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> In the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic, Nick Cordero, a star on Broadway and a Tony award nominee, was hospitalized with what they thought to be pneumonia. Eventually Nick was diagnosed with Covid 19 and had to be put on a ventilator. This was shocking news as Nick was healthy and young. In an attempt to cope and being a Christian, his wife Amanda took to her social media accounts asking for prayers for Nick. She made updates to the account and asked those who knew Nick to sing and dance to a song Nick had written called "Live Your Life" at a particular time of day in a effort to show him when he was better the support he had. News media picked up on her efforts and soon millions were joining in from around the world when everyone was reeling from the hospitalizations, death and uncertainty at the beginning of the lockdowns. After a harrowing 95 days where Nick went back and forth getting better and then digressing, when confusion reigned supreme and doctors could not agree, where Amanda had to fight the hospital to see Nick when they were changing the rules daily and where she had to make horrendous medical decisions for Nick without his input (such as amputating his leg), Nick finally succumbed and passed away. </span></p><p><span> I picked up this audiobook because I had heard of Amanda's requests for prayer and remembered reading of Nick's passing. But not on instagram or twitter myself, I didn't know the full story. Amanda has written an emotional, truthful account of what they, as a family unit, went through during this horrendous time. Because she narrates it herself the listener is really drawn into their story and all the emotions that went with it every step of the way. But it is not just a story of how Covid 19 changed their lives and stole from them. Amanda weaves their love story into it throughout. So it's not just an account of tragedy but a love story, a picture of courage and faith in the most trying of times, of confusion and trust, of what community means in good times and in bad, of the meaning of family and loss. I laughed with her and wept with her throughout the book.</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0Tzz9mT0FmxNv9B7oSei_6NCPmbV9_7MNQeat_KcykYddZNinfqxdrnV4qymhkF9wqdh0-REANAUmvr4X7MWmCs1-goKgh1v76wV4KukLmZI13sp39G1a3HuMcKRq3VVpIlI6M1icI05jPXp0uqaVIn-XVMGZnaK6rkm34fuS72v7-4mvhPpI7bS/s2560/little%20fires.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0Tzz9mT0FmxNv9B7oSei_6NCPmbV9_7MNQeat_KcykYddZNinfqxdrnV4qymhkF9wqdh0-REANAUmvr4X7MWmCs1-goKgh1v76wV4KukLmZI13sp39G1a3HuMcKRq3VVpIlI6M1icI05jPXp0uqaVIn-XVMGZnaK6rkm34fuS72v7-4mvhPpI7bS/w133-h200/little%20fires.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>11. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: March 23, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> Shaker Heights is an upper middle class suburb of Cleveland where the Richardson family live. Elena is the Mom of the family, a journalist, who is very involved in the lives of her children. She thrives in her rule driven world and wears her self righteousness with pride. The only thing seemingly out of control thing in her perfect world is her youngest daughter, Izzy. When Mia Warren, a spontaneous artist, enters the picture with her daughter, Pearl, and rents an apartment from Elena, the sense of order and planning is upended. All four of Elena's teenage kids are drawn to either Mia or Pearl for various reasons. Izzy especially is taken with Mia's artistry and free spirit, everything her mother isn't and her son develops a crush on14 year old Pearl. When Elena's good friend wants to adopt a Chinese/American baby that was left at a fire station, Mia puts herself into the middle of it in defense of a co-worker and throws chaos into the ordered community where people feel they must take sides. Thinking Mia has ulterior motives, Elena uses her journalist background, contacts and skills to start digging into Mia's past. But in doing so, she stirs up a whole lot of unexpected results. The more Elena tries to control her world, the more out of control it becomes and she starts to heap justification upon justification for her actions. But in trying to expose someone else's secrets the secrets of her own family start to come to light.
I found parts of this book gripping and emotional yet in other parts the writing style was slow and seemed to wander. There is much description and at times I would catch myself thinking "Let's just get back to the actual story". I was hooked from the first scene of a fire burning down the Richardson's home with the supposition that Izzy started it by setting little fires throughout the house. She is rebellious, after all, and is nowhere to be found. It then goes back in time to see what led to fire. It's a story that leans a bit toward stereotypes to make it's points, but ultimately is a story of motherhood and family relationships, friendships, and the perceived notion of the perfect life. It also examines how our actions and decisions, even though done in the best of intentions, can set in motion things we ultimately do not want. I was really drawn into the moral dilemma of the adoption that started to split the family and the neighborhood into camps of for and against. Trigger warnings for teen s*x and abortion.
</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJ55TxjT2EnGQbIBKZLHXO6uZVVg89DjF9IQG0L25gHqwHk8ZamQsFvkLj7OEUFuV1KJaD_GIoD56Q8sQR1OYXG60_HeO-qxSXYMZ-uUjqfz4EtmR7LRa2u91gEtY15XVOFAh9SFkP2-q1T1XwVLoE9TiMS2I6ccbNtTMm5WIm_waPdgXzn8MJ0Qt/s2087/the%20Persian%20Pickle%20Club.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2087" data-original-width="1400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjJ55TxjT2EnGQbIBKZLHXO6uZVVg89DjF9IQG0L25gHqwHk8ZamQsFvkLj7OEUFuV1KJaD_GIoD56Q8sQR1OYXG60_HeO-qxSXYMZ-uUjqfz4EtmR7LRa2u91gEtY15XVOFAh9SFkP2-q1T1XwVLoE9TiMS2I6ccbNtTMm5WIm_waPdgXzn8MJ0Qt/w134-h200/the%20Persian%20Pickle%20Club.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>12. The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: April 1, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 6.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Queenie Bean is a young wife living on the plains of Harveyville, Kansas with her farmer husband, Grover during the 1930's. Times are tough. They haven't seen rain in a long time, the crops are burning up, there are no jobs in the area but Queenie and Grover are doing better than most. But their dreams are dashed when Queenie miscarries and it affects her ability to bear children. Queenie takes solace in the deep friendships she has formed in the quilting group she meets with weekly. Though usually very wary of strangers, especially during these times with many transients show up looking for work and handouts, Queenie reaches out to a new member of their community. Rita is from the big city but married a local boy and must now adjust to this small town living. But Rita's journalist past clashes with the loyalty of the members of the small town, especially when a body turns up in a ditch and threatens to dig up long buried secrets. </p><p> This was a backlist novel from Sandra Dallas that I hadn't read yet. I've enjoyed many of her novels so was looking forward to this one also. I found it an ok read dealing with the friendships and secrets of a group of small town women. When Rita shows up with a penchant for digging up secrets, it causes the loyalty of the women to become even tighter but is something that just might blow them up. Queenie struggles in her loyalty to long standing friendships set against welcoming an exciting new comer with different ideas. While I did find the exploration of small town friendships in the setting of the hardship of the '30's interesting and while I did like the ending, I did find parts of the story really dragged for me. The author did do a great job of describing small town and farm living during this time as she did the difficulty for women at this time. But the sheer number of characters made it so that I was never really connected with any of them and was at times confused. I was glad I did read it as the Dirty 30's is a draw for me in books as is friendships amongst women in hardship and I do like this author but in the end it was just an average read for me personally.
</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DhBfhscS2CAS4k7h3pShfKEJ1ueyH8r0Yp8-eHvQosq_YBlk28nKbVAQj5QNB6BObBsk2PUvy30mmKeP7VJY2o9FWyloFAKcWdDfXdiScwK7Zqw_kR3NRlZSsFtm-fBDTCLMW2hIod0OQtyYnUcPBGA3e6VVqpbBT7Kl1zNkDacU56-M8mnuGS_9/s499/the%20nurse's%20secret.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DhBfhscS2CAS4k7h3pShfKEJ1ueyH8r0Yp8-eHvQosq_YBlk28nKbVAQj5QNB6BObBsk2PUvy30mmKeP7VJY2o9FWyloFAKcWdDfXdiScwK7Zqw_kR3NRlZSsFtm-fBDTCLMW2hIod0OQtyYnUcPBGA3e6VVqpbBT7Kl1zNkDacU56-M8mnuGS_9/w134-h200/the%20nurse's%20secret.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>13. The Nurse's Secret by Amanda Skenandore</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: April 16, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> t's 1880's New York city, a time when either you were part of the rich elite or part of the poorest of the poor in the slums. Una Kelley has grown up in the slums, being mentored by a con-woman in charge of a ring of female grifters. She has survived by following a set of rules she has made for herself that she always follows. Una has learned her "job" well over the years, but when an opportunity presents itself to make a little extra cash selling a pair of cufflinks to another "fence" (someone who purchases stolen goods to resell) she decides to take the risk. But when her fence turns up dead at their meeting spot and her fellow thief pins her for the murder, Una is forced to be on the run. Contemplating where to run to, Una comes across an ad for a program to train nurses at the Bellevue Hospital and decides that would be the perfect place to hide in plain sight and maybe after training it will get her into the homes of the rich where she can continue her grifting under cover. But in order to get past the application process Una is going have to pass herself off as someone she is nowhere near being. Unexpectedly she makes it through and is accepted as a nurse trainee in the first nurse's school of it's kind in the country modeled after Florence Nightingale's practices and school in London. At first Una finds it hard to fit in, balking at being ordered around by the doctors and performing menial tasks. When her talkative roommate befriends her and helps her to study, Una starts to find herself actually starting to fit in. But then a person from her past shows up as a patient and Una is terrified of being exposed. When the woman turns up dead Una must choose between protecting herself or trying to find and expose the killer who just might be linked to the murder she is wanted for. Can her rules from the streets protect her here? </p><p> I really enjoyed this historical fiction/mystery. It's a new to me author and I found her writing style to engage me right from the beginning. The author did a great job of relaying how hard things were for those who lived in the slums and how some had to resort to means they never really wanted to just to survive. It was interesting reading about the very first nurse's school and how different it was for potential nurses back then. They were bound by the prejudices of the day where doctors did not want women in their field, believed them to be unable to handle the demands of the work and basically treated them as servants who were to obey without question their every order, right or wrong. They were held to very high standards right from the application process to graduating. They had to be well-educated, Christian and unmarried which made Una's character so interesting in how she navigated this foreign-to-her world in order to deceive everyone into thinking she was someone she was not. I loved Una's growth as a character through the story. Though I did find the portrayal of the some of the Christians in the story cringe worthy, I am not naive enough not to realize that back in Victorian days, and even today, those attitudes towards the poor do exist. I found the story to be a good page turner keeping me engaged in a point in time about a subject I have not read about before.
</p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigS4DzfZUhSrV7AP9RpGzt9p5BO09P9bqqyfqFgKlJlkjks8mv4UBeHMjLwj8DPhmmp5rGmX23HAKKo7S9dCKpq4xJy2Wy3EbvIf-w7eiPWcAKcIvxsCu4VqFRvJk7KnuzoB_t47tyZsRZk_wXuYTJCfELcc6sqQALirMtKm8SRTID6ezB8ePxhega/s500/Dewey.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigS4DzfZUhSrV7AP9RpGzt9p5BO09P9bqqyfqFgKlJlkjks8mv4UBeHMjLwj8DPhmmp5rGmX23HAKKo7S9dCKpq4xJy2Wy3EbvIf-w7eiPWcAKcIvxsCu4VqFRvJk7KnuzoB_t47tyZsRZk_wXuYTJCfELcc6sqQALirMtKm8SRTID6ezB8ePxhega/w200-h200/Dewey.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br />14. Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicky Myron (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: April 27, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> How could I not pick up this audiobook with this charming little cat on the cover? What is not appealing about a real life library cat? Dewey is the story of a small kitten found stuffed into the return slot at the public library of Spencer, Iowa. Cold and frostbitten, Dewey managed to survive and win the hearts of the library staff and patrons. He lived at the library for 19 years and saw his "people" through the joys and heartache of small town living. </span></p><p><span> I really enjoyed this audiobook narrated by the author who was the one who found Dewey. It is a charming narrative of not only this sweet cat but of the town itself and the people who live in it. The author tells her own stories of joy, hardship and loss and how Dewey figures into it, but also tells of the gumption, determination and heart of small town Spencer when they are hit hard during economic troubles and how one small cat helps to bring healing and love to the many patrons of the library. </span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMDmXaVZfEYmTZI-rRXsi8Ww23Lc1IB0TKNIv2hWlcT4jgowuU0_uxSgxBLK9e7_nEX0h51LDxvq8wCv2kXOlgG-uUDNXt9873EsHp0jwAolqfyQ_j7nNcmQ5VQAaGfE1e4NtSjlKzhvwInyRvQ6Lpnip4csP9SYn58VIvWg8y_7er7aLev4F4zlA/s2560/Wish%20You%20Were%20Here.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1684" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFMDmXaVZfEYmTZI-rRXsi8Ww23Lc1IB0TKNIv2hWlcT4jgowuU0_uxSgxBLK9e7_nEX0h51LDxvq8wCv2kXOlgG-uUDNXt9873EsHp0jwAolqfyQ_j7nNcmQ5VQAaGfE1e4NtSjlKzhvwInyRvQ6Lpnip4csP9SYn58VIvWg8y_7er7aLev4F4zlA/w132-h200/Wish%20You%20Were%20Here.jpg" width="132" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>15. Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed April 30, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Dianne O'Toole is an associate specialist with Sotheby's auction house specializing in art. She is moving up in her career and if she can land a prestigious sale with a high profile client she is looking at a huge promotion. Her personal life is also looking good. Her boyfriend, Finn, is a surgical resident at a New York city hospital, and they have booked a dream trip to Galapagos Islands. Dianne is pretty sure Finn will propose at some point during the trip. Life couldn't be better. But when a virus that was ripping through other parts of the world appears in New York city days before their departure, Finn is told he has to stay to work and help. He encourages Dianne to go on the trip anyway in order to not waste the non-refundable adventure. Against her better judgement, Dianne relents and goes. When Dianne arrives in Galapagos, she finds the island emptying of people frantically trying to get off the island and get home due to rumors of the spreading virus. Against against her better judgement and going out of character, she decides to stay for the adventure. But then the island literally shuts down and the option to leave is no more and she is stuck not knowing the language, running out of money, and with little to no cell service. Completely isolated, she makes a connection with a troubled teenager and her grandmother. Meanwhile back home, Finn is in a battle he never imagined he would face as a doctor. </p><p> I picked this book up in a Free Little Library after Faith (from Gold in the Clouds ) encouraged me to try one more book from this author after I really, really disliked the only other one I had previously read. And wow, this one really captured me. Dealing with the Covid pandemic, the author, through myriads of interviews with doctors & nurses, covid survivors, and others that covid touched was able to weave a story that kept me glued from beginning to end. She was able to not only capture the fear and craziness of the pandemic but also the effects of the isolation that it caused for many. I was totally engrossed in Finn's side of the story showing the medical professionals point of view as they battled in the trenches trying to get a handle on what was going on. I thought the author was very successful in bringing out their frustration and exhaustion and how it affected them as professionals in the medical field. And then in exploring the effects of isolation that the world had to endure, the author was able to balance the story with the harmful effects of the severe isolation some felt by stranding the character on an island far from home and loved ones. I found it hard to put the book down as my emotions were so engaged seeing all viewpoints of the pandemic story. I also learned a lot about parts of surviving covid that you didn't hear a lot about then or now. Some interesting details in the story. And a twist that left me stunned. The only parts I didn't engage with was some of the Darwinian theory parts. We are left to ask ourselves how has this experience we have all lived through in one fashion or another changed us, personally and as a society? Has it made us better? The book is filled with numerous quotable insights but I loved this quote from the author's notes:</p><p style="text-align: center;"> "When I try to make sense of the past year, it feels to me like the world pressed pause. When we stopped moving, we noticed that the ways we have chosen to validate ourselves are lists of items or experiences we need to have, goals that are monetary or mercenary. Now, I'm wondering why those were ever even goals. We don't need those things to feel whole. We need to wake up in the morning. We need our bodies to function. We need to enjoy a meal. We need a roof over our head. We need to surround ourselves with people we love. We need to take the wins in a much smaller way." </p><p style="text-align: right;">pg. 317 </p><p> May we always remember this. This book was written in 2021 and I read it in 2023. So a year out of the pandemic, and human being humans, I'm afraid I'm already seeing generally, a reverting back to our old ways and attitudes in a lot of areas, chasing those same old goals. And that makes me sad.
So I ended up loving this story. Will it make me pick up another book by this author? Probably at some point.</p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPVlIVxKrBk8Ttb9Vcm5R4_EJrgBir3LPm6NV5CZZbdcy_gN8ot9Gu7FHjTqooqgtku49GDCWheTvsuH5cbe4wuSSudfGCcHFKPJlIFNoWJjOFHVUkeayJthnZCIYarghNH0Y3hbmQl-YNmtGxhA1J0njg1sjt0JdJrdUyhgBS4b_HgVpAaJyBoqI/s500/51CXrC6uTWL.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPVlIVxKrBk8Ttb9Vcm5R4_EJrgBir3LPm6NV5CZZbdcy_gN8ot9Gu7FHjTqooqgtku49GDCWheTvsuH5cbe4wuSSudfGCcHFKPJlIFNoWJjOFHVUkeayJthnZCIYarghNH0Y3hbmQl-YNmtGxhA1J0njg1sjt0JdJrdUyhgBS4b_HgVpAaJyBoqI/w200-h200/51CXrC6uTWL.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>16. All My Knotted Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed May 21, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> I am so behind on my book reviews so there's going to be a few in the coming weeks. Don't know how I let myself get so behind but here I am. I understand if it's not your thing, but I still want it reviewed for my own record of what I've read and thought about the books.
I think most of us in the Christian circles have at least heard of Beth Moore, if not taken at least one of her many courses or book studies for women on spiritual growth in Christ, or read one of her books or watched her teach on tv. She is an author, speaker and founder of Living Proof Ministries. Many know the public side of her but not many know her history or her private life. In her memoir she vulnerably opens up about her not easy childhood with her father's abuse and her mother's battle with mental illness. She shares about how God led her to ministry and the beginnings of Living Proof Ministries and her very public break with the Southern Baptist Convention in 2018. She with great respect for her husband discusses living with a spouse who suffers from PTSD and bipolar disorder. And through it all she reminds us of the thread of God's faithfulness throughout. </span></p><p><span> I really enjoyed listening to Beth's memoir and I have to say I have greater respect for her knowing that her life has not necessarily been an easy one. But in the hardness she has drawn closer to Christ and it makes her sharing of God's faithfulness and power even more relatable knowing she has been through hard things and God has seen her through. She is honest and raw about the situations and about her own flaws, but also is God honoring offering hope to the reader. I liked that she narrated her own story so you really got her emotions through the telling. The only thing that took slightly away from the audiobook for me was the childhood part was narrated with her childhood Arkansas accent which I found at times hard to understand. But when she switched to her Texas accent which she speaks with now, I found it easier listening. </span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2l7HNu-U4EMwHxDyU4RKLOpiMfjBqa6akO0FQ5Ws39MeBZ72lEotbi8wIxFLn9u9CtSvU6TH_bXItP_0OtX7ohiGtimXr13Dov_25XmQ4jZ-T2w__U_TC4DEOFZbwdoyk-RhhTF-YeYU_ZyMmHbUUoEKI_HBQ1Q7ZoxOX7eJgVtyiFsYZNpDiC7d/s277/Independence.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="182" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2l7HNu-U4EMwHxDyU4RKLOpiMfjBqa6akO0FQ5Ws39MeBZ72lEotbi8wIxFLn9u9CtSvU6TH_bXItP_0OtX7ohiGtimXr13Dov_25XmQ4jZ-T2w__U_TC4DEOFZbwdoyk-RhhTF-YeYU_ZyMmHbUUoEKI_HBQ1Q7ZoxOX7eJgVtyiFsYZNpDiC7d/w131-h200/Independence.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>17. Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: May 22, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span> Three sisters: Priya, Deepa and Jamini, live in 1940's Bengal, India. Their father is a well respected doctor who has a clinic in Calcutta and he is known for helping the poor. Sometimes the girl's mother resents the fact that they are not living the well to do life of a doctor who charges normal fees but Nabakumar has a heart for those who are suffering. The sisters are as different as sisters can be. Priya is smart and driven to become a doctor even though in her culture and time it is an uphill climb. It is assumed that she will marry her childhood love, Amit. Deepa just want to be married and have a family. But when she meets and falls in love with a Muslim man her life will take turns she never could have imagined. Can her love of this man be enough for the losses of culture, family, community and way of life that will come if she chooses him? Jamini, is the youngest, has a small handicap, but is dedicated to family and helps her mother make quilts to sell. She longs to be loved but doesn't hold out a lot of hope to be married because of her physical limitations. She holds a secret very close to her heart that she cannot let be known. Life changes for everyone when India experiences violent uprisings as they try to gain independence. The girls once peaceful home is no longer a refuge when the fighting starts to encroach. And they must all make decisions they never thought they would face. When the partition of India happens where India went to the Hindus and Pakistan to the Muslims they become separated, not just in distance but in paths for their lives. </span></p><p><span> I am always drawn into stories set in India and this historical novel didn't disappoint. It captured me from the beginning and was interesting right until the end. Set in the time of India's fight for independence and the resulting dividing of the Hindus and Muslims, the story had me learning of something I knew not a lot about. The sister's relationships was relatable and moving as they had to navigate their changing world which was at points exciting and filled with hope and other times scary and devastating. Their love of family, their courage shown in different ways was wonderful to read but their characters were also very real in their flaws and family drama. The only thing I didn't like had nothing to do with the story and more of a style of punctuation where the author (or editor?) chose not to put commas into lists of things. For example from page 164: "Tonight will bring the moment so many, including her father, had longed for fought for died for." At first I thought it was editing error but it happened numerous times through out the story so I realized it was a chosen style in the book. In spite of that, once I got used to it, the story wasn't hindered by it all.</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XXs5xK5ILLps5TUDKECDwFw8wrhUbrl4MyXtSunb0N76cNRGGguFC-M8xWeAK6WId6jHglWqh9R1-9tNp_mz3lKc2zvmpC1_sreUx6AXEuzbhBYdbXcO_hPqnfnAFSAHtgJHQ3_r6l-dQeEcVMdraHijPzIvRBB_VxRnOLt94FnxEUzIu8QDl458x5Q/s500/I%20can%20only%20imagine.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XXs5xK5ILLps5TUDKECDwFw8wrhUbrl4MyXtSunb0N76cNRGGguFC-M8xWeAK6WId6jHglWqh9R1-9tNp_mz3lKc2zvmpC1_sreUx6AXEuzbhBYdbXcO_hPqnfnAFSAHtgJHQ3_r6l-dQeEcVMdraHijPzIvRBB_VxRnOLt94FnxEUzIu8QDl458x5Q/w200-h200/I%20can%20only%20imagine.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>18. I Can Only Imagine by Bart Mallard (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: June 5, 2024</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> When it came out, I had watched the movie based on this book, but knowing how a movie can never have in it the details a book written in the author's voice has and that to make a movie some things must be added, enhanced or decreased in order to keep a viewing audience interested I wanted to actually read the book. When I saw the library had it on audio through their app, I jumped on it.
Bart Millard wrote the song I Can Only Imagine and never could he imagine the song would not only go on to become the bestselling single in the history of Christian music but that it would cross over into secular radio stations and touch millions of more people. It was written out of the deep pain of his life having an abusive, alcoholic father who was transformed when God touched his life. Bart's hard childhood that was made harder when his Mother left the family is told in heartbreaking detail but so is the beautiful story of redemption and restoration of a broken family. We are taken into the pain and uncertainty of his childhood raised by an alcoholic father who trying to drown his own pain, to how he became involved in singing and how the multi platinum selling band Mercy Me was formed and came to success after many fails. It is a gripping story that had me in tears, both happy and sad, in many parts. Glad I read the book as it does give so much more detail than the movie was able to. And because Bart narrated it himself it really brings out the true emotion in the telling of the story.
</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplt9JcbegxigIzJNXTeSOQUDEMJSO3egmTneIcH7g4SjUamnDQ9yJcA7_qvCW_pGg4E78s7s7O3EAZfCFSvfJUoAjg9uAFbCwijL9mlavZ3qC0O-QFWsRizjHcKOe8Ak1K5_1_j8tmfoiUZwLHgfNsCRqxG_bDTmegyl7nviQZxLHilsZm71DdHb2X70/s648/the%20bookwoman's%20daughter.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="436" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplt9JcbegxigIzJNXTeSOQUDEMJSO3egmTneIcH7g4SjUamnDQ9yJcA7_qvCW_pGg4E78s7s7O3EAZfCFSvfJUoAjg9uAFbCwijL9mlavZ3qC0O-QFWsRizjHcKOe8Ak1K5_1_j8tmfoiUZwLHgfNsCRqxG_bDTmegyl7nviQZxLHilsZm71DdHb2X70/w134-h200/the%20bookwoman's%20daughter.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>19. The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: June 27, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> In the sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek Honey Lovett, the daughter of Cussy Mary, the famed blue skinned pack horse librarian of Troublesome Creek, has lived her life in hiding with her mother and father. Because her father was white and her mother blue skinned, their marriage was considered against the law. But when the law catches up with them and her mom and dad are imprisoned for miscegenation, Honey flees to avoid being sent to children's labor camp. Fleeing back to where her mother grew up, Honey gets a library pack horse job herself and delivers books deep into the Appalachian mountains to the poorest of poor. Hoping to prove that she can survive on her own at 16 and look out for herself, she is planning on applying to become emancipated from her beloved family in order to avoid child services and the labor camp. On arriving, Honey is befriended by a young woman who is the first woman to work in the fire towers in the area. But being friends can also mean danger as there are those who resent a woman taking that job from the men of the area. Honey will have to be strong in her determination to make it work. </span></p><p><span>I enjoyed this continuation of the story. Honey also has the blue skinned gene from her mother though it is not as obvious as it was with Mary. She can hide it quite well. Even though the library pack horse program has been running for awhile now, Honey still finds resistance to the program. She faces challenge after challenge both in delivering the books that she knows will bring freedom and learning to the poor of the area, but also in her daily survival. Her friendship with Pearl was endearing as they supported one another. A few more layers of different kinds of prejudices that women of the time faced were added in Pearl's character with her fire tower look out job and that of Bonnie who had to take a mining job for her family to survive after her husband died were very interesting. Loved the exploration of what these courageous women all faced in their time.
</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsOA6l38PlET9Mzinu8_L-3bwblWvt_hk9leljkTjn4NMB-wPbwvayshVrKasN-JKNDCiFO5OVD5aNmjriFbXeLT9-wIrXte7M4qHzO-EnVcsF65DnZZ5brnTcdcpyLErW6RbKWdMpXCfJIELlsE5mOMXPSx0Z0XQiy5VSuvs_pstYnFaqLw1dQ0ibck/s500/when%20I%20lay.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsOA6l38PlET9Mzinu8_L-3bwblWvt_hk9leljkTjn4NMB-wPbwvayshVrKasN-JKNDCiFO5OVD5aNmjriFbXeLT9-wIrXte7M4qHzO-EnVcsF65DnZZ5brnTcdcpyLErW6RbKWdMpXCfJIELlsE5mOMXPSx0Z0XQiy5VSuvs_pstYnFaqLw1dQ0ibck/w200-h200/when%20I%20lay.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>20. When I Lay My Isaac Down by Carol Kent (audiobook) </b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: June 29, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlMTqxn58SzXn_dj4MH4TTNxiSRl8aG2fgNf1lTF0j8eWMTetbHUvnvxUGwYmw4BzRDXqRUWlSp64p39JS66_0KPV0UpYQe1eF_JztmcfiTnQRhsYA-2qcKm7_eWJLoZv0ifCPh3nvoRSWfxbrsQCSzbKdM6b4ehUUuFthEP577YkFUUQTTmyClucI_Y/s400/No%20Two%20Persons.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVlMTqxn58SzXn_dj4MH4TTNxiSRl8aG2fgNf1lTF0j8eWMTetbHUvnvxUGwYmw4BzRDXqRUWlSp64p39JS66_0KPV0UpYQe1eF_JztmcfiTnQRhsYA-2qcKm7_eWJLoZv0ifCPh3nvoRSWfxbrsQCSzbKdM6b4ehUUuFthEP577YkFUUQTTmyClucI_Y/w131-h200/No%20Two%20Persons.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>21. No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: July 9/2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> Alice has always wanted to be a writer from the time she was little. In college her stories, though good, are safe. Her professor and mentor, Professor Roberts, recognizes her talent and encourages her to step out of her comfort zone and write the gripping story he knows she has within her. When a devastating event happens in her life, Alice is finally able to step beyond the safety and comfort of her former writings and writes right out of her heart. But after sending it to lists of publishers and after rejection after rejection, Alice gives it one more shot and sends it to the publisher whom her professor recommends. As her story finds its way into the hands of readers, no one can predict how her words can change the course of the lives of those who read them.</span></p><p><span> I loved this book. Though I must admit it took a little to get into, the first chapter was 32 pages long and I'm a short chapter kind of gal, but once it got rolling I couldn't put it down. It starts with the quote:</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><i> "No two persons ever read the same book, or saw the same picture"</i> </span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span><i>The Writings of Madame Swetchine 1860</i></span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span> </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span> The story then goes on to show just how a good story can do that. Each chapter is like a story unto itself about a person who the book makes itself to and how the story affects them and changes the way they look at their lives. I was drawn into each character who were as different from each other as they could be and how Alice's story touched each of them in a totally different way. The book is definitely character driven and the author was able to take nine very different characters and their stories and weave them together into a lovely story that comes full circle and that any book lover would understand and relate to. The premise is original and it totally drew in my emotions. And bonus, parts were set in Canada which as a Canadian reader I loved. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><i> "I think each story has it's own life. In the beginning, it lives in the writer's mind, and it grows and changes while it's there. Changes the writer, too, I'd bet....At some point it's written down and that's the book the readers hold in their hands. But the story isn't done, because it goes on to live in the readers' minds, in a way that's particular to each of them. We're all caretakers of the stories, Alice. Writers are just the lucky ones that get to know them first". </i></span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span><i> "Professor Roberts" in
No Two Persons
by Erica Bauermeister
pg 31
</i></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucc9GmFG3ryBmVTPktrQcH-Ie1zT8OdYVq_E1gPTr2xO4jRYjG6J2_PK_K4AyQVssKdnwA3fA6ImBOSz-nitKsPAevlS2pTfk3lAxf46sAjHDBHjPzD2et-nUapQZ7Ntc4acJgjRVfeNsTiWe77tF1f8o4IGidhZFyaFVWDPre9_APEP6LkKzoG6GVvY/s499/Things%20I%20Wish.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="330" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucc9GmFG3ryBmVTPktrQcH-Ie1zT8OdYVq_E1gPTr2xO4jRYjG6J2_PK_K4AyQVssKdnwA3fA6ImBOSz-nitKsPAevlS2pTfk3lAxf46sAjHDBHjPzD2et-nUapQZ7Ntc4acJgjRVfeNsTiWe77tF1f8o4IGidhZFyaFVWDPre9_APEP6LkKzoG6GVvY/w133-h200/Things%20I%20Wish.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>22. Things I Wish I Told My Mother by Susan Patterson and Susan Dilallo with James Patterson</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: July 12, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Laurie is an advertising executive who has just landed a career changing account when her mother, the very professional, very put together perfectionist Doctor Liz, calls her from the ER saying she has admitted herself. Upon learning that Dr. Liz may have suffered a mild heart attack, Laurie decides to take her mother on a dream vacation to try to mend the rifts between them. Laurie has always felt her mother wasn't there for her and that she could never live up to her mother's expectations but is hopeful that this vacation is what they both need. But right from the get go the same old tensions arise. Laurie wants to take her mother to Norway, the country from which Dr. Liz is from but Laurie has never been to, but Dr. Liz wants Paris. Trouble is Paris is where Laurie and her ex-husband spent their honeymoon and there is too many memories there. So they compromise and the itinerary is set for both countries. Both ladies have memories and secrets from their lives in the perspective countries that they have never shared with each other. It will take a lot to step out and get past their own discomforts and the memories they bring andshare them in order to draw closer as mother and daughter. </span></p><p><span> I thoroughly enjoyed this mother/daughter dysfunctional relationship story. I felt it had heart, some humor, some emotional parts that really drew me in to their relationship and that made it relatable and a twist that I was not expecting at all. It's an easy and quick read and I finished it just over a day, it was hard to put down for me. </span>There was one relationship in the story that I wondered if it was necessary to move the story along, but other than that I thought it was a fun summer read with some depth.</p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8UFfU_MZr95VFfETDl_tZ0LrlwFp02W_r6dJmt5xNHBB_1h2OPDPAN8lNmDFqhL8HHYGcNjPXVn1G1BCXcbtm2A0nweo5zXgRhbkZjTyYtBJz1ciBEPAuzDiITq3TZGRYtl_ykor6o4x0M2AwcYqinh-bUQSbOq6VfSyH5cEiWR8V6urESmfUugkEQw/s500/the%20book%20of%20summers.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8UFfU_MZr95VFfETDl_tZ0LrlwFp02W_r6dJmt5xNHBB_1h2OPDPAN8lNmDFqhL8HHYGcNjPXVn1G1BCXcbtm2A0nweo5zXgRhbkZjTyYtBJz1ciBEPAuzDiITq3TZGRYtl_ykor6o4x0M2AwcYqinh-bUQSbOq6VfSyH5cEiWR8V6urESmfUugkEQw/w124-h200/the%20book%20of%20summers.jpg" width="124" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>23. The Book Of Summers by Emylia Hall</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> Completed: July 27, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 8.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Beth lives with her straight-laced, quiet British father and her adventurous Hungarian mother in England. Her Mom, Marika, has always wanted to return for a visit to her beloved Hungary so when Beth turns 9 they set off on a road trip for a much anticipated vacation. But memories of beautiful Balaton Lake turn sour when her mom and dad separate while there and Beth and her Dad return to England leaving her Mom behind in Hungary. Beth's young life changes drastically without her vivacious mother there to contrast her father's now very somber disposition. When Marika, requests to have Beth visit for the summer it is with much trepidation that her father agrees. So begins the first of 7 summers Beth spends in the idyllic countryside of Hungary with Marika (which is what her mother wants to be called). The year Beth turns 16, when she is pushing her boundaries, something happens that causes an estrangement with her mother and she never again returns to Hungary to visit. Years later, her Dad shows up at her door, nervously bringing a package from Hungary. Though angry that her Dad would even bring it over, Beth eventually succumbs to the curiosity and opens it. Inside she finds a letter that her Marika has passed away and a scrapbook entitled the Book of Summers. As she turns through the pages, in spite of herself, Beth is taken back to her good memories of her childhood summers spent in the rural countryside of Hungary. </p><p> I've been wanting to read this book for a long time, first because the cover is gorgeous and second, being of Hungarian background, I have never come across a book set in Hungary. The author's lovely descriptions brought back my own memories of lovely Hungary from the one summer I spent there visiting relatives. The lifestyle, foods, scenery and Hungarian personalities described were wonderfully spot on. The story is a coming of age story of a young girl finding herself dealing with not only the break up of her family but also of the tension of being shuffled back and forth between homes set in different countries. It is not a fast paced book by any means and the author takes her time laying out the intricacies of the relationships. The story starts when Beth is grown and receives the visit from her father and then backtracks as she is thrown into the memories of her childhood summers with her mother as she looks through the book culminating in her decision to never return. The characters and their emotions and actions are realistic. The tension was there through the whole story as I wondered what led to the estrangement of mother and daughter. I was drawn into the story though at times it was a tad slow. But worth the push to get past those parts.
</p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5iNdM2OOtAZvDYjl_ZQhc_VoXmlr2F4wtJAiuyMN9fnxF6ihL5Wd2TxT9YfLnXFPQUi5hpfkCsodhar7Zuz6vz8xW4ZbitMFZFnxOHfcLSzDR7g3vTfZmhFcqJ5ovkWIFKlLpndNKupHsDBpGilsF4S9TfyV3uL3IqVf6b0pfsQ8O_qag1k98KJrf4g/s500/June%20Bug.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5iNdM2OOtAZvDYjl_ZQhc_VoXmlr2F4wtJAiuyMN9fnxF6ihL5Wd2TxT9YfLnXFPQUi5hpfkCsodhar7Zuz6vz8xW4ZbitMFZFnxOHfcLSzDR7g3vTfZmhFcqJ5ovkWIFKlLpndNKupHsDBpGilsF4S9TfyV3uL3IqVf6b0pfsQ8O_qag1k98KJrf4g/w200-h200/June%20Bug.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>24. June Bug by Chris Fabry</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: August 12, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 8.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZJU_Rn_yreAdNKGG9LD6qYmo6IgfAwc9jDR5rppDzNyipqGajOFgEcFXC9YXw2WrIsc84lIjHtJeUpeqv7seqFjpKlW7CSXC1FROM75cCwXoWp96OmLhwvvPwS5t2c5VjUqLVtEgiDFWeNGWcFjS5KgjV7sWpyHkaa9EMzaqK5H9BGakjDl_9zneJpI/s499/only%20the%20beautiful.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ZJU_Rn_yreAdNKGG9LD6qYmo6IgfAwc9jDR5rppDzNyipqGajOFgEcFXC9YXw2WrIsc84lIjHtJeUpeqv7seqFjpKlW7CSXC1FROM75cCwXoWp96OmLhwvvPwS5t2c5VjUqLVtEgiDFWeNGWcFjS5KgjV7sWpyHkaa9EMzaqK5H9BGakjDl_9zneJpI/w133-h200/only%20the%20beautiful.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>25. Only the Beautiful by Susan Meissner</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: August 16, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Sixteen year old Roseanne grew up living on a vineyard in California in the '30's. Her father was the Calvert's vinedresser . When her parents die in an accident, Truman and Celine Calvert reluctantly take her in to be her guardians but Celine puts her to work as the house maid with the thought that it would train her to eventually be able to find work. While Rosie is grateful to have a home, she finds herself very lonely, especially as she also has a secret she promised her mom she would never share. Rosie has an ability to see colors when she hears sounds (synesthesia). But in her grief and inexperience when the Calvert's son befriends her Rosie shares her secret with him. As most secrets do, Rosie's secret eventually comes out and when she finds herself underage, unmarried and pregnant, Celine banishes her and turns her over the the state. Leaving with only a small bag containing her clothes and an amaryllis plant that Truman Calvert's sister, Helen, once gave her to give her hope, Rose finds herself not at a home for unwed mothers but an institution for the mentally insane where her unique ability is not understood or known and she is forced to endure therapy to try and stop the colors. Thinking once she has the baby she can leave and start a new life Rosie is devastated to learn that her baby will be taken from her and adopted out and she will have a procedure done that will prevent her from bringing anymore children into the world with her abnormality. Meanwhile Helen Calvert is experiencing firsthand Hitler's own way of purifying his race as the family she nannies for in Vienna has their disabled daughter ripped away and taken to a special school. After many efforts to try and get the child back, Helen returns to the U.S. heartbroken and guilt ridden. When she discovers that Rosie was sent away under the circumstances she was, she determines that she will find her. Much to her horror, she discovers similar circumstances happening right in America that she experienced while in Europe. </p><p> First off the cover is absolutely gorgeous. Second this story was so good. It is told in two parts. The first half of the book is Rosie's story and the second half is Helen's and then the author brings the threads together in the end. The book is written in a unique way in each story where it goes back and forth between past and present. The author does it well and I was never confused as to what was happening. Prepare yourself to have your heart broken, I cried in several parts and felt all the emotions throughout. The story is sad as it deals with some very difficult subjects and horrors that happened both in America and WWII and the author very adeptly links the two together drawing parallels to make the reader think. Rosie and Helen's stories are one of loss and sorrow, grief and horror, but also deep love and courage in the midst of the unthinkable. In dealing with some very hard subjects the author was able to get ideas across without going into graphic details which I very much appreciated. She drew me into the lives, thoughts and emotions of her characters and it was hard to put the book down.</p><p>Trigger warning for the rape of a minor</p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUucqAOiXlkKF3duqxvQN7BF-Sh_bwEVrE8KLsZ9WU47uC8-huVCg7fPH2O1dAz6_sCRbOPN2Mmi1OHL6k27amcjzaDM9Qt9tyyKbFRIVBmD__P_NF23MNVzJWhT98gIhcyqGt-VKMBfeT7iWjy-ixbLFGD4GBjRO7DukHyQrsg11PaPQuloKDT5O2Yw/s266/In%20this%20moment.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="173" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUucqAOiXlkKF3duqxvQN7BF-Sh_bwEVrE8KLsZ9WU47uC8-huVCg7fPH2O1dAz6_sCRbOPN2Mmi1OHL6k27amcjzaDM9Qt9tyyKbFRIVBmD__P_NF23MNVzJWhT98gIhcyqGt-VKMBfeT7iWjy-ixbLFGD4GBjRO7DukHyQrsg11PaPQuloKDT5O2Yw/s1600/In%20this%20moment.jpg" width="173" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>26. In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: September 17, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUMMKDyiBWrVtX836JyfQ6_SJrZw7p-Ffeb_W2nWPwct5LMm8iAoQ9RWVGitGCix_EUns55b-97qVb-Y_b8X7-tZyHlEY_VHmTwLVeD7Q3HqXu8RVKRjPlBWCcGM7zapmNOTV8FGxcv0fwCTwMUdyLtoGeEKAQcE-OZBIMv-oQkxffqfsRWMsF0CD-KU/s500/So%20Help%20Me%20God.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUMMKDyiBWrVtX836JyfQ6_SJrZw7p-Ffeb_W2nWPwct5LMm8iAoQ9RWVGitGCix_EUns55b-97qVb-Y_b8X7-tZyHlEY_VHmTwLVeD7Q3HqXu8RVKRjPlBWCcGM7zapmNOTV8FGxcv0fwCTwMUdyLtoGeEKAQcE-OZBIMv-oQkxffqfsRWMsF0CD-KU/w200-h200/So%20Help%20Me%20God.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>27. So Help Me God by Mike Pence (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: September 5, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxMd3UZqPPgDpkdYdfFa1ZKuEAA7YC-ONqRDzebvBbBbApW4ZSEFSUucc6YuG0QUcKv8n9dx6o0uzvaB1sjtc923XmpOZtoPdj5mioSLasZkB2l6MD4QdJ1_psZJUv2pCcJUxSKa8dfwqFexngodHn49sTFcILQIXYUcfVaO3HOdp8RnhZLAs0Go8Xi8/s400/the%20edge%20of%20belonging.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="257" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxMd3UZqPPgDpkdYdfFa1ZKuEAA7YC-ONqRDzebvBbBbApW4ZSEFSUucc6YuG0QUcKv8n9dx6o0uzvaB1sjtc923XmpOZtoPdj5mioSLasZkB2l6MD4QdJ1_psZJUv2pCcJUxSKa8dfwqFexngodHn49sTFcILQIXYUcfVaO3HOdp8RnhZLAs0Go8Xi8/w129-h200/the%20edge%20of%20belonging.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>28. The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: October 10, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyk60snMp-Y0Wq7l7I1k3pm4zZRCVMNzKnNtUywZeDlci3fzPc3ylny4xHQHY5__xN7FUha-lP8t-zVH16pmAcGrbi5nK6EzciSXZxxdDSRPfg1Ms4AiibwVqjHsqCXYUlFM8fB1exPlGjavTxG0grM_vTdzmlxuUnUuFgT2PRE67YKDOxeRlF6sKL32g/s500/the%20love%20stories%20of%20the%20bible%20speak.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyk60snMp-Y0Wq7l7I1k3pm4zZRCVMNzKnNtUywZeDlci3fzPc3ylny4xHQHY5__xN7FUha-lP8t-zVH16pmAcGrbi5nK6EzciSXZxxdDSRPfg1Ms4AiibwVqjHsqCXYUlFM8fB1exPlGjavTxG0grM_vTdzmlxuUnUuFgT2PRE67YKDOxeRlF6sKL32g/w200-h200/the%20love%20stories%20of%20the%20bible%20speak.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>29. The Love Stories of the Bible Speak by Shannon Bream (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: October 21, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSt-xLiOQsmc5nSq10GaFY4rSDrMjyWpAqvCeSp1m6vZ1dZv5G9AKaGzHXku9NchyphenhyphenaiewVOB9U70lkCWDEUkzOdL4199bn6WNn2M2zZRtWh_KGSggVzJfOz-_Ri3cgpXnLPZ-2YilSh6waa-OOVRYlYvqGFBdg1I784IZripqkJ8t-i3fidiVOlCMy2E/s500/not%20by%20sight.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="340" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSt-xLiOQsmc5nSq10GaFY4rSDrMjyWpAqvCeSp1m6vZ1dZv5G9AKaGzHXku9NchyphenhyphenaiewVOB9U70lkCWDEUkzOdL4199bn6WNn2M2zZRtWh_KGSggVzJfOz-_Ri3cgpXnLPZ-2YilSh6waa-OOVRYlYvqGFBdg1I784IZripqkJ8t-i3fidiVOlCMy2E/w136-h200/not%20by%20sight.jpg" width="136" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>30. Not by Sight by Kathy Herman</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: October 26, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 8/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> Five years ago Abby Cummings family was devastated when her father and 2 year old sister went missing. No clue was found as to what happened to them and the family struggles to move on. Each handles it in their own way. Abby, with her grandfather's support, has drawn closer in relationship to the Lord. She holds out in faith that her father and sister are still alive somewhere. This has led to a couple of instances where Abby thinks she has seen a little girl that could be Riley Jo. Neither time proved correct so when she once again sees a young girl she's never seen before in her town that she thinks might look exactly as Riley Jo would look at age 7 she snaps a picture. No one takes her seriously because of the former false alarms except her best friend Jay. When Abby starts asking questions downtown, it worries her mother who through the ordeal has lost her faith, but she relents to Abby's determination to pursue finding out who the girl is if Abby agrees to back to counseling. But when Abby receives some disturbing phone call warnings to let it go from a stranger, she knows she is on the right track pursuing this whether the girl is Riley Jo or not. As Abby and Jay pursue finding out who this man and young girl is some horrible secrets will come to light that they might not be prepared to face. </span></p><p><span>I have read several of this author's series in the past and loved them. This is the 1st installment of her latest series, Ozark Mountain Trilogy. It was a good mystery filled with tension and I loved the exploration of what such devastating circumstances can do to a family's faith and how they approach life afterwards. How each family member coped and worked out their grief was very true to life. And because Abby and her mom were on opposite ends of the spectrum in how they coped there was also the tension between the two added to the story. However, I did find some of the conversations throughout the story a bit unrealistic and maybe forced I think is the way I would describe it? The tension and suspense were carried throughout the story and there were some good twists and turns right until the end.</span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTdJOMLEkEkU8Bg6kUoMHJl9ipdeVL82RmVze-vY066_pNH0w765Aimzma9bWyjTPzYXQ-pYaTIvGHH3WQuQbvvWppKG6XfVaX_31IIFu3_iB9_f5NPVUW5IGHt7yMJEB_CbBHx16rLUBw6FIXQ1rmqq9eXdOWhUWLH8pYfq1Q6hivtRwz3nVMwRiiJc/s400/You'll%20Get%20Through%20This.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTdJOMLEkEkU8Bg6kUoMHJl9ipdeVL82RmVze-vY066_pNH0w765Aimzma9bWyjTPzYXQ-pYaTIvGHH3WQuQbvvWppKG6XfVaX_31IIFu3_iB9_f5NPVUW5IGHt7yMJEB_CbBHx16rLUBw6FIXQ1rmqq9eXdOWhUWLH8pYfq1Q6hivtRwz3nVMwRiiJc/w131-h200/You'll%20Get%20Through%20This.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>31. You'll Get Through This by Max Lucado</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: October 27, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> </span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPBbPueFqXfJKD650Ye8-DTds6r5Xn5Z696jqKvIXGrJmhKh0krUIA1Zz20djmRUftXk-meVv57wjjF5BGKF323akwXaPUkw6-xRAHDrMVpKIytbXidOPUw_09ADE92qm6kYcvwaZunFiGZoe6vrgXIkTP-5J0Nn9d0AZfJoFhLEznEgIASSTVcj5PU8/s522/the%20complicated%20heart.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="338" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPBbPueFqXfJKD650Ye8-DTds6r5Xn5Z696jqKvIXGrJmhKh0krUIA1Zz20djmRUftXk-meVv57wjjF5BGKF323akwXaPUkw6-xRAHDrMVpKIytbXidOPUw_09ADE92qm6kYcvwaZunFiGZoe6vrgXIkTP-5J0Nn9d0AZfJoFhLEznEgIASSTVcj5PU8/w129-h200/the%20complicated%20heart.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>32. The Complicated Heart by Sarah Mae</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: November 5, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>"People always ask me how I forgave my mother.
How do you forgive someone who wounded you so deeply, who carelessly brushed aside your pain, who caused such destruction? And even more specifically, how do you forgive them when your wounds are still open, when they show no remorse, when you are so dang tangled up with them you're not sure how on earth to get untangled?"</span></p><p><span> Sarah Mae: The Complicated Heart
pg xiii </span></p><p><span> Sarah grew up with a very complicated childhood. Her parents divorced when she was young and she went to live with her father. But when she was 14 she decided she wanted to be with her mother. But her relationship with her mom was very toxic. Her mother was an alcoholic, drinking from sun up to sun down, going from husband to husband, and was verbally and emotionally very abusive. I thought this was more of a non-fiction 'teaching" type of book when I first got it but it actually is more memoir with wisdom inserted throughout. This is Sarah's story of not just sorrow and hardship brought about by not only her mother but also of all her wrong choices made out her desperate attempts at trying find acceptance in any way through her skewed understanding of love even as she worked trying to win her mother's love, but it is also a story of redemption that only God can bring about in a person's life. It is not an easy read and Sarah does give trigger warnings in the beginning for many areas of trauma and cautions the reader to use discernment when reading, listing a few actions to take as you work your way through her book. Her journey was not an easy one, very heartbreaking in every respect, but such a very powerful story of redemption that it needs to be heard. I found the book very insightful not just from her perspective but because she inserts entries from her mother's journal at the end of each chapter, you also hear her mother's voice. You get a glimpse of the mindset of an alcoholic and what got her mother there and the internal struggles she had while Sarah was growing up. The reader gains understanding into so many areas of how addiction works and why grace is so important. This book is for those who feel they and their situation are beyond hope, it extends hope to those buried in their toxic mother/daughter relationships, buried in pain and trauma, buried in the results of wrong decisions made from rejection and addiction. It's for all the hurt daughters who don't think their hearts will ever heal. The last chapters deal with steps the reader can take on their own journey to find light and hope in the deepest darkness. </span></p><p><span> "Dysfunction does not have to be your legacy. You may have been born into it, married into it, or created it yourself, but it does not have to be your destiny or your identity. Victory is always on the table!" </span></p><p><span> Sarah Mae: The Complicated Heart
pg xv </span></p><p><span> Thank you to <a href="https://www.sarahmae.com/home" target="_blank">Sarah Mae</a> for sending me this book. It opened my heart and mind in so many ways. If you want to <a href="https://www.sarahmae.com/home" target="_blank">check it out her blog it is here.</a> She sent me the book no strings attached a while ago and I think I read it in perfect timing. She did not ask for a review or a link to her sight but I'm doing it because I think her story is important to a hurting women..
</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZdjqxGIJtdfp10tkPMV_C0Hv5VmEDKWiFU9V7PpP55uH8opYUPpS9-NO8NHihuIn8hf0njipHX1J988-X_g962IYTfIR6YKtBZ5UQArHXzVYHRVQ8J80h3rQl5x1B0_VpM-HfS6DuiPts-ofPe2nLDI3O4NgZ1goGYQPo9cJQzQQmm6TT4aKAyHLy3s/s522/Falling.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="342" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZdjqxGIJtdfp10tkPMV_C0Hv5VmEDKWiFU9V7PpP55uH8opYUPpS9-NO8NHihuIn8hf0njipHX1J988-X_g962IYTfIR6YKtBZ5UQArHXzVYHRVQ8J80h3rQl5x1B0_VpM-HfS6DuiPts-ofPe2nLDI3O4NgZ1goGYQPo9cJQzQQmm6TT4aKAyHLy3s/w131-h200/Falling.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>33. Falling by T.J. Newman</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: November 8, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 8/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CJdABjv4obrMalt92V_6HFY4CJskvXdMeFL1bbcdmB95IHrYgCWFjdf-uLOeFzFjjRdiQ1v2qyH84i4pGMZjBDLgup3xTKohe7cWRDXkI_JKbr6y2ynv9kY6lgobPj1OwiWTb8CYpdMSRo64tC7-1pPNHSo7WbwB0p07-18uJcb_TE78uZ0Y1nDfXx8/s500/No%20Greater%20Love.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CJdABjv4obrMalt92V_6HFY4CJskvXdMeFL1bbcdmB95IHrYgCWFjdf-uLOeFzFjjRdiQ1v2qyH84i4pGMZjBDLgup3xTKohe7cWRDXkI_JKbr6y2ynv9kY6lgobPj1OwiWTb8CYpdMSRo64tC7-1pPNHSo7WbwB0p07-18uJcb_TE78uZ0Y1nDfXx8/w200-h200/No%20Greater%20Love.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>34. No Greater Love by A.W. Tozer</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: November 18, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBZP9jcCGA4tTpXT4jfSVDzJ0qlvHTnhlpKvBs-r9WOXmmSkoN0tM5PkZeIKb-BRvkCCoJ75mst__tbfjm4MVqjgGyOpYHm2hxwwZgw4m2uAuCcWr5HlC7-DyAn7D5k58GD-f7TtqRtdILzFW4spRjsFuuu8YJK4G7kquNx9XFo7kIJvlFcIkXxWmBNw/s522/unveiling%20grace.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="338" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBZP9jcCGA4tTpXT4jfSVDzJ0qlvHTnhlpKvBs-r9WOXmmSkoN0tM5PkZeIKb-BRvkCCoJ75mst__tbfjm4MVqjgGyOpYHm2hxwwZgw4m2uAuCcWr5HlC7-DyAn7D5k58GD-f7TtqRtdILzFW4spRjsFuuu8YJK4G7kquNx9XFo7kIJvlFcIkXxWmBNw/w129-h200/unveiling%20grace.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>35. Unveiling Grace: The story of how we found our way out of the Mormon Church by Lynn K. Wilder</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: November 30, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSU4ap5Cad4Anf3yVXze24MLsIk8HTrTIsPaBHvf-nrIAW2YhzcRq_iakdUHopgHApJKyMKzD30efg5hC11c1GZWV6rX7GxhD5AB59As3tSA6qOOZCg3Dj35Bx4EgmRhK0TLy_rm1258qjgnPymBPzlcsMdgT1hOkfjPmDhkvGnbb-8G1gPdIKcBcZJU/s1350/code%20edelweiss.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSU4ap5Cad4Anf3yVXze24MLsIk8HTrTIsPaBHvf-nrIAW2YhzcRq_iakdUHopgHApJKyMKzD30efg5hC11c1GZWV6rX7GxhD5AB59As3tSA6qOOZCg3Dj35Bx4EgmRhK0TLy_rm1258qjgnPymBPzlcsMdgT1hOkfjPmDhkvGnbb-8G1gPdIKcBcZJU/w133-h200/code%20edelweiss.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>36. Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: December 17, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #45818e;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> As a single parent, Liesl Weiss is the only financial supporter in her household which includes herself, her 2 children, her mother and her unhelpful brother. When she loses her secretarial job at MGM studios she desperately searches for another. When she sees a job opening for a secretary for a local lawyer, Liesel grabs the info going straight over to Leon Lewis' office. Unfortunately Leon Lewis doesn't want to offer her the secretarial job in his office but instead, going with his instincts, offers Liesel as job to spy on a organization called Friends of New Germany and her own neighborhood of Germantown for his spy network. With her blonde Aryan looks Liesel would fit right in. As a Jewish lawyer, Lewis has watched Adolf Hitler rise to power and now sees an increasing amount of anti-semitism right in his city of Los Angeles. He believes there are plans in the works to take over Hollywood for the use of the Nazi's propoganda in America. Of German descent, Liesel can't quite believe any of the rumors she has heard concerning Germany's new chancellor and especially does not believe what Leon Lewis is suggesting and that this New Friends of Germany would have anything to do with the Nazis. But desperate to provide for her family she takes the job which sets her into the offices of the organization. As Liesl starts to spend her days listening and observing, in horror she starts to realize what Leon Lewis feared most is not a rumor at all but a well executed plan already under way. Now realizing the danger she is in, Liesl must decide whether she is up for being a part of stopping this dangerous group.
This was a great read. </span></p><p><span> Based on true events, it is the story of the work of Leon Lewis, a lone Jewish lawyer, and a handful of amateur spies which he set in place that discovered the plans of the Nazi Germany to take over the control of Hollywood and rid Los Angeles of the Jewish community. I've never read this aspect of pre-WWII and it was very interesting. The characters were well written and the book was a page turner as events are rushing towards the <i>de Angriff</i> (the attack). I loved the character development of Liesl, who at the start of the book was a confused and hurt woman just trying to make it through each day, one who was trying to fit into her German neighborhood and do right by her children, who at first took the job because she had to provide for her family but who became a courageous woman of conviction who moved beyond her fears to do what she had to do to stop the hatred she finally saw. In asking herself "<i>If not me, then who? And if not now, when?</i>" she took on a role that she never imagined herself to be in. The story challenges us to do the same, if not in quite the same way as Liesl, but in however we can.
</span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61girbDh2kYuSAJVlXfarGD1xm9YXIy4l1le5D1W8HGplkNPAqqM_dfH0rk5mVKpQ6syfb7xv9nEPnHQqtyQgMnLSU7LHDBz9_5WuOJXhmZ71DSmSFMC-690Mo6ZSPdcV-38ZpC0CV4lZjlPipYApUt64uKkgwcvLTDfRLv0pA5Ye4H84W2g6-ynYsK0/s350/skipping%20christmas.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="214" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61girbDh2kYuSAJVlXfarGD1xm9YXIy4l1le5D1W8HGplkNPAqqM_dfH0rk5mVKpQ6syfb7xv9nEPnHQqtyQgMnLSU7LHDBz9_5WuOJXhmZ71DSmSFMC-690Mo6ZSPdcV-38ZpC0CV4lZjlPipYApUt64uKkgwcvLTDfRLv0pA5Ye4H84W2g6-ynYsK0/w123-h200/skipping%20christmas.jpg" width="123" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>37. Skipping Christmas by John Grisham</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: December 26, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> </span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQXeBiLG64SkoS6EFt8ZWfVnYjYgOJlfvurSH5C1QUCLFETiOX9fMh5Wx10JlsQRsJ2TPO806Ild_O2lSr19MK0JfNTS2pfp9gs_48RRgW5iNPKX2RMDLzegY_tQGQM23ld47xFpB-IhWKaP_Sq-lmbTlJouTnHImWQ0pfFuCCdxMSmPuz0CB94cnaM0/s2400/Always%20in%20december.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1556" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQXeBiLG64SkoS6EFt8ZWfVnYjYgOJlfvurSH5C1QUCLFETiOX9fMh5Wx10JlsQRsJ2TPO806Ild_O2lSr19MK0JfNTS2pfp9gs_48RRgW5iNPKX2RMDLzegY_tQGQM23ld47xFpB-IhWKaP_Sq-lmbTlJouTnHImWQ0pfFuCCdxMSmPuz0CB94cnaM0/w129-h200/Always%20in%20december.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>38. Always, in December by Emily Stone</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: December 31, 2023</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 8.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-51014465337889612192023-01-05T08:59:00.003-07:002023-01-05T08:59:27.325-07:002023 Reading Challenge Goals<div>Another fresh reading year to start. I find it fun to plan out some reading goals for the year. I am a mood reader for the most part, but I also find it fun to cross off some goals or do challenges that help me get some books read that sometimes languish on the bottom of my To Be Read piles or lists or ones that I've forgotten I want to read. </div><div><br /></div><div><b style="font-style: italic; text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Challenge #1</span></b> Reading off my own shelves. This year I'm going to change up the challenge a bit and instead of certain prompts for each month I'm going to do a different color for each month. So I'll choose a color each month, look through all my books that I own of that color and make a stack to choose from for that month.</div><div><br /></div><div><u style="color: #a64d79; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Challenge #2</u> Each month I will also pull one oldest and one newest of my purchased new books (books I actually paid money for). This will not include any books that I get from Free Little Libraries or next to free Library sales.</div><div><br /></div><div><u style="color: #a64d79; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Challenge #3</u> At least one book a month from my library want to read list</div><div><br /></div><div><u style="color: #a64d79; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Challenge #4</u> At least 4 hard copy formats of non-fiction books from my own piles. </div><div><br /></div><div><u style="color: #a64d79; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Challenge #5</u> Finish the verse by verse study of Romans that I'm doing with a friend.</div><div> Read a Psalm or Proverb each day. When done that read from the gospels each day. </div><div><br /></div><div><u style="color: #a64d79; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Challenge #6</u> Goodreads Reading Goal challenge. This year I've set my goal at 40 books read by the end of 2023</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This year I've also made a last chance pile. These are books that I've had for years and they've either been on previous to read lists several times and never got read or I just don't reach for them at all. This is their last chance. If I don't read it at some point this year they will go. I'm not going to hang onto them any longer. If you've read any of them and have loved them now's your chance to convince me to get to it for sure this year! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mRFR_121FiZavfERFDQIPT9STsMjX7LCymqi6ts794cwyb6VhUmVjkB-oVq8NXh8YvAiVT1fioxnJjN818a0J4JupLsh02N49AdY-e741ybfiwvwcyNqVo2_esVMokGZWW8bL0fkAncHpKhJYucgDzXk063fJnPjdS5C9__aDGHmaN8kBg/s3443/20230102_151036.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3443" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mRFR_121FiZavfERFDQIPT9STsMjX7LCymqi6ts794cwyb6VhUmVjkB-oVq8NXh8YvAiVT1fioxnJjN818a0J4JupLsh02N49AdY-e741ybfiwvwcyNqVo2_esVMokGZWW8bL0fkAncHpKhJYucgDzXk063fJnPjdS5C9__aDGHmaN8kBg/w349-h400/20230102_151036.jpg" width="349" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div></div><p> </p>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-67891402728178956112022-01-08T18:52:00.107-07:002023-01-12T06:52:27.942-07:002022 Reads and Reviews<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #38761d; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjv5nx7V2ukp0AOAGepF05QthMR_ntCbsdXL0gK0I2Y7A_lV6hecP6erD16Rjx8F7PgCuuqm2d5MBthjGNsU7Pk44KFKN7QN_iVv1LKorF1NAs2k8LTIZjJb2wjIwy5uyHWqANwpI-fAlCoglqSOBShYSAQsWWwF9Wjg4HbbkeAbmQmnC7ARcVe2mtD=s2560" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1696" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjv5nx7V2ukp0AOAGepF05QthMR_ntCbsdXL0gK0I2Y7A_lV6hecP6erD16Rjx8F7PgCuuqm2d5MBthjGNsU7Pk44KFKN7QN_iVv1LKorF1NAs2k8LTIZjJb2wjIwy5uyHWqANwpI-fAlCoglqSOBShYSAQsWWwF9Wjg4HbbkeAbmQmnC7ARcVe2mtD=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></b></div><b><span style="color: #800180;">1. the Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles</span></b><span style="color: #800180;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: January 8, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 7/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Emmett Watson is heading home to the family farm in Nebraska after a 15 month stint at a juvenile work farm which he earned after being found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. His mother left the family when he was just little and with his father's recent death and the farm being foreclosed on by the bank, Emmett just wants to pick up his car and his 8 year old brother and head to California where he plans to start over with a house renovating and flipping business. But Billy has found some postcards among their father's possessions that their mother had sent from various stops along the Lincoln Highway just after she left them. Billy is adamant about going to California via the Lincoln Highway and stopping in the towns depicted on the postcards in the hopes that it will somehow reunite them with their mother. Begrudgingly agreeing, Emmett's plans are further dismantled when he finds two friends from the work farm had hidden in the warden's car trunk which dropped Emmett off and now they want Emmett to take them to New York which thrills Billy because the Lincoln Highway starts in New York. Duchess is a fast talker and soon has convinced Emmett it will just be a quick little detour and then they can all head to California in time to make Emmett's deadline of July 4. But little does Emmett realize the chaos that will become his life when he agrees to the plan. </span></p><p><span> This story is told over a 10 day span and from lots of viewpoints. The majority are from the main characters of Emmett, Billy, Wooly and Duchess but then you get several secondary character viewpoints thrown in as well throughout the book. Little of the story actually has to do with the Lincoln Highway. The Greek myth about Ulysses factors into the story as well and there is lots of conversations and telling about that legend throughout as well as other heroes that Billy refers to from his book that he reads and there is Christian/religious thoughts thrown in throughout as well. I liked this story in some parts but didn't love it as a whole. It's hard to describe why. I liked the idea of the story and the gist of it. But certain parts I really didn't like at all including the ending. I loved certain characters, was indifferent to others, wondered why some were even in there, and totally disliked others. I thought parts of the telling were way too wordy with too many bunny trails and it could have been shortened up a bit though other reviews loved the telling of it. I couldn't help but sigh when there was two pages spent on describing in detail a clown's act when he was a minute mention in one chapter. I felt the story started to get somewhat muddled with all the antics and chaos that Duchess brought. It kind of got old after awhile for me. The author chose to use no quotation marks in the conversations instead using a dash whenever someone spoke or started dialogue. It took a long time for me to fall into that style and so the first part of the book was choppy for me but once I got used to it it flowed more smoothly. One part where the author really lost me was when he chose a couple of vulgar swear words and paired it with Jesus' name. That soooo offends me and I don't understand why an author has to stoop to that and bring an offense like that to a section of his readership. I pressed on in the hope it wasn't used again or I would put the book down and fortunately it wasn't. The rating I would have given dropped because of this. I loved Gentleman in Moscow and had high hopes for this one but it was just alright for me. </span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6ji6MCWny1yPq8ChaVHCtWG2ZzpG8c621KcvwAlc8U9AxZKkCGiFTSZNHjM5D7SVx9mbvxpx2c2ULM-lj0h2zRq9_NyCvSOp0jPqmib3F0nWKh0p4892X3xlQZh4ZbPWQGuQ1qh3FzOF78H20sjb0xsvZywe2tiz2_byhD8qXbXqE1kexWxdP_Oey=s499" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="329" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6ji6MCWny1yPq8ChaVHCtWG2ZzpG8c621KcvwAlc8U9AxZKkCGiFTSZNHjM5D7SVx9mbvxpx2c2ULM-lj0h2zRq9_NyCvSOp0jPqmib3F0nWKh0p4892X3xlQZh4ZbPWQGuQ1qh3FzOF78H20sjb0xsvZywe2tiz2_byhD8qXbXqE1kexWxdP_Oey=w132-h200" width="132" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>2. While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: January 13, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 8.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Molly Snow is the younger sister of Robin Snow. Though they are close as sisters they couldn't be more opposite and do have their issues just as any sisters do. Robin is a career long distance runner with her sights on the next Olympics while Molly is a horticulturalist who loves to work with the plants at her Mother's green house business. Though they have a deep bond, Molly occasionally fights a bit of resentment with all the support and encouragement and time that Robin gets from their Mom. Because of Robin's Olympic dreams Molly is expected to be there for her sister at every turn even to the detriment of her own plans and dreams. But she does it because in the end she loves her sister. When Robin suffers a heart attack on one of her training runs, Molly is overcome with guilt as she wasn't there when it happened choosing instead to finish something at home. Now with Robin's doctors not holding out for a good prognosis and her Mother refusing to accept that, deep seated tensions surface and the complex relationships within the family are tested as Molly is forced to make decisions she doesn't want to make nor should she have to make. When a hidden journal is found in Robin's closet it brings to light some family secrets that force the members of the Snow family to face what they truly believe, feel and think. </span></p><p><span> This story was a great family drama played out against the backdrop of a tragedy that occurs. The author takes the reader on an emotional journey of facing our deepest feelings and secrets even while having to let a loved one go. So many things come to the surface that no one talked about but they are now forced to face because of the health crisis of Robin. The characters were well written and ran the gamut of strengths and weaknesses but I have to say the character of the Mother really grated on me at times as she was so overbearing and brutish. As things were revealed, though, I was able to see how the family history worked into each of their characters and why the family dynamics were the way they were. In the first half of the book the story stalled a bit for me as the Mother dug in her heels no matter who said what to her and the way she treated Molly was getting my back up. She was so unlikeable. Then secrets came to the surface and the story really picked up and I found my attention grabbed once more and it became hard to put down. It turned out to be thought provoking and emotional by the time I turned the last page.</span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiie7noPer1dsioaf_6_tTgAqHYcdlQ2evJm-2gjKjajWX0vPZCoLKFQlUT2N_p86JVhXyOVkU4Xx22JV6Mmf4YYDSIka9U4qtGaaj6zh5LN3gmE3XmLjxmNBNg0dV9NLfju_9rKL6PhuLC82-0y_aBh_ZQ_ULy0mm_3Tp7OyYpWr9GMWRy11U8qP20=s400" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="257" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiie7noPer1dsioaf_6_tTgAqHYcdlQ2evJm-2gjKjajWX0vPZCoLKFQlUT2N_p86JVhXyOVkU4Xx22JV6Mmf4YYDSIka9U4qtGaaj6zh5LN3gmE3XmLjxmNBNg0dV9NLfju_9rKL6PhuLC82-0y_aBh_ZQ_ULy0mm_3Tp7OyYpWr9GMWRy11U8qP20=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>3. Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: January 26, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>In 1946, Imogene Grayson comes across her sister's murdered body in her bedroom of their family's farmhouse. In her heartbreaking grief, Imogene swears to her sister she will not stop until she finds the murderer. Imogene becomes obsessed with trying to find clues to piece together her sister's last moments, much to the dismay and frustration of her police chief brother. But all her searching does is churn up more mysteries. But letting go is so hard. And she promised her sister she'd never give up.
In present day, Aggie finds herself lost after the passing away of her beloved Mom and the loss of her job. So when her Grandmother (Mumsie), whom she has not had contact with for eight years, contacts her out of blue asking her for help as she recovers from a broken hip, Aggie heads back to the town of Mill Creek, Wisconsin, the place & person she had determined to avoid. Her eccentric grandmother had always had quirks and a sharp tongue but Aggie was not prepared for how much worse it had gotten. When she arrives and finds the broken hip was not the real reason Mumsie wanted her in Mill Creek, Aggie is not impressed, but having just taken a job as Cemetery Secretary to help restore a historical flooded out section of the town cemetery, Aggie decides she will stay. But the cemetery and her grandmother are both holding onto secrets that slowly are coming to the surface revealing a decades old murder. </span></p><p><span> Another great dual timeline book by this author. Both timeline stories were great on their own but this author really knows how to weave the two together so well. She builds both storylines until they come together usually with me not guessing the mystery until it's revealed. I loved the historical timeline take on a war munitions factory and how it affected the town. I've never read that in a story before. The reveal was a bit sudden but didn't take away at all from the way the story built. I highly recommend this author if you like dual timeline mysteries sprinkled with a touch of a love story that is not in your face with a faith element that is never preachy but woven into the story naturally. </span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_nfB-l56ZOz1nG1hewG3V9fvffJEz9I4oAdbPMkZZYzDRd3FaqKsNobXgYroHLkQLL3EhYHZoINCSJtLU23V1OX_AP0MuzFL3CFINd7LraZkkwahUKCosR2DUDhcbpByDioJsYHipsrF_tlIa6lHx7_GvbakY5ux9yU8Rci7c22Qk3NfPvh0MR9Ba=s500" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_nfB-l56ZOz1nG1hewG3V9fvffJEz9I4oAdbPMkZZYzDRd3FaqKsNobXgYroHLkQLL3EhYHZoINCSJtLU23V1OX_AP0MuzFL3CFINd7LraZkkwahUKCosR2DUDhcbpByDioJsYHipsrF_tlIa6lHx7_GvbakY5ux9yU8Rci7c22Qk3NfPvh0MR9Ba=w131-h200" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>4. Dangerous Depths by Colleen Coble</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: February 8, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 6.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Leia is living a quiet life on a small Hawaiian island practicing naturopathic medicine after leaving her medical career studies. She also left her fiance at the same time. He's never understood why she broke up with him and now is work finds him on the same island and seeing Leia. Bane is determined to find out why Leia left him and to try to win her back. But Leia is as close lipped as ever about her reasons. Banes work being a diver in a treasure hunt off the coast of the island keeps him busy but when their good friend gets murdered in an act of sabotage it pulls Bane and Leia into having to work together. As they dive looking for the wreckage that holds the treasures, an underground volcano starts to wreak havoc in their work area. As dangerous as the waters that they dive is the things they start to find out are even more so to their lives.</span></p><p><span> This book is number three in the Aloha Reef series, an older series by this author. It was an ok read for me. I usually really like this author and I was intrigued by the beautiful setting of Hawaii. But this one in the series I had trouble getting into. I think the use of lots of Hawaiian words, it seemed more so in this one than the first two, really threw me and I found myself skimming a lot. I don't enjoy when I have to turn to the back of a book on a continual basis to find out meanings and soundings of words, it breaks the flow for me. I couldn't seem to connect with the characters at all. I found Leia's insistence on keeping the reasons for her leaving Bane to be tiresome by the end. Just tell the guy already and be done with it. But the suspense was good and I did find the cave diving and under ocean volcano aspect of it very interesting as I did the Hawaiian heritage treasures. I really liked that the dolphin who was trained to understand words from the first two books made a reappearance in this one also. All in all I liked it ok but didn't love this one.
</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgE99WEo1oyBG5mJgnQ4t02qbzqQ3qCraRCN85d-OpA3_bAoyjy4VGZOggnX6xLygn0X06xqRE2Nzl-B3uXy49hD79YdB7XY5EagJWH5fnZBcTHAg5MEqHwuwPchAUbCu0TbeFE3QHDvtWY491MA3tS0ewCi5fMYY_vASajIGTITjmt-wb9dB1HC1cd=s2476" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2476" data-original-width="1651" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgE99WEo1oyBG5mJgnQ4t02qbzqQ3qCraRCN85d-OpA3_bAoyjy4VGZOggnX6xLygn0X06xqRE2Nzl-B3uXy49hD79YdB7XY5EagJWH5fnZBcTHAg5MEqHwuwPchAUbCu0TbeFE3QHDvtWY491MA3tS0ewCi5fMYY_vASajIGTITjmt-wb9dB1HC1cd=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>5. Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM The Cult That Bound My Life by Sarah Edmondson</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: February 10, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Sarah Edmondson is a Canadian actress who became involved with NXIVM, a personal and professional development company. She was just starting out in her career as an actress and wanted purpose in her life. When she was invited to a 3 day course in NXIVM, one where she would learn the tools to gain her potential, Sarah was at first skeptical of some of the stuff they were teaching. But by the end of the 3 days she was hooked. This was the start of her 12 year involvement with the company. Sarah went on to become one of NXIVM's best recruiters, enrolling more than 2000 people, and starting a branch in her city of Vancouver, Canada. But Sarah didn't realize the dark under workings of the company until she was invited to join a secret sisterhood circle of women called DOS, one that would train them to become their very best as a group of women dedicated to each other and to change world. As she tried to justify the red flags with what she had been trained to do for 12 years, her eyes were opened when she was talked into being "tatooed" by her best friend, which turned out to be a painful branding with no anesthetic, and in a moment of realization weeks later she saw she had been branded with not a symbol celebrating nature as she had been told, but by the initials of the company founder, Keith Raniere. He had been using an inner circle of women to recruit other women into a secret master/slave sisterhood while he made it seem this special group had nothing to do with him. That was the start of her journey escaping and blowing the whistle on a company that was quickly gaining traction world wide and which eventually saw the founder, Keith Raniere, going to prison for 120 years for sex trafficking. </span></p><p><span> This book was so good I read it in two days. I first heard of NXIVM when the news hit of Alison Mack, an actress in the series Smallville, being charged and tried for her part in a sex cult. It stunned me as she seemed so sweet and it sent me down a rabbit hole of looking up what this thing was. Though in places this book can be a little dry as Sarah describes a lot of NXIVM's teachings it is important to the story to understand how all these intelligent, smart, professional people were being sucked into the crazy. Sarah starts the story with the actual event of the branding and then goes back to her start with the company. Her and her husband, who was also a member, have now dedicated their lives to teaching people the signs to look out for and helping those coming out of cults. Very eye opening and interesting story.
</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZRuG_boPo4_FiQLxhN1xzWI58d9TKRkqzjgSMAA2DRpzB3RXPHQ1df8FCrtRnqiVD4fiU4AkrGtVGflBe9r8qm61ojAe5SSajiqRj1pRIDHB80QnKCTqKm6IJwq8mX3unSJYwmKW0GiHyO6lgeoua7zjTQ3hjNIUmTIKMR5usGZ0bn5JPjZfc0QOa=s500" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZRuG_boPo4_FiQLxhN1xzWI58d9TKRkqzjgSMAA2DRpzB3RXPHQ1df8FCrtRnqiVD4fiU4AkrGtVGflBe9r8qm61ojAe5SSajiqRj1pRIDHB80QnKCTqKm6IJwq8mX3unSJYwmKW0GiHyO6lgeoua7zjTQ3hjNIUmTIKMR5usGZ0bn5JPjZfc0QOa=w200-h200" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>6. Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: February 13, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Meg Devonshire is a young woman attending Oxford University studying Mathematics and Physics. Logic and truth and order are how her mind thinks. When her beloved 8 year old brother, who is very ill and bedridden, starts reading C.S. Lewis novel "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" he becomes enthralled with the story and very curious as to where Narnia comes from. She declares it's just a children's story, and certainly not true. But as George keeps urging her to find out for him it sets Meg out on a quest to meet and ask the author who happens to be a professor at the University. But instead of direct answers, C.S. Lewis and his brother take Meg on a journey of stories from their own childhoods that gave him the inspiration for his story and lets her come to her own conclusions. After each session, Meg brings home the stories to her ailing brother opening up the stories in his imagination even more. Though at times frustrated at the indirect answers to her question Meg continues to meet with the professor in order to give this gift to her brother as his health continues to fail. But Meg never imagines that it will also turn out that she receives a gift also from the time spent listening to the brother's stories, a gift of hope that just a short time ago her logical mind would not have imagined. </p><p> I listened to this book on audio and it was a lovely story to listen to. The narrator did a wonderful job. While I have to say I have never read the Narnia series, I did watch the movies and always wondered where the characters came from in the mind of Lewis as some of them seemed steeped in folklore and mythology rather than anything Christian. In this fictional imagining, the story explains a lot of that and was very interesting as the author wove it in. It's a heartwarming story within a story and the power of imagination, about family and love and loss. I enjoyed every minute of listening to it.</p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqPcMsTBxPHk4sO1GQnD1QrIPbAKjPgD35Jqrs7XRZDDk4UK235JzNx2JV2MnohgTbPJIvo8KfZdH3pKu1L0pwrhvfQoQMDEOOMHTPF7A9gf34tBGRSM048UY0kngNf6WWqMJa2DqEW9jdqDtGCGDYbijX_x8nlzVDf_upnnOKoGkrVb5QyST04s9J=s279" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="181" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqPcMsTBxPHk4sO1GQnD1QrIPbAKjPgD35Jqrs7XRZDDk4UK235JzNx2JV2MnohgTbPJIvo8KfZdH3pKu1L0pwrhvfQoQMDEOOMHTPF7A9gf34tBGRSM048UY0kngNf6WWqMJa2DqEW9jdqDtGCGDYbijX_x8nlzVDf_upnnOKoGkrVb5QyST04s9J=w130-h200" width="130" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>7. Embrace Me by Lisa Samson</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: February 18, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 8/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></p><p>Book Description from the back of the book:
"When a "lizard woman", a self-mutilating preacher, a tattooed monk and a sleazy lobbyist find themselves in the same North Carolina town one winter, their lives are edging precariously close to disaster...and improbably close to grace." </p><p> From this description on the back of the book it seems to me that the publisher had as hard a time writing a short description of the story without giving spoilers as I did. Nothing about that description is something that would make me pick up this book. But I had bought it years ago for my daughter thinking she would like the "circus" aspect of the story (which is what I assumed from the cover picture). Turns out it was not about a circus but about a travelling "freak" show who is now wintering and taking their break in a small town. Lisa has written some very deep characters with hard issues to face. The book is all at once sad and hopeful. It basically is a story about power and pride gone wrong and the devastation it brings to others, the struggle of wrestling with what life has dealt you, the results of wrong choices, making things right and love and forgiveness. This is not a typical Christian fiction book. The characters are flawed and hurt and trying to deal with it in different ways. Their feelings and reactions are quite real and there are some trigger warnings to this book. They are definitely not cliche characters. </p><p> I found the book hard to get into at first and must say it didn't really grab me at the get go. But the author did a great job in developing her characters as the story unfolded and peeling back the layers of how they ended up with this travelling side show. Sometimes I found the conversations a bit confusing, not knowing exactly who was speaking and the fast forwards and flashbacks sometimes had me rereading spots but the story and the characters tugged at my heart and made me think and ultimately that is what I want from a good story. This one might warrant a reread because I'm sure I will get more out of it the second time.</p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGnUzpsSFBhRgSf5WvL51IEFvaY2b7F8o4mae8eL5xBU7FO1X-c_Beqen5Fm6xzm5RjPKChP2YtnXMt0YqSW15GpRIxdayi-GGUlnBtiV5pUM25EBMwTcNlZvLodnmSc2Bdc-aAdHPxw9d8rGFVvOrfo37AXSQML-BrjUtwjHceKFk2lN57U-xbnwM=s1360" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="907" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGnUzpsSFBhRgSf5WvL51IEFvaY2b7F8o4mae8eL5xBU7FO1X-c_Beqen5Fm6xzm5RjPKChP2YtnXMt0YqSW15GpRIxdayi-GGUlnBtiV5pUM25EBMwTcNlZvLodnmSc2Bdc-aAdHPxw9d8rGFVvOrfo37AXSQML-BrjUtwjHceKFk2lN57U-xbnwM=w133-h200" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>8. As the Light Fades by Catherine West</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: March 8, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></p><p><span>Liz Carlisle heads back to her family home in Nantucket after escaping an abusive relationship in New York. Trying to sort through to how her life ended up back there, Liz has to face the fact that not only is her relationship gone but so is her high powered job as attorney because she worked for the company where her ex was the owner. Now she has decisions to make, but the family home is in the midst of the chaos of renovations turning into a bed and breakfast. Craving peace and quiet Liz rents a little home on the property of Matthew Stone and takes a job at the local art gallery. But chaos follows her in the form of Mia, Matthew's niece who lives with him, and now also works at the gallery to put in community service time. Liz is not great with teenagers but can understand Mia a bit and a wary friendship forms but Matthew has his own family drama he is trying to deal with. When Liz's ex shows up in town looking for her, Liz knows her escape is over and the secrets she'd hoped would stay buried are threatening to surface. Telling the truth would set her free but is she willing to pay the price? </span></p><p><span> I really enjoy Catherine West's contemporary women's fiction and her writing style. Her character's are real and flawed making them relatable, her stories realistic. This story was no exception and I was drawn into all involved. There is lots of family drama, sometimes gritty, but done in a way that is real and offers glimpses into what those who face those situations might encounter and go through and still the story manages to offer hope. There might be some trigger warnings as the story deals with drugs, abuse of power and relationship, physical abuse, as well as aging and loss of memory, misunderstanding and finding hope and healing. The situations were realistic, the reactions sometimes raw and really tugged at my heart at times. My heart really went out to Mia as she struggled with the life she had been dealt and with Drake who was forced to move to a supportive living home and was struggling with memory loss and coping day to day (really made me understand my mom a bit better). The quote that really stuck out to me was: </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <i>"Sometimes we're placed the the strangest of circumstances for the most important reasons"</i></p><p style="text-align: right;"> <i>pg. 70 </i></p><p> and then I saw it was also a quote used on the back of the book by the publisher for the attention grabbing line. </p><p><span> The author moved away from using a publishing company and this book was self published and the only criticism I have is that there were a few editing errors. Otherwise another wonderful contemporary story I really enjoyed.</span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNe3qHUHTTX3yKmYGojRon5LqzXRXEOMUSiFApYou7Y0EdIxToTIKD0Jcgwq3josA0AVqLLht1AG7lh8ZG0nnZ_Rtzr7NIay-0izniUljLKLeCrjSHcsEHRhaQcEjVEJZD29D0X7Rv73ltBhJrrNIbUsRkk5tEkoQDp7cIVCY0enBpdw1fzFhqvE_q/s500/Indian%20in%20the%20Cabinet.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNe3qHUHTTX3yKmYGojRon5LqzXRXEOMUSiFApYou7Y0EdIxToTIKD0Jcgwq3josA0AVqLLht1AG7lh8ZG0nnZ_Rtzr7NIay-0izniUljLKLeCrjSHcsEHRhaQcEjVEJZD29D0X7Rv73ltBhJrrNIbUsRkk5tEkoQDp7cIVCY0enBpdw1fzFhqvE_q/w133-h200/Indian%20in%20the%20Cabinet.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>9. Indian in the Cabinet: Speaking Truth to Power by Jody Wilson-Raybould</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: March 21, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></p><p><span>This is the memoir of Jody Wilson-Raybould's journey from humble beginnings in her home community of We Wai Kai in British Columbia to becoming Canada's first Indigenous Justice Minister and Attorney General in Justin Trudeau's newly elected government. The author was raised by strong parents and grandparents to value Indigenous ways of governing and to take on leadership roles that would help her community and people. After being sought after and recruited by Justin Trudeau, the leader of the Liberal Party, to run in the next election, the author agreed with the hopes she could further reconciliation efforts by being involved in mainstream politics. She came in with high hopes due to the election promises of a different government doing things differently. What she found was a government and Prime Minister who behind his smile and hugs held a main objective of doing whatever he had to to stay in power no matter who got in the way or what promises were delayed or broken, what laws were stretched or ignored and the demand to toe the party line (partisanship) even if it meant going against personal convictions and values. When she stuck to her personal and professional integrity and wouldn't yield to pressure from the Prime Minister's office and when she chose to speak truth to power it resulted in her resignation from her ministry positions and Trudeau ultimately kicking her out of his caucus to no longer be a Liberal Member of Parliment but an Independent back bencher. </span></p><p><span> While I am not really into political memoirs, I really wanted to read Wilson-Raybould's story. It made huge headlines and I wanted to read her side of the story in detail. Our current Prime Minister has gone from scandal to scandal and somehow is still standing and I wanted to read how this strong woman found it within herself to endure the humiliation and stress that he and his Prime Minister's office put her through. It was an interesting read. While I don't agree with all her politics and some of the laws that were put in place during her time as Minister of Justice and Attorney General, her strength of character and sticking to her values and the very definition of her portfolios and job under immense pressure is admirable and deserves credit and the telling of her story. How this Prime Minister got re-elected after all this (and has continued on his same path) is beyond me. While at times the story dragged a bit, it is political after all and was a bit repetitious in spots, I found her childhood and the way her family raised her with such strong ethics and values of leadership interesting as was the juxtaposition of the way of Indigenous politics versus federal Canadian politics. I learned a lot about why we are in the place we are in Canada and what and whys of recent confrontations between Indigenous Peoples and Canadian government. It's an eye opening book as to how politics in Canada are really done compared to the ideals of how it should be done that we were taught in school.
</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07pKnJOxU1O8jv5HauTQFH6Lmuo1LXWPBp5CmE-UvXzoaWKEe7BY7HjQAGFZak4g7zqK6DNyQLJjZpTa2Dw__X6IccYZlSaHweE0p46c8P-MuZzKy4eLn4d8zx7jtowrU_YJG0AgOl0WaCKarnAbMUI3YkbUlXwiBkDPJiq1zdNmM0eXWJqOBgBkQ/s400/917941.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="400" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07pKnJOxU1O8jv5HauTQFH6Lmuo1LXWPBp5CmE-UvXzoaWKEe7BY7HjQAGFZak4g7zqK6DNyQLJjZpTa2Dw__X6IccYZlSaHweE0p46c8P-MuZzKy4eLn4d8zx7jtowrU_YJG0AgOl0WaCKarnAbMUI3YkbUlXwiBkDPJiq1zdNmM0eXWJqOBgBkQ/w200-h174/917941.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>10. Another Gospel? by Alisa Childers (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: March 27, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> Alisa Childers first became known as a member of the Christian music group ZOEgirl. She grew up in the Christian faith and her father is Chuck Girard, another popular Christian music artist. She watched her Dad and Mom walk out their faith all of her life. When Alisa was a young adult she attended a class that her pastor was running at the church. When she got there her pastor described himself as a "hopeful agnostic" and proceeded to pick apart the foundational beliefs that Christians have held for years presenting a "Progressive Christianity" world view to his class. Alisa's faith was thrown into a tailspin but as she seriously cried out to God for truth, God led her back to the bible and historical Christianity and learning how to stand for biblical faith in a world that is trying to discount historical faith and cause believers to deconstruct their faith into a free for all way of thinking until there is nothing biblical left about it. </span></p><p><span> This is one of the best books I've "read" about defending historical Christianity. Alisa has a wonderful way of interweaving her story, revealing lies and mistruths and proving biblical foundational truths without the book being heavy or un-understandable. I first heard of her when I starting watching her podcasts on Youtube when I started my own search after hearing of so many young Christians "deconstructing" their faith. Alisa helps us define clearly what foundational truths Christians need to believe and why and where we can differ and have grace with one another. Highly, highly recommend this book. While I loved listening to this in Alisa's own voice I will be purchasing a physical copy of this book so that I can underline and annotate.</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSJEXMYcB0tFVTRHp1DHUKtqM1gG1ZuG760Gk0AUBUMSTXhCNEZke8A21pxaMsfqT0TW84FY8QfCBOg3ZJgHfkmILPvv2um4fGXx1dWbbZxnljIMlYa0PWd9X-RHxsffvALf2Ti5KckAJbld3F84mJqU9WXnucyAipWMfmjYAJk42shtXGuzEtgN7/s2400/the%20life%20list.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1556" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSJEXMYcB0tFVTRHp1DHUKtqM1gG1ZuG760Gk0AUBUMSTXhCNEZke8A21pxaMsfqT0TW84FY8QfCBOg3ZJgHfkmILPvv2um4fGXx1dWbbZxnljIMlYa0PWd9X-RHxsffvALf2Ti5KckAJbld3F84mJqU9WXnucyAipWMfmjYAJk42shtXGuzEtgN7/w129-h200/the%20life%20list.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>11. The Life List by Lori Nelson</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: April 3, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> Brett is a woman in her mid 30's who's life seems to be right on track. A prestigious job making good money in her Mother's cosmetics company, great clothes, a wonderful apartment she shares with her handsome and up and coming lawyer boyfriend. She and her beloved Mom have a very close relationship, so when her Mom passes away Brett is overcome with grief. But when her Mom's will reveals Brett with not inherit the CEO position in the company and that instead to receive any inheritance at all she must complete a list of tasks within one year, Brett is left stunned. Even more distressing is that the list of tasks comes from a life list she wrote out when she was 14 years old. How can a list from when she was a young teen have any kind of significance to her 34 year old self. And some of the things on the list seem impossible and downright silly. But at the urging of her boyfriend who does not want her lose the inheritance she reluctantly embarks on the mission to complete the tasks all under the watchful eye of a new lawyer her mother hired. As she completes each task there is a "fulfillment envelope" from her Mother the lawyer gives her. What was her Mother thinking in making her do these ridiculous adolescent dreams at this point in her life? </span></p><p><span> I started this book with great anticipation thinking it would be a really interesting premise. And it was. But as the story went on it started to really require me as the reader to suspend common sense and belief that this could actually happen and be pulled off. I loved the close relationship depicted between Mom and daughter but the fact that in the letters the Mom seemed to actually be able to predict how her daughter would react to each task and how she would accomplish it seemed very far fetched no matter how well you knew your adult child. I did like though that as a gift to her daughter through the accomplishing of childhood dreams, the Mother recognized and was trying to get her daughter to see how she had settled for a lot of things in her life. The story has a lot of heartwarming and touching parts that were lovely to read and will cause the reader to think of what their life list is and whether it is being met in their own lives. But the reality of a Mother reaching out from the grave demanding that her daughter "fall in love" and "have a baby or two" before the year is out to receive any kind of inheritance from her just seemed so unrealistic when all is said and done. I liked it enough and it had enough merit to it, however, to rate an 8/10 from me.</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSFRZHpRGmvJ_KjH9zO_fLRE3OnKT1YguonEx-HIKWtPCeSEbhkCfwCornhkjvaQlg-TDSPppnxeo9dZxHm6lcl-R9Th4K7efsVReYJlx00aqhzz-tB-9cd9RJGBUKe3Ll7-9K3_tigl-KCexkUASh2y5_MIf_-MvqnCdif14sHWXZ9vffDV6LIab/s400/Radical.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSFRZHpRGmvJ_KjH9zO_fLRE3OnKT1YguonEx-HIKWtPCeSEbhkCfwCornhkjvaQlg-TDSPppnxeo9dZxHm6lcl-R9Th4K7efsVReYJlx00aqhzz-tB-9cd9RJGBUKe3Ll7-9K3_tigl-KCexkUASh2y5_MIf_-MvqnCdif14sHWXZ9vffDV6LIab/w129-h200/Radical.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>12. Radical by David Platt</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: April 12, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZnSTzFWY0VLIPktPPQXesZZY-glDTIZ0zVZg63570fKfpPIyW6vIJAUE_lon1wCzVv4OQ-bGxRVoi4_7lAecDVx6TDUgwcHadOgUlDuUr0yJgJp_WnITY6K7Jc_TacHGF-ui5RvlOk7g4Vc2kdd_jV8ElpQx_5KHfYnzD1Lpk37Nio5qCaYAVTfl/s2411/the%20lighhouse%20keeper's.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2411" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZnSTzFWY0VLIPktPPQXesZZY-glDTIZ0zVZg63570fKfpPIyW6vIJAUE_lon1wCzVv4OQ-bGxRVoi4_7lAecDVx6TDUgwcHadOgUlDuUr0yJgJp_WnITY6K7Jc_TacHGF-ui5RvlOk7g4Vc2kdd_jV8ElpQx_5KHfYnzD1Lpk37Nio5qCaYAVTfl/w133-h200/the%20lighhouse%20keeper's.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>13. The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Gaynor</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: April 18, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> </span></p><p><span>In 1838, 22 year old Grace Darling is the daughter of the lighthouse keeper on the shores of Northumberland, England. The lighthouse she helps her father attend to is Longstone Lighthouse on the Farne Islands. While her siblings have left the island, Grace loves the lighthouse life and helping her aging father. During a horrible storm when Grace is on shift attending the lights, a shipwreck happens. Finding courage beyond her years she convinces her father to go out with her in the unprecedented storm to find survivors. This decision changes Grace's life forever. As word spreads of what she did, her fame starts to take over the solitary, quiet life her and her parents knew at the lighthouse. One hundred years later, In 1938, Matilda Emmerson is the daughter of a politician seeking re-election. But when Matilda becomes pregnant by a soldier whom she doesn't even know, her domineering Mother sends her to live with a relative in America. What they tell friends is that she is vacationing but the plan is to have the baby and give it up for adoption in America and return to her family's good graces in England after that and pick up her life where she left off, none the wiser. The relative she is staying with is Harriet, an unfriendly lighthouse keepers assistant who has secrets of her own. But when Matilda finds a half finished portrait of a young woman it sends her in a search for her family history. </span></p><p><span> I loved this story. It is based on a true historical character, Grace Darling, who's act of courage and strength made her a celebrity in England. I found the life of lighthouse keepers both in England and in America depicted in a way that kept my attention. You'd think it would be boring reading about their quiet lives but the author was able to make me keep turning the pages. The storms were well written and I could really picture the rage of the weather in my mind as I read. Courage, loss and duty are themes explored in the book. I like the growth of the character Matilida, who started out as a bit of a spoiled, selfish girl and developed into a strong young woman with character. The story also made me go down a bunny trail on the internet for information about the real Grace Darling. I loved how the author brought the two timelines and stories together in the end. </span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFoNeFmCkp7fjJUEbQFd0iCnV-KgqbmhUkZs_-ORsuMtXlXyhAnlIInurO_Rt8JwICbMYW87iMTcRxPfB8RTfhUsTUnvR3f1JmiMTbOeBF3hxYi2LcbMEE2ZBEAEJkSIiBfiyQGBQbz9Ko85e7FmEzwGbY0nc8ChdN9rCFAQ7EM22f4dIdw6LhwF7/s2560/The%20Maid.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1731" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFoNeFmCkp7fjJUEbQFd0iCnV-KgqbmhUkZs_-ORsuMtXlXyhAnlIInurO_Rt8JwICbMYW87iMTcRxPfB8RTfhUsTUnvR3f1JmiMTbOeBF3hxYi2LcbMEE2ZBEAEJkSIiBfiyQGBQbz9Ko85e7FmEzwGbY0nc8ChdN9rCFAQ7EM22f4dIdw6LhwF7/w135-h200/The%20Maid.jpg" width="135" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>14. The Maid by Nita Prose</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: April 29, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Twenty-five year old Molly Gray struggles with social cues. She does well with routine, repetition and rules. She takes things pretty much at face value and misunderstands hidden, vague or complex meanings others might direct her way. Without her beloved grandmother to help her navigate through the social hurdles, Molly sometimes finds herself at a loss. Others that also work at the fancy hotel where she is a maid, often smirk and laugh at her behind her back. However, she is not the idiot some of her co-workers at the hotel take her for. She is actually quite smart. But she hides herself in her work, taking pride in following all the rules her employer lays out and doing her job to the best of her ability. When attending to the suites of one of the regular wealthy patrons to finish up her work , Molly finds not the clean orderly suite she left a few hours ago. It is in total disarray and the body of Mr. Black is dead in his bed. Molly soon finds herself in the cross hairs of the detective in charge. But soon friends she didn't know she had come to her aid to help her prove her innocence, but can she trust any of them to help her find the real killer? </span></p><p><span> This was a fun and quirky read that kept me turning the pages and kept me pretty much engaged through the story. Molly is quite the character and I found her charming in her language, using words and phrases continually through the story to "talk" to herself in the old fashioned way that her beloved deceased grandmother would have talked to her. After her grandmother passed away Molly really found herself struggling to make sense of things and loneliness was her companion as she now lived alone in the tiny apartment she had shared with her. While Molly's personality and issues really sucked in my emotions and made me really feel for her some parts of the story were a bit on the unbelievable side to me. Molly misses and misreads the simplest of social cues and situations yet can think through and discern other's motivations. The two somehow didn't jive together for me. The story was enjoyable right up to the very end where the plot twist didn't make sense to me considering the personality of Molly that had been established. For the most part it was an enjoyable and fun read. </span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yuoOOGdfbtw/Ynsv05ULFRI/AAAAAAAAS6Y/s8TCTJWNDOwJ4yMNWCYOeYvah6r-QkCigCNcBGAsYHQ/s500/the%2Bastronaut%2527s%2Bwife.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yuoOOGdfbtw/Ynsv05ULFRI/AAAAAAAAS6Y/s8TCTJWNDOwJ4yMNWCYOeYvah6r-QkCigCNcBGAsYHQ/w200-h200/the%2Bastronaut%2527s%2Bwife.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>15. The Astronaut's Wife: how launching my husband into outerspace changed the way I live on earth by Stacey Morgan</b></span><div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>(audiobook)<br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: May 9, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> Stacey and her husband both had medical military careers but when he applied to be an astronaut they really didn't think he'd be considered. Then when they got the shocking word that he had made the cut, their family embarked on a journey they couldn't imagine. It wasn't always easy; all the training, the stress and excitement of watching your husband blast off on a rocket and being left alone to raise your three kids for nine months was a lot. It was not only her husband that faced unique challenges, fears and opportunities. This is Stacey's story of hanging on at home while her husband orbited the earth in the Space Station, of embracing the adventures life brings you and of choosing hope and trusting God in the face of lonliness and uncertainty.
I listened to this on audiobook and oh my, I loved this book. Stacey is a great story teller as she lets the listener (reader) in on what it is like to live the astronaut family life. She narrates it herself and the way she tells her stories had me captivated. The space program and those daring enough to be astronauts has always interested me as has the stories of the loved ones left behind. You learn lots about the workings of the space program, though it's never boring or heavy and through her vulnerability you also learn what it's like for the one's left on earth as their spouse gets blasted off into space for extended periods. The ups and downs, the highs and lows. Through it all the author encourages us to make the most of what God brings you in life and with faith and trust in Him embrace the adventure in all it's fullness. I will listen to this again.
</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdJcY7ZO9_A05lWi1arT2vi7HgSkJx8APTvmU1TgCGaPBffIQC20v6iX_FyKeyc2JcGmVToi9VLi4piVlIkkUJCjh6Je4Fq3yXQ9hmBnH19Z4w0_j9_rxQigu-SwOt3dTPK7PqesTnQeUTDgTms8I_3NLRX1UKznlBsPCQFCjkFCRw1tnQLe7PcK6/s400/0740429.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdJcY7ZO9_A05lWi1arT2vi7HgSkJx8APTvmU1TgCGaPBffIQC20v6iX_FyKeyc2JcGmVToi9VLi4piVlIkkUJCjh6Je4Fq3yXQ9hmBnH19Z4w0_j9_rxQigu-SwOt3dTPK7PqesTnQeUTDgTms8I_3NLRX1UKznlBsPCQFCjkFCRw1tnQLe7PcK6/w129-h200/0740429.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>16. The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: May 22, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> It is 1917 and in St. Petersburg, Russia the tensions are running high. The revolution is about to begin. Master jeweler to the Romanovs, Karl Faberge, is getting ready to flee. His associations with the house of Romanov has put him and his family in peril as anger at the Tsar continues to fuel the people. Placing his trust in one of his craftsman, Alma Pihl, Karl gives her a treasured Faberge egg to hide, one that no one has ever seen, one that could bring doom upon them all. He created it in secret in an effort to bring out in his artistry his torn allegiance and heart to both Romanov family and in what the people of Russia were going through under the leadership of this Tsar. Knowing the danger it would bring, Alma hides the treasure even from her husband as they continue to try and escape Russia to her family home in Finland.
In present day, Ava a history major who has had to settle to working in a coffee shop, enjoys a close relationship with her Mom. But her relationship with her father is non-existent. So when her aunt contacts her mom to let them know her father is dying it puts Ava into turmoil. Does she, at this point, want to go see the Dad who left them when she was little? But the need to know why he left them is stronger than the anger and her and her mom head off to go see the man she knows nothing about. Nick Laine has spent his whole life hunting treasure. It has been the driving force behind all his decisions including the one to leave his family. But now as he lays dying, he entrusts the details of his latest hunt to the daughter he has not known in the hopes she will pick up the hunt. Ava in an attempt to reconcile with and get to know her Dad before he passes away agrees to take on the crazy assignment of going to Russia and finding clues to missing Faberge egg. But little does she know the peril she is about to embark upon that will make her question if it is worth her life to get to know her Dad. </span></p><p><span> I loved this story. Anything to do with the Romanov time period is a buzzword for me in stories, so I jumped on this one, especially since I have never read a story that had to do with Faberge. I must admit every time a certain egg was mentioned it sent me on a fun bunny trail looking it up to see what it actually looked like and also the history of Faberge and Alma Pihl. The story was really well written, well researched and the intrigue captured me right from the start. There were a few little things that were minor annoyances: a few too many mentions of how good looking a certain character was accompanied with the mandatory "shiver down the spine". And I don't know if the disguises employed on the hunt were necessary or believable but hey, what do I know about treasure hunting? It was easy to look past that in the fun, intrigue and danger of the present day hunt told alongside the historical story of this missing egg. Is this egg an actual thing? I don't know but it made for a great page turning read.
</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGA6qIdfbxfJ8MBvEBbrN6FDMTLt61FfLjfJpeN8IwPcUePJbM4d_VcrNpf3JirVDqgsBlyBKALH8pCSDdw2YmS_WKrF0cOfpigjc1Cj3eLxFGay5ilRVx9Z45jiEnGpjGBaymLUDJhZdPZ61-74ICfZVuV1_7KHGNVu70w8cBtUXkpyOxuZWva81-/s2400/into%20the%20free.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1576" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGA6qIdfbxfJ8MBvEBbrN6FDMTLt61FfLjfJpeN8IwPcUePJbM4d_VcrNpf3JirVDqgsBlyBKALH8pCSDdw2YmS_WKrF0cOfpigjc1Cj3eLxFGay5ilRVx9Z45jiEnGpjGBaymLUDJhZdPZ61-74ICfZVuV1_7KHGNVu70w8cBtUXkpyOxuZWva81-/w131-h200/into%20the%20free.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>17. Into the Free by Julie Cantrell</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: June 4, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> Nine year old Millie Reynolds has a hard life. She lives with her Mom and Jack in Mississippi and the depression has hit the area hard. Jack is her Dad but she refuses to acknowledge him as such because he hasn't deserved that title. Jack is a cowboy with the rodeo and is gone a lot and Millie's Mom tends towards long periods of deep depression leaving Millie to care for the both of them at her young age. When Jack is home Millie and her mom live in fear of his drunken rages. But still her Mom stays. There is nothing Millie wants more than to escape. So when she meets one of the young boys that travels with the gypsy caravan that comes through the area every spring, Millie is drawn to the traveler's seemingly care free lifestyle and longs to go with them. As she turns into a young teen Millie looks forward to the spring when the gypsy's return. With promises from River the young gypsy boy to come back to get her, Millie has some hope to hang onto. But when the old woman from the caravan who has befriended her, gives her a key that she says will unlock some of Millie's family secrets, Millie will find a confrontation with her mother looming. Before she can convince her Mother to share all the secrets and right before River is due to arrive back and take her away, tragedy strikes and Millie finds herself homeless. Befriended by a nurse in the hospital, she is taken home to live with them in a lavish home. Yet Millie cannot let go of the hope of River coming back for her. </span></p><p><span> Depression era, dust bowl, 1930's stories usually are a draw for me so that is why I picked up this Christian fiction. This story has received lots of top reviews, but honestly, though it was well written, I didn't enjoy it so much, mainly due to the significant heavy content. In all fairness I read it at a time when I probably should be reading something light and fluffy due to stressors in my own life right now. I feel I must give trigger warnings as the story is based on so much of the following: domestic abuse, addiction, rape, depression, child neglect and religious legalism . Some parts were very difficult to read because of the nature of the violent or disturbing act. It is labelled as Christian fiction so it did uphold to not crossing certain lines of description but were vivid enough to let the reader know the trauma. It's a coming of age story set in very hard times and circumstances for young Millie and follows her into her late teens. I, personally, found there wasn't a lot of open spaces to breathe from all the sadness. I liked the character of Millie and my heart went out to her young character. Her devotion to her mother was beautiful but some of the decisions she made as events unfolded seemed out of character to how she had been portrayed up until the point of decision. There were glimmers of hope woven into the story that were refreshing and there is a trail of faith blended in though not in an obvious in your face way. I really was rooting for Millie and even though I wanted it to end good for her I found the ending wrapped up too easily, so much so it was almost jarring for me. For all the trauma there was just too big of a quick leap to a nice ending for me with no solid path to all of a sudden be at that point. It was a hopeful ending however and there is a second book so maybe there will be more explanation in that one.</span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLD-UVPJlT91UGtXeuK4lEOMVHpkZeX-PDwCnjLXyY95yMPNNzyopORMcnvb6yj2pUbUXhpLE9K4qx7bdGIoGl4oNe35Whxp39rVU3QF-tLw-A0oooGt-6hOKFcJ0Sxhl-g3kP6GS7KGYmt8xcp_GCrio0E4EHTgydaxZ45Jw-3iCzijdJ-WpGLgJ/s500/mandisa.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLD-UVPJlT91UGtXeuK4lEOMVHpkZeX-PDwCnjLXyY95yMPNNzyopORMcnvb6yj2pUbUXhpLE9K4qx7bdGIoGl4oNe35Whxp39rVU3QF-tLw-A0oooGt-6hOKFcJ0Sxhl-g3kP6GS7KGYmt8xcp_GCrio0E4EHTgydaxZ45Jw-3iCzijdJ-WpGLgJ/w200-h200/mandisa.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>18. Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God's Joy by Mandisa Lynn Hundley</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: June 13, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> I first saw Mandisa when she was a contestant on the fifth season of American Idol. After several televised insults about her weight said behind her back by Simon Cowell, Mandisa came back to forgive Simon saying " I figure that if Jesus could die so that all of my wrongs could be forgiven, I can certainly extend that same grace to you." She then went on to sing her heart out and in a shocking elimination came in 9th place. After American Idol Mandisa went on to launch her career as a Gospel and contemporary Christian recording artist garnering several Grammy and Dove nominations and awards. She went on to write a book about her American Idol experience called "Idol Eyes: My New Perspective on Faith, Fat and Fame" (<a href="https://susannesspace.blogspot.com/2007/11/book-review-idoleyes.html" target="_blank">reviewed by me here)</a>. But in spite of great success Mandisa still struggled and experienced pain and darkness in her journey and in spite of working hard to be healthy found herself again struggling with food addiction. Out of the Dark continues her story to finding the joy only God can give. </span></p><p><span> I really enjoyed this audiobook. It is not read by Mandisa, and though the narrator is very good, I wished it would have been in her own voice. Mandisa's story is one everyone can relate to on some level as all of us experience in some form or fashion pain throughout this life's journey and places in life where we fall. As she shared her stories of grief and loss, coping with depression and eating disorder, the shame of failure, and how faith in Jesus brought her hope and healing I was drawn right in. Her honesty made her story so relatable at it's core, I found myself crying several times. It would be an encouragement to anyone struggling with depression, ongoing struggles, grief or loss, a crisis in their faith, or anyone just needing some encouragement in their Christian journey.
</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcdkUPym3csdDkdObSygEUpwgcakMkj0PU9NXcD8RxJ85_mdkGKCwIw8hDXPUpcZFqvwtsw_9xvq4ahk8MnupveEXfwpKR7ZD8v0oYSX7HS8xOrTLRgEOvvJ_hAJFO05g_mbHyHvEUP8RB1UWt9x6dr67N0kJdcaeU4b3oBdVtN14eNDn09d3iP6s/s2550/You're%20not%20Enough.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1688" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpcdkUPym3csdDkdObSygEUpwgcakMkj0PU9NXcD8RxJ85_mdkGKCwIw8hDXPUpcZFqvwtsw_9xvq4ahk8MnupveEXfwpKR7ZD8v0oYSX7HS8xOrTLRgEOvvJ_hAJFO05g_mbHyHvEUP8RB1UWt9x6dr67N0kJdcaeU4b3oBdVtN14eNDn09d3iP6s/w133-h200/You're%20not%20Enough.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>19. you're not enough (and that's ok) by Allie Beth Stuckey</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #93c47d;">Completed: June 13, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Popular Christian podcaster and public speaker, Allie Beth Stuckey, takes a look at the prevalent mindset of today's culture in which almost every self-help guru, mommy blogger and public speaker/motivator preaches a message of self-love and if we would just love ourselves enough everything would work out and be a-ok in our lives. She challenges the concepts that have even cropped up in today's politics and churches, that tell us if we loved ourselves enough that we would be successful, complete and secure pointing out that in putting so much focus and emphasis on ourselves is in fact causing us to hit dead ends and to struggle with inadequacy and insecurity as we can never reach that ultimate goal. She argues that we are not enough, and that that is ok and that constantly trying to become enough has led us to become a culture of self-obsessed people. This book points to God being the One who is enough and that in releasing the constant chasing of perfection to Him we can embrace the not being enough and rest in His purpose and calling.</span></p><p><span> I did this book in a study with a friend. It is a short, easy read and led to some really good discussion. It is definitely a book that goes counter to popular culture. The book is broken into 5 myths of today's culture: You are Enough, You Determine Your Truth, You're Perfect the Way You Are, You're Entitled to Your Dreams, and You Can't Love Others Until You Love Yourself. Each chapter takes a look at these myths, how they affect us today and how they stack up to the Word (the bible). She argues her case in each chapter by relating her own story and mixing in stories of others along with some scripture references.
I enjoyed parts of this book and a few parts not so much. While it does make it hard to review this book, it did lead to really good discussion with my friend which was a good thing. It had a lot of story telling and I found while some of it was relevant to her point, some of it just became rambling. I even skimmed some of the stories. The author was honest on how she came to her conclusions that a lot of what is presented as a solution to woman today actually compounds stress for women and takes on some tough issues with a black and white boldness. I did find that a few times the black and white courage came from her political viewpoints and crossed over into sounding very unsympathetic or harsh towards certain issues. In attempting to answer the question "Is your quest to love yourself more actually making you miserable?" I think that she at times veered into commentaries that in the end were her strong opinions and not necessarily bible study material. It seems to be a book either one hates or loves according to ratings on amazon. Those that complained it's too religious and constantly points to God apparently didn't read the publisher's description because it does not hide in the least what it is about and that is pointing to leaning on God to make us enough. </span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7nHDKjRaaIoeL1yDvVOBwy6oQRZZmaH5tkNJoEj-pYxK7pws1HGx0gYPoj-jEqZMeDQeo8jnjGnKPnyOf4bUFBEuYDpNqE0r2avM2K8CREBw03VFnBWVbixgEsgbGHGeGGIwwlnmz_EZAMmIeREdGuC1tIhuxfoxSgQ8qWi64hSsU63HqexBXI5M/s1996/the%20book%20of%20lost%20names.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1996" data-original-width="1399" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7nHDKjRaaIoeL1yDvVOBwy6oQRZZmaH5tkNJoEj-pYxK7pws1HGx0gYPoj-jEqZMeDQeo8jnjGnKPnyOf4bUFBEuYDpNqE0r2avM2K8CREBw03VFnBWVbixgEsgbGHGeGGIwwlnmz_EZAMmIeREdGuC1tIhuxfoxSgQ8qWi64hSsU63HqexBXI5M/w140-h200/the%20book%20of%20lost%20names.jpg" width="140" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>20. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: June 24, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> Working at a library in Florida, Eva Traube Abrams comes across a photo of an old French religious book in a newspaper article saying that a man in Germany is looking for the owner of the book. It is a book that was rescued from the Germans in WWII and he is working to reunite those kinds of books with their original owners from before the war. Eva is stunned as she has not seen that book in over 50 years. It is a French religious book but it means so much more than that. In 1942, Eva was a young French Jewish girl when the war came to France. When her home was raided and her father taken away, Eva and her mother fled to a town up in the mountains in the Free Zone hoping to make it to Switzerland as her father desired. Eva was very talented at art and she used those talents to forge her and her mother's passports. When they finally made it to the town, the local priest came upon her and learned of her talents and talked her into using those talents to forge false identities and documents for the Jewish children they were helping to escape into Switzerland. Eva reluctantly agreed to do it for a short time until she could get her and her mother out. But her mother was angry with her and wanted to stay in France thinking her husband would come looking for them. As Eva worked on the forged documents, she and Remy, a Resistance fighter also forging documents, came up with a plan to help remember the children's Jewish names so that they would not lose their real identities. They took an old religious tome in the library of the church and used a code to keep record of each and every child so there would be record of their true identities. As her temporary time helping drags on into a more permanent situation Eva works hard to save as many children as she can. But then her Germans find out about what is happening in the small parish and they are betrayed. As she runs for her life, Eva leaves a coded message in the book in the hopes that Remy is still alive and will one day come across it. And now she sees the book in the newspaper and knows what she must do. Eva books a flight to Germany, a place she never thought she'd ever set foot in. </span></p><p><span> I loved this story. Resistance fighters who forged documents and passports is an aspect of the war I'd never read about. I loved that Eva's character grew and became a strong and courageous young woman throughout the story. The book seemed well researched and really brought out the how bravery was sometimes learned and nurtured in the war and not necessarily something one was just born with. These forgers were really putting their lives on the line for the children and the author created a real page turning story that had a lot of heart and emotion woven through out it as she highlighted how the Jewish people who might have survived the war physically really lost their whole identities, including their names, in trying to stay alive. This book had it all: historical fiction that taught me something I didn't know, a love story, betrayal, tense page turning, redemption. Highly recommend!!
</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Sp6uQCWJxj_9EuP7HvcZI9IrvXPMjFzqOvzljpECse4vwSSu2gAK00jTjbdg2I-baiQKzNvxjt65fK7Tpe_qUgKd8nSzLVg6XMMhp3ZZOX1FqE2kNDpdPZooU7LiTCeUOIlE_veg4kmFpM_87J97h5RbY8qCGSwHU7pFohfUD8rWZ3getMOHRpD0/s400/the%20words%20between%20us.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Sp6uQCWJxj_9EuP7HvcZI9IrvXPMjFzqOvzljpECse4vwSSu2gAK00jTjbdg2I-baiQKzNvxjt65fK7Tpe_qUgKd8nSzLVg6XMMhp3ZZOX1FqE2kNDpdPZooU7LiTCeUOIlE_veg4kmFpM_87J97h5RbY8qCGSwHU7pFohfUD8rWZ3getMOHRpD0/w129-h200/the%20words%20between%20us.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>21. The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: July 9, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> Robin Windsor is the owner of a quaint little used bookstore in River City, Michigan. She spends her days quietly working in her store with her one employee. She bought the bookstore in an attempt to escape the noteriety of her parents. Her dad, a former senator, was convicted of murder and treason and her mom was also sent to prison for her part in protecting him. She has not seen them since they were convicted, some 18 years ago, and has no desire to. Trying to start over hasn't been easy but she loves her little bookstore. Books had always helped her to escape, but now she finds herself having to make the hard decision about whether to close the store due to lack of business. When a friend concocts an insane idea to enter an art contest to win the prize money to save the store, Robin reluctantly goes along with it. But at the same time the day of her father's execution draws near and a reporter figures out who she really is and her quiet life is yet again turned upside. In the midst of the chaos Robin starts to receives packages in the mail containing one book at a time from her past and she knows exactly who is sending them. But why is her past coming back to haunt her now? </span></p><p><span> This story is a duel timeline going back and forth between Robin's present day and her past when she was a young girl. The author wove it really well giving just enough out of each era to move the story along and reveal how Robin got to the place she where she is experiencing her present day perfect storm . The books being sent to her were a main part of both timelines and tied the two together. Being a reader not drawn to classics or poetry I found I was starting to skim through those parts where the quotes were written. It was a bit of a struggle back and forth on my part because it is such a part of the story that connects Robin to her love of books, her past, and her relationship with Peter who was important to her school years. Because of that the story just didn't grab me as it would have otherwise. Yet it is what made the story unique. And there was one part of the story about her "speech" in her after high school years that I just could not buy into. It was a book I liked but wasn't swept away by.
</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOcNUuH1cI4QEJdO0BToQ-l-gLAEHgWCwXbeMruQYtn7auOSA-h7q80Dqbgt7hs8btpP1cCrT7LvDV9-_jgNKgQaSXI0C5YPwI3wPRVsFlv5WwlCuorF3pRQzI-vcsCCSL3e2SIDfpxd5PqCY2XHvL9WsoXUbEXs4i-pMHog6kZ0pNsPwNZUe_c5Nn/s500/don't%20overthink%20it.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOcNUuH1cI4QEJdO0BToQ-l-gLAEHgWCwXbeMruQYtn7auOSA-h7q80Dqbgt7hs8btpP1cCrT7LvDV9-_jgNKgQaSXI0C5YPwI3wPRVsFlv5WwlCuorF3pRQzI-vcsCCSL3e2SIDfpxd5PqCY2XHvL9WsoXUbEXs4i-pMHog6kZ0pNsPwNZUe_c5Nn/w200-h200/don't%20overthink%20it.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>22. Don't Overthink It by Anne Bogel (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: July 9, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 8/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> Hello, my name is Susanne and I am a chronic over-thinker and experience "analysis paralysis" on a regular basis!
That is why I got this book. Anne Bogel takes us through what overthinking is and what it isn't, giving us signs of the over thinker to start helping us to see that devoting overly large parts of our mental energy to relatively insignificant things is a drain. How we choose to spend our limited resource of mental energy matters. She then takes us through chapter by chapter into habits that will help us to get off the overthinking train and make those decisions. Each chapter ends with "next steps", questions or short exercises to help you to determine where you are at in that step and how to get to that place of being free from overthinking. </span></p><p> I, at first, had a hard time focusing to get into the book so when I saw it offered as an audiobook I went that direction. I really enjoyed listening to it, the narrator was easy to listen to. There are many takeaways and nuggets but I will at some point reread the physical copy as doing those "Next Steps" portions at the end of each chapter was difficult unless I was sitting with pen and paper (which I wasn't because I listen to audiobooks in the car while driving) and all the helps and nuggets beg for a good underlining pen to remember them all. That being said there was also a lot of overthinking stories and some of them were unrelatable but if the reader could remember to take the principle and not the example then that helped. One of the biggest takeaways for me was when the author talked about determining what is of value to you in life. Once this is determined hold the decisions you have to make up to the light of these values that matter the most to you. Such common sense but such a truth for me to grab ahold of and practice. Don't Overthink It gives you a framework from which you can come to make decisions you are comfortable with freeing you up focus on other things.</p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsnXME9IDZWYtyTsVxn263CG18e95Sfg9GdXt40fw2_GIcFA5Iih3BQFcXCQTs8kr8XIrmdpuAB_n79OZBO4kS5UFYIG6TD5MCfTGQEvikjVJIQ_TCfQSxSHQasM5fcD38gmGrOFZXalQ4VzG90Lp34hLzLZwH0zmXdrw8vCRknJQxFaarkLsnhdk/s327/Lessons%20in%20Chemistry.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="217" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXsnXME9IDZWYtyTsVxn263CG18e95Sfg9GdXt40fw2_GIcFA5Iih3BQFcXCQTs8kr8XIrmdpuAB_n79OZBO4kS5UFYIG6TD5MCfTGQEvikjVJIQ_TCfQSxSHQasM5fcD38gmGrOFZXalQ4VzG90Lp34hLzLZwH0zmXdrw8vCRknJQxFaarkLsnhdk/w133-h200/Lessons%20in%20Chemistry.webp" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>DNF </b>at pg 65</span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxSqgM29VA2dbfRz2lXAIoXLUQDVWb5BR2cYq023g8D6XmARevVBa23GyyfxszIax1ZSzhyzVDsBsroCDJlcDC_C0Rx6xte9-nje-4MbvvJkCpsKH_WrvHsDEjJFIY4RqnL2xs161boNyj2oJr-Dxv60T9oN1XkFmfoLFU07So7k3jfAdG8NhZPFA/s350/the%20pact.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="242" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxSqgM29VA2dbfRz2lXAIoXLUQDVWb5BR2cYq023g8D6XmARevVBa23GyyfxszIax1ZSzhyzVDsBsroCDJlcDC_C0Rx6xte9-nje-4MbvvJkCpsKH_WrvHsDEjJFIY4RqnL2xs161boNyj2oJr-Dxv60T9oN1XkFmfoLFU07So7k3jfAdG8NhZPFA/w138-h200/the%20pact.jpg" width="138" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>23. The Pact by Jodi Picoult</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: July 26, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 4/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Rating:</span> I finally got the goal of reading a Jodi Picoult book off my reading goal's list. And I'm so late putting up a review because it's been a hard review to write. While some of the story was heartbreakingly good some of it was so unnecessary. I pushed through to the end because the premise was good and I wanted to find out what really happened that tragic night but the execution was not my cup of tea and because I had waited so long to read this author I wanted to give it a fair shot.
The story revolves around 2 families, the Golds and the Hartes who are the best of friends. They have been neighbors for 18 years and spend a lot of enjoyable time together. When one family has a son and the other a daughter those two children also grow up the best of friends. But as they grow older there is always an undertone and hope with the parents, their friends and even themselves that it will become something more and as they go into high school it does just that. But it ends tragically one night when Emily, who showed no signs of being unhappy, commits suicide with a gun taken from Chris' father's cabinet. When Chris gets arrested for it, he reveals that the couple had a suicide pact that went wrong. But the detective in charge doubts Chris' story and soon charges him with murder. Denied bail, Chris is sent to prison to await his trial. As disbelief, shock and anger sets in it drives a wedge into strong friendship between the families as the Emily's mother becomes hard and angry with grief and Chris' mother stands by her son's innocence no matter what.</p><p> With all the anticipation I had for finally getting to this author I felt disappointed in the end. The story starts right off the bat with the shocking suicide and then winds its way into the the two family's history together and what led to that point with the teens even as it starts to move forward with the arrest and with Chris in prison preparing for his trial. While the story in and of itself was a great premise and delved into so much concerning teen suicide and the pressures they face and the confusion and great grief surrounding the families left behind that totally held my interest along with the courtroom drama, it took a huge downturn for me because of all the s*x involved throughout the story. The descriptions of intimate acts between the two teens, the parents and even the lawyer were just over the top for me and totally took from the story. Really can an author not give me the idea without the detail? Can the feelings, emotions and thoughts of the teens about the intimacy they were involved in not be told to me with describing the act? Was it really necessary to the story to describe the parent's intimate scenes to me? And the whole character of the womanizing lawyer who brought women home to spend the night with his 13 year old son in the house knowing what was going on and their discussions about it was just too much and had me saying "Really?". I spent so much time being angry at this man's bad parenting. Again, was it really necessary to the story to give me details of the lawyer's time in the bedroom with his women? Can you not just give me the idea that he is a womanizer for character development without going into the bedroom detail? To me if felt like the author felt sex scenes were necessary to sell the book so inserted them periodically. In the end the story was so heavy for me with everything going on with not much to give some breathing space. Now that I have finally read a book by this author and though she is very popular and deals with some major issues of society in her stories, I don't know if she is the author for my reading tastes.</p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaSCNOrQo9BtgQVArKR2TX2t5aRMq-MFksfgwjhkgKpvzyjCVLaGFtiaQY2EleGZUIyS81o0gWdayTiTwaTLc--NU9MwSms66Q9lQlPvJcFAm_0rEqY-JHZaMfdUtynB7veS3Yqm5BLFJ_BRkKst74P5IaH-27MoPOC9VrJDq-8eyu6e_3nNSUex3/s500/Gentle%20and%20Lowly.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaSCNOrQo9BtgQVArKR2TX2t5aRMq-MFksfgwjhkgKpvzyjCVLaGFtiaQY2EleGZUIyS81o0gWdayTiTwaTLc--NU9MwSms66Q9lQlPvJcFAm_0rEqY-JHZaMfdUtynB7veS3Yqm5BLFJ_BRkKst74P5IaH-27MoPOC9VrJDq-8eyu6e_3nNSUex3/w200-h200/Gentle%20and%20Lowly.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>24. Gentle & Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane C. Ortlund (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: August 3, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 9./10</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5MJzgQSZ2GMyTKjVO9C99oxyv07DhF996s0mevs8aL6uFitlfrltZVaXqZPl3Ypw2PO94tlsB8uR2aXca4At76SsQjvcCXh8zWL8f8VhUuxx2FcPKWEEfrmafMwhm5fw6iH3vsOLo5upnhsZzDK3lXsDRaWVFhqCqJjvDaR4g5cAD-K2Feg0oxK4/s400/When%20the%20Day.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5MJzgQSZ2GMyTKjVO9C99oxyv07DhF996s0mevs8aL6uFitlfrltZVaXqZPl3Ypw2PO94tlsB8uR2aXca4At76SsQjvcCXh8zWL8f8VhUuxx2FcPKWEEfrmafMwhm5fw6iH3vsOLo5upnhsZzDK3lXsDRaWVFhqCqJjvDaR4g5cAD-K2Feg0oxK4/w129-h200/When%20the%20Day.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>25. When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: August 7, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> Nineteen year old Libby is a time crosser. She lives two lives simultaneously, one in 1774 Williamsburg, Virginia, as Libby, daughter of a Mom who also was a time crosser. Her other life is in 1914 New York as Elizabeth, daughter of a mother bent on marrying her off to an English marquess so that their social standing can advance. She falls asleep in one life to wake up in the other with no time passing in either while away from it and with full memory of the other life. She must not search for answers for either path or for any reason try to change either path with any foreknowledge she might obtain in either life. Deep inside she is the same person but the two lives could not be more different. On her 21st birthday she will have the choice to forfeit one path and stay in the other forever. </span></p><p><span> In 1774, Libby's father has recently passed away and she and her Mom are trying to keep her father's print shop going. Women in business aren't exactly supported in this time period but they manage to land a contract with the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor thanks to her friendship with a young member. But when the Patriots ask them to do some printing for them it could just put all they've worked for into jeopardy. Libby has purpose in this path as she supports the suffragette movement and the Patriots. In 1914 as Elizabeth she has a loving relationship with her father but her Mother has one focus and one focus only and that is to marry her to English aristocracy so that her family's social standing might advance. No matter the cost and no matter how Elizabeth feels about it. As her 21st birthday approaches in both time paths there is no question in Libby/Elizabeth's mind which path she wants to choose though it breaks her heart to know some of her relationships will have to be left and there will be heartbreak at her death in that path. There is uncertainty in both paths but when the day comes can she trust that God has a plan for her? </span></p><p><span> I loved this story. It is such a unique approach to dual time lines, time travel, historical fiction. The story was engaging right from the beginning as Libby's two different lives were laid out. Interestingly everything Libby was fighting for and working towards in 1774 was exactly what her mother in 1914 was trying to force upon her. Libby faced different wars in both of her timelines and I was totally invested in both of her story lines. Amazingly the last third of the book was exactly what I needed at this time in my own life. It is a Christian fiction story but I don't feel it was preachy but a major encouragement to trust in the sovereignty of God through uncertainty and grief and with one's purpose and life. Such a good story. Can't wait for book 2 coming next year. </span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJs6klXqg5QF4IIji1c2iuMz8wQppm3q40_BFGF1c_ZgDq_5eYoDLgnKNzYguSlSFaCEgoMnjXAlc3RdDXHwvh9OH_Cf0plax2TnGXDFJzog0lx3T87LX8kwtZXn0OxwDVmmbfRiuqTCzrth6NRoMy6JwQsK-NE4VGm7fIXBZA-SXYQIPldRaVDtOc/s400/an%20appalachian%20summer.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="257" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJs6klXqg5QF4IIji1c2iuMz8wQppm3q40_BFGF1c_ZgDq_5eYoDLgnKNzYguSlSFaCEgoMnjXAlc3RdDXHwvh9OH_Cf0plax2TnGXDFJzog0lx3T87LX8kwtZXn0OxwDVmmbfRiuqTCzrth6NRoMy6JwQsK-NE4VGm7fIXBZA-SXYQIPldRaVDtOc/w129-h200/an%20appalachian%20summer.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>26. An Appalachian Summer by Ann H. Gabhart</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed August 20, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> It's 1933 and many have lost their fortunes in the stock market crash. Piper Danson's parents, however, managed to make it through and Piper's mother is bent on keeping things just as they were before the crash including having Piper's debut party, albeit a couple of years later than the norm. Piper's father has chosen Braxton Crandall to escort her in the hopes that Braxton would court his daughter. Braxton's family is railroad money and so in her parent's eyes Braxton can give her the kind of life she's used to and even better. But Piper's heart belongs to her childhood friend, Jamie, who's family unfortunately did not weather the crash so well and whom she hasn't heard from in a while. When Mary Breckinridge comes to town and Piper attends the tea held in her honor, she is taken with Mary's stories and pleas for workers for her horseback Frontier Nursing program helping pregnant women and children in the Appalachian mountains. In an effort to stall the courtship and marriage plans her parents have for her, Piper convinces them to let her have one last summer and go and help Mary Breckinridge. Once there Piper finds the work hard but rewarding and she soon loves the people of the mountains and the job she is doing. Then against all odds, who shows up to write a newspaper story about the Frontier Nurses but Jamie himself. As does Braxton. </span></p><p><span> This historical Christian fiction romance features the historical Frontier Nursing program as it's base, something I've never read about before. It was an enjoyable though predictable story. I found it a nice clean summer read that allowed me to just get lost in the story without a lot of thinking. There is elements of hope and faith and a young girl standing up for herself and the life she feels she should be leading as opposed to what her family insists upon for her. And of course, there is the clean romance in it as well. There seems to be a lot of stories out right now about the Appalachian mountain people and different aspects of horseback "helps" given to them, but the Frontier nursing program in this story is unique in that sense. It was interesting looking up Mary Breckinridge and her program. Though a nice easy going story that I liked, I wished for more of the grittiness that I'm sure went along with this nursing program. </span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiethxxjtTTHITtFBbbKEQ6Y16bg-s8zmYRKd2_mY0gZDVL3aD3Bn1NztbBVO4mrsCtoDXp5--xbwcOUvr1m2HFfF2nUJTeSY8OWZKIT93UZfomWcXdS7PzfnCsT4TpAzKaR6FZnmuSR2t8wGJPx-GG7DMF1L5LqSMFf9omWVgyd8MA4u7HbiUiaGMP/s300/help_im_drowning_ca.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="240" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiethxxjtTTHITtFBbbKEQ6Y16bg-s8zmYRKd2_mY0gZDVL3aD3Bn1NztbBVO4mrsCtoDXp5--xbwcOUvr1m2HFfF2nUJTeSY8OWZKIT93UZfomWcXdS7PzfnCsT4TpAzKaR6FZnmuSR2t8wGJPx-GG7DMF1L5LqSMFf9omWVgyd8MA4u7HbiUiaGMP/w160-h200/help_im_drowning_ca.jpg" width="160" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b><br />27. Help, I'm Drowning: Weathering the Storms of Life with Grace and Hope by Sally Clarkson</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: August 25, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> I borrowed this audio book when I saw it come thru my library's hoopla app. The title totally grabbed me, especially the sub title as the last couple of years has totally felt like a huge storm of life and I don't think I've been weathering the last 8 months well. I'm telling you, I feel like God brought this audiobook around right when I needed it. It is so calming, encouraging and uplifting in a time of being overwhelmed and stressed. The author takes us through lessons in trusting God even when we question "Why", when we feel lost and alone, when we feel God is silent and when life gets plain overwhelming. She reminds us to trust in God's character when we don't understand what is going on. I love how it pointed us continuously to God's word and how it can be trusted because He is faithful to it and to trust in God's goodness in spite of how we feel. I believe the author read it herself and her voice was very easy to listen to. Her example and stories from her own life are relatable, down to earth and honest. I think I will purchase this book as I'm a visual learner and get a lot more out of a book when I can make notes and underline and annotate. It is a super timely book for anyone feeling overwhelmed with life. </span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mTR-xbbWYBqY1XgGAbz9wXmO0YtWJmji77eT4xevWelMAd_lqlgEOwl2HvRxVWm-W6QVyg7wcI9KRetAi7G_hcrvXpgb_1NhwnYzjxNOUqNANJ9Knpi3JjXqRWY80vHTHTIFqy-KAeJGKBBpOMr7TKw5qUzVoDJFVKUXPRSb1M5K_LVSxaZ0fp-w/s1555/the%20unhoneymooners.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1555" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mTR-xbbWYBqY1XgGAbz9wXmO0YtWJmji77eT4xevWelMAd_lqlgEOwl2HvRxVWm-W6QVyg7wcI9KRetAi7G_hcrvXpgb_1NhwnYzjxNOUqNANJ9Knpi3JjXqRWY80vHTHTIFqy-KAeJGKBBpOMr7TKw5qUzVoDJFVKUXPRSb1M5K_LVSxaZ0fp-w/w129-h200/the%20unhoneymooners.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>28. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>DNF'd </b>at page 193</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 4/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Olive's twin sister Ami has planned her fancy wedding down to the last detail winning almost everything towards it. When everyone who was at the wedding comes down with food poisoning from the seafood buffet except for Olive and her new brother-in-law, Ethan, Ami insists that her look alike twin sister takes the honeymoon trip to Maui she won in a contest so it doesn't go to waste as it must be forfeited if they don't go. Unbeknownst to Olive, Ami's brand new husband has offered the trip to his brother. There is only one problem, Olive and Ethan can't stand each other. But Ami insists Olive go, so the big hoax to fool the hotel starts. But can these two pull off looking like they are madly in love just so they can have a free vacation?</p><p> Unpopular opinion coming. </p><p> Concept seemed fun for a summer read but it ended up playing out in ways that are not my cup of tea in reading material. I pushed it to page 198 hoping it got better but it didn't. Constant sexual tension and private thoughts about the other character got old as did the trope of wrong assumptions and preconceived ideas about motives. The final straw was the language. Basically no story except the hate to love amidst all the sexual angst. Granted some funny moments and humorous situations but the constant snarking at each other back and forth got old too. When I found myself thinking I had better pick it up just to get done so I could count it towards my total books read this year it was a wake up call to set it aside. I wasn't enjoying the read. Unfortunate because I was really looking forward this one from all the rave reviews.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjoxbqJvWQAGulCgpfuIBTaKt7XqICRLTtOJG7Qrt5hMzbLkv3t_pGSydBuaWF2jCSz4Do59NQOb9zxW8xYn--IjEnsVp7WRHsp2nIKzkkvNEMt2daoGSx6izy4mD3IBXa-tbA5PSUigGqFOkVryOeXmbtaKMi2OApuW6FA1cTMcJBm4u36K1q8-u/s499/monsoon%20summer.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="341" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFjoxbqJvWQAGulCgpfuIBTaKt7XqICRLTtOJG7Qrt5hMzbLkv3t_pGSydBuaWF2jCSz4Do59NQOb9zxW8xYn--IjEnsVp7WRHsp2nIKzkkvNEMt2daoGSx6izy4mD3IBXa-tbA5PSUigGqFOkVryOeXmbtaKMi2OApuW6FA1cTMcJBm4u36K1q8-u/w137-h200/monsoon%20summer.jpg" width="137" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>29. Monsoon Summer by Julia Gregson</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: September 8, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> Kit Smallwood is a nurse who took care of soldiers during World War II. But suffering from the exhaustion of it all and the mental turmoil of a secret she carries from the war, she goes to a family friend's farm in Oxfordshire to rest and recuperate. Her friend is busy setting up a charity which would send midwives to South India to train Indian midwives in more modern methods and she encourages Kit to consider going. Kit's mother has a painful Indian past and when Kit becomes involved with an Indian man training to become a doctor who stays at the farm for a short while her mom is beside herself. Kit and Anto fall deeply in love very quickly and and not really thinking through the cultural differences in their backgrounds the two wed filled with hope for the future but without her mother's blessing. But when they move to India where Anto wants to practice and Kit decides to work for the midwife training school, the pair are met with conflict wherever they turn. Even as she became estranged from her mother because of her marriage, Kit also is met with suspicion and disapproval from Anton's family, especially Anto's mother who is very traditional. To top it off, India has just won independence from Britain and her British presence isn't too welcome in the community especially in the context of teaching their women British ways. Thrown into the midst of having to learn traditional Indian culture and walking delicately within the family and facing a job that is very tense, Kit soon finds trouble plaguing her from every direction. </span></p><p><span> I am always drawn to stories set in India and that is why I picked this book up years ago. It has sat in my stacks until finally this year it made it to the top to meet one of my reading challenge goals. I don't know why I waited so long. While it did start a bit slow it evolved into a story I ended up loving. I thought the author did a great job in growing her characters through the story and in presenting the glaring differences in post war Britain and traditional India. I also thought the tensions that were present in India towards Britain and British citizens as they tried to get on their feet after hard won independence was well told and incorporated into the story. Wrapped in a family saga the author was able to explore the Indian midwife history and how caste plays a part in that, racism, British/Indian tensions, tradition and modern clashes, fitting in, love, betrayal and forgiveness. The up and down relationships that encompasses Kit's life kept me engaged in how real the author wrote them. I thought this a wonderful story that opened my eyes to a lot of things.
</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mH9jhBVtZsUqgGHQbojWqqaq5Iv8IFfIoyex1WPbgQco4XzmajN9qXXxqgZ4IVIntKpxduJCWEsaqN0jg5xzWzg7jxP9pxn5T6MjLpwd3oBxd4CL99PI1LJrDXTwhbhLIGGK2HEwaGTT2L6tbC_Xtf7UtlRIbw0vjZ2zjzMzybVEpX--tdOOEgzb/s400/the%20record%20keeper.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="269" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_mH9jhBVtZsUqgGHQbojWqqaq5Iv8IFfIoyex1WPbgQco4XzmajN9qXXxqgZ4IVIntKpxduJCWEsaqN0jg5xzWzg7jxP9pxn5T6MjLpwd3oBxd4CL99PI1LJrDXTwhbhLIGGK2HEwaGTT2L6tbC_Xtf7UtlRIbw0vjZ2zjzMzybVEpX--tdOOEgzb/w134-h200/the%20record%20keeper.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>30. The Record Keeper by Charles Martin</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: September 17, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> The last installment in the Murphy Shepard series finds Murphy recovering from his last rescue mission which almost killed him. He's questioning his continuing his involvement in helping to rescue girls caught and captured in the slave trade as now he just wants to be with his wife and daughter. But when his mentor and friend, Bones, gets taken by the very person who is organizing these slave trade rings all around the world, Murphy knows he must get back into it. With no clues whatsoever, finding Bones is going to challenge Murphy physically and mentally like he's never been challenged before. But Murphy's life long mantra of "Love always shows up" drives him on and he'll stop at nothing to find his friend. </span></p><p><span> As per usual, Charles Martin writes a story that involves all the reader's emotions. In this dive into Bone's backstory there is lots of action and suspense while Martin delves even more in the slave trade globally. The story pits extreme good and extreme evil against each other even as family ties are tested. Though a heart rending story of leaving the flock to go find the one lost, I do feel the need to give a warning of triggers. There is lots of violence, and of course the series revolves around the slave trade and sexual abuse. Some parts of the story caused me to have to put it down for a time before I resumed they were so heartbreaking and hard to read. It is intense but well told. I must say though, that due to a few parts that were too much of a character narrating his own story that I felt, though imperative to the story, did drag a bit for me, I did give it a 1/2 point down from a 10 rating. But an excellent series that broke my heart while bringing awareness to the horrendous slave trade going on in the world today. </span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEyRby77SHvo5JjxlQ8Cjvfsz1uekTV4VpfradysQImmLnN3h5yM04NFLLeHjZN23XdlTS_laDrDpN_T0aQHt42EWXq-zLk0NxvU7tibcS2nGlwuSy4XRaPTgi-JTPqXldBFVp6PkCYaPoWDWY1EDFSrDsVGv1WaRdZyJnZQaDtkXx51FlClclrnU/s2475/Last%20Dress.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEyRby77SHvo5JjxlQ8Cjvfsz1uekTV4VpfradysQImmLnN3h5yM04NFLLeHjZN23XdlTS_laDrDpN_T0aQHt42EWXq-zLk0NxvU7tibcS2nGlwuSy4XRaPTgi-JTPqXldBFVp6PkCYaPoWDWY1EDFSrDsVGv1WaRdZyJnZQaDtkXx51FlClclrnU/w133-h200/Last%20Dress.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>31. The Last Dress from Paris by Jade Beer</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: October 5, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 7/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> In 2017 London Lucille has a strong loving relationship with her grandmother so when Granny Sylvie asks her to go to Paris and bring back a priceless Dior dress that belongs to her, Lucille agrees to the task. Thinking she'll only be gone a few days, Lucille goes against the wishes of her overbearing condescending boss to grant her grandmother's wish. But when she gets to Paris she finds there is more to the dress retrieval than her beloved Grandmother has told her and when she finds mysterious initials sewn into the dress and some descriptive cards Lucille finds her time in Paris extended as one couture dress leads to another. </p><p> In Paris 1952, Alice is the wife of the British ambassador and her days are filled with planning extravagant parties and visiting her designer of choice, Dior, for her clothing needs. In her position she is to be seen and many look to her fashion choices. Her husband is lavish with her clothing budget but not so much with his love and affections. Lucille's takes strength from her lady's maid who has become her trusted friend. But when a new person shows up at one of Dior's shows Alice must make some choices that can change the course of her life. </p><p> POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING AHEAD:
I have to admit this book was a total cover choice when I saw it at the library. The cover is gorgeous but strangely enough the dress on the cover is not at all in the book. I really dislike when publishers don't match their cover art with the actual story. But anyway, this book was okay. The writing was solid and the premise of the dresses intriguing and it had me googling what each dress mentioned actually looked like, none of which are the red dress on the cover. But unfortunately the story became based on something I don't enjoy in my reading, infidelity, so it was hard to really connect with some of the characters for me in spite of the reasoning and had I have known that I wouldn't have picked it up. I don't know why I didn't clue into that from the description on the back. I did like Lucille's story line and found myself engaged with her part of the story and I liked how her storyline played out. And I did like the strong unbreakable friendship of Alice and Marianne, defying what their stations in life would have dictated.
</p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oFTUbKTiSLOPJSeRdKVKaDqF7rTzCQRxz_SORPmi3K14Py8BP8_2dlBs1o1fVzwyt4xO2KGbSlcVWm9qUCcSPNz07lDBiQ9_DbCUffAvjMYqsrxfMVH7jmMMiGv7SPHOKhUWsH-VugKBGhT8BapfCZ7laZv1KQZsZtW0qOkr22TgJ5jKZdBtQ1hh/s2560/The%20Secret%20Between.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1723" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oFTUbKTiSLOPJSeRdKVKaDqF7rTzCQRxz_SORPmi3K14Py8BP8_2dlBs1o1fVzwyt4xO2KGbSlcVWm9qUCcSPNz07lDBiQ9_DbCUffAvjMYqsrxfMVH7jmMMiGv7SPHOKhUWsH-VugKBGhT8BapfCZ7laZv1KQZsZtW0qOkr22TgJ5jKZdBtQ1hh/w134-h200/The%20Secret%20Between.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>32. The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: October 16, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> After picking her teenage daughter up from a party one night, Deborah and her daughter Grace are in a discussion as Grace is driving. The rain that had started earlier is now a full onslaught and it is dark and neither Grace or Deborah see the man running on the road until they have hit him. To protect her daughter, Deborah sends Grace home to be with her younger brother whom she left at home while she waits for the police. When the police arrive, Deborah through omission, lets the police believe it was she that was driving taking the blame for hitting the man and justifying to herself that her daughter doesn't need the stress of all the questions and dealing with police and the accident on her driving record. Because she is a doctor and has good standing in the community Deborah thinks it will quickly blow over but when things take a turn and her lies get bigger and deeper and start to involve Grace anyway, Deborah must face that she sees a change in Grace that starts to concern her and starts to eat away at the strong bond they used to have no matter how she tries to brush it off as Grace needing time to process the accident. As Grace pulls further and further away from her, Deborah must face the fact that her "little" white lie had so much bigger consequences than she ever imagined and the compounding lies might just destroy them.</span></p><p><span> This was a really good story that explored family dynamics when there is a secret that needs to be kept. The relationship between Grace and Deborah was close but in the seconds it took to make a bad choice for all the right reasons on Deborah's part, both Mother and daughter end up facing consequences they never thought would happen. It looked at the heavy pressure of keeping such a thing secret and the toll it ends up taking on self worth, relationships and family and even on moving forward. This story, though an older one, is still relevant today and would foster great discussions in a book club.
</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji6hDGwLLTKFFyzAtpBzSpRJb8PKVsWTnMZOPhr5aDBx6sTKCp7jZFSahxeLcv55zsKto6yxnDiAOXe2AP9TG2PUD6Mi50UMvqn9F3rQTNlQxPgwS-Bzkd7kV0a29tgWWV6Z8VH-40e960vG8Q8YVRRcThyAHpcmsBxkgZn425_5XZSoUWM4v8i31c/s500/Going%20Higher%20With%20God.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji6hDGwLLTKFFyzAtpBzSpRJb8PKVsWTnMZOPhr5aDBx6sTKCp7jZFSahxeLcv55zsKto6yxnDiAOXe2AP9TG2PUD6Mi50UMvqn9F3rQTNlQxPgwS-Bzkd7kV0a29tgWWV6Z8VH-40e960vG8Q8YVRRcThyAHpcmsBxkgZn425_5XZSoUWM4v8i31c/w200-h200/Going%20Higher%20With%20God.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>33. Going Higher with God in Prayer: Cultivating a Lifelong Dialogue by AW Tozer (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: September 11, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwiFZ1693I34av5STTfK78JyI8Azbpzma0HipupYmBNwB4CYTXt0iF9s1kclXN7GrYuxXJw2QxdyOMyuXshMZV960UCHOZ-SZlnjJv5Gw1vBYINSyyzzb-YWIw3_wYj5I9Hgvj3oam_YfVO-xmPtXXVCLe2oS3P_IKh7DAyG9hGj45I7XrnepjxlL/s2560/A%20Rip%20Through%20Time.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1684" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwiFZ1693I34av5STTfK78JyI8Azbpzma0HipupYmBNwB4CYTXt0iF9s1kclXN7GrYuxXJw2QxdyOMyuXshMZV960UCHOZ-SZlnjJv5Gw1vBYINSyyzzb-YWIw3_wYj5I9Hgvj3oam_YfVO-xmPtXXVCLe2oS3P_IKh7DAyG9hGj45I7XrnepjxlL/w132-h200/A%20Rip%20Through%20Time.jpg" width="132" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>34. A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: November 5, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-DghJ-ngLefsT4ZX2BjAak4zmKIw2bEEQsDQeANKA78kA7wKteqV0TR9oE5e2soErrgUcfRkEgN15RFU0COhpTQCK45tKavujJ12weNiXP5IGgj3TjbISFnaob9_qRknlPWeXXq3O8UWFNA3yvmuJYZWkjap6-9wsrdLk72zH87ueptuuyp8-Aal/s480/ask%20it.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-DghJ-ngLefsT4ZX2BjAak4zmKIw2bEEQsDQeANKA78kA7wKteqV0TR9oE5e2soErrgUcfRkEgN15RFU0COhpTQCK45tKavujJ12weNiXP5IGgj3TjbISFnaob9_qRknlPWeXXq3O8UWFNA3yvmuJYZWkjap6-9wsrdLk72zH87ueptuuyp8-Aal/w200-h200/ask%20it.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>35. Ask It by Andy Stanley (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: November 11, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHIDK2patTUmI0orcqv86PoSdqHfCDFEb_WVzR0nOCjmIr0YGmgcGlM_rmzpR_Z6VuAm29i9OJQ7OoIs8CvQDQk25g72i8DiHkXPv2n0RukfM4a_ucRh2096mzXq9KZUYYy71jVsHwhjqWWnpwM8DhNo5t_LdBemqzxKzd8r39werNABKkfaUn7hl/s499/Home%20Work.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="345" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHIDK2patTUmI0orcqv86PoSdqHfCDFEb_WVzR0nOCjmIr0YGmgcGlM_rmzpR_Z6VuAm29i9OJQ7OoIs8CvQDQk25g72i8DiHkXPv2n0RukfM4a_ucRh2096mzXq9KZUYYy71jVsHwhjqWWnpwM8DhNo5t_LdBemqzxKzd8r39werNABKkfaUn7hl/w138-h200/Home%20Work.jpg" width="138" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>36. Home Work by Julie Andrews</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: November 11, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 7/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> This is Julie Andres memoir of her Hollywood years from her first foray into films with Mary Poppins and then immediately after Sound of Music through the years to Victor/Victoria. She tells of her work life and her home life during those times. Her marriage to Tony and subsequent divorce because of the constant separations that were a result of their jobs and the lovely daughter that came from that marriage, to her meeting Blake Edwards and their dating years and marriage. The trials that they faced both on a personal level and career level were very much entwined as they made several films together. Again within their marriage there was struggles because of separation brought about by career choices and decisions that weren't made well concerning where they lived and Blake's depression, hypochondriac tendencies, ex-wife issues, blended family life and on/off dependence on prescription medications for pain also strained the couple but they found a way to make their marriage work until Blake's death at the age of 88. Told with honesty Julie dives into a lot of hot button issues and how it affected her life. </p><p> I really, really wanted to like this memoir, because Julie Andrews and her films Mary Poppins and Sound of Music were such a huge part of my younger years and I still watch those 2 films today, but I found myself just iffy on the book. I thought I would enjoy it way more than I actually did. I found myself skimming huge parts of it as I was finding large sections of it to be boring. Not sure if it's the writing style or all the name dropping, or that I'm just not in a place where I'm interested in reading about the problems of jetting around the world and living in Malibu, Switzerland, New York and LA., or if I just didn't connect with it once it got past the Mary Poppins and Sound of Music parts. I realized that I didn't really like any of the movies much after those two. And though she does get quite a bit into the Pink Panther movies that her husband made, which were favorites of my family when I was growing up, it kind of took the rosy hue off of those too when I read of all the issues with the actor that went on during the filming. The story somehow just seemed a bit dry for me. There was something missing for me in the telling, something that didn't connect me emotionally. I did really like reading about her adopted daughters from Vietnam which I knew nothing of and her trip there to both the Vietnam and Cambodian refugee camps that led to her efforts with Congress in getting more children from orphanages, especially those fathered by American soldiers, to better lives in the U.S. I was hoping to read more of when she had throat surgery and all that entailed and the loss of her singing voice from that but the story never got that far. It ended with her and Blake's effort to take Victor/Victoria to Broadway so I suspect a book 3 is probably in the works. I know other people who loved this memoir so it could be that it just wasn't the right timing for me and this book. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><br /><span style="color: #800180;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGX4JDar_NWLalRpFy0PnknAawoK0Z6TljOi4CsOKDdcLWJ8FUqtXECctjhNqYvPBKLiHHgMBKwOUF4IlCxjRLBEh6yIRtssJEhns8G_VxG221Wl59xyJlBc3GVX-2Fud8oTfDGD7EAkpY4Hxa6pgPqFO2WDkGuVFLRVdM43Nb9UDYy9DLOF5g1g3i/s2173/Little%20Broken%20Things.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2173" data-original-width="1399" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGX4JDar_NWLalRpFy0PnknAawoK0Z6TljOi4CsOKDdcLWJ8FUqtXECctjhNqYvPBKLiHHgMBKwOUF4IlCxjRLBEh6yIRtssJEhns8G_VxG221Wl59xyJlBc3GVX-2Fud8oTfDGD7EAkpY4Hxa6pgPqFO2WDkGuVFLRVdM43Nb9UDYy9DLOF5g1g3i/w129-h200/Little%20Broken%20Things.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>38. Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: November 29, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></p><p>When Quinn's sister Nora sends her an odd message telling her she has something for her and asking her to meet her but not elaborating what it is she has, Quinn is puzzled yet not overly concerned. They haven't had a lot of contact over the years and she figures it's just Nora being Nora. But when her sister shows up with a little girl in tow begging Quinn to keep her safe and not let anyone know she is there. Before Quinn can even respond Nora takes off in panic leaving Quinn to care for Lucy who won't even talk to her. Quinn tries to honor Nora's wishes thinking there has got to be a reason Nora just dropped the little girl and ran but her husband, while empathizing with Lucy, is not in agreement with what is going on and they both worry Nora has gotten herself into something not good. Added to that is the fact that Quinn and Walker live in the guest house on her mother's property. Liz is all about maintaining her image and position among the lakeside town's rich and elite and this would not go over well. </p><p> This drama deals with the lies and deep secrets buried within a family that are shoved to the surface by the appearance of little Lucy. There is lots of emotion and tension as the different characters try to deal with their involvement with the mystery that surrounds who Lucy is. While I did find it slow paced in some parts in others it was a page turner as you try to figure out what is going on and layer upon layer of the mystery is revealed. I must admit I did figure out a couple of the twists before the ending. The story is told by alternating between the three women's viewpoints revealing pieces to the mystery. The title really could refer to all the females within the story in some way or another.</p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2gzRISG673p6nsKwXZ6NEbENUy3Luy_QhekaZvaMZ3FghwQFOdviMX4rXBwUsbgbiSejKwn2xiX_hhwqxUH0x7fy7qefm5S9qSo_SyuE5_mzVUg-qLqfcrDsTHe7282lNgGIFj52esf0whVpFhIL1I0r8gFPrSw10Yb_PuZoTfVCLJqBK4BT6nnL/s500/A%20Bride%20Most%20Begrudging.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk2gzRISG673p6nsKwXZ6NEbENUy3Luy_QhekaZvaMZ3FghwQFOdviMX4rXBwUsbgbiSejKwn2xiX_hhwqxUH0x7fy7qefm5S9qSo_SyuE5_mzVUg-qLqfcrDsTHe7282lNgGIFj52esf0whVpFhIL1I0r8gFPrSw10Yb_PuZoTfVCLJqBK4BT6nnL/w131-h200/A%20Bride%20Most%20Begrudging.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>39. A Bride Most Begrudging by DeeAnne Gist</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: December 27, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating 8.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Lady Constance Morrow could not help herself. She just had to say goodbye to her beloved uncle Skelly. He was arrested and put upon a ship bound for the Virginia colonies and she might never see him again. But even as he growled at her to get off the ship, the captain laid ahold of her and Constance found herself kidnapped and also heading to America to be sold as a tobacco bride along with many other woman who were English prisoners. No amount of insisting she was a Lady, daughter of an Earl, changed her fate. </span></p><p><span>Drew O'Connor is a tobacco farmer in West Virginia. He isn't looking for a bride, he just wants someone who can cook and clean and tend to his home and baby sister. But as circumstances work out he ends up with a bride, non other than one who insists she is not a prisoner of England but one Lady Constance Morrow. Thinking she can be his servant until Drew can figure out whether she is telling the truth or not, he takes her to his tobacco farm only to find out she has no idea how to cook, hasn't a clue about gardening and horror of horrors, she would rather work on mathematical equations than clean. She is educated which is not a good thing in Drew's eyes and mixed with her stubborn personality, it can only lead to trouble. Maybe the best thing to be done is to ship this woman back where she came from.</span></p><p><span>I picked this book up after trying a couple of other reads for this month's challenge that just turned out to be too heavy for the head space I was in. I wanted something lighter and easy. This book turned out to be perfect for that. It is historical fiction based on the historical facts of many Virginia tobacco farmers purchasing brides from England for 120 pounds of tobacco. The practice helped the men stay in the colonies, build homes and start families thereby helping the colonies survive and because the brides came from England it helped ensure England's continued presence in the Virginia colonies. When not enough brides were found to meet the need, the Crown resorted to sending prisoners and unethical captains would kidnap young women. The author was also able to weave into the story two major historical battles between Powhatans and the settlers. I enjoyed this historical story. The author's character development was good as Constance grew to love the land she had inadvertently been taken to. Of course there is the romantic tension building between Constance and Drew through out the story as well the mandatory assumptions and miscalculations of feelings that come with a romance story of this kind. I have to say towards the end though I was getting a bit tired of these assumptions and decisions being made upon them instead of honest communication in the story but I did enjoy the read overall for what it was and the humor that would surface occasionally throughout the story. It was the lighter read I was needing. </span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #800180;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabmpkRqUtPa8hgY1_rp8_Up24d3Jkh2Cj1mfxKmArPsCZQwj2WgMcf7r7gdNGrtGoRg3H9B4RvrCVf-BRj-5CX1cOiiXp3XIpKs7bi-D1eAigdMP3sFko0XECKsKWkHQfPNaBKDDsrdklOYi1JaJXe1XuIzZwonA47SqO_-tno5bZN4mS85xbOEbV/s500/a%20change%20of%20affection.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabmpkRqUtPa8hgY1_rp8_Up24d3Jkh2Cj1mfxKmArPsCZQwj2WgMcf7r7gdNGrtGoRg3H9B4RvrCVf-BRj-5CX1cOiiXp3XIpKs7bi-D1eAigdMP3sFko0XECKsKWkHQfPNaBKDDsrdklOYi1JaJXe1XuIzZwonA47SqO_-tno5bZN4mS85xbOEbV/w200-h200/a%20change%20of%20affection.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #800180;"><b>40. A Change of Affection by Becket Cook</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: December 28, 2022</span></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></p></div>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-29731642062986101962022-01-04T00:00:00.001-07:002022-01-12T09:58:18.901-07:002022 Reading Challenge <p> A fresh new year, fresh new books and fresh new challenges. Or are they? My challenges last year I would say for the most part were fun and I really enjoyed doing them. How did I do? Well I didn't meet my Goodreads goal of 50. I have had that goal forever and am always shy of it so this year I am adjusting it 45 and see if that helps me push to get there. I have done that many before but not in recent years. I would say the Read Your Shelf challenge with it's different prompts was a rounding success for me last year. I loved that I could still do a prompt based challenge while still having choices within that challenge. I completed books every single month and got them read and out of my closet and enjoyed every minute of that. In fact I read 18 books that fit into that challenge. Some crossed over with my read a book each month out of my 2019 - 2021 purchases so that helped out too. I'll be doing that one again this year. If you're interested here is a link to that:<a href="https://anintentionallife.me/2022-read-your-bookshelf-challenge/" target="_blank"> Read Your BookShelf Challenge 2022</a>. I got some great reads knocked off my library want to read shelves too. </p><div><br /></div><div>So this year my challenges will not be fresh and new per se as I am going to do those very same ones. My biggest goal is to get the books I already own read without bringing in too many more. I loved the Read Your Shelf challenge because rather than being a quarterly challenge with a long list of specific books it let me pick a pile of books each month and still gave me mood reading posssibilities and it was only a month before I could change things up. Sometimes with the quarterly challenge, I was finding myself not wanting my choices anymore and wanting to read something else by the time that 3rd month rolled around. I'll also continue both the Read One a Month from my Current Purchases (2020-2022) and Read One a Month From the Library Shelf. I'm also adding at least 3 non-fictions (I'm so bad at finishing non-fiction yet own so many) and at least 3 Audiobooks. So there you have it. 2022 Reading is looking good!</div><div><br /></div><div><u>READ YOUR BOOKSHELF CHALLENGE 2022 PROMPTS</u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div>January - A book with any kind of "quiet" word in the title</div><div><br /></div><div>February - A book with "love" in the title</div><div><br /></div><div>March - a book that has something to do with growth</div><div><br /></div><div>April - A book that has your initial in the title</div><div><br /></div><div>May - A New to You Author</div><div><br /></div><div>June - A book with a book on the cover</div><div><br /></div><div>July - A book you've been avoiding but actually want to read</div><div><br /></div><div>August - A book that has a body part in the title</div><div><br /></div><div>September - Read a collection</div><div><br /></div><div>October - A book with the word "secret" in the title</div><div><br /></div><div>November - a book that makes you feel cozy or nostalgic</div><div><br /></div><div>December - a book that has a mostly white cover</div><div><br /></div>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-42186984113364702782021-01-12T10:02:00.079-07:002022-01-05T09:39:56.633-07:002021 Reads and Reviews<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V8I_LwLy2DY/X_3TNwlPSdI/AAAAAAAARto/dK5r1CpN6wMnBIaDhzW01OTmWb7eFKu5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Relentless.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="131" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V8I_LwLy2DY/X_3TNwlPSdI/AAAAAAAARto/dK5r1CpN6wMnBIaDhzW01OTmWb7eFKu5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Relentless.jpg" /></a></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>1. Relentless: Unleashing a Life of Purpose, Grit and Faith by John Tesh</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: January 9, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 8.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Publisher Description: </span><span>John Tesh has achieved more in life than he ever dreamed possible. But the road to success has been anything but easy—and those challenges have become the secret to his success. Through his story, we can learn how to be relentless, how to achieve what we didn’t think was possible, and how to handle our inevitable discouragements.</span></p><p><span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><i>My Thoughts: </i></span>I was excited to read this book because years ago John Tesh's "<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Worship-Red-Rocks-John-Tesh/dp/B0002LE9IG/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=worship+at+red+rocks+dvd&qid=1610816094&s=music&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Worship at Red Rocks</a>" was a major part of my life. I would listen to and watch that DVD over and over. This is John's memoir recounting the stories of what he has faced in life and what he has had to do and the miracles he encountered to get to where he is today. He has had quite the journey, everything from being kicked out of college and his family's home to homelessness to dizzying success with his NBA basketball theme song success, providing live commentary for two Olympic games, 10 years as co-host of Entertainment Tonight, producing a nationally syndicated radio program -Intelligence for Your Life-, to taking a huge step of faith to launch his music career through PBS. All that he faced in life caused him to learn how to persevere, take the lessons learned through hard times and how to have the courage to apply his faith. And he needed those to faces his biggest battle in his '60's when he was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. When it returned John and his wife Connie made the decision to stand on God's Word and apply that perseverance, settling in belief that what God says is true. </span></p><p>I was looking forward to reading this book when it came out and about John's journey with faith. At first I found the book more about perseverance and grit than anything to do with faith. But eventually John does get around to that too. His and his wife's journey of faith in God comes to play a major role in dealing with his cancer diagnosis and especially with the cancer's return. At times I found the way the story is laid out to be a bit confusing as to where it is in the time line as it jumps around a bit. And I found myself skimming a bit when it came to details of his career. But what I got most out John's memoir is seeing a pattern of how God moves in a person's life, how the more difficult things are training grounds for things to come and how being courageous enough to step through open doors as God presents them leads to good things. It also showed me how that hard work is not separate from God's will for your life. His deep love for his wife, family and God are apparent in his story. There are scripture references throughout though the part I wished he would have delved into with much more detail was how they came to settle within themselves to believe what God says about healing. It was so simply laid out and I'm sure it was more of a wrestling within and I would have liked to have read more on that. At the same time though there is lots of "sound bite" takeaways and thoughts on healing that made me think. </p><p>A favorite quote from the book:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>"The Power derived from the Holy Spirit is available to us all. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i> The wiring is done. Flipping the switch is our choice. I hope I can help you flip yours. </i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>For as the Spirit tugs at our hearts, enlivens our spirits, and fills our minds with possibility, where ever it pulls us, we should go!"</i></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>John Tesh, Relentless pg 210</i></p><p>As always I base a memoir's rating not on the story told but how the story was told.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i5cu_AGr3_M/YBGmYLIHlNI/AAAAAAAARwQ/gowz6Fx_L0gTt0KsGCR65sVjVPXKntc3QCLcBGAsYHQ/s475/Winter%2BGarden.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i5cu_AGr3_M/YBGmYLIHlNI/AAAAAAAARwQ/gowz6Fx_L0gTt0KsGCR65sVjVPXKntc3QCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/Winter%2BGarden.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>2. Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: January 16, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Merideth and Nina are as different as two sisters could be. Merideth the older, super responsible sister, married with two young adult children, has stayed around home and is now running her father's apple orchard. She goes by the rules and her life is very ordered. Nina , the younger is the risk taker, the adventurer. She has no home base and is very content in her life as an award winning photographer traveling around the world and inserting herself into world wars to get to the toll on the human element. She holds her camera and ideals close and her relationship with her boyfriend at a distance. The two sisters rarely see each other anymore and hold resentment against each other for various things from their childhood. Their childhood was not easy, made difficult by a very cold and distant mother who's only touch of love came from telling them Russian fairy tales but even that was held at arms length. It was tempered with a very loving and encouraging father who always tried to build a bridge between the sisters and mother right up to his death. On his deathbed, the father encouraged Nina to get the Mom to finish the fairy tale for them and then they would understand. Merideth didn't want anything to do with it as she resented the fairy tales with a fury, but Nina grabbed ahold of it and pursued her Mother for the details and the end. It was a decision that would change all three women's lives.</span></p><p>I ended up loving this story. The first part of the book was a bit drawn out in building the main characters and foundation of the family dysfunction, they were definitely the kind of characters you want to give a good shaking up to. Everyone except the father seemed to be utterly self absorbed, though I wanted to shake him up at times too. There were some majorly repetitive use of several ideas in the beginning parts of the story that caused me to want to roll my eyes, just small things but that were repeated several times sometimes within a page or two, like the author was trying to make sure I got the idea. But I stuck with it because I had heard it was so good. And I'm so glad I did, it definitely didn't disappoint. It ended being a time split novel telling the story of the "Great Purge" of 1930's Russia and then the "Seige of Lenningrad" in the WWII. At that point I could not put the novel down. It was utterly heartbreaking and you could tell the author researched the part of women during this time and the hardship and heartache that they experienced. Once the story really got rolling between the two time lines the author wove it back and forth pretty seamlessly and the use of the fairy tale to move the story, I thought, was brilliant. The ending was unexpected and the story really brought out a lot of emotion, I cried through several parts. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4xnSVLmnpjM/YBGnwyAbMnI/AAAAAAAARwc/NaazLB_X66oygI2IDLr0rIXGMpOZ_gJXACLcBGAsYHQ/s278/A%2BPainted%2BHouse.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="182" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4xnSVLmnpjM/YBGnwyAbMnI/AAAAAAAARwc/NaazLB_X66oygI2IDLr0rIXGMpOZ_gJXACLcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/A%2BPainted%2BHouse.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>3. A Painted House by John Grisham</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: January 27, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Rating: </span>In A Painted House, author John Grisham takes us away from the legal dramas he is famous for and give us a historical fiction story set in 1950's Arkansas inspired by his own childhood.
Seven year old Luke and his family are generational cotton farmers who rent 80 acres, which puts them in the impoverished folk category. There is never much money left over for anything. But young Luke's dream of playing for the St. Louis Cardinals one day and having a painted house keep him going. Only people who do well have painted houses. When the cotton is ripe it's all hands on deck for the picking including Luke. The Chandlers hire migrant workers from Mexico and also "hill people" who come down for work during the cotton picking season. It's hot, exhausting work fraught with worry for the adults as they keep their eyes on the weather hoping that this year could be a good crop. For Luke and his family during harvest season, baseball sustains them throughout the spring and summer being their only diversion from the hard work and drudgery of the fields. Saturdays are the day of reprieve for all, as everyone including the Mexicans and the hill people heads into town in the afternoon to shop for supplies, enjoy the meeting of friends and for the kids a matinee movie. But one Saturday Luke and his friend are witness to an event that will kick off a summer of secrets for Luke that a 7 year old should never have to carry.</p><p> This was an interesting story. I'd never read historical fiction set in a cotton farm in this time period before. The narrator of the story is seven year old Luke and so the days and events are seen through his eyes and his experience. It is a summer where he grows up very quickly as his natural, rambunctious 7 year old self ends up witnessing things which then force him to carry secrets he feels he must keep and the burden of that comes to a breaking point. It's funny after just reading "Hillbilly Elegy" and the description of violence as attitude and a way of life in that book that I would then come across a fictional story that also describes some of that same experience. The story is not a fast paced story like the author's legal thrillers but more of a slower meandering slice of life of the farming poor of the area and time and their struggle just to survive another harvest, their hopes and their dreams. Baseball and cotton are main characters in the story and while the cotton farming was interesting to me the baseball part I did end up skimming simply because I'm not a baseball fan but my doing that didn't detract from the story in the least. Fans of baseball would enjoy the descriptions. I think this has been turned into a movie so am going to try to find it to watch.</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LiZOxhuowtI/YBoopAAn1jI/AAAAAAAARxw/ujD296eGiAINnja5-ZaJWVDtITYnIgK9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/A%2BDesperate%2BHope.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="252" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LiZOxhuowtI/YBoopAAn1jI/AAAAAAAARxw/ujD296eGiAINnja5-ZaJWVDtITYnIgK9ACLcBGAsYHQ/w126-h200/A%2BDesperate%2BHope.jpg" width="126" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>4. A Desperate Hope by Elizabeth Camden</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: February 2, 2020</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> </span></p><p><span>Eloise Drake's childhood was a lonely existence. Living in a large home sitting above the town of Duval Springs, she led a very separated, strict life living with her guardian. She didn't have any of the usual joys of childhood such as school and friendships and being involved in community. All these she only observed through her telescope. So when she met Alex Duval in her late teens it was easy to fall for his charm. But when they are caught together, both of them bear consequences that will affect their whole lives. Now a grown woman, Eloise is an accountant working for the State of New York's water department. New York city is literally shutting down towns from her childhood area in order to flood the valley and build a reservoir and aqueducts to carry water needed for the growing city of New York. When Eloise's boss assigns her to the demolition team that will shut down her home town Eloise wants nothing to do with it. But her mathematical genius and her knowledge of the town makes her the right person to go and estimate what each citizen's homes and businesses are worth. Eloise goes thinking she can stand on her professionalism to get the job done but once there she is reminded that these are not just citizens of a town about to be destroyed but that they are the very people she used to long to be with as she watched them as a child. And that includes the young man whom she gave herself to so many years ago. Alex Duval is now the mayor of Duval Springs and is doing everything in his power to stop the project and the wiping out of his town. Alex is stunned to learn Eloise is on the team come to shut them down and he, in typical Alex fashion, risks everything to stop them. But his idea will need Eloise's help. He needs to convince her to go against her team and her boss, but can he also convince her that he never stopped loving her? </span></p><p><span> This is a third installment in the Empire State series. I didn't know that when I bought the book but when inquiring in a facebook group I'm a part of the author insured me it could be read as a stand alone. I really enjoyed this story based on historical fact. Duval Springs is a fictional town but was based on the collective experience of the towns that were dismantled to create the Ashokan Reservoir. I really enjoyed this story that pitted accountant Eloise against mayor Alex even as they tried to work through their past and the hurt and betrayal that brought with it. Both Eloise and Alex were likable though flawed characters and I was easily drawn into their stories. Both characters overcame hardships from their pasts that made them into the adults they became but it also presented difficulty when life threw them together again. Both had to work past the love and betrayal they had shared together. I loved the charming small town people that played secondary roles in the novel and the author was really able to highlight the small town closeness and loyalty through them. She wove historical facts together with the emotions of the characters so well to create a story of love, loss, a bit of mystery and second chances. Really enjoyed my first read from this author.
</span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2NBAXapbcNI/YCqyuipYIEI/AAAAAAAAR0U/jokaJm4o2DIZs-bGjXsAi7mIXUKZa6ylwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/The%2BLine%2BBetween.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2NBAXapbcNI/YCqyuipYIEI/AAAAAAAAR0U/jokaJm4o2DIZs-bGjXsAi7mIXUKZa6ylwCLcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/The%2BLine%2BBetween.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>5. The Line Between by Tosca Lee</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: February 13, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 7/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Rating:</span></p><p><span>When Wynter Roth was a child her mother took her and her older sister to a live with a group called New Earth in order to escape their abusive father. But little did they realize that their Mother unknowingly was trading one form of abuse for another. New Earth in reality is a doomsday cult and, keeps its members in line through harsh, manipulative disciplines while preaching apocolyptic end of the world messages setting themselves up as the place of salvation. Wynter has never really fit in and has received discipline throughout the years for being rebellious. When she exhibits the ultimate rebellion the result is banishment out of New Earth. With her "salvation" gone, Wynter tries to adjust to life outside living at her Mother's old friends house, a strange outbreak of dementia characterized by violence is turning up in America . Could Magnus have been right after all? Now Wynter is living in the very apocolyptic world that was driven into her for 15 years. When her sister shows up at the door carrying a mysterious package that she wants Wynter to give to their friend who is an epidemiologist, Wynter is thrown into a role she never wanted. But in order to save her sister and her niece she must dig deep for courage. As life in America becomes chaos, Wynter along with a former military man she meets, work their way across the country to get the package of samples to a lab in Colorado in the hopes this pandemic can be stopped even while those who do not want the package to be delivered and discovered are hot on their trail. </span></p><p><span> This story had a lot going on! Cultish elements, prion pandemic, cyberattacks, bioterrorism, survival, love story. It didn't stop for a moment. Though the beginning was a touch slower than the second half as the author built Wynter's world of life within a cult it was still a story that was gripping and thought provoking especially during this time we live in. I really was drawn in when Wynter tried to make sense of what was happening in the world compared to what was drilled into her for many years within the cult. The psychological and spiritual tension and conflict going on within her was well done. I found it interesting that the author also chose cyberattacks during this pandemic in the story as America lay vulnerable which is kind of a nerve wracking reality. It did have a few flaws for me, also, though. Some parts seem quite shortened up and moved on quickly. Because of this a couple of the characters, to me, could have been fleshed a bit better but I understand that is hard to do with a novel that covers this much. All in all it meshed into an interesting story of survival in more ways than one that kept the pages turning. There is a second book that continues with Wynter's journey.
Funny note about this book is that it had a character by the name of Enzo. Not a common name by any means. And yet the last book I read, A Desperate Hope by Elizabeth Camden, also had a character named Enzo. I had to pause a few times to sort their two different characters out in my mind.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8cEscGXKTms/YDK1noSZEsI/AAAAAAAAR08/cfufF6znRjwtNaEpBF6tLtu18iEsWzwYACLcBGAsYHQ/s475/My%2BName%2Bis%2BEva.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8cEscGXKTms/YDK1noSZEsI/AAAAAAAAR08/cfufF6znRjwtNaEpBF6tLtu18iEsWzwYACLcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/My%2BName%2Bis%2BEva.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>6. My Name is Eva by Suzanne Goldring</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: February 21, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></p><p>Evelyn Taylor-Clarke, or Mrs T-C or Hilda, as she is known at the senior home where she resides, is gentle old lady with dementia well liked by staff. At her age, Evelyn has slowed down in body and in mind, or so Evelyn would like them all to think. But she is a woman who still has her wits about her and remembers everything. And that includes the promise she made to her deceased husband to find the truth about what lead to his death and to hold the man responsible for it to account. She remembers her time as Eve in post war Germany when wanting to do her part she first worked for the British Secret Services in an interrogation camp, fittingly named the Forbidden Village and all that transpired there and then in a resettlement camp for displaced persons. She remembers all the horrors that were tucked away from there never to be mentioned except in letters to her beloved departed husband. Most of all she remembers the horrific things she herself has done in order to keep the promise to her husband. No one at the senior home would ever believe the heart of revenge she has carried throughout all these years. But when her niece, who has taken over her affairs which includes the selling of her precious home, comes across a suitcase filled with questionable items and an old cookie tin with a picture of a child, Eva must not let on that she knows anything about them. The secrets must stay only within her remembrance never to be revealed to anyone. But that doesn't mean she can't enjoy the game of keeping those around her guessing. </p><p> This was a really interesting take on a WWII story. It takes place after the war and looks at the role of the interrogation camps where Germans were questioned and also the work that took place trying to place victims of the war who had been displaced. The author's research into these two aspects of the war was very apparent. The story is told in several ways: it's a time split novel that goes back and forth from 2016 and 1945. But some of the chapters are also told thru short letters that Eva is writing to her husband both before and after his death. To the care center, Evelyn is a pleasant old woman, but Evelyn has different sides to her personality and life only she knows. Her love for her husband drives her decisions through out the story and her quest to find the truth about his death and hold the man responsible no matter the cost to herself is woven really well through the 3 different viewpoints. I've never read a WWII story that actually took place immediately after the war and that was a really interesting aspect that kept me really engaged in the story. The ending I did not see coming at all. The only part of the story I didn't really care for was the fact of Evelyn's character pretending to have some dementia in order to fulfill her whole plan of revenge. I was uncomfortable with that aspect of the story as I really feel for those who struggle with that in real life.
</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9kqeMUlvG40/YD1uvDRPmxI/AAAAAAAAR2Q/pfBX2ueaDa4vScPoHxgkB31Ln-iPjy8rgCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Book%2BWoman.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9kqeMUlvG40/YD1uvDRPmxI/AAAAAAAAR2Q/pfBX2ueaDa4vScPoHxgkB31Ln-iPjy8rgCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/Book%2BWoman.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>7. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: February 28, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></p><p>Cussy Mary is a young 20 year old woman living in the poverty stricken part of the Appalachian outside of Troublesome Creek. Nicknamed Bluet by the local doctor after her blue skin, Cussy works as one of the Packhorse Librarians under the Packhorse Library Project started by President Roosevelt. Cussy is passionate about her job, facing treacherous mountain conditions to get any reading material she can to her patrons up in the hills, even putting together reading scrapbooks from any articles and materials she can find. It holds a special place in her heart as her mother, who passed away when Cussy was just little, taught her to read and it is her connection to her. Cussy's father is a poor working minor and his goal is to get Cussy married in case something happens to him. But all potential suitors are soon turned away after seeing Cussy's blue skin. On Cussy's route she meets those who can't wait for her to arrive with new reading materials but she also meets those who are opposed or are distrustful to either the Library Project or her blue skin or both. No different than the townspeople. She has always faced those who accepted her for who she was and those who viciously teased, bullied her, blamed her for every wrong or showed outright racism including in her workplace. But she has been able to make some precious friendships through her work and she will do everything to keep it in spite of the obstacles thrown her way. The doctor in town has always had a keen interest in Cussy, or Bluet as he calls her, because of her blue skin and when he thinks he finds an experimental therapy that can "cure" her blue skin he talks Cussy's father in making her go along with it against Cussy's wishes. Humiliated by her treatment at the hospital, she nevertheless, keeps going hoping the results will change her life for the better. But will it actually change her impoverished community's minds about her?</p><p>I love, love, loved this story. The stories that touch my heart in some way, that pull the emotions out of me while at the same time teaching me things I had no idea about are those that stick with me and bring out those 10 out of 10 ratings. And this one did just that. Though a few pages in I wondered if I would like it. It took me a little bit to get used to the rhythm of the way the characters spoke. But once the story got going I was totally invested. It's a story about love, hate, prejudice, racism, poverty. I had no idea about the Packhorse Library Project or the Blue Skinned people of the area. I learned a lot. The story also gave me another view of the Appalachian area's history of poverty and community after reading "Hillbilly Elegy" last year. The author was able to weave historical information so well into a personal story of a young woman facing all those things. It took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions from horror to anger to happy to crying through several parts of Cussy's story and round about again. It also had me looking into my own heart about prejudices I might carry. Excellent, powerful and moving story.</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hz2DmX4p2II/YFIJR1HaDuI/AAAAAAAAR3o/he_dPlKojBcWmCIKzFbqFE2KhEgFsZWBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1050/God%2Bis%2BAble.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1050" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hz2DmX4p2II/YFIJR1HaDuI/AAAAAAAAR3o/he_dPlKojBcWmCIKzFbqFE2KhEgFsZWBQCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h200/God%2Bis%2BAble.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>8. God is Able by Priscilla Schirer (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: March 13, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Publisher's Description: </span> Nothing is impossible with God. Nothing.
Not even that thing. Your thing. The one thing that seems to defy all attempts to defeat it, restore it, heal it, change it, overcome it, undo it, or just to get through it.
If you've lost even an ounce of confidence in the power and loving attention of God--if experience has told you that faith must simply acquiesce to impossibility--it's time somebody told you different.
Bible teacher and best-selling author Priscilla Shirer explores two power-packed verses of Scripture, displacing your doubts and rebuilding your assurance--not in a blind attempt to deny life's adversities and troubles, but to show you that God is always up to great things. Amazing things. He's a God who cares, and a God who CAN!</p><p><span style="color: #3d85c6;">My Thoughts: </span>A very encouraging book that points the reader to scriptures and anecdotes to help them believe God for the impossible in their personal life, no matter the situation. It builds your faith, not by denying that the problem isn't there but by showing how big God is and how much He cares and how capable He is of doing great things for His children. It came to me right at a time when I needed it and I very much felt my faith uplifted and my sense of gratefulness blooming. The narrator is very easy to listen to and reminds me a lot of the author.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DxjpZwdILak/YGOBQmDAoCI/AAAAAAAAR5k/o6UF0jnf2NsmHSIqx5p4fy9vRCVrgbk-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/a%2Bgentleman%2Bin%2Bmoscow.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1335" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DxjpZwdILak/YGOBQmDAoCI/AAAAAAAAR5k/o6UF0jnf2NsmHSIqx5p4fy9vRCVrgbk-wCLcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/a%2Bgentleman%2Bin%2Bmoscow.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>9. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: March 30, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>In 1922 Russia, 30 year old Count Alexander Rostov is brought before a Bolshevik emergency committee for writing a poem that was considered a call to action after a failed revolt. Being found guilty he is put under house arrest permanently at the Metropol, a grand hotel that serves statesmen and actors and the upper class. It is also close to the Kremlin. He is never to set foot outside it's doors. Count Alexander watches in shock as he is taken from his rather lavish room which he had been occupying fit for his position as an aristocrat and taken to the fourth attic floor where he is put into one small claustrophobic room. This is where he must now live out his days. But being a man of culture and knowledge, Count Alexander refuses to let his circumstances get the best of him and instead looks to what he can do to make his life the best it can be. As he fits his usual routine into his new normal, the Count is able to forge friendships with those from all sorts of walks of life and he is able to observe how Russia changes over the decades from his unique vantage point. When a young girl is unexpectedly placed into his care, he must make room not only in his tight living quarters but in his heart. But what is an old count to do with a young child? </span></p><p><span> I loved this story. The count has a unique perspective as he watches Russia's most tumultuous years roll by. He is a learned man and find ways to keep himself learning and engaged with the world around him. The friendships he is able to forge over the years were entertaining and heartwarming and his attitude and personality were engaging. You couldn't help but like the guy. His care and concern over his young charge was fun to read as he was taken from an aristocratic, single man to a foster type dad in the blink of an eye and reading how their relationship developed over the years was wonderful. This story is by no means an action packed, edge of your seat read. It is more of an unfolding of a life, of getting to know a character and how his strong sense of self guides him through what certainly would not have been easy circumstances to find a life still filled with joy and purpose in spite of being contained within a hotel. Wonderful story!</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WmjCiwIFT1g/YGVOGh1X84I/AAAAAAAAR6M/TqP1fJ7b5LIbKb4gqfhXXtZ3cDiVP-2ggCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Being%2BMortal.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WmjCiwIFT1g/YGVOGh1X84I/AAAAAAAAR6M/TqP1fJ7b5LIbKb4gqfhXXtZ3cDiVP-2ggCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/Being%2BMortal.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>10. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: March 31, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> </span>This book was recommended to me by several people. With my parents both on the cusp of 90, they said it was a great read to help us navigate the medical and senior system. Though written by a U.S. doctor there are plenty of take aways for a Canadian too.
The author takes a hard look at aging and what used to happen and what now happens in America in the post modern, indrustrialized society. Our attitudes and focus have definitely taken a shift over the century from all viewpoints: the medical field, the aged themselves and those coming up behind who are to care for their loved ones. The author presents the idea that what medicine created in allowing longer lives has not kept up on the end of serving it's end of life citizens well, whether they are end of life through aging or or through illness. </p><p><span><i> "Medicine has been slow to confront the very changes it has been responsible for - or to apply the knowledge we have about how to make old age better"
pg. 16 </i></span></p><p><span> As medicine has allowed for longer lives, for the aged and the infirm, there has become more aged and less doctors who want to care for the aged. The author points out the fact that there is no money to be made working with the aged, no challenge but to hear their regular complaints of bodies no longer working the way they used to. Most medical students are opting for specializations that are exciting, more glamourous and making them money for their efforts. This is not found in the caring for the aged. As he goes through various cases he has dealt with, including his own father who faced a rare and debilitating cancer, he started to ask "What makes life worth living when old and frail or unable to care for ourselves". He explores how medicine in it's concerns with extending life have run opposite to what might make living worthwhile for each individual. Doctors approaches have become an "information dump" onto patients so that they can know their choices not ever pausing to ask what are the patients desires and goals for outcomes. What do they individually want and not want, what is the goal for them. It is as individual as each person. And it is this that is missing in our care of them. The author argues that quality of life for each individual should be the desired goal and doctor/patient decisions should be made upon those expressed ideals. </span></p><p><span><i> "When to shift from pushing against limits to making the best of them is not often readily apparent. But it is clear that there are times when the cost of pushing exceeds it's value"
pg 262 </i></span></p><p><span> This was an eye opening book as the author made his arguments through real life stories and his experiences as a surgeon. His explored the various approaches that different medical disciplines take and how doctors need to take more time to really get to know their patient and what it is they really want. His arguments for "finding the quality of life" and living the best possible day today are laid out in an easy to read language and he encourages us to ask the hard questions of our loved ones before they are not able to communicate what is quality of life to them. What do they want to sacrifice now for time later and what do they not? What do they want out of their last days? What are their fears? We should not assume we know and we will probably be surprised by their answers. He argues that when we ask these hard questions it helps both the individual and those who care for them (professionals and family) to be able to make the confusing, hard decisions when we are faced with them. He advocates for quality hospice care so that a person's last weeks or months may be rich and dignified according to their own goals of end of life.</span></p><p><span><i> "...the role of caring professions and institutions...ought to be aiding people in their struggle with those limits. Whatever we can offer, our interventions, and the risks and sacrifices they entail, are justified only if they serve the larger aims of a person's life."
pg 260</i></span></p><p><span><i> "We've been wrong about what our job is in medicine. We think our job is to ensure health and survival. But really it is larger than that. It is to enable well being".
pg ??</i></span></p><p><span><i> "Our ultimate goal, after all, is not a good death, but a good life to the very end"
pg. ??</i></span></p><p><span> (?? I forgot to take note of what page these quotes were on)
</span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lLdW8WryqwM/YGtJm1izlOI/AAAAAAAAR7Y/O2RKUeNavmU2qIrcmXoputBjYVuvGF0UwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1050/hope%2Byour%2Bheart%2Bneeds.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1050" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lLdW8WryqwM/YGtJm1izlOI/AAAAAAAAR7Y/O2RKUeNavmU2qIrcmXoputBjYVuvGF0UwCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h200/hope%2Byour%2Bheart%2Bneeds.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>11. Hope Your Heart Needs by Holley Gerth (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: April 2, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>52 devotionals that help us to understand God's character and what He wants to be for us. In each devotional we are encouraged to take our experience and find the heart of God towards us in trial, hardship, joy, etc. His heart is where we can go with everything our day holds. Through a scripture, personal experience and a prayer inviting God to show us Himself through that characterstic each devotional brings hope to the heart no matter what your day holds and shows us a very personal God who wants us to know Him on a deeper level.</span></p><p>I listened to this as a audiobook as I made the half hour trips to see my mom on the weekends so I was listening to the devotionals back to back. I felt very encouraged as the author led me to know God better through his characteristics. I was uplifted and filled with hope and encouragement after each one and I could relate to each devotional just from everyday life. I would like to purchase the book so that I could underline and reread different points. The short prayers at the end made each devotion personal inviting God to show us His heart towards us in that area. The person narrating was easy to listen to. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-acTvRvwoEkg/YHMLWPk2pfI/AAAAAAAAR80/mAsnbX4QSvsOCvB719MuanaqSaOsFHlsgCLcBGAsYHQ/s280/Dream%2BWhen.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="184" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-acTvRvwoEkg/YHMLWPk2pfI/AAAAAAAAR80/mAsnbX4QSvsOCvB719MuanaqSaOsFHlsgCLcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/Dream%2BWhen.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>12. Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: April 11, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 6.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Sisters Kitty and Louise both have waved their boy friends off as they went to fight across the ocean in WWII. Now at home both are doing what they can to help the war effort. Going without, dancing at the dance hall with soldiers and writing to as many as they can are just some of the things that have become part of daily life. While Louise finds writing easy and is never without things to say to her fiance, telling him about her days and romantic things from her heart, Kitty is having difficulty writing a paragraph much less ones with romantic notions. Words just won't come. When she meets a soldier at a dance and starts writing to him the words just flow. Now everything Kitty thought about love and romance is thrown into confusion as she works this through in her heart. </p><p><span> I found this book ok. There were a lot of characters to contend with, Kitty and Louise being from a large Irish family. Kitty's constant inward looking grew a bit tiresome to me. It just didn't capture me. I pushed through just to see how it came out in the end. But then I found the ending odd and it left me scratching my head, like there was a big gaping hole in the story. I felt there was not enough explanation of how the conclusion got to the point it did. What I did like was the glimpse of what it was like for ordinary families that were left behind while their husbands, fathers, brothers and boyfriends were off to war. The everyday worries that plagued not only the adults but the children as well, no matter how they tried to keep it from the children. What they had to do with all the rationing, how they got through their days. That was well described.
</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Qe0LEj7TVQ/YHsEnjLx3gI/AAAAAAAAR-U/HFEVLWcXlaIUcslHL3CLLhsxZq_DbPTIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/the%2BMcAvoy%2BSisters.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1360" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Qe0LEj7TVQ/YHsEnjLx3gI/AAAAAAAAR-U/HFEVLWcXlaIUcslHL3CLLhsxZq_DbPTIgCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/the%2BMcAvoy%2BSisters.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>13. The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: April 17, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Lindy and her sister Delia were very close growing up. But seventeen years ago something happened that drove the two sisters apart. Lindy, always considered the more wild of the two sisters, left home and Delia the responsible one gave up her dreams of Europe and school and stayed back to get married, start a family and take over their parent's restaurant/shop. Now, with their mom's health going downhill Lindy is back to see if she can lend a hand. But Lindy's help isn't always well received and the sisters must come to terms with what caused their divide in the first place. With old secrets surfacing is there any chance for them to mend the relationship? </p><p> In this quick read family drama, we are looking into the lives of a family who have been dealt some blows that has changed the course of their lives. Meredith was never an affectionate mom but when her husband died, she was just never able to cope. She rose up to take over her husbands fishing tour business but never had enough left over for her girls. The dysfunction now seems to be passing onto Delia's family as she struggles to keep control of her teenage daughter even while juggling a baby and the running of the family store/restaurant. She is not living her dream. The business was Lindy's dream. The sisters grew up extremely close and would write together into a shared journal. But some events occured that caused the split and it's been 17 years since Lindy was in town. They are almost like strangers, yet there is that strong underlying foundation of love that got them through their childhood. Can they allow it to surface so that it gets them through once again? The characters were for the most part realistic and the secret that broke the family was teased at throughout the book and finally revealed towards the end. I was able to guess what it might have been but there were twists that I didn't see coming at all. A good summer read if you are a family drama fan.</p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSf6ABc3JNE/YRkiPLUZhII/AAAAAAAASYc/o_TaN5ndb4USjRxtF8WcNyxSOXlBztOFwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1050/kingdom%2Bwoman.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1050" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSf6ABc3JNE/YRkiPLUZhII/AAAAAAAASYc/o_TaN5ndb4USjRxtF8WcNyxSOXlBztOFwCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h200/kingdom%2Bwoman.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>14. Kingdom Woman by Tony Evans</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: April 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--WlScwYbm4A/YIV1C7M8Q6I/AAAAAAAAR_Q/l6huF0hEXdoFYT-d_seWIKM-taVgxs86ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1050/Risen.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1050" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--WlScwYbm4A/YIV1C7M8Q6I/AAAAAAAAR_Q/l6huF0hEXdoFYT-d_seWIKM-taVgxs86ACLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h200/Risen.png" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>15. Risen by Angela Hunt (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: April 25, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></p><p><span>Roman Tribune Clavius is assigned by Pilate to keep the radical followers of the recently executed Yeshua from stealing the body and inciting revolution. When the body goes missing despite his precautions, Clavius must hunt it down. His investigation leads him from the halls of Herod Antipas to the Garden of Gethsemane and brings him in touch with believer and doubter alike. But as the body still remains missing, Clavius commits to a quest for the truth--and answers that will not only shake his life but echo throughout all of history. (Publisher Description)</span></p><p><span> I listened to this on audiobook during one of my many road trips to go see my mom. I have watched the movie several times and love it but have not watched it in over a year. The novelization was written by one of my favorite authors. The movie is so interesting seeing Jesus, the crucifiction and ressurection through the eyes of a battle worn, hard hearted Roman centurian. It really made me think what it might have been like. I must admit, though, that with the novelization I was very confused for a good portion of the listening because I could not for the life of me remember the female character in the movie and she is a major part of the book with the chapters rotating back and forth between her voice and Clavius' voice. Turns out, in the author's notes the character was the author's addition. She explains it this way: </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><i> "As I wrote, I tired my best to properly represent Scripture, history and the Risen film/screenplay. Though the premise - what would the resurrection look like through the eyes of a Roman tribune? - is entirely fictional, I took a few small liberties for the sake of the story."</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><i> "A screenplay is not nearly as long as a novel, so of course I found it necessary to add several additional developments in order to flesh out the story".</i> </span></p><p><span> I sort of wish there had been a note to that in the beginning of the story to avoid the confusion for ones such as myself who have seen and are a fan of the movie. Some of her additions might not sit well with some Christian readers but it was a reflection of what the history and times might have presented and as always with the story of Christ there is redemption woven into the telling. The audiobook was a good listen. I thought the two voice actors did a good job in acting and narrating the voices. Had I not seen the movie several times I probably would have enjoyed this better as I would not have been distracted with trying to remember characters. But because I did, the movie ran in my head during Clavius' chapters, and kind of stalled with the other characters voice. All in all, it was a good listen, but not what I expected.
</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ak_AxeJEWwg/YIWFPLgKDuI/AAAAAAAAR_k/pm8-xRppvEg3QZ_jDp--Co1asxD8yKoUwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/the%2Bsun%2Bdoes%2Bshine.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1332" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ak_AxeJEWwg/YIWFPLgKDuI/AAAAAAAAR_k/pm8-xRppvEg3QZ_jDp--Co1asxD8yKoUwCLcBGAsYHQ/w130-h200/the%2Bsun%2Bdoes%2Bshine.jpg" width="130" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>16. The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: April 25, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 10+/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> </p><p>Full Title: The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row
In 1985 Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested in Alabama and charged with 2 counts of capital murder. Though he was scared and shocked, Anthony knew he was working that night miles away from from the murders in a sign in, fenced and secured supermarket where he had to regularly check in with supervisors, so he figured all he had to do was tell the truth and it would prevail. That's what his Mama always told him. But another attempted murder victim who picked him out as the perpetrator combined with the fact of his being black and poor worked against him. Because he could not afford his own attorney he was assigned one from the state, one who couldn't be bothered to really dig into his case and defend him properly because the state only pays $1000 for these attorneys. Add a racist prosecutor and judge who wanted a conviction for political purposes and Anthony found himself on Death Row sentenced to death by electrocution even though he passed a polygraph test where the administrator said there was no way he committed the murders. In his time there, he watched 54 men walk past him to their deaths only feet from his cell. This is his story of how he got past the anger, the dread, the hopelessness to find purpose in becoming his best in order to lift others within his block. With the help of Bryan Stevenson, the civil rights lawyer who wrote the book Just Mercy, Hinton was finally released 15 years after Stevenson took on his case. But now with his hard fought for freedom, he had to learn to live in a world that had moved on without him, that was totally different yet unchanged in some ways from when he was first arrested. He had to adjust 30 years of living in a tiny cell to becoming a contributing member of society on the "outside". </p><p> This book was phenomenal. It was shocking and real and upsetting. Which it should be. Hinton does not hold back from the realness of the horror of being on death row, especially knowing you are innocent, but he also is able to show how choices even in the very most horrific situations can determine what kind of person you become and that there is beauty if you look for it. There were so many quotes I took from this book but it would make the post really long but there are some I must share that really hit home with me. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i> "I was on death row, not by my own choice, but I had made the choice to spend the last three years thinking about killing McGregor (prosecutor) and thinking about killing myself. Despair was a choice. Hatred was a choice. Anger was a choice.
I still had choices and that knowledge rocked me.
I may not have had as many as Lester (his best friend) had, but I still had some choices.
I could choose to give up or hang on.
Hope was a choice.
Faith was a choice.
And more than anything else, love was a choice.
Compassion was a choice."</i></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i> pg 115 </i> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>"I wasn't expecting to have my heart break that night. I wasn't expecting to end 3 years of silence. It was a revelation to realize I wasn't the only man on death row.
I was born with the same gift from God we are all born with - the impulse to reach out and lessen the suffering of another human being.
It was a gift and we each had a choice whether to use the gift or not. </i></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>pg 117</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: left;"> "I was afraid every single day on death</span> <span style="text-align: left;">row.
And I also found a way to find joy every single day.
I learned that fear and joy are both a choice.
And every morning, when I opened my eyes at 3 a.m. and saw the cement and the mesh wire and the sadness and filth of my tiny cell,
I had a choice.
Would I choose fear, or would I choose love?
Would I choose a prison or would I choose a home? It wasn't always easy." </span></i></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>pg. 186 </i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"> In the Afterword of the book, Hinton lists all the names of people on death row in America as of 2017. He asks you to read each name aloud. Then he asks you to put the word innocent after every tenth name. Then he asks you to pray for each by name. It is a sobering exercise that really brings home the reality of the "justice" system in America. Anthony Ray Hinton's story is amazing and convicting. It is a testament to the fact that we can choose faith, we can choose hope, we can choose forgiveness. This next quote really sums it up. Unfortunately, I did not record what page it is on. I know I really shouldn't quote it because of that but it's too important. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>"Some will read this book and be enraged at the injustice and suffering heaped upon an innocent black man. As we all should be. But to not go beyond and understand that his life story is trying to tell us that we have choices no matter how horrendous our circumstance and to choose well, is missing half his story! Though parts of this book are extremely hard to read as it's an indictment upon us as humans, it resonates with hope and inspiration."</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"> After reading this I feel this book should be required reading in high school instead of some of the stuff we were assigned to read that had no impact upon us except to rush through and get the assignment done. This book makes you think, makes you examine why you take the stand you do on issues such as racism and the death penalty and opens your eyes to your own choices and excuses and directions you have taken. Highly, highly recommend.</p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M08M5PYdRpI/YJXyqhhIeII/AAAAAAAASA4/Bo_ERoT9IZgqMtxyjHVF8kHo49ipQipQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/brilliant%2Blife%2Bof.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1361" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M08M5PYdRpI/YJXyqhhIeII/AAAAAAAASA4/Bo_ERoT9IZgqMtxyjHVF8kHo49ipQipQgCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/brilliant%2Blife%2Bof.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>17. The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: May 7, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></p><p><span>Eudora Honeysett is 85. Considering her age, she is in pretty good shape. She still lives on her own and still attends daily swim sessions at the pool. She doesn't need anybody and she is content that way. But she is done. At 85, she wants to be in control of her own passing from this earth. She's lived her life and she doesn't want to wait until she is desperately ill or incapacitated with people having to do everything for her. She wants her end to be on her terms while she is still able to decide. Upon hearing of a clinic in Switzerland who will help her with this, she makes her application and sets about setting things in order. But then Rose Trewidney, a precocious 10 year old filled with a zest for life and happiness and a penchant for twirling and overly bright clothing choices moves into her neighborhood. For some reason Rose has decided to befriend Eudora. Resisting at first, Eudora is put off by Rose's constant interfering and suggestions but slowly the infectious Rose draws her and her other senior neighbor, Stanley into her circle. As the three odd friends grow closer through tea parties, shopping sprees and celebrations, Eudora starts to open up her closed off heart. And as they wait for Rose's baby sister to be born, Eudora starts to remember and reflect upon her own childhood where she lost her beloved father to WW II and the devastating impact it had on her family and in turn her whole life. </span></p><p><span> I loved this story. Though at first glance, it seems to be a story about choosing how and when one gets to leave this earth it turns into so much more. It's a book about love, loss and grief. About friendship and acceptance and the different forms it can come in if we are only open to receive and give it. It's about no matter how difficult one has found life, that if we look there is always good to be found. And it's about hope. With parallels to "A Man Called Ove", this story was definitely driven by it's great cast of characters. It was sweet, engaging and emotional. Eudora's character was at times frustrating but as her story is revealed in flashbacks, just like her heart opens to Rose, the reader's heart is opened to Eudora. In joining Eudora on her bittersweet journey, the reader is reminded to remember that there is so much more to a person's life than what they at first present, and how much in life there really is to live for.
</span></p><p></p><p><span 10="" 85.="" 85="" a="" able="" about="" acceptance="" age="" always="" and="" anybody="" application="" are="" as="" at="" attends="" baby="" be="" befriend="" beloved="" bittersweet="" book="" born="" bright="" but="" by="" called="" can="" cast="" celebrations="" character="" characters.="" childhood="" choices="" choosing="" circle.="" clinic="" closed="" closer="" clothing="" come="" considering="" constant="" content="" control="" daily="" decide.="" decided="" definitely="" desperately="" devastating="" different="" difficult="" do="" doesn="" done.="" draws="" driven="" earth.="" earth="" emotional.="" end="" engaging="" eudora.="" eudora="" everything="" family="" father="" filled="" first="" flashbacks="" for.="" for="" forms="" found.="" found="" friends="" friendship="" from="" frustrating="" gets="" give="" glance="" good="" great="" grief.="" grow="" had="" happiness="" has="" having="" hearing="" heart.="" heart="" help="" her.="" her="" honeysett="" hope.="" how="" i="" if="" ii="" ill="" impact="" in="" incapacitated="" infectious="" interfering="" into="" is="" it.="" it="" joining="" journey="" just="" leave="" life.="" life="" like="" live="" lived="" lives="" look="" loss="" lost="" love="" loved="" makes="" man="" matter="" more.="" more="" moves="" much="" need="" neighbor="" neighborhood.="" no="" odd="" of="" off="" old="" on="" one="" only="" open="" opened="" opens="" or="" order.="" other="" ove="" overly="" own="" parallels="" parties="" passing="" penchant="" people="" person="" pool.="" precocious="" present="" pretty="" put="" reader="" really="" reason="" receive="" reflect="" remember="" reminded="" resisting="" revealed="" rose="" s="" seems="" senior="" sessions="" sets="" setting="" seudora="" shape.="" she="" shopping="" sister="" slowly="" so="" some="" sprees="" stanley="" starts="" still="" story.="" story="" suggestions="" sweet="" swim="" switzerland="" t="" tea="" terms="" than="" that="" the="" then="" there="" they="" things="" this="" though="" three="" through="" times="" to="" trewidney="" turn="" turns="" twirling="" tyle="color: #800180;" until="" up="" upon="" wait="" want="" wants="" was="" way.="" we="" what="" when="" where="" while="" who="" whole="" will="" with="" ww="" year="" zest=""><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXIpp_TMCoM/YKkb-DNR7vI/AAAAAAAASDw/IZCc0gsi19UN0T_CB2G35IrAEdVv4M7twCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/fragments%2Bof%2Blight.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXIpp_TMCoM/YKkb-DNR7vI/AAAAAAAASDw/IZCc0gsi19UN0T_CB2G35IrAEdVv4M7twCLcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/fragments%2Bof%2Blight.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>18. Fragments of Light by Michele Phoenix</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: May 22, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Ceelie and Nate have been married for 20 when a breast cancer diagnosis sends her reeling. She doesn't know what she would have done without her husband's support through all the treatments. On the day her treatment is done, after the bell has been rung, Nate announces he can't do it anymore and he is leaving her. Ceelie is left reeling. Her only source of comfort and strength is her friendship with Darleen, a fellow patient. But when Darleen's diagnosis becomes terminal, she requests the help of her friend Ceelie in finding the father she was abandoned by when she was young. Growing up and living her adult life with a deep down hatred of her father, Darleen now feels the need to find out why her father abandoned her mother and herself and to try to let it go before she passes away. As they try to find out about Cal we are taken on a journey of a WWII veteran who was a paratrooper on D-day who landed where he shouldn't have and the two French sisters who saved him. </p><p>This book was very touching. Though at first it was a little hard to get into, soon I was turning the pages. It takes you through every emotion as Ceelie deals with everything that has been thrown at her. I found myself totally caught up in her struggle. It's a story of deep pain and hurt, resolving those feelings, forgiveness, guilt, sacrifice and friendship. The author developed each character very well and it was easy for me the reader to understand their feelings. It's a slower paced book that takes you through some very hard topics with compassion and some humor through the personality of one of the characters. It was interesting to read in the author's notes that she herself is a three time breast cancer survivor and she wanted to "explore the unspoken consequences, emotional and physical, of breast cancer" and she wanted the novel to be about the theme "brave". She also wanted readers to know the sacrifices made by those who were a part of D-day. I think she did a wonderful job of both. </p><p> </p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BjgLP3XyP0I/YLUB5WlkR6I/AAAAAAAASJ4/UNvg_4I3MiUob5tN-mEzbs2ip9-do1ilQCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/the%2Bkite%2Brunner.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="323" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BjgLP3XyP0I/YLUB5WlkR6I/AAAAAAAASJ4/UNvg_4I3MiUob5tN-mEzbs2ip9-do1ilQCLcBGAsYHQ/w129-h200/the%2Bkite%2Brunner.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>19. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed May 31, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Amir and Hassen grew up together in Afghanistan. They were as close as could be. Their friendship was unique as Hassen was also a servant to Amir. Amir was from a wealthy family and Hassen's father was a trusted servant to Amir's family. Once the "serving" was done, though, they were as close as brothers and played together all the time. Hassen fiercely and loyally protected Amir when they were out on the streets and the two were inseparable. But as close as they were jealousy grew a root when Baba, Amir's father, treated Hassen so well. Amir felt he never measured up to his father's expectations and never quite had his father's whole love. When the kite fighting competition season came around, Amir felt he just had to win it to gain his father's respect and love. With Hassen as his kite runner, the one who chases the kite that got cut, he had a great shot at it. But when things take an ugly turn with some bullies and Hassen needs Amir's help, Amir cannot find the courage within himself to do what he should and the guilt Amir lives with affects their relationship for the rest of their lives. As an adult living in America with a family of his own, Amir has done well in life but still lives with an underlying guilt of what happened so many years ago and when an old family friend approaches him to help a young boy in Afghanistan, Amir reluctantly agrees. But going back after so many years will be the hardest thing Amir has done and what he finds out will rock his world. As long held family secrets come to light Amir must try to reconcile what he always thought he knew of Baba with what unfolds. Will Amir finally find the courage finally do what he has to and lay to rest the guilt he has carried for so long.</span></p><p>This was a very moving novel that painted a picture of a country and culture I knew nothing about. It starts by giving the reader a general picture of what life in Afghanistan would have been like before Afghanistan became a household word in the Western world. The upper class and the servant class life is richly detailed through the lives of Amir and Hassen and their families. Then the events that throws that life into chaos comes: the coup, the Soviet invasion, the Taliban takeover and 911 are all woven into the story. I thought the author did a wonderful job of "educating" me on what it might have been like for the Afghan people of the time. I'd never really given it much thought. Though I found the character of Amir frustrating and honestly not too likeable at times, but his story was what moved the descriptions of the times along. I won't lie, at times the story was brutal to read, and very sad and anger inducing. It will be very triggering or anyone who has suffered abuse as a child or has lived through war. But I think in my case it really opened my eyes to a lot of preconcieved notions the West has been fed. But the politics of the times aside, it's a story of friendship, family, loyalty, lies and betrayal, guilt and redemption. </p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KukMaKTnyo4/YM4A0SK_uAI/AAAAAAAASSA/YxZyHFYB7iAPECjbrPT1omArNzXBfaoQQCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/history%2Bof%2Bbees.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KukMaKTnyo4/YM4A0SK_uAI/AAAAAAAASSA/YxZyHFYB7iAPECjbrPT1omArNzXBfaoQQCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/history%2Bof%2Bbees.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>20. The History of Bees by Maja Lunde</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: June 18, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 8/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Spanning 3 time lines, the History of Bees tells the story of 3 families whose life and livelihoods involve bees. William is a biologist in England during the 1850's. William had big dreams but he is fighting depression as his life has not turned out the way he planned. Relegated to a small seed store he is trying to eek out a living for his family. But it's hard to not just curl up in a ball in his bedroom and give up. But with the encouragement of his young daughter William sets out to develop a new hive, one that will help the bees with honey production and bring his family fame and fortune. </p><p> George is a bee farmer in the U.S. in 2007. He is struggling with bee farming in the day and age as it is. When whole colonies literally start disappearing across the south it throws bee keepers everywhere into a panic. His hope is in his son whom he saved and scrimped to send to college in the hopes he would advance the family business. When his son shows no interest in it, in fact wanting to turn to journalism and writing instead, George is devastated and fears for the livelihood of his family. </p><p> In China during the year 2098, Tao's world has seen the complete disappearance of bees. Now workers must literally hand paint pollen onto crops in order to produce food. Tao daily climbs fruit trees in the ardous, back breaking task but that is her government assigned job and she has no choice. On a rare day off, Tao, her husband and young son head to the field to have a family picnic. They should be at an event but Tao talked her husband into taking a small amount of time to just do something with their family. When her son has an accident the authorities whisk him away and Tao has to fight to find any information about what happened to him and where they took him. Setting out into cities long abandoned by most people, Tao is on a desperate search and won't go back until she finds out what happened. </p><p> This was an interesting look into the life of a bee keeper and what can happen when bees disappear off the face of the earth. I found the triple timeline, historical, contemporary and future dystopian, an interesting way to tell the story. Though I did wonder how it was all going to tie together in the end. It seemed like three distinct stories but the author does bring it together. It does get into environmental issues such as climate change at times but wasn't too terribly heavy handed. It is translated from Norwegian and I thought it, for the most part, was done well. This is not an action story by any means. It moves slowly in some parts but I think that sets the tone for some of storytelling. I found I did get frustrated, even offended, at some points in the historical part of the story with the main character and his attitudes and actions but I'm sure it was consistent with the era and location. I found the stories did get me thinking about the environmental impact on bees and farmers so the author did her job in that area. I couldn't help but feel and empathize for George and hold my breath for Tao as she dug deep for the courage to find her son. Though this had kind of mixed reviews I did enjoy it for the most part.
</p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jirRXRFOOTs/YM8mAW_KVsI/AAAAAAAASSI/kxsnk_JdiJYo-OR3WZobRa3JuQg--nkjwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1050/Don%2527t%2Bgive%2BUp.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1050" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jirRXRFOOTs/YM8mAW_KVsI/AAAAAAAASSI/kxsnk_JdiJYo-OR3WZobRa3JuQg--nkjwCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h200/Don%2527t%2Bgive%2BUp.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>21. Don't Give Up by Kyle Idleman</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: June 19, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></p><p>A helpful book that gives great perspective when one is facing trials. It is encouraging and practical as I find a lot Kyle Idleman's teaching to be. He did use the message version of the bible, which isn't my favorite, but all the more reason to look up the scriptures he referenced in different versions. </p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2DI_oITamrc/YPXbaqPCJqI/AAAAAAAASUs/vVRsHxyOhb0gOXJbhNxxS3VNkMXCViLXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s215/a%2Bhundred%2Bflowers%2Bsm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="143" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2DI_oITamrc/YPXbaqPCJqI/AAAAAAAASUs/vVRsHxyOhb0gOXJbhNxxS3VNkMXCViLXQCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/a%2Bhundred%2Bflowers%2Bsm.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>22. A Hundred Flowers by Gail Tsukiyama</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: July 19, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 8/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Kai Ying's family live in a shared building with several other families in a village in China during 1958. It used to belong just to her father in law, who is a professor, but with Mao Tse-Tung slowly bringing in Communism, owning large homes is no longer allowed and they must be shared with others. Though Mao had the poetic words in his speech of 1956, "Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend", to encourage intellectuals to suggest how the party could be improved, it was really a rouse to round up anyone they thought would not line up with the party's policies. When Kai Ying's husband is arrested and taken away because he supposedly wrote a letter to the Premier's office, Kai Ying is devastated. She can't figure out why her usually mild mannered husband would put the family in jeopardy like that. When their young son Tao falls from the Kapok tree out front, Kai Ying feels the family is in a free fall themselves. But even in the worst of times, Kai Ying cannot help but reach out to a young pregnant girl she sees in the hospital when visiting Tao. Taking her into their home, Kai Ying cares for her and the new baby even as her father in law wrestles with his own secrets and after finally revealing a devastating one, he disappears one day. How can they all hold it together when everything around them is falling apart? </p><p> This is a historical fiction that is both lovely in it's writing and cautionary in it's tale. While there is lots to be read of WWII, I have to say I have not read any historical fiction based on Mao's communist take over of China and this story really opened my eyes. Especially in nowadays seemingly push towards socialism in our society. I was really drawn into the story and it's well written characters. Though the ending didn't satisfy me, I would recommend this story for it's lovely story telling and for the historical significance of what can happen when communism starts to take over and the how they lure the young and the intellectuals. Interesting to note, it was the second book I read, back to back, that had a character named Tao and I had to really focus not to mix up their stories. LOL. How often does that happen? Coincidentally, for me, it was the second time this year!</p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2l37gqEJAaE/YQhn9stj0pI/AAAAAAAASWw/swLhZwtN_5IGo0ODotHNeOTm3aXOPJPcACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/the%2Bscent%2Bkeeper.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2l37gqEJAaE/YQhn9stj0pI/AAAAAAAASWw/swLhZwtN_5IGo0ODotHNeOTm3aXOPJPcACLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/the%2Bscent%2Bkeeper.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>23. The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: August 2, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Emmaline lives on a remote island with her father. He teaches her survival, about the land around her and how to navigate the world through scents. Lining their small cabin are colored jars filled with papers that contain all sort of scents. Each jar evokes different memories. He is, however, very tight lipped about these jars but Emmaline knows there is a machine in the closet that puts the scents onto the paper. At the very top of the rows of jars is a bottle that no one is allowed to touch and which her father will not talk about at all, the same way he won't talk about her mother. While small her world is quite content filled with learning through her senses and the mysterious mermaid who delivers special things to the island just for her, as she grows older more and more questions arise. When tragedy strikes and shakes Emmaline's whole world she must now, as a teenager, learn to navigate a whole new world, the "real" world that she has never been a part of and is totally unprepared for. In the midst of her struggles, Emmaline knows that she must somehow learn more about the mother she never knew. But in learning about her mother will she still feel the same about her father? </p><p> This was an absolutely unique story. It's a coming of age story that deals family, secrets, mental health, ambition, betrayal, guilt, and love. I was drawn to it because it is a story that had scent as a main theme. Though it took me a while to get into it, I am so glad I stuck with it, though it was not without it's flaws. The characters draw you in and my heart was taken with Emmaline's struggles to fit in and find herself and understand the world in which she in a moment's notice found herself. The writing is lyrical and has lovely imagery but because of that it also contains imagery that is hard to read. I'm never a fan of teenage sexual experiences in stories and this did contain some of that though it wasn't overly detailed. The story is heart warming and heart breaking all at the same time. I liked learning about scent and memories and how scent is used in commercial applications to make people feel a certain way. How Emmaline navigated her world through scent was very well written. Though there were negative comments about the ending, I liked it.</p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IBWAWkZ5tx0/YRfnchQ2BoI/AAAAAAAASYU/odCumKbZBu4def3oKD_HZZLrs9zLSNFXQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1050/the%2Bhiding%2Bplace.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1050" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IBWAWkZ5tx0/YRfnchQ2BoI/AAAAAAAASYU/odCumKbZBu4def3oKD_HZZLrs9zLSNFXQCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h200/the%2Bhiding%2Bplace.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>24. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: August 14, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N2UyS4DxArs/YTOQ-QUfOJI/AAAAAAAASao/ffKZcxBqlUAgTvXyODMTK-4kdGGwTEOOACLcBGAsYHQ/s230/the%2BLetter%2BKeeper%2Bsm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="153" height="230" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N2UyS4DxArs/YTOQ-QUfOJI/AAAAAAAASao/ffKZcxBqlUAgTvXyODMTK-4kdGGwTEOOACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/the%2BLetter%2BKeeper%2Bsm.jpg" width="153" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>25. The Letter Keeper by Charles Martin</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: September 4, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></p><p><span>In the continuing story of Murphy Shepard, Murphy is still living by his life principle of leaving the 99 to go after the 1. It has been the compass for his whole adult life. After the devastating personal news he received in the previous book "The Water Keeper", how will he ever be able to trust his partner again? But their work must continue so Murphy has to come to some kind of terms with his broken heart. As Murphy and Summer try to keep their personal lives on an even keel the call of the one in trouble still pulls at Murphy and with Summer's support he will still go to find the person in need of rescuing from the sex slave trade. When their compound is infiltrated and Summer and his daughter along with two other teens go missing, the mission has become much more personal and Murphy will stop at nothing to find them. With no clues turning up and Murphy seemingly taking one wrong step after another, everything is stripped from Murphy except his love for his family to drive him on. </span></p><p><span> This is the 2nd installment of the Murphy Shepard series about the human sex trade slavery. It is a page turner for sure with lots of action and mystery. But it also has so many moments of humanity and themes of love and self-sacrifice and healing. The reader goes back and forth between lots of heart pumping action and moments of tenderness and soul searching and heart wrenching times. Not only do we get to know Murphy better but we get to know one of the girls he rescued and the details of the immense work it takes to heal body and soul from being involved in the sex trade. I liked this part 2 much better than the 1st book. It continues Murphy's story and goes more into how he got involved in rescuing those caught in the sex trade and how their ranch for those healing and hiding came to be. Get ready for your emotions to swing from one end to the other. There were lots of characters but each is integral to the story. Occasionally it was quite descriptive of land areas but again it fits the story. I loved the little hidden Easter egg referring to my favorite book from this author "Water From My Heart". Can't wait to see how the story wraps up in the next installment coming in June of 2022</span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aP4q6SerpBc/YUStelS3e4I/AAAAAAAASbg/yr03_4TLSuIJlTPTkKByUD5HeKYCjdYZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s480/Doing%2BLife%2BWith.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aP4q6SerpBc/YUStelS3e4I/AAAAAAAASbg/yr03_4TLSuIJlTPTkKByUD5HeKYCjdYZwCLcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/Doing%2BLife%2BWith.webp" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>26. Doing Life With Your Adult Children by Jim Burns</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: September 17, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><b style="color: #ff00fe;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #ff00fe;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RTygeLyLwj8/YWzs-KFIueI/AAAAAAAASgQ/GrGB7iYE3a0UFGJg6vipOWTxeEn1WAQtgCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/A%2BLifelong%2BLove.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RTygeLyLwj8/YWzs-KFIueI/AAAAAAAASgQ/GrGB7iYE3a0UFGJg6vipOWTxeEn1WAQtgCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h200/A%2BLifelong%2BLove.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></div><b style="color: #ff00fe;">27. A Life Long Love by Gary Thomas (audiobook)</b><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: September 19, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating 7/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmODa7erXrM/YVHR3V8RMhI/AAAAAAAAScw/G6e0DpTiT644hN8oCC_M5Ju6LSMvHjf9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/along%2Ba%2Bstoried%2Btrail.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmODa7erXrM/YVHR3V8RMhI/AAAAAAAAScw/G6e0DpTiT644hN8oCC_M5Ju6LSMvHjf9wCLcBGAsYHQ/w129-h200/along%2Ba%2Bstoried%2Btrail.jpg" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>28. Along a Storied Trail by Ann H. Gabhart</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: September 26, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 8/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> </span></p><p>Tansy Calhoun is a young packhorse librarian in the Kentucky mountains. She loves to read and loves to pass that love onto her Appalachian community. Though not are supportive of the Packhorse librarian program or learning to read. But Tansy presses on hoping she can bring that love to anyone she can. The job also helps her struggling family to pay bills. Her father left to find work and they haven't heard from him since they left. Though Tansy is single she dreams of finding her perfect mate there is no one in the mountains whom Tansy is drawn towards. Then her dear friend Caleb moves back home with the intent of letting Tansy know that she has his heart but his plans are foiled when a stranger comes to town. One from the big city who is charming and can easily turn a young lady's head. When Caleb and Tansy help Perdita, an old spinster, out after her home burns to the ground they might be in for more than they bargained for. Perdita has not any friends and most are scared of her and she definitely would rather keep to herself. But now circumstances force her to receive help. As she sits and observes the goings on around her she knows whom Tansy should be choosing but who's going to listen to her? </p><p> This is the second "packhorse librarian" book I have read this year. While the first took on lots of deep issues with a grit and rawness this story was more of a light hearted read. While it did describe some of the poverty and characteristics of the Appalachian mountain people of the time it didn't go deep. And while the main character is a pack horse librarian I would say that part is on the surface of the story and secondary to help to move the light romance along. The characters are fun to get to know and grumpy old Perdita was a favorite and I loved her growth through the book. This was a good, faith based story if you are wanting an easier read of the time period and region without quite the "heaviness".
</p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BG23CEZXbnE/YWXwwrg76oI/AAAAAAAASe4/G1_sJpIeebcz8HmcrkKGylwSsc5MdILeACLcBGAsYHQ/s274/anxious%2Bpeople.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="184" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BG23CEZXbnE/YWXwwrg76oI/AAAAAAAASe4/G1_sJpIeebcz8HmcrkKGylwSsc5MdILeACLcBGAsYHQ/w134-h200/anxious%2Bpeople.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>29. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: September 12, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> </p><p>During a real estate open house in an apartment on New Year's Eve Day the lives of various strangers are about to intersect and change. A bank robber enters and takes them hostage. What is a bank robber doing at an open house in the first place? And how do the lives of a retired couple, a real estate agent, a wealthy banker, a young couple about to have a baby and two police officers all connect? Each of them has a past they are trying to hide from and the perfect storm has brought them together to make them face the truth about themselves. They become unlikely allies in a bizarre situation that will change their lives forever. </p><p> This was a very different story. As the author starts to lay the story out I must admit I found it a bit confusing but pressed on knowing that he would bring it together somehow. It is translated from a Scandanavian language and set in Sweden. It is a bit of complicated storytelling mostly done through conversation. Some of the story is laid out in the interrogation of the police of these individuals. At times the confusion and the seemingly bumbling cop trope made my eyes roll while at the same time occasionally giving me a laugh but by the last chapters of the book I had tears in my eyes. Backman has a knack for delving into human hearts, fears and actions that is uncanny making his characters relatable. It is ultimately a story of lost and found hope, connection, friendship and forgiveness.
</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WRY91gveS0I/YWzp4zoyRwI/AAAAAAAASgI/QZxM7cAx9eUmU1eAQ4YwIUQtnz9ltS9LgCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Day%2BAfter%2BNight.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WRY91gveS0I/YWzp4zoyRwI/AAAAAAAASgI/QZxM7cAx9eUmU1eAQ4YwIUQtnz9ltS9LgCLcBGAsYHQ/w132-h200/Day%2BAfter%2BNight.jpg" width="132" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>30. Day After Night by Anita Diamant</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: October 17, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> World War II has ended and at Atlit internment camp four young Jewish women are waiting to immigrate to Israel. Atlit is a prison for "illegal" immigrants rund by the British military. Like everyone else at the camp they have survived the Holocaust and each has secrets and a story of survival from the war. And like everyone else they are frustrated that they are being held even after the war is over. Shayndel is a Polish Zionist, Leonie came from Paris, Tedi was a Dutch Jew who was hidden, and Zorah survived a concentration camp. They have nothing in common yet everything in common. In spite of no one wanting to talk of what they had been through they form a bond of friendship that carries them through the long days and eventually through the escape of the camp. </p><p> This book is based on the true story of the more than 200 Jewish detainees who escaped this internment camp in October of 1945. I had not known anything about this part of WWII history and was taken aback that even after the war Jewish people were still being detained and held against their will and not even by the Nazi's but by the very people who helped "free" them, the British Allies because they didn't have papers. It focuses on the story of four women at the camp, each from very different backgrounds and experiences in the war, yet each one having suffered greatly on their road to survival. Each woman's story was heartbreaking and how they navigated through their challenges surviving the war and their time at the camp was well written. It's not a long book and at times I found it a bit choppy but it was a good read involving a piece of history that I have not heard talked about and have not read about before.</p><p><br /></p><p><b style="color: #ff00fe;"><br /></b></p><p><b style="color: #ff00fe;"><br /></b></p><p><b style="color: #ff00fe;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #ff00fe;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0YbH57Qm6m8/YX_sgukFm0I/AAAAAAAASh0/ivrZtxqh6cUXWm77IX0jYZQJd9RQOUKLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/451851.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0YbH57Qm6m8/YX_sgukFm0I/AAAAAAAASh0/ivrZtxqh6cUXWm77IX0jYZQJd9RQOUKLwCLcBGAsYHQ/w134-h200/451851.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></div><b style="color: #ff00fe;">31. Trace of Doubt by DiAnn Mills (audiobook)</b><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: October 31, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: red;">Review: </span><span>Shelby Pierce has been in prison for 15 years for the murder of her brother in law. Now out on parole she is trying to start her life over again in small town Texas. Trouble is it's a town that is too close to the situation and some are having a hard time giving her the benefit of the doubt. Tough a lovely woman, Amy-Jo, gives her opportunity to work in her cafe and to sell her jewellry there, Amy-Jo's brother, a police officer, is anything but polite and accepting and believes his sister will be conned. He'll do anything to drive Shelby out of their town. FBI agent Denton McClure was first assigned Shelby's case when he was a rookie and has always believed she embezzled hundred of thousands of dollars from her brother in law. Now upon her return he goes undercover to befriend her and hopefully figure out where the money is. But he is struggling justifying the Shelby of before with the newly returned Shelby who's come back a strong Christian and seemingly a different person. The more time he spends with her the more he experiences traces of doubt about her guilt and involvement starting to surface in his mind. And the more Shelby's life is threatened the more he is certain there is more to the story and she might not be the one they are after.</span></p><p>Good faith based mystery/thriller with lots of twists and deception along the way. Shelby is a good strong character who has had a definite life change and there are many good "faith" moments in the book. The story was good and though Shelby's character sometimes gave me pause because she seemed to have no fear, I suppose spending 15 years in prison might have had something to do with that. For some Christian readers the level of violence might be bothersome if they are sensitive to that. My first by this author, I listened to it on audiobook. This is where it was hard for me. I listened on hoopla and found 1.0 speed was too slow and 1.5 was too fast. No choice in between. And I also found that sometimes the narrator in switching voices to a male character would become very loud in voice and then when she switched back to a female character it was way softer. So the discrepancy back and forth was at times uncomfortable on the ear. </p><p>I rated this a 7.5/10</p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QirIjYQxiqA/YYfixKKCK_I/AAAAAAAASi4/j5UGAtdYPS05XSDCYwMru9EP6EbDnX4lwCLcBGAsYHQ/s475/the%2Bgolden%2Bson.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QirIjYQxiqA/YYfixKKCK_I/AAAAAAAASi4/j5UGAtdYPS05XSDCYwMru9EP6EbDnX4lwCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/the%2Bgolden%2Bson.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>32. The Golden Son by Shilpi Somaya Gowda</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: November 7, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: red;">Review:</span><span> Anil Patel is the oldest son in a large Indian family and as such is set to inherit his father's role as arbiter of the clan. But since he was 10 years old, when his father helped a family member to make a decision to seek surgery to help a baby with a cleft lip, his father has had dreams of Patel becoming a doctor to help their community. Leaving his home and close childhood friend, Leena, Anil goes to study for six years. When he lands an opportunity to finish his education at a prestigious hospital in the States his father buys his plane ticket and encourages him to go in spite of his mother disagreeing. Leaving Leena is the most difficult and both of them must now learn to navigate their respective worlds without each other. Now Anil is trying to fit in and survive in a world very different than the one he left behind, one which doesn't always respect or accept where he comes from and whose temptations clash with the way he was raised. And Leena, herself is trying to navigate those cultural expectations, ones that will change her life forever in ways she never imagined. But as life would have it, they eventually meet up again, both changed people from their experiences. </span></p><p><span> I loved this story. It is told well and drew me in right from the beginning. My heart was really drawn into the individual lives and struggles of both Anil and Leena, both from family and cultural expectations and for what they each faced as they navigated their respective worlds and the disappointments and life changing challenges it brought them. When their lives intersected once again my emotions swung from one end to the other as years of family beliefs and misunderstandings and their consequences were slowly revealed. It was interesting to learn about the ancient "panchayat system" in India, a tradition of settling disputes within a community and the pressures that puts upon an individual person. Though I felt the ending wrapped up just a little too quickly with introduction of new characters without explanation of how they came into the story, I still gave this a top rating because of the emotional impact and sensitive story telling that drew me right in beginning to end. If you like emotional stories that deal with family, friendship and other cultures I highly recommend with a trigger warning for an instance of abuse and an instance of violent racism.
</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pq4Dy9NNrLc/YY8zsuQ3E6I/AAAAAAAASkA/Qvsnu14Qci8n9_0yB5beX6I12czK-oABQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/the%2Bnature%2Bof%2Bfragile%2Bthings.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pq4Dy9NNrLc/YY8zsuQ3E6I/AAAAAAAASkA/Qvsnu14Qci8n9_0yB5beX6I12czK-oABQCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/the%2Bnature%2Bof%2Bfragile%2Bthings.jpg" width="133" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>33. The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: November 12, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Sophie Whalen is an Irish immigrant living in New York City when she answers an ad in the paper for a mail order bride. Without meeting, she agrees to marry Martin Hocking who lives in California. Sophie knows it's a marriage of convenience and that is just fine with her. Martin is a widower who needs a mother for his 5 year old daughter and Sophie needs somewhere where she can feel warm, safe, be provided for and have a child to love. But once Sophie marries Martin and moves into his home, she finds Martin though wonderfully handsome a strange and secretive man who doesn't seem to care for his own daughter. But Sophie has her own secrets so she lets things be while she finds solace in building a relationship with 5 year old Kat. When a strange woman shows up at the door with questions, it starts an unraveling in Sophie's and the stranger's lives that leads them to yet another piece of the puzzle that is Martin Hocking. With information in hand, Sophie and the stranger confront Martin and events lead to decisions that will intertwine and change their lives forever. Then a catastrophic earthquake hits and actual survival becomes the number one priority. </p><p> This book was a page turner. I love the way Susan Meissner weaves a story and in this one she uses the April 1906 earthquake and resulting fires that devastated San Francisco as a physical backdrop to her characters complicated lives which are under going a personal shaking and devastation . Once the story got going I found I couldn't put it down because I just had to know what was going to happen and what the secrets were that were all coming to the surface. I loved the characters of the women. It's a story of survival both physical and personal but also of friendship in the midst of the unbelievable and of the resilience of women to move beyond the devastating. Loved this story. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--gj0EV4cdE4/YbdiqCmP86I/AAAAAAAASmw/-xio6HJeoiAXKliZmLWF6hKm91_RyOaSwCNcBGAsYHQ/s500/God%2Bin%2Bthe%2BICU.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--gj0EV4cdE4/YbdiqCmP86I/AAAAAAAASmw/-xio6HJeoiAXKliZmLWF6hKm91_RyOaSwCNcBGAsYHQ/w200-h200/God%2Bin%2Bthe%2BICU.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>34. God in the ICU by Dave Walker, M.D. (audiobook)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: November 22, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Dr. Dave Walker started his career in South Africa as an Anesthetist with interest in the ICU. After the devastating loss of beloved family members within a short 2 year span where all his medical knowledge could not save them, he found himself struggling with his faith. This is his story of how God led him full circle to offering to pray with and for patients and touching their lives while transforming his practice. His story starts in South Africa during the time that democracy was rising up and then moves to the Middle East. </span></p><p><span> I loved this book! I listened to it as an audiobook and having Dr. Walker read his own story made it seem like I was sitting with him in conversation listening to his stories. I found it brave and encouraging and challenging to my own faith as he walked out what God asked him to do and that was simply to start offering to pray with patients and their families. Though God didn't always answer the prayers in the way that the Doctor thought He should or wanted Him to do, Dr. Walker, and his patients and families, saw miracles worked by God in His way and His timing according His purposes. Though sad at times, I found this book extremely encouraging, uplifting and inspirational pointing us to a God who hears us when we pray and is with us even in our darkest times. His use of scripture was not heavy handed or preachy but flowed with the stories and was perfectly naturally placed with the text. I will listen to this again!</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7VFh8USKpWI/YbdjP6NE50I/AAAAAAAASm8/bP41R8cz28clpWR6P5djhFS-OWLCBrLnACNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Big%2BLies%2Bin%2Ba%2BSmall%2BTown.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1347" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7VFh8USKpWI/YbdjP6NE50I/AAAAAAAASm8/bP41R8cz28clpWR6P5djhFS-OWLCBrLnACNcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/Big%2BLies%2Bin%2Ba%2BSmall%2BTown.jpg" width="131" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>35. Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: December 4, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>Morgan's schooling and career in art have been put on hold while she went to jail for taking the blame in a drunk driving accident. When a stranger and her lawyer come to the jail to offer Morgan a chance at early release in exchange for her restoring an old post office mural Morgan is all over it, anything to get out of jail. But her hope is soon crashing into skepticism. Why would a total stranger choose her, especially when she has no skills or knowledge of restoration work? And when tensions are high between her and the person who hired her she begins to doubt her decision. But as she learns about restoration and starts to work on the piece Morgan finds all sorts of odd and disturbing things the artist has placed in there seeming to collaborate the rumors that the artist descended into madness which pushes Morgan to keep going. Anna Dale had been a young artist from New York in the 1940's when she won a contest put on by the federal government hiring artists to paint small towns post office murals. Her assignment lands her in Edenton, North Carolina where she finds things she didn't expect. Things like anger that she won when there was a local artist who also submitted work into the contest and deep prejudices and secrets that the town is hiding. When she hires a young black teenager with great artistic talent Anna has no idea of the hate that will rise in some people. What small town secrets was Anna Dale trying to tell when she painted the odd office mural, it certainly seems like the madness rumors might be true, and why was Morgan the one chosen to reveal them? </span></p><p><span> This was a great story. Once it got going it was hard to put down. The two timelines flowed smoothly and the author did a great job in revealing just enough at each step to keep me turning to find out what happened. I loved Morgan's growth through the story. The story was both heart breaking and heart warming. It took the whole story to reveal why Morgan was chosen and kudos to the author for being able to hold out to the end the full reveal of the story.
</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SAEtiC5lefk/YbdjhQP9n6I/AAAAAAAASnE/RxgnbwF4TaATEQ-EvVNQE1_COJNL3XgLgCNcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BOrphan%2527s%2BTale.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1370" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SAEtiC5lefk/YbdjhQP9n6I/AAAAAAAASnE/RxgnbwF4TaATEQ-EvVNQE1_COJNL3XgLgCNcBGAsYHQ/w134-h200/The%2BOrphan%2527s%2BTale.jpg" width="134" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>36. The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: December 12, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 9/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span>After being thrown out by her father for becoming pregnant by a Nazi soldier, sixteen year old Noa finds herself totally alone dealing with the grief of not only being abandoned by family but also having her baby taken at birth. She now lives above a rail station and spends her days with her head down cleaning the station in order to earn her keep. When one day a rail car rolls into the station Noa has no idea how her life will now change. She discovers one of the cars is filled with Jewish infants with no adult in sight, headed for one of the concentration camps. Grieved at her finding Noa manages to take one of the babies and flees into the forest. Now having to hide not only herself but a Jewish infant, Noa comes upon the home base of a travelling circus whose owner takes pity upon her and puts her into the trapeze act. Noa has never done anything like this and she is terrified to learn. Just as terrifying is the woman, Astrid, the lead aerialist, who has been charged with teaching her. Astrid has her own secrets she is hiding and her resentment at having to teach Noa to become a trapeze artist is such a short time brings a lot of tension into their relationship. But as time goes on they develop a strong friendship that seems to continuosly be tested under the strain of the war and the weight of their secrets. </span></p><p> I enjoyed this story that is built around a real European circus hid some Jewish people within it's ranks during WWII. The story goes back and forth between Astrid's and Noa's point of view. At times I did find Noa's reactions and actions frustrating and sometimes I found myself mad at her character until I reminded myself that she was really just a teenager and Astrid was about 20 years her senior. There were harsh moments in the book as the realities of the war and what was happening in Europe brought tears to my eyes. The whole idea of the boxcar full of children which became known as the Unknown Children broke my heart. I did not see the ending coming. This was my first Pam Jenoff book and I will read more of hers.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_OzWzWS81Bp4zM7Sh-dnMbAOGfGqw_80BRZ6wIFWG5kzq6ZkE6EYqWJXaTV6Ja3rDEe0Q3rNdEI1aBFjI4kSl-jTon_b03Aw8LeIQbLoH2fKgTODJSUtIciuMZ_O6BfovDAoo3YCiqHKUKVDixs8XBsn1grDWezj21sGwxP0ZZkAiKduhiL6N02kg=s400" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="308" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_OzWzWS81Bp4zM7Sh-dnMbAOGfGqw_80BRZ6wIFWG5kzq6ZkE6EYqWJXaTV6Ja3rDEe0Q3rNdEI1aBFjI4kSl-jTon_b03Aw8LeIQbLoH2fKgTODJSUtIciuMZ_O6BfovDAoo3YCiqHKUKVDixs8XBsn1grDWezj21sGwxP0ZZkAiKduhiL6N02kg=w154-h200" width="154" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>37. 52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol by Bob Welch (reread)</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: December 31, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 10/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimVMS1-h13Ly72LKzSGDd8EpOzW_iYdVfkCDpLq5xb9cuMCdP6q3nXJaqeS9Pv6OgkjuOL7IqdzHLNF3D-cnOCo9Cd7iEZgbQbHik1ekba67bTb0DA4SwYDTz-ureCO1ze5-ySK5GVMyYaClCe3DIsS8pjMXKLGDa8bkveSBd2SIczQYpOXq7bevVY=s400" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimVMS1-h13Ly72LKzSGDd8EpOzW_iYdVfkCDpLq5xb9cuMCdP6q3nXJaqeS9Pv6OgkjuOL7IqdzHLNF3D-cnOCo9Cd7iEZgbQbHik1ekba67bTb0DA4SwYDTz-ureCO1ze5-ySK5GVMyYaClCe3DIsS8pjMXKLGDa8bkveSBd2SIczQYpOXq7bevVY=w129-h200" width="129" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><b>38. Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Completed: December 30, 2021</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Rating: 8/10</span></p><p><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-59451535593965955532021-01-05T11:40:00.000-07:002021-01-05T11:40:14.562-07:002021 Reading Challenge <p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif;">This year, 2021, I am changing up my reading challenge a bit. Because confession time: I am a book hoarder! I cannot seem to stop myself. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lu_qI_2NMtg/X_SyC-XBcvI/AAAAAAAARsY/j398lkTW1DEbdsiQFwonurEzmTZySAyRgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/20210105_110728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lu_qI_2NMtg/X_SyC-XBcvI/AAAAAAAARsY/j398lkTW1DEbdsiQFwonurEzmTZySAyRgCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h400/20210105_110728.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div> Please don't judge. I haven't necessarily bought all these books, though some I have. The dawn of the Little Library in my community has certainly added to the height of these piles. I'm notorious for taking books I no longer want to Little Libraries but in turn I also kept finding books I wanted to read so my piles never actually went down, they increased. Yikes! BookOutlet has certainly added to my addiction as their books are so super inexpensive I just can't help treating myself at times. Some of these are gifts or gift card purchases. I'm also notorious for still going to the library on top of having all these books to read. I can't help it, it's a de-stress thing for me but invariably I always find something to bring home to read. So in the end I am bringing in way more than I actually read at any one time. </div><div><br /></div><div>So I've joined a challenge I found on a Youtube channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLQ7R1W2Mxg" target="_blank">Chantel at An Intentional Life. </a> It's called the "Read Your Bookshelf Challenge". Each month there is a prompt and you pick a book that fits the prompt from your own shelves. I have decided that I am going to take on the challenge by not just finding one book within the prompt but I'm going to pull all my books that fit that particular prompt and call it my possibility pile for the month and read as many as I can from it. That way instead of being stuck with having to read a book I picked earlier but now am not feeling it, I'll have freedom to "mood read" within the challenge. Sounds fun to me. Here is Chantel's prompts for the year:</div><div><br /></div><div>January ~ A book with a "home-ish" word in the title such as "house", "home", "room", "mirror", "kitchen", "garden" etc. Feel free to interpret this one how you like</div><div><br /></div><div>February ~ A book with red on the cover or spine</div><div><br /></div><div>March ~ A book recommended by a friend</div><div><br /></div><div>April ~ A book with 5+ words in the title</div><div><br /></div><div>May ~ A book you should have read in high school</div><div><br /></div><div>June ~ A book with an animal on the cover</div><div><br /></div><div>July ~ Title that starts with the 1st letter of your first name</div><div><br /></div><div>August ~ Book in a series</div><div><br /></div><div>September ~ A translated book</div><div><br /></div><div>October ~ A book set in a different country than where you live</div><div><br /></div><div>November ~ A book with a night scene on the cover</div><div><br /></div><div>December ~ A book with a winter element on the cover</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I am going to really focus on getting this embarrassing pile down. Hopefully I'll get some of these books read and out of my closet and house. I am going to try and avoid the Little Libraries for awhile to try and not bring anymore books in. And I'm going to try and not use the library for awhile which is easy at the moment because it's curbside only. Though I do have a couple of previously put on hold titles I will have to add when they come in. </div><div><br /></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 17.6px;"></span></p><div>I also like the idea with this challenge that it is monthly. The other challenges I've done have been kind of seasonal so I was picking books for 3 months worth of reading. But last year I found this got overwhelming and I didn't always feel like reading some of my original choices as it got towards the end of the time frame. And I ended up changing some of titles midway thru the season because other more interesting things came up or library books I'd put on hold came in. So I think this monthly time frame will give me more freedom. I also think by having a possibility pile instead of a for certain pile it will be more fun and I won't feel bad if the named titles don't get read. It's a shift in mind set for me. </div>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-57605376967720066982020-11-08T22:15:00.007-07:002021-01-03T00:16:25.613-07:00October - December 2020 Reading List<p> Well, this quarter there will be some carry over's from the last quarter, such as all the library books that got put on back burner due to closures from COVID. It's also Non-fiction November (NF) which I like to participate in because it helps knock off my non-fiction books and I enjoy doing it. And then there is Christmas and there are some Christmas themed books I want to get out of my piles too. And all these added into my goals that I set at the beginning of the year. So who knows where this will go. But here are my probable choices:</p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>GOAL:<u> One book a month from my longest owned and unread books:</u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div> <span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"> -The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd </span>(carried over from last quarter)</div><div> <span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">-The Scroll by Grant R. Jeffrey & Alton L. Gansky</span></div><div> <span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">-Here's The Story by Maureen McCormick (NF)</span></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>GOAL: <u>2 Books per month from my own more recent unread piles:</u></div><div><br /></div><div> -Dangerous Depths (#3 Aloha Reef Series) by Colleen Coble</div><div> -Midnight Sea (#4 Aloha Reef Series) by Colleen Coble</div><div> <span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">-The Christmas Train by David Baldacci</span></div><div> -Keeping My Sister's Secrets by Beezy Marsh (NF)</div><div> -All My Mother's Secrets by Beezy Marsh (NF)</div><div> -The Complicated Heart by Sarah Mae (NF)</div><div> <span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">-Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (NF)</span></div><div> -EXTRAS: -What Happens At Christmas by Victoria Alexander</div><div> -Christmas Camp by Karen Schaler</div><div> <span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">-All I Have to Give by Melody Carlson</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>GOAL: <u>1 Book per month from my Library TBR</u></div><div><u><br /></u></div><div> <span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"> -The Engineer's Wife by Tracey Enerson Wood</span></div><div> -<strike>The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware (</strike>carried over) DNF'd</div><div> <span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">-The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>GOAL: <u>Finish 1 audiobook</u></div><div> -Risen by Angela Hunt</div><div><br /></div><div>GOAL: <u>1 Novella from Lineage of Grace Series </u> (personal study)</div><div> -Unspoken (Bathsheba) by Francine Rivers</div><div><br /></div><div> </div>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-37025213928152592932020-07-12T12:12:00.012-06:002020-10-03T11:59:31.999-06:00Quarter 2 Wrap UP and July - September Reading ListWell Quarter 2 didn't go quite as planned for reading for me. I just think too much stress during isolation and then the stress of everything to relearn and do for reopening the dayhome just made it so that I did a lot more playing of computer games than I did reading. Out of 16 books I had chosen (a couple of which rolled over from the 1st quarter), I only read 8. I DNF'd one. I just couldn't get into the writing style. Out of 4 from the library I only read one. It was ok and I just didn't feel like finishing the series. Out of the ones I did read most were good, with one a disappointment and 2 were excellent surprises. My favorites of the quarter were "<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Dream-Daughter-Novel-Diane-Chamberlain/dp/1250087317/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1589060758&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Dream Daughter" </a>by Diann Chamberlain and "<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Unshaken-Ruth-Lineage-Grace-Book-ebook/dp/B000FCKCH4/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=unshaken+francine+rivers&qid=1586451098&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Unshaken</a>" by Francine Rivers.<br />
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Hopefully, this 3rd quarter will bring more reading motivation! You can find my April - June Reading List <u><a href="https://loveofreading.blogspot.com/2020/04/april-june-reading-list.html" target="_blank">here. </a></u> I have highlighted the ones I finished. And <a href="https://loveofreading.blogspot.com/2020/01/2020-books-reads-and-reviews.html" target="_blank">all reviews are here. </a><br />
<br />
So for my July - September Reading List things have changed a bit as review books are no longer available t me. A fact that breaks my heart! But it's not like I don't have other choices! I have chosen the following: <br />
<br />
GOAL: 1 book a month from my box of longest owned and unread books :<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Never-Change-Elizabeth-Berg/dp/0743411323" style="color: #235fa3; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">-Never Change</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> by Elizabeth Berg (carried over)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> -<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Scroll-Novel-Grant-R-Jeffrey-ebook/dp/B004KPM1YE/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+scroll+jeffrey+grant+alton+gansky&qid=1594577841&s=books&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Scroll</a> by Grant R Jeffrey and Alton L. Gansky</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> <strike>-<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Scroll-Novel-Grant-R-Jeffrey-ebook/dp/B004KPM1YE/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+scroll+jeffrey+grant+alton+gansky&qid=1594577841&s=books&sr=1-1">Outside the Lines</a> by Amy Hatvany </strike> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #b4a7d6; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">DNF'D</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> -<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Invention-Wings-Sue-Monk-Kidd/dp/0143121707/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+invention+of+wings&qid=1598024519&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Invention of Wings</a> by Sue Monk Kidd </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">GOAL: 2 books per month from my own more recent piles:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> </span><span><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Secret-Wife-Gill-Paul/dp/0008102147/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7GIOVJ3SYIN6&keywords=the+secret+wife+by+gill+paul&qid=1579020764&sprefix=The+Secret+Wife+b%2Caps%2C461&sr=8-1" style="color: #5c91c2; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;" target="_blank">-The Secret Wife</a> by Gil Paul (carried over)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> -<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Shape-Family-Shilpi-Somaya-Gowda/dp/1443458988/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2YFRF28CQAX4M&dchild=1&keywords=the+shape+of+family+by+shilpi+somaya+gowda&qid=1594577240&sprefix=the+shape+of+family%2Caps%2C206&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Shape of Family</a> by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (carried over)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> -<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Distant-Echoes-Aloha-Colleen-2014-08-19/dp/B01FIXMF74/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=distant+echoes+colleen+coble&qid=1594577278&sr=8-3" target="_blank">Distant Echoes</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Aloha-Reef-Collection-Dangerous-Midnight-ebook/dp/B00KQ2G7YK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=aloha+reef+series&qid=1594577321&sr=8-1" target="_blank">(Aloha Reef Series)</a> by Colleen Coble</span><div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"> -</span><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Black-Sands-Colleen-Coble-August/dp/B01B997D7I/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=black+sands+by+colleen+coble&qid=1594577366&sr=8-3" target="_blank">Black Sands</a> (Aloha Reef Series) by Colleen Coble</span></span></div><div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> -<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Dangerous-Depths-Aloha-Colleen-2014-11-25/dp/B01K3RHQNS/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=dangerous+depths+by+colleen+coble&qid=1594577402&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Dangerous Depths</a> (Aloha Reef Series) by Colleen Coble</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> -<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Midnight-Sea-Colleen-Coble/dp/1401690068/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1594995361&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Midnight Sea</a> (Aloha Reef Series) by Colleen Coble</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">GOAL: 1 book per month from library TBR:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> -<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Gentleman-Moscow-Amor-Towles/dp/0143110438/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=a+gentleman+in+moscow&qid=1594577202&sr=8-1" target="_blank">A Gentleman in Moscow</a> by Amor Towles</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> -<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Day-After-Night-Anita-Diamant/dp/0743299841/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Day+after+night&qid=1594577169&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Day After Night </a> by Anita Diamont</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> -<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Woman-Cabin-10-Ruth-Ware/dp/1501168819/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1USANUJZ67D4T&keywords=the+woman+in+cabin+10&qid=1594577121&sprefix=the+woman+in+cabin+10%2Caps%2C202&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Woman in Cabin 10</a> by Ruth Ware</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">GOAL: 1 novella each month from Lineage of Grace series for personal devotion:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> -<a href="https://www.christianbook.com/unspoken-lineage-of-grace/francine-rivers/9780842335980/pd/35980?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">Unspoken (Bathsheba)</a> by Francine Rivers (carried over)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> -<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Unafraid-Mary-Francine-Rivers/dp/0842335994/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1594577038&sr=8-1">Unafraid (Mary)</a> by Francine Rivers (carried over)</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">GOAL: finish 1 audiobook</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> -</span>
<span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><a href="https://christianaudio.com/liturgy-of-the-ordinary-tish-harrison-warren-audiobook-download" target="_blank">Liturgy of the Ordinary-Sacred Practices in Everyday Life</a> by Tish Harrison Warren </span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"> Bonus: Also finished </span><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;">Unglued by Lisa TerKeurst</span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9d2e9;"><span><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> <br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;">Fingers crossed I can whip thru these this summer!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif;"> </span></div>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-90254051074607428022020-04-18T22:35:00.004-06:002020-07-30T08:09:05.337-06:00April - June Reading ListHi Readers. April is here. Well technically it's here and already chugging along into it's second week. I am very late with this post but I just have not been able to concentrate with writing posts. It is what it is but I still want to record a reading list. And I want to choose books that will fullfill my reading goals this year. As I said in my <a href="https://susannesspace.blogspot.com/2020/04/first-quarter-2020-reading-update.html" target="_blank">1st quarter update</a> I didn't complete all my goals for the various reasons stated within that post. I have carried over the ones I didn't complete into this list. Hopefully I have a really good push and can finish those and be doing so well I can even add onto those titles.<br />
As of now my library is closed so I can't put holds or pick up any books but I happened to have gone to the library a few weeks before the shut down so have some books from there that I will use for this quarter. They weren't technically on my library list, I just saw them on the shelf and nabbed them because they looked interesting and were by an author I enjoy. Now I'm glad that I did.<br />
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GOAL: 1 book a month from my longest owned and unread books:<br />
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<span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pilots-Wife-Oprahs-Book-Club/dp/0316601950/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+pilot%27s+wife&qid=1579020213&sr=8-1" style="background-color: #d9ead3;" target="_blank">-The Pilot's Wife </a></span><br />
<strike><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Sins-Fathers-James-S-Bell/dp/0310253306/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Sins+of+the+Fathers+james+scott+bell&qid=1579020471&sr=8-1#customerReviews" target="_blank">-Sins of the Fathers</a> by James Scott Bell (carried over from 1st quarter)</strike> (DNF'd)<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Never-Change-Elizabeth-Berg/dp/0743411323" target="_blank"> -Never Change</a> by Elizabeth Berg<br />
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GOAL: 2 books per month from my owned piles:<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Secret-Wife-Gill-Paul/dp/0008102147/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7GIOVJ3SYIN6&keywords=the+secret+wife+by+gill+paul&qid=1579020764&sprefix=The+Secret+Wife+b%2Caps%2C461&sr=8-1" target="_blank">-The Secret Wife</a> by Gil Paul (carried over)<br />
<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Proper-Pursuit-Lynn-Austin/dp/0764228919/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1579020849&sr=8-1" target="_blank"> -A Proper Pursuit </a></span><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Shape-Family-Shilpi-Somaya-Gowda/dp/144345897X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1586296262&sr=8-1" target="_blank">-The Shape of Family</a> by Shilpi Somaya Gowda<br />
<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"> -Heidi by Johanna Spyri (couldn't find a link to my specific version)</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> </span><a href="https://www.christianbook.com/water-keeper-charles-martin/9780785230915/pd/230915?product_redirect=1&search_term=the%20water%20keeper&Ntt=230915&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP" target="_blank"> <span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">-The Water Keeper</span></a><span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"> by Charles Martin</span><br />
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GOAL: 1 book per month from my library list<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Murder-at-Courthouse-H-Gabhart/dp/0800726766/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1586450845&sr=8-2" target="_blank"> <span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">-Murder at the Courthouse</span></a><span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"> by A.H. Gabhart</span><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Murder-Comes-Mail-H-Gabhart/dp/0800727053/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1586450845&sr=8-1" target="_blank">- Murder Comes by Mai</a>l by A.H. Gabhart<br />
-<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Murder-No-Accident-H-Gabhart/dp/080072710X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1586450845&sr=8-3" target="_blank">Murder is No Accident </a>by A.H. Gabhart<br />
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GOAL: for devotional type reading 1 novella/study per month from the Lineage of Grace books<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Unspoken-Bathsheba-Francine-Rivers/dp/0842335986/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">-Unspoken</a> (Bathsheba)<br />
-<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Unafraid-Mary-Lineage-Grace-Book-ebook/dp/B000FCKCHO/ref=pd_sim_351_1/137-6183337-0872306?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000FCKCHO&pd_rd_r=6ec79a17-b8d0-40b7-bd35-01bf5ced40cd&pd_rd_w=tMbGd&pd_rd_wg=fFXpB&pf_rd_p=bb13f38b-9bc6-4fde-a815-ee0f707713b4&pf_rd_r=W0DPN2TG2N8XJ0A4RCRX&psc=1&refRID=W0DPN2TG2N8XJ0A4RCRX" target="_blank">Unafraid</a> (Mary)<br />
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So that is my list for the next 3 months. Maybe with me now not working I can get to more. Time will tell. As before I will highlight the books read.Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-21937464423067307322020-01-21T09:29:00.041-07:002021-09-16T20:49:57.812-06:002020 Book Reads and Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>1. Us Against You by Fredrik Backman</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: January 17, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Us Against You continues the story of the Beartown hockey after the tragic events that occurred to split the team and the town in two. As Peter, the general manager, struggles to rebuild a team who's major players have all left to play for the neighboring town's team instead, forces are working against him. That is until a slick politician comes along with some investors who want to rebuild what the town has lost. But there is a price to pay. And is Peter willing to sacrifice all to stay in Beartown and keep his job. Peter will have to find new players not only willing to play but good enough to stand up to the former players of Beartown team now playing for the rival Hed team. As the big game approaches, the two teams and towns stir up the rivalry with not only verbal assaults but pranks that start to ramp up and take dangerous turns and what started as rivalry turns to hatred. When a major player's deepest secret is exposed, it's like another bomb has gone off in the midst of the team. By the time the big game is played someone will be dead, and residents and players of both towns will have to look deep to what they have allowed hockey to become.<br />
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Once again Fredrik Backman brings a story that goes way beyond the surface. He has a great talent at going into hearts and attitudes and human nature and exposing both the ugly and the beautiful. He writes characters that have both good and bad, and makes them relateable. In this sequel he again takes something that should be simple and enjoyable, a sport, and totally exposes underlying and complex attitudes and feelings that we as a society have allowed into the role that sports and competition in general plays in our lives and brings it to the surface through the characters. It is an emotional ride through story telling going way beyond the sport that he uses as a base for everything else. For the most part I enjoyed it, it made me think, it took my emotions all over the board and drew me in to the characters. This author has amazing character development even though the book does deal with lots of different characters. The story has moved along from the last book and some storylines wrapped up and new ones were introduced through new characters and because there is a book 3 to this whole thing a few storylines were kinda left with the reader wondering what could happened to certain characters. There is some delving into politcal and moral issues worked into this story. Backman's style is a bit different and his way of using leading sentences to hold the reader captive and wondering is for the most part ingenious but I have to admit that toward the end of the book I felt he was way over using it. The story is shocking in it's progression of violence both in the portrayal and in the sense that it totally shows how we don't believe how we as individuals could ever play a part in that or get to that point yet here we are as a society. I was glad that the proliferation of f-bombs and swearing that I found hard in the first book were very much toned down in this one. If you read and enjoyed Beartown, which is a must read to be able to understand these storylines, this will take you farther into the exploration of human nature through a town totally invested in it's hockey team.
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>2. The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: January 30, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
In 1908 Thea Reid finds herself in Pleasant Valley, Wisconson taking Memento Mori photographs, photos of the deceased. But what really brought her to Pleasant Valley was a search for her mother who gave her to an orphanage when she was small. She'd fallen into her odd career when a traveling photographer and his wife needed a helper and took her in. But now they were both deceased, and taking over the photography business was a means to an end. But settling in Pleasant Valley is proving very strange. The town is weird, divided down the middle supposedly for religious reasons, but rumor hath it it's more of a family fued involving murder with the victim haunting the streets. When the clues to her mom lead her to the local asylum Thea uses her photographic talent to gain access to the asylum. But there is more happening there that she bargained for and the secrets kept within may just be her undoing.
A century later, Heidi Lane is also headed to Pleasant Valley after receiving a very odd, obscure letter from her mother. Her mom is in a home facing dementia so getting the letter asking her to come is strange especially when Heidi has been estranged from the family, including her sister, for many years. But as usual trouble seems to follow her and when strange things start occuring her urge to run as usual wants to take over especially when she starts see a ghostly woman rumored to be someone called Misty Wayfair. Will her urge to run or her deep desire to find out what her Mom's letter meant win out?<br />
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I am not a fan of ghost stories so I was really reluctant to read this book but it seemed to get such great reviews I thought I'd give it try. And I'm glad I did. It was well written and really grabbed my attention with it's gothic and modern day settings. The two women's quests to seek their identities was compelling and the stories of both kept me turning the pages. The setting of the asylum and the curse of Misty Wayfair lent a creepiness to the story and kept me turning the pages to find out the truth and how the two stories were connected. I loved how the author was able to weave into the story how asylums used to be and how those with mental illness, depression and sometimes even medical things such as seizures were treated and experimented on. This is the second book I've read by this author and I've enjoyed both.
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>3. Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: February 14, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 5.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
Aimee Tierney seems to have everything going her way. She's a chef at her parent's restaurant which she loves and she's about to marry her childhood sweetheart. Everything is going her way up until a couple of months before her wedding day. On a business trip to Mexico, one which she tried to talk him out of, James Donato, her fiance, falls off a fishing boat and goes missing. Now two months later, James body has been found and instead of walking down the aisle at her wedding she is burying James on her wedding day. When a stranger approaches her in the parking lot afterwards the things that are said to her rock her world even more but can they be true? Aimee struggles to move on but what the stranger told her eats at her. And even as she rebuilds not only her career but her emotional life, she is drawn to search out answers into James accident and disappearance. And the secrets she finds will make her question everything about her life with James.<br />
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The premise of this book sounded so interesting but, for me, it fell down in areas of the execution. The exploration of grief and loss from a tragic event was good and you felt for Aimee as she tried to work through not only the tragic loss of her fiance but also all of her dreams as every area of her world comes crashing down. There was however, so much that didn't work for me with the story. Reactions, and in some cases, almost non-reactions to major events, simplistic solving of situations, answers that were a little too convenient made it feel forced and rushed. There is a book 2 and 3 and the second deals with the perspective of another of the major characters to the major secrets so maybe when read together the story would come together better. But as it read in just this first book, for me, it just didn't quite gel.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b>4. The Victory Club by Robin Lee Hatcher</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: February 21, 2020</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: #e69138;"> </span><br />
As WWII takes the men away to fight the battle overseas, this is the story of 4 women fighting the battle on the homefront. They all work Dottie, Margo, Lucy and Penelope are work at the same factory at Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho. Their interactions at lunch has inspired some of them to start a "Victory Club" to help people out during these trying times. It was Lucy's idea and she wants a relevant way to put into practice her Christian faith. But as the war continues and each woman tries to cope with what they have been handed in life, trials and the choices they make will threaten to derail their faith.<br />
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This is very definitely under the category of Christian fiction. I really liked it. This is one of my favorite Christian authors because she really has the ability to present the Christian faith walked out in the trials and testings of everyday life. Robin Lee Hatcher was able to have insight into the very real situations, temptations and feelings that might have presented themselves to women of that era that were left to hold down the fort at home while the men were fighting in WWII. I liked how she didn't sugar coat trials but made them very relatable. This book was an example of why I love solid well written Christian fiction that shows our faith being walked out in everyday situations and circumstances. Just like real life doesn't always have the perfect ending, not every situation in the story was wrapped up with a pretty bow and I appreciated that in this story as it left me to think out what I might have done and how I would have reacted. This was a great read to remind us that the Christian faith is walked out one step at a time with the choices that we make when faced with the circumstances life brings us.
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b>5. Unveiled (Lineage of Grace Series) by Francine Rivers</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
Tamar did not want to get married at 14, especially to Judah's oldest son Er, whom she had heard was a very cruel man. But because of the traditions of the day, Tamar has no choice in the matter. Her father has made what he considers a good match and her mother won't back her up but insists she not shame the family. As she very quickly finds out the rumors of Er being cruel are all true and she starts to bear the brunt of his meanness. And on top of it her in-laws give in to Er, not ever giving him consequences for his behavior. Her father-in-law, Judah, is spineless around him, and her mother-in-law dotes on him and is bitter towards Tamar. Tamar is for all intents and purposes alone. Even as she hides her fear of Er, she does her best to be obedient and a good wife, hoping she produces the heir they want. When Er unexpectedly dies, according to tradition his brother must take her for a wife and produce the heir that Er had not. But Onan is also cruel, though in a different way, and Tamar is left with no hope of redeeming herself by giving Judah descendants. When Onan also dies, she is banished back home much to the shame of her family and to her own disgrace. But Tamar holds out hope of being redeemed and concocts a plan to get justice for herself.<br />
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I had forgotten to write a review of this first book in the Lineage of Grace series by Francine Rivers. The series are five novellas of five unlikely women that changed eternity. The author dedicated this story of Tamar to all those who have been abused and used and yearn for justice. Tamar's character, in spite of the horrid times for women, managed to have dignity and hope in the midst of all the cruelty and injustice. The one thing I did feel a lot reading this story was anger. Anger at the way women were treated in that day, anger at Judah for being so spineless, anger at Tamar's family, and anger that history was just so demeaning to women in general. It is just a story of the bible that is hard to put into perspective because of the content and the times. But Tamar's character in the midst of it all is what stood out for me. She was strong in her own way and managed to be faithful, dedicated and the author managed to give her dignity and convey her story as one of hope. The novella starts with a section called "Setting the Scene" (as does all the books in this series) that gives the historical perspective of the times and what was going on and finishes with an epilogue that tells what happened to the characters later in the biblical story and how the main character came to be in the lineage of Jesus. There is then a Seek and Find section that has questions to apply the story to one's life today.
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b>6. If I Run by Terri Blackstock</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: March 2, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b>7. If I'm Found by Terri Blackstock</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: March 7, 2020</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b>8. If I Live by Terri Blackstock</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: March 12, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"> Rating: 10/10 </span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span><span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></span><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
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If I Run series is a trilogy composed of "If I Run", "If I'm Found" and "If I Live". When Casey Cox comes across a friend's murder scene, everything in her says to run. Going to police isn't an option as they have failed her in the past. In her mind, she must run and hide until she can find the truth. But her DNA is all over the murder scene so local police are on the hunt for her. Meanwhile her deceased friend's parents have brought in a retired war veteran to find Casey while local police work the murder case at home. Dylan Roberts worked to solve murder cases for the military and he is good at what he does but PTSD has marred his life. Everything in him wants to prove he is still good at what he does and make it onto a police force so finding Casey is imperative. But there are many contradictions to this young woman that do not make sense. Nothing about her and the trail she leaves points to a killer. But if she's not the killer why is she running? But for Casey hiding is something harder than she ever thought possible as her very nature that cannot turn away from helping others reveals her and she must flee yet again. Everyone has a stake in finding Casey including the mayor's reputation but can Dylan make it past Casey's survival smarts and all the other obstacles thrown his way?<br />
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This was an edge of your seat suspense/cat and mouse thriller. I reviewed the three together because you have to read them all as the stories are one continuation of the whole revealing more about the truth as you go. And can we just stop and acknowledge the awesome covers of these books? Each is a really great cover on it's own but when put together they make one picture as a whole. Even the spines do that. Kudos to the creator of the covers.
The author wove each of the books together well while building upon each book to the conclusion. I read them back to back as I couldn't put it down and didn't want the story interrupted. The story grabs the reader right from the beginning and keeps the pages turning as Casey is in hiding while trying to find evidence to exonerate herself and reveal the real killer and Dylan is trying to find Casey. All the characters are well developed even the minor ones and I really started to care what happens to Casey and Dylan as the story unfolds. They are relatable as each tries to deal with what has happened in their pasts while trying to live through the next day. The author stated in the back that she wanted to write a story based on a female fugitive modeled after "The Fugitive" tv series back in the day. I thought she did a great job in creating a character who must prove her innocence even as she has to keep uprooting and recreating herself in the various communities she has tried to melt into.
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>9. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: April 7, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></span><br />
It is 1937 and Pearl and her sister May are teenagers growing up in Shanghai. Their family was well off but Pearl has been noticing a few things that are a bit unusual such as things missing from the home and certain servants no longer around. But Pearl and her sister have little time to really think deeply about such things. They are modern girls who are also models, beautiful girls, for the Chinese calendars so they are living a carefree, independent, party filled life. That is until the day they come home to find their father has "given" them in marriage to the sons of a Chinese American business man in order to pay off his gambling debts. As they plot a way to get out of what their father has done and make their escape, the Japanese attack Shanghai and they make the life altering decision to go to America after all, but always with plans to escape their new father in law once they are there. Once on American soil however, it is easier said than done. Being the older sister Pearl has always felt a deep need to protect May yet their deep seated rivalries and jealousies follow them to America in spite of them having to cling to one another in order to survive. Life will mean sacrifices and tough choices but can they look past their own inner turmoils to help each other?<br />
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Using Shanghai and California as a backdrop to the story, this book takes you on an immigration journey of two sisters. It was fascinating to read of the Chinese experience as they came to America and the struggles they faced and the prejudice they encountered in trying to fit in and make a life. Many of my assumptions were confronted about this group of immigrants and their journeys. Though I found the first part of the book a little slower in reading, there is lots of description of their privileged life ,which for me was a bit tedious, but it becomes fundamental to the story in order for the reader to understand how hard their new life would be for them to acclimate to and how they had to change and adapt. The book, for me, really picked up once the war began. Though it is a quick read, it is not an easy read. With the start of the war, comes some very horrific things taking place and happening to them individually and there is lots of attitudes and terms that would be considered politically incorrect in this day and age but is historically correct to the times. Though the story deals with very hard events throughout the girl's lives it is at it's core a story of sisterly love and commitment to each other no matter what. I would not call this a happy, fluffy read. The girls do not live an easy life in America and their own relationship is very complicated. But I learned a lot about another culture's experience with trying to fulfill their American Dream while staying true to their roots and coming to an understanding of what family is. The book ended abruptly for me with loose ends but then I found out there is a second book continuing the story so I will read that to find out what happens.<br />
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Great historical fiction but with some trigger warnings to harsh attitudes towards women, and abuses perpetrated through war if you are sensitive to that.
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>10. Heidi by Johanna Spryi</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: April 16, 2020</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 10/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
As a young child, Heidi was orphaned. Her paternal grandfather lives in the mountains of the Swiss Alps all by himself. Being a loner is his choice as he has become angry at life. The villagers know to leave him well enough alone. But the endearing Heidi soon works her way into his heart as she adopts his beloved mountain with as much fervor as he himself does. But when her aunt, who dropped her off in the first place, comes to collect her to live with a rich family in the city to be a companion to their handicapped daughter, both Heidi and Grandfather want nothing to do with it. But Grandfather gets convinced he is being selfish keeping Heidi on a mountain and finally lets her go. Though Heidi befriends Klara, her heart is still on the mountain with her Grandfather and her health starts to suffer due to homesickness. Upon Klara's Doctor's recommendations Heidi is finally allowed to go home to her beloved Grandfather and mountain. When Klara comes to visit, the mountain works it's magic with her also.<br />
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I have always loved the story of Heidi though have not read the book since a little kid. I've watched all the tv adaptations through the years and loved them all. So when I saw this in a Little Library I nabbed it. I enjoyed the story just as much as an adult as I did when a kid. It was written in 1959, with this Scholastic edition releasing in 1974. Because it was written in the '50's there is some things in there that are out of step with how we treat children or do things in this era but the story of the charming orphan Heidi and how by just being her loving self she touches and changes the lives around her is just as sweet and endearing now as back in the day.
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>11. Unashamed by Francine Rivers</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: April ?, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: #e69138;"> </span><br />
This is a retelling of the biblical story of Rahab. If you don't know Rahab's story, she was a prostitute who lived in the walls of the city of Jericho. All of Jericho had heard of the Israelites and their conquering God, so when they heard that they were headed towards Jericho, the people were very afraid. But there was something in Rahab that wants to know the Israelite's God and to seek redemption, and she would do what she had to do to save her family, knowing that they would have surrender in order to be saved. So when the Israelite spies entered Jericho, Rahab hid them in exchange for their promise to keep her and her family safe when the attack came.<br />
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I liked this retelling of the story. Francine Rivers was able to give thoughts and feelings to the main characters of the story that made me see it in a new light and made me think of things that never occured to me. The author gave a base for the love story between Rahab the prostitute and Salmon, the Israelite and showed the difficulty of how that relationship would be accepted and yet God made it happen and Rahab went on to be in the lineage of Christ. I loved the redemption aspect of the story and how determined Rahab was to become a part of what she saw God doing. I thought the author did a great job describing the historical part of the story which really drew me into the era and times. At the end is a really indepth bible study that not only takes you further into the biblical account but also how it applies to one's life today.<br />
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Unashamed is one novella in a series called the Lineage of Grace about 5 unlikely women who changed eternity. It can be found as a stand alone or bound with the other 4 novellas as one book. The dedication reads: Unashamed is dedicated to women who think a past of mistakes ruins any chance of a joy-filled future. Turn to Jesus and experience the wonders He has waiting for you.
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>12. The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: April 18, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 7.0/10 </span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></span><br />
Kathryn lives with her pilot husband and their 15 year old daughter in her dream home in New England. She is living the life she wanted: a loving husband, a job she likes teaching in a high school, a home by ocean, a daughter they both adore. While her life may not be super exciting, it is definitely satisfying. The hard parts are the loneliness when her husband is away flying one of his routes. Then one night when her husband is gone, she is awakened to banging on the door and she gets the visit no pilot's wife ever wants to get, that her husband's plane has crashed off the coast of Ireland and there are no survivors.
As she tries to walk through the grief and anguish and help her daughter through it, the endless scrutiny of what led to the crash and her husband's part in it start to take their toll. When rumors start to swell that this may have been no accident and that her husband had a secret life Kathryn is determined to find the truth while still protecting their daughter. But as even as she digs for answers does she really want to know the truth?<br />
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I vaguely knew what the story was about having watched the movie many, many years ago but couldn't quite remember what went on but did sort of remember the twist. I forgot about one large aspect of it, something in stories that I don't like to read about, but remembered liking the "mystery" aspect of it. The story dragged at times and seemed slow moving, there is a lot of grief for Kathryn to deal with, but there was enough to what was happening that it did make me want to find out what was going on. But all in all it was a book I did not really enjoy because of some of the subject matter and the whole thing was just sad and infuriating to me.
Because of that I struggled with a rating. I didn't want to lower a rating because of personal preference to a story line but it definitely did color the enjoyment of the story for me.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>13. Murder at the Courthouse by A.H. Gabhart</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: April 25, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
When Michael Keane took on the job of deputy sheriff in small town Hidden Springs, Kentucky he thought he had left the stress of big city policing behind. He was looking forward the much more slow paced life of getting to know everyone in his hometown again and having small time tickets be his biggest policing. But when a stranger to town is found shot on the courthouse steps, Michael is confronted once again with big crime. As he tries to solve the case which has put the whole town on edge, he must deal with all sorts of townsfolk who think they know the answer. When the sheriff is laid up in hospital, he comes up with his own crazy theory and insists Michael look into it. Against his better judgement Michael complies and what he discovers will make him wonder if he ever really knew his hometown at all. <br />
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I love Ann H. Gabhart's historical fiction, so when I saw she'd written a cozy mystery series, I thought I'd give it a try for some lighter reading time. Her characters were simple yet complex, quirky yet infuriating at times, the kind you expect to find in a small town cozy mystery. Michael himself is trying to sort out his life and things that have happened so there is some good back story. Though I didn't guess the what, where, when and why, and was there for that ride, I did unfortunately guess the who fairly early on. An easy summer type of read that you can escape with. There are 2 more in the "Hidden Springs Mystery" series, so I'm sure Michael will be developed even more along with some of the other characters in this town.
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>14. A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: May 9, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: #e69138;"> </span><br />
Set in 1893, Violet Hayes is a young 20 year old woman still living with her father. She was told her mother became ill when she was very young, and though she doesn't remember a lot of her she does hold some sweet memories. So when her father announces his intention to marry a widower with two children, Violet is shocked and upset as it also reveals that her mother wasn't ill but had actually left and divorced her father. Add to it the fact that her father is trying to get her to marry a young man from town whom Violet finds dull and has nothing in common. She longs to spread her wings and talks her father into letting her stay the summer with her grandmother and three aunts in Chicago convincing him that her socialite aunt may have better prospects for her. But her true plan is to try to find her mother and to see the Chicago World's Fair but she can't tell her father that. Reluctantly, her father gives in worrying that the aunts won't be the best influence on his young daughter. But what Violet finds in Chicago is an grandmother dedicated to serving the Lord amongst the poor, an aunt who wants to show her off to high society, another who wants to introduce her to the suffragete movement, and another who thinks her precious husband is still off fighting a war that ended long ago and who believes in true love. Each of these ladies wants Violet to join their world and brings exposure to life as Violet has never known and suitors aplenty, each very different from the other, so that now Violet will have to make some choices. And in the midst of all this is the mystery who her mother was and nobody is willing to talk about that. Violet's sheltered eyes are opened wide and with her father's ultimatum she must make her choice or let him make it for her.<br />
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This book started off a bit slow but then built into a good story of a young girl from that era and the choices she faced. The grandmother and aunts were a fun mix of very different personalities and lifestyles that really added to the story by giving historical context to everything going on at the time. Though Violet and her lack of worldliness and wisdom, and complete naive and immature attitude for her age of 20 had me at times rolling my eyes, I suppose it was not unusual for that era. I love how the author was able to transport me into the world of the Chicago World's Fair, both the fun and wonder and the seedier side, and to all the things that were going on in a big city of the time. This is a great read for fans of historical fiction with a little romance, coming of age and mystery thrown in.
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>15. The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed May 18, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 10+/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: #e69138;"> </span><br />
It is 1970 and Carly Sears has just received the news that her unborn baby has a fatal heart defect. Unfortunately the news comes on top of the news that her soldier husband was killed in the Vietnam War. Devastated and alone, she cannot bring herself to do what the doctors are suggesting she do. The baby was a dream of her and husband and she was not even able to give him the news of being pregnant before he was killed. When her brother-in-law, Hunter, says he might have a solution she is faced with the biggest decision of her life, one that seems improbable and that will require great courage and faith in the impossible. While she has a great relationship with Hunter there are things that no one knows about him. She must decide whether she can trust him with not only her unborn baby's life but with her own as well.<br />
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I absolutely loved this story. It is a split time novel taking place in the 70's and in the 2000's. It's a contemporary story with a sci-fi twist. A story of family bonds, of the strength and faith of a mother's love and a story that challenges ethics and what one would do to save a loved one. I couldn't put it down. It is well written, was never confusing as some of these types of stories can be, and tore my heart. Carly's struggle was heart wrenching and real and I felt every moment of her mother's heart. Sometimes I was frustrated with her decision making process but that's because I was looking at it from the vantage point of my couch but it was totally real and understandable given her situations. The consequences of the choices her and Hunter make sucked me right in because they were believable and emotional. The twists were realistic and unexpected. While sci-fi and especially this type of sci-fi is not usually what I choose for my reading, I went into this story blind not wanting to know what it was really about. I was surprised that it took that turn but the author was able to weave the two together so well and made it such a rich story that I'm pretty sure this is going to be one of my favorites of the year. It was pretty clean considering it's a secular novel which I really appreciated. I loved the ending and closed it with a very happy sigh. I know this review is a bit vague about what the story is actually about but it is hard give a synopsis without revealing what it is about. If you like contemporary stories that involve family, love, moral dilemmas, or sci fi I recommend this one. I think this would make an awesome movie.
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>16. The Water Keeper by Charles Martin</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed June 28, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8/10</span><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></div><div><br />Murphy Shepard was a dedicated and courageous part of a team that used to rescue girls who had been taken and were bound for the sex trade operating out of Florida. But now he is holed up on an island caretaking a church that nobody attends while he grieves the loss of two key people in his life. When a young woman named Angel shows up at the church Murphy realizes she is headed for very kind of fate that he has dedicated his life to saving girls just like her from. A runaway who has met the wrong people, she is part of a "party boat" floating through Florida's waterways not knowing she is about to become part of modern day slavery. As Murphy heads down to the south of Florida to grieve and to lay his friend and mentor to rest he finds a beautiful former durg addict and dancer that needs his help finding her missing daughter, a young stowaway looking to understand her past, an ex-con who just wants to go home and live out his last days and a faithful Labrador he finds swimming in the ocean. Together they form an unlikely team to find the woman's missing daughter even as Murphy's secret past is catching up with him. </div><div><br /></div><div> Charles Martin is one of my favorite authors because of the depth and multi layers he puts into his stories and the way he weaves his words to create his images to convey the setting, characters and emotions. Every character is so rich and not wasted, very real in their emotions and reactions to what life has thrown at them. The settings almost become a character in and of themselves. His stories are always about redemption, hope and healing from very deep hurt. They are always a journey that he takes the reader on that leaves their own emotions bare. This story though it did have all those elements for me, did leave me a bit confused at times. There is much description of the Florida Intercoastal Waterways which at times left me lost because I don't know the area in the least so I found myself starting to skim over some of that. And I was confused at the ending until I went back and re-read the 1st chapter and then it made total sense. I have just found out that this is actually the first in a trilogy so that explains too, the questions I had when it was all over. Though at times frustrated with the character of Summer (the mom of the missing girl), I loved the character of Clay and am looking forward to seeing where he will go in coming installments. Though far from knocking off the pedestal my three favorites of his (Water From My Heart, When Crickets Cry and Wrapped in Rain) this is a good read that sheds a light on the dark world of modern day slavery within the sex trade in America.
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>17. Unshaken (Ruth- Lineage of Grace Series) by Francine Rivers</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: July 10, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Unshaken is the biblical story of Ruth. Ruth is a young Moabitess, who when her husband died, chose to follow and care for her mother in law Ruth as they made their way from the country of Moab to Bethlehem. Though Naomi tries to get Ruth to turn back like her sister in law Orpah did, Ruth is adamant in her loyalty to Naomi. She leaves behind her family that was fairly well-to-do for the unknown, as Naomi does not even know if any of her relatives would be alive. It is not an easy task taking care of an older woman who, as the journey progresses, starts to turn from hopeful to more complaining and bitter. But Ruth perseveres as she wants to follow the one true God of her Mother in law and learn of His ways. When they arrive in Bethlehem, things do not go as easily as imagined and they find themselves, especially Ruth as a foreigner, shunned by the villagers and gossiped about. Living in a cave with nothing, Naomi instructs Ruth to glean in the corners of fields as the poor and foreigners are allowed to according to God's law. But even in those corners Ruth is made to not feel welcome and she ends up in a field quite aways from town. As she tries to work hard and do her best for Naomi, she is noticed by the owner of this particular field, who when he finds it is Naomi's daughter in law instructs his workers to leave extra for her and to make sure she is safe. When Naomi finds out it is Boaz's field and see the generosity of Boaz she realizes that as a relative Boaz can be a husband redeemer. Naomi concocts a plan to bring Ruth and Boaz together. But it would require both of their cooperation and the removal of another family member that stands in the way.<br />
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I absolutely loved the story of Ruth and Boaz. Francine Rivers stayed true to the biblical account while fleshing out the characters in the story and the history of the times. Through the story I really got the sense of everything Ruth was leaving behind for the uncertainty of going with Naomi and how loving, faithful, loyal and hard working she really was. Her strong character & moral fiber throughout the story was remarkable to me even as she did what her mother in law instructed. I felt Naomi's frustrations as things didn't quite go as originally planned though at times I felt like shaking her for whining attitude (which is recorded in the bible). Through the author's story telling I was able to get a better understanding of the Jewish laws of harvest and husband redeemers, and how foreigners were perceived in Jewish minds of the time. I loved how in this story of Ruth the author chose to use the townspeople's gossip as a way to show attitudes and thoughts, so relatable. In all I loved this retelling. The study and questions at the end was excellent and thought provoking making the story of Ruth and Boaz relatable to today's personal life. The author dedicated the book to her own mother in law who she admires and adores.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>18. The Secret Wife by Gill Paul</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: July 22, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> In 1914, Grand Duchess Tatiana is just on the verge of leaving her teenage years behind when she meets calvary officer Dmitri Malama. Soon the two find love and have plans to marry with her parents, the Tsar and Tsaritsa of Russia, approval. But fate comes crashing in on them as their beloved Russia as they know it faces collapse and revolution takes over. As the family is removed from their palace home and taken away Dmitri desperately tries everything to try and save Tatiana. When they get separated things take a tragic turn and Dmitri is left with more questions than answers as he tries to figure out what happened and where they could have moved Tatiana. Forced to leave the country, he finds himself in limbo grasping onto any hope he can find. When he meets Rosa he must decide whether to keep grasping at straws or to receive the second chance at love she is offering him.
In 2016, Kitty Fisher leaves London with a broken heart and marriage and comes to America to check out the cabin her great grandfather's estate left to her upon his death. Back in the remote area of Lake Akanabee in New York State, Kitty hopes to rebuild her heart even as she rebuilds the rundown, ramshackle cabin. When she discovers a jeweled pendant under the front steps it leads her on a quest to find the origins and discovers an astonishing family secret. </span><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> I read this author's more recent story of another member of the Russian royal family, The Lost Daughter, last year and loved it so was eager to read this earlier one as well. The split timeline goes back and forth between the historical story and the current timeline as the author builds in the connections between the women of two different eras. In the end I had very mixed feelings about this story because of my reading preferences in topics that I do not enjoy. I loved it and then disliked it. At first I was drawn into the story as the author built the relationship between the young Russian couple. You really cheered on their fledgling relationship as it develops into love. Her groundwork in the Russian history was so interesting and her weaving fictional with historical detail is excellent. Though right from the beginning, the current timeline part of the story dealt with a topic that I do not like in my reading content, I pressed on because it was more of how the character was dealing with it and what her future would hold. At first both stories were captivating but as it progressed, the theme/topic I do not like became prevalent and choices were made and the events that eventually unfolded left me disappointed with the outcome of the story. My rating reflects my enjoyment, not that the author wrote poorly. The theme and choices made within that theme clashed with my world view and just ended up not being enjoyable for me.
</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i-ysdKDxDuM/XyLcnEtS-VI/AAAAAAAARU8/KrZjrVJF_conywECmRk2Hb-ve4ufAykTQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1050/Liturgy%2Bof%2Bthe%2BOrdinary.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1050" height="164" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i-ysdKDxDuM/XyLcnEtS-VI/AAAAAAAARU8/KrZjrVJF_conywECmRk2Hb-ve4ufAykTQCLcBGAsYHQ/w164-h164/Liturgy%2Bof%2Bthe%2BOrdinary.jpg" width="164" /></a></div>19. Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren - Audiobook</b></span><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: July 24, 2020</span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9/10</span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span>M</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">any of us go through the day feeling like we don't have time for God. But God can become present to us in surprising ways through our everyday routines. Framed around one ordinary day, this book explores daily life through the lens of liturgy, small practices and habits that form us. Each chapter looks at something making the bed, brushing her teeth, losing her keys that the author does in the day. Drawing from the diversity of her life as a campus minister, Anglican priest, friend, wife, and mother, Tish Harrison Warren opens up a practical theology of the everyday. Each activity is related to a spiritual practice as well as an aspect of our Sunday worship. Come and discover the holiness of your every day."</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">I listened to this as an audiobook while I was cleaning and disinfecting at the end of the work day. It seemed quite appropriate as I was not happy with this added extra work at the end of long work days. This book really opened up something I already knew in my head but that sunk it a bit more into my heart and that is how to take our everyday chores and seemingly mundane acts of ordinary days and turn them into habits of worship. The author's calming voice and everyday examples got me through those first days of developing this new habit of work and I really enjoyed this book. I will probably at some point listen to it again. </span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PxcH0gENZ8c/Xz2yOW9_7tI/AAAAAAAARYw/sJqTkaFw6PUuGI8E89iEAFPRhK7YLHP7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Distant%2BEchoes.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PxcH0gENZ8c/Xz2yOW9_7tI/AAAAAAAARYw/sJqTkaFw6PUuGI8E89iEAFPRhK7YLHP7QCLcBGAsYHQ/w130-h200/Distant%2BEchoes.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>20. Distant Echoes (Aloha Reef Series) by Colleen Coble</span></b></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: July 7, 2020</span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9/10</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></div><div><span>Kaia Oana is a mammal intelligence researcher based in Hawaii. Her dolphins are her life. Her relationship with her rescued and trained dolphin, Nani takes the majority of her days and she is close to a break thru in the area of communications with dolphins. But someone new has taken over the research facility and wants to turn it into a dolphin tourist attraction and Kaia is running out of time to prove her research. When a tourist catamaran explodes off the coast close to an army weapons testing site, Kaia and Nani aid in the search and rescue efforts. Exhausted from not giving up to find survivors, Kaia is pulled from the water by Lieutenant Jesse Matthews. Lieutenant Matthews feels that missile research might have had something to do with the explosion but his thoughts fall on deaf ears with his superior. Recruiting Kaia and Nani, Lt. Matthews starts his own rogue investigation to get to the truth placing them all in danger. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> This is one of the author's older series, the Aloha Reef Series, that I've had sitting around forever and finally made it a goal to read all four. I read this book in the summer, so am very late getting to the review. Life happened! But from my memory I did really enjoy this story. It is consistent with this author's works: a little mystery, a lot of suspense, a little romance and was a great summer read. I enjoyed the author's efforts into dolphin communications research and it was an interesting part of the story. There is a bit of setting up characters as there are lots in this one, but the suspense was good. This story also gets into some family drama which is an element I do like in stories.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZosTEZ0hcE/Xz2x_Dqdm0I/AAAAAAAARYs/sdltINVLEXkRWmmjuHjglVowXcxAcxVmQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Outside%2Bthe%2Blines.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1323" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ZosTEZ0hcE/Xz2x_Dqdm0I/AAAAAAAARYs/sdltINVLEXkRWmmjuHjglVowXcxAcxVmQCLcBGAsYHQ/w129-h200/Outside%2Bthe%2Blines.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>Outside the Lines by Amy Hatvany</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;">DNF'd October 8, 2020</span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N9bwUkYYcog/Xz2xqJj8sCI/AAAAAAAARYk/p35gwJHIkjc6zMv9IR6NnvvC8u1FDqrZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s474/Never%2BChange.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="322" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N9bwUkYYcog/Xz2xqJj8sCI/AAAAAAAARYk/p35gwJHIkjc6zMv9IR6NnvvC8u1FDqrZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w137-h200/Never%2BChange.jpg" width="137" /></a></div>21. Never Change by Elizabeth Berg</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: August 19, 2020</span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></div><div><span>Myra Lipinsky is a 51 year old visiting or home health care nurse. She has never married and spends her days serving her patients and spending enjoyable time with her beloved dog. She feels she's built a pretty good life all things considered. That is until she is assigned a patient with an incurable illness. It's not the illness that gets to Myra but the fact that the patient, Chip Reardon, just happens to be Myra's old high school crush. Chip was the "golden boy" of high school. Good looking, popular and on the football team, his crowd was everything Myra wasn't. And now here he is back in her life, dying. Not quite the second chance she would have dreamt of. Chip has returned from Manhatten to his childhood home to live at his parents. Though his Mom is pushing him to do whatever it takes, including invasive treatments, Chip has resolved himself to the fact that he wants to live his last days in peace without being poked and prodded with no guarantees. As Myra cares for Chip, trying to balance his wishes with pressure from his Mom to convince Chip to undergo the treatments, Myra starts to find her role as caregiver coming closer and closer to the line she must never cross, finding her feelings for Chip grow from patient to friend and beyond. As their relationship grows and becomes more complicated, Chip's old girlfriend from Manhattan inserts herself back into the picture. Myra is left to deal with all sorts of emotions, questioning how she has lived her life and how she will continue to live her life when Chip is no longer there to care for. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> I loved this story. It brought out so many emotions and was so well written, with conversations and feelings being very realistic, drawing me in to Myra's seemingly simple world now turned very complicated. I loved her relationship with her patients as she saw them day to day caring for the most grumpy to the most needy. Her tender care and sensitivity with them was so nice to read, even as she fought her low self esteem. Her relationship with Chip was complicated and interesting and there were parts of the story where just a sentence or paragraph had me talking to the book saying: "Don't go there! Don't you go there, I'll be so upset if that is what this story does." I won't tell you what "there" was, or whether the story went there, but I'll just say that I was totally immersed into it. Such a mix of emotions as the story ended. </span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JX5Ukx0Bug8/X1JbKfWo8mI/AAAAAAAARbw/WgIuL4bsIa0LbkpgvDsNJTmvjwqI-E1HQCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/Black%2BSands.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JX5Ukx0Bug8/X1JbKfWo8mI/AAAAAAAARbw/WgIuL4bsIa0LbkpgvDsNJTmvjwqI-E1HQCLcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/Black%2BSands.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>22. Black Sands (Aloha Reef Series) by Colleen Coble</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: September 3, 2020</span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></div><div><span>Annie Tagama is volcanologist who works alongside her father at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. But life has thrown some curves her way and she is losing her passion for the work, even as a long dormant volcano on the island is coming to life. She has been grieving the loss of her brother in the Middle East under mysterious circumstances when she discovers that he might be alive after all and is trying to communicate but to find him she must join forces with the very person she blamed for her brother's death in the first place. As they try to find answers an ancient cult on the island starts gaining traction once more, including it's practice of human sacrifice and it becomes enmeshed with their investigation. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> I didn't not enjoy this second installment in the series nearly as much as I did the first one. Though the volcano science part was very interesting, and there were plenty of twists and turns and family drama, I found some of the other stuff in the story leaning towards unbelievable. I did like that as in other series by the author, she continues the story with a whole different set of main characters but a lot of favorite characters from the previous story return and are connected. The series are not just about one main character. And her descriptions of Hawaii are beautiful. There are 2 more in this Aloha Reef Series that I am looking forward to getting to.
</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3VJn2kOjrYg/X29XqjzJLqI/AAAAAAAAReA/RFGRLZO4QHMSIbb1uWgwLyMjKBpiIQiYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s648/the%2Bshape%2Bof%2Bfamily.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="436" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3VJn2kOjrYg/X29XqjzJLqI/AAAAAAAAReA/RFGRLZO4QHMSIbb1uWgwLyMjKBpiIQiYQCLcBGAsYHQ/w134-h200/the%2Bshape%2Bof%2Bfamily.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><br />23. The Shape of Family by Shilpi Somaya Gowda</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: September 26, 2020</span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aTDcMf0VwiE/X3e9CsAFenI/AAAAAAAARe0/Ixq4xj3hrBgaF7M6wjk43bjw9dNThWEpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s210/unglued%2Baudio.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="210" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aTDcMf0VwiE/X3e9CsAFenI/AAAAAAAARe0/Ixq4xj3hrBgaF7M6wjk43bjw9dNThWEpQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/unglued%2Baudio.jpg" /></a></div><br />24. Unglued by Lisa TerKuerst - Audiobook</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: September 30, 2020</span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8.5/10</span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></div><div><span>Publisher's Description:
Do you ever feel like your emotions are working against you? Though we may find ourselves stuffing down emotions, exploding with emotions, or reacting somewhere in between, Lysa TerKeurst assures us it’s possible to make our emotions work for us. Lysa admits that she, like most women, has had experiences where others bump into her happy and she comes emotionally unglued. But the good news is, God gave us emotions to experience life, not destroy it. With gut-honest personal examples and biblical teaching, Lysa shows us how to use our emotions for good. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> Unglued will equip you to:
Know with confidence how to resolve conflict in your important relationships </span></div><div><span> Find peace in your most difficult relationships as you learn to be honest but kind when offended </span></div><div><span> Identify what type of reactor you are and how to significantly improve your communication</span></div><div> Respond with no regrets by managing your tendencies to stuff, explode, or react somewhere in between </div><div> Gain a deep sense of calm by responding to situations out of your control without acting out of control </div><div><br /></div><div> I listened to this as an audiobook while doing my mandatory sanitizing of my childcare at the end of the day. It was one my first audiobooks ever so it took awhile to get used to and to teach my mind to focus as I listened. Once I got over that hurdle, I for the most part enjoyed the book. The author narrates it herself. It was very relatable and there were many times I kinda wished I had the book to notate and underline. I may purchase the book and reread so that I can do that because I retain more when I write it and see it. Lots of takeaways in this book but the biggest for me was her statement: "Let your mind idle in truth rather than perception." That was a big eye opening statement for me in how I react when things happen. This is a great book club or bible study resource.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U5AZnZO12D4/X5WFBXpynaI/AAAAAAAARg4/5FGK9vLOyrw5QqzIxyqLiZT0tQa8J0mZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BInvention%2Bof%2BWings.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1338" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U5AZnZO12D4/X5WFBXpynaI/AAAAAAAARg4/5FGK9vLOyrw5QqzIxyqLiZT0tQa8J0mZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/The%2BInvention%2Bof%2BWings.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>25. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: October 25, 2020</span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9/10</span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></div><div>It is 1800's Charleston and the Grimke family are an influential, upstanding & wealthy family. The father is jurist and land owner and the family own many slaves to keep the property and their lives in the way of the socially elite of the time. When young 11 year old Sarah is given a slave for a hand maid on her 11th birthday, she is appalled and tries to refuse but her mother who is harsh and all about appearances insists. Not having any friends due to a speaking impediment she developed from trauma when she was 4, Sarah develops as much of a friendship with 10 year old Hetty as the culture allows. In spite of her speech affliction, Sarah has a thirst for knowledge and desires, unlike her brother who feels forced into it, to be a lawyer like their father. But as the times dictate this is no place for a woman and Sarah feels the limitations imposed upon her even as her heart is full of knowing she is called to do something big in this world. As they grow together, they develop a complex relationship, each influencing the other's life and both Sarah and Hetty must learn how to survive in their opposing worlds and both do what they can to break through those limitations that society has imposed upon them. </div><div><br /></div><div> This story follows the parallel lives of Sarah and Hetty as they try to find lives of their own dictated by their heart and not the society they were born into. It is a novel that swept me into the world of the South at a time when owning slaves not only culturally acceptable but even looked upon as the Christian thing to do. It is inspired by the real life Sarah Grimke and her sister Angelina who became the first women to publicly start speaking up for not only the abolitionist movement but also the women's movement. Sarah's story is one of courage in the midst of huge pressure to conform, betrayal and then rejection. For such a historical character that accomplished so much for the not only the abolitionists but also the women's movement it is odd that neither her or her sister's name is one that is well known in history books. This story is well researched and really opens the readers eyes to the attitudes, justifications and culture of the time. I always wondered how the South, which was so entrenched in church and what they called Christianity could justify the inhumane treatment and ownership of other human beings and this story was able to show that in all it's ugliness. I also learned a lot through the characters of Hetty and her mother Charlotte who though born into slavery always had deep within the desire to be free and in control of their own life and strove to express it in whatever way they could even though the consequences would be dire if found out. I thought the aspect of Charlotte, who was a seamstress in the Grimke household, would tell her life story through the stitching of a quilt. Though the gift of reading and writing was kept from her, she still found a way to keep her personal history alive. This was a wonderful read of the stories of two young girls born into opposing stations of life growing into strong women reaching for their own destinies as their lives intertwine. The author did an excellent job of fleshing out historical people and relaying what might have been their experiences, heart and motivations. </div><div><br /></div><div> As a last note I loved how the author ended the "Author's Notes" with this quote by Professor Julius Lester:</div><div> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> "History is not just facts and events. History is also a pain in the heart
and we repeat history until we are able to make
another's pain in the heart our own" </i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i> The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd pg 369</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BGUmDKUiltY/X6jLm18oOxI/AAAAAAAARik/tIt2qMjOX9wIRwVgm3N1BCYNg6jasyC5ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BScroll.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1373" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BGUmDKUiltY/X6jLm18oOxI/AAAAAAAARik/tIt2qMjOX9wIRwVgm3N1BCYNg6jasyC5ACLcBGAsYHQ/w134-h200/The%2BScroll.jpg" width="134" /></a></div>26. The Scroll by Grant R. Jeffrey & Alton L. Gansky</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: November 8, 2020</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 6/10</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;">David Chambers is a world renowned biblical archeologist in the top of his field. With his faith fueling him his passionate work has helped unearth some of the most ancient tunnels under the Holy Land. But some of life's circumstances have left David's faith in ruins and he has left biblical archeology to pursue other disciplines. When an old friend and mentor contacts David and talks him into a mysterious dig involving riches that described in the Copper Scroll, against his better judgement David agrees to come to Jerusalem to meet with his friend and fellow scholar. When he arrives, however, not only has his former fiance been called and is there but also his former nemesis and none have been told the whole story. Will the draw of the historical dig be enough for them to put their history behind them and work together or will the danger that eventually stalks them be enough to leave the ancient secrets buried?<div><br /></div><div>This sounded like a great suspenseful premise. One of the co-writers is Grant R. Jeffrey who is world renowned for his knowledge of bible prophecy, so you know it is going to have all sorts of detail in that area and it did. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the Middle East especially as it related to biblical prophesy. I, as the reader, also learned a lot about modern day politics surrounding the Holy City and how biblical treasures and archeology are a minefield and must be protected. But sometimes the detail in the conversations amongst the characters tended more toward schooling the reader on the subject rather than coming across as a natural conversation between people and that is where it bogged down a bit and kept it from going from a good read to a great read for me. I also became bored with the tension between the three main characters. They reminded me more of angsty teenagers than mature professionals high in their field, especially the sulky and irritable main character who was very hard to like. I did, however, like the exploration the authors made of David Chamber's loss of faith while in a profession that mainly proved the truth of the Bible. His struggles in that area made the story for me. Once the danger started in the story is when it really picked up for me and moved it along to it's conclusion.</div><div><br /></div></div></div></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ttfekPRSt9M/X67OIkZxRyI/AAAAAAAARjw/tbt7koypaC4aJTISqb5kzNf-MdugVEO7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s499/Here%2527s%2Bthe%2BStory.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="328" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ttfekPRSt9M/X67OIkZxRyI/AAAAAAAARjw/tbt7koypaC4aJTISqb5kzNf-MdugVEO7ACLcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/Here%2527s%2Bthe%2BStory.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>27. Here's the Story by Maureen McCormick</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: November 13, 2020</span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 6.5/10</span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span> </span></div><div><span>In the early '70's Marcia Brady was the ideal teenager, the one all the girls wanted to be and all the boys wanted to date. But for Maureen McCormick life was anything but ideal. In spite of playing Marcia on the hit sitcom, the Brady Bunch, and being one of the most recognized tv faces, real life for Maureen was anything but sunny. In her memoir she honestly reveals what was really going on behind the sunny persona of Marcia Brady. As she grew and Brady Bunch was cancelled, Maureen struggled with the perfect persona that was cast upon her and her life took a turn in parties and drugs as she tried to live up to the image the character of Marcia laid on her. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>This book really took an honest look at Maureen's life and what she became after the Brady Bunch. From major family dysfunction, to cocaine addiction, to wild parties, Maureen came to fight a battle she almost lost. Two things saved her from ultimate descruction: her new found faith in Jesus and finding her husband who stuck by her even in her ugliest moments even after becoming a Christian. This book is raw and not pretty, but it is very honest, heartbreaking, emotional and ultimately triumphant as Maureen struggles through her whole life to live up to the perfection of Marcia's character. While I found some of the earlier tellings of the Brady Bunch years a bit teenage angsty, her struggles and story is one worth the read if only to understand the pressure that is on child stars, some of it their own making and some we, as a star crazed society, put upon them. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8WeCr4mKGbc/X8fHz7ELvCI/AAAAAAAARlo/Wx5MnRdXhBAfFPJ9WDF4L5BiZAEt8TF-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Hillbilly%2BElegy.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="132" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8WeCr4mKGbc/X8fHz7ELvCI/AAAAAAAARlo/Wx5MnRdXhBAfFPJ9WDF4L5BiZAEt8TF-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/Hillbilly%2BElegy.jpg" /></a></div>28. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance</b></span> </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: November 28, 2020</span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 6/10</span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span>Hillbilly Elegy is the story of the author's growing up white working poor in industrialized Ohio. His family's story starts out after the war when his grandparents moved from the Appalachian region of Kentucky to Ohio at a time when the industry sector was doing well and they saw an opportunity to make a better life. They were able to achieve a middle class lifestyle but it was fraught with problems. Though "upwardly mobile" they never left behind the abuse tendencies, the violence, the addictions. Eventually when the industries that gained them their middle class status started to shut down, they along with others of their culture found themselves once again facing dire poverty. The family struggled within the middle class and without it. The author with the encouragement of his grandmother was able to break the vicious cycle, first by joining the army to gain some discipline in his life and then going on to graduate from Yale Law School but not without still feeling the effects of the trauma of his childhood.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> I first picked up this book because I wanted to watch the movie on Netflix but wanted to read the story without the Hollywood's thumbprint on it. I also wanted to learn about this group of people and their culture because I have no knowledge of them except to know that they are very poor in the Appalachian region. I had also read (in several reviews, comments and blogs) that the book may answer the connection between Trump's election win and this group of people. After reading it, I am in the camp that I just doesn't get the hype around this book. I always find it very hard to review a memoir or autobiography because it is a person's life after all. A stranger cannot make judgement or review a person's life. So I guess I look a how the story was told. This book is not just a memoir in the sense of it being the author's life story (though this author is only in his early '30's), it is also an examination of a culture of Americans, where they came from, what happened and is happening to them as a group, and why they find themselves where they are at within society. While the parts of the book that told the author's story are heartbreaking and horrifying, these are interspersed with the author's thoughts, ponderings, facts, quotes from other sources, and his ruminations about the region and culture. He makes the attempt to delve into the sociological, psychological, community and faith of the culture to see if he can answer just why they are the way they are and why they find themselves in the situation they do. The way it was all interspersed throughout the book made it a very choppy read for me. The language was atrocious, the violence horrible. The things the author experienced within and from his own family boggles the mind. But I was left with mixed feelings as his violent addicted mother seemed to painted in a different light than his violent grandmother and his alcohol addicted grandfather. The thought that no gov't or social agency can fix the problem of the "Hillbilly" or "Redneck" poor, that the answer comes from within seems to be the general theme of his thoughts , but other than the idea of picking yourself up by the bootstraps and getting disciplined and determined to make it out I can't say that the author offered any other idea or thoughts toward that solution. A review on the back of the book also said it was "hysterically funny". I did not find it so even in the remotest sense. As far as how it explained Trump's win, I did not find that either except it did draw some parallels as to why deep rooted working class poverty and deep rooted generational values can figure into the political game. I also wonder if this book might paint with a very broad brushstroke the poor from that region of America. But what do I know, I'm a Canadian. And this is why I find it so hard to review this kind of book. In the end I plodded through because I wanted to learn but can't say that I enjoyed the book at all. </span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MWlFRflMDWs/X9PW30qxkkI/AAAAAAAARnI/yYujoAVm6jcPPl6hyOPEB53hjmBpHC4KQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/the%2Bengineer%2527s%2Bwife.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1357" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MWlFRflMDWs/X9PW30qxkkI/AAAAAAAARnI/yYujoAVm6jcPPl6hyOPEB53hjmBpHC4KQCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/the%2Bengineer%2527s%2Bwife.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>29. The Engineer's Wife by Tracey Enerson Wood</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: December 12, 2020</span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9/10</span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></div><div><span>Emily Warren was always a strong willed child but now as a young woman she knows what she wants and that's to be involved with the women's suffragette movement. But when she meets Washington Roebling the two fall quickly in love and marry once Washington comes back from the war. Washington is an engineer as is his bridge building father and the two have plans to build an iconic bridge to span the river between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Though Wash has always supported Emily with what she wanted to do, now Emily is talked into using her wealthy mother's connections to give fund raising speeches for the project. She reluctantly agrees as she is terrified of speaking in front of people. It is at one of these meetings where she meets the infamous PT Barnum and an unlikely lifetime friendship and attraction is formed as PT trains her to get over her fear of being in front of people. As the project moves into the building phase it is met with many hazards and roadblocks. When Washington's father becomes gravely injured and eventually dies, Washington is now totally in charge of the project. But his PTSD and his own battles with caisson disease from spending too much time in the shafts causes him to request of Emily to give up her own dreams to further his. As more and more responsibility shifts to Emily and she becomes consumed with building the bridge she must find a courage within her she never knew she had all while facing her own demons from the past and the present. Her marriage, her ideals, her dreams and principles and who she really is are all put on the line. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> This historical fiction novel is based on the life of the real Emily Warren Roebling. It explores how one woman took on a man's world to build a project of unimaginable scale, one that would change everything for a city and a country. It is a story of love and self-sacrifice, of challenging the norms of the day in more ways than one. The obstacles she faced seemed insurmountable. She had no education and learned everything as she went. She had a fear of being in front of people and overcame that to speak to crowds. She had to earn the respect of the both the men in power and the ones who were doing all the hard labor in an era when women were scorned and shamed for pursuing anything but social status and were even dictated by men and their laws what she could and couldn't wear. She had to make decisions when her husband could not be reached that she could only pray were the right ones. And when her husband slowly pulls away both from the project itself but also from her she forged ahead to build the dream and the legacy. I liked the story of this strong woman who changed things for the woman of her day. Little is known about her and her contributions to the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and history even though there is actually a plaque on the bridge with her name on it. I found the actual engineering science within the story a bit on the dry side as I do not in the least have a brain geared to the science of physics but I think the author did her best to make it as simply understood as possible. But I must admit a lot of it was lost on me and I had to google things a few times. The story was interesting and emotional. The author's notes at the end are definitely a must read as she tells her inspiration for the story and also what was fact and what fictional parts she took liberties with. I would have rated the book higher had it not been for one of these liberties and that was the relationship Emily had with a main character in the story. It is revealed in the author's notes that because they lived in the same place at the same time the author supposed the relationship between them, that there is actually no historical fact to base the relationship on. It was such an integral part of the story that this came as a shock to me and it kind of left me having to rethink the story without this part. But other than that it was a great story of a woman who built an iconic bridge and who did not get the historical recognition due to her and well worth the read for the historical significance of her life. </span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y_oD5SmN4a0/X-AciO27a8I/AAAAAAAARoc/3uXJy0JhvLIikHsRskWIy5hOHOVYkd70gCLcBGAsYHQ/s475/the%2Bchristmas%2Btrain.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y_oD5SmN4a0/X-AciO27a8I/AAAAAAAARoc/3uXJy0JhvLIikHsRskWIy5hOHOVYkd70gCLcBGAsYHQ/w130-h200/the%2Bchristmas%2Btrain.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>30. The Christmas Train by David Baldacci</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: December 20, 2020</span></div><div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating; 7.5\10</span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Rating:</span></div><div><span>Tom Langdon is a hardened & disillusioned journalist. Once at the top of his game as a war reporter travelling all over the world into the most dangerous of places he now writes "fluff" pieces for a magazine after deciding he needed a break. Wanting to get home to girlfriend, Leila for the holidays, Tom is forced to take a train instead of flying because of a slight altercation at an airport that has him banned from flying for the time being. Finding the train the option he must choose he decides to take the route that Mark Twain did in 1872 and record his journey. But once the journey begins there are distractions galore especially when he runs into his past love. Embittered by their parting of ways, Tom must now navigate being thrust into a working relationship with Eleanor after all these years causing this train journey to also be a journey into his own heart. Just when he and Eleanor find their footing and are able to talk about what really happened, a surprise passenger boarding the train at one of the stops along the way throws everything into chaos.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span> I've had this book on my radar for quite awhile and finally was able to get to it this Christmas. For some reason I had it very built up in my head. At first it was a bit hard to get into for me but eventually the host of characters started click and it got interesting. There are lots of characters and each seems to have an air of mystery surrounding them so it made it hard at first to connect to them but as the author built some of their characters and back stories I finally was pulled into the story. Tom is a bit of an unlikeable character at first and there is questions regarding his relationship with Eleanor. As the train journeys along their story unfolds. Along the way Tom finds he's forced to look into his own heart to see his part in their breakup. It's a feel good story that has atmosphere, mystery, quirky characters, laugh out loud moments, a touch of romance and a twist at the end. Though it didn't quite measure up to what I had expected it turned out to be an enjoyable, light read for Christmas. There is a tv movie adaptation that I would like to now see.</span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3CK5eil35Sc/X-S95BRjBmI/AAAAAAAARpI/kE577NQD9XANw4JtpTKjelzYvnhdFGIHgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1360/the%2Bwoman%2Bin%2Bcabin%2B10.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="880" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3CK5eil35Sc/X-S95BRjBmI/AAAAAAAARpI/kE577NQD9XANw4JtpTKjelzYvnhdFGIHgCLcBGAsYHQ/w129-h200/the%2Bwoman%2Bin%2Bcabin%2B10.jpg" width="129" /></a></div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b>DNF'd</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #e69138;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oM5JNXsjhFU/X-drouw1WGI/AAAAAAAARpw/FsT3mjFPvykALgX6P_5qu6RhNif9FvObQCLcBGAsYHQ/s499/All%2BI%2Bhave%2Bto%2BGive.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="321" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oM5JNXsjhFU/X-drouw1WGI/AAAAAAAARpw/FsT3mjFPvykALgX6P_5qu6RhNif9FvObQCLcBGAsYHQ/w129-h200/All%2BI%2Bhave%2Bto%2BGive.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>31. All I Have to Give by Melody Carlson</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: December 26, 2020</span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 6/10</span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></span></div><div>Anna and Michael have been trying unsuccessfully for years to have a child. But Anna is torn when Michael asks to have the nursery remodeled into an office for his new business. It means Michael is ready to move on and she is not sure she is. As she begrudgingly agrees, she starts to experience symptoms that are too close to the symptoms her mother had when she a terminal illness and died. With the thought that this may be their last Christmas, Anna puts off going to the doctor until after Christmas, deciding instead to put all her thoughts and effort into making this the best Christmas ever for Michael. But Michael is starting to draw away as he puts more and more effort into building his business. Can this turn out to be the memorable Christmas Anna hopes for before their world comes crashing down?</div><div><br /></div><div>This was a short, easy Christmas read with themes of love and self-sacrifice. I found some of the decisions the main characters made annoying and questionable and the story was quite predictable. I guessed what was going to happen quite early. The story just didn't have Melody Carlson's usual depth and character development. Though not horrible it was just an average read for me. </div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GVuUwKzhuFk/X_J_byH8bJI/AAAAAAAARrw/st8qEHo5cgE-FoZXu_N_L8J74-pWCm_fwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/The%2BTwo%2BLives.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1357" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GVuUwKzhuFk/X_J_byH8bJI/AAAAAAAARrw/st8qEHo5cgE-FoZXu_N_L8J74-pWCm_fwCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/The%2BTwo%2BLives.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>32. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver</b></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: December 31, 2020</span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></span></div><div><span>Lydia Bird and Freddie Hunter have known each other since they were fourteen years old, more than a decade. You can't imagine one without the other. They are as close as a couple can be. And they are finally going to make it official and are getting married within the year. But tonight is for celebrating Lydia's 28th birthday and they've got reservations at a fancy restaurant where they can't be late or their reservation will be given away. So when Freddie calls to say his best friend, Jonah, is having car trouble and he's going to swing by and pick him up, Lydia resigns herself to reminding him to keep an eye on the time and be there on time. But that time, that moment is going to change Lydia's life forever. That time is when Freddie dies in a car accident and Jonah survives. That time is when Lydia is no longer part of a pair and she must learn how to restart her life without Freddie. But then something happens that she can't explain. She's given a chance to live her life with with Freddie. To see him whenever she wants and continue on as if the accident never happened. At first, Lydia grabs that chance whenever she can. But being pulled back into the past and yet living in the present, essentially and impossibly living two lives at once. But how long can one go on bouncing back and forth between the two before one or the other is affected? How can she make the impossible decision to stay in the past with Freddie or to move on towards the future and new love?</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Okay in all honesty, I cheated a bit and put that I finished this book on the last day of the year so I could count it in my 2020 reads. In all fairness I was almost done and finished it up the first day of the new year. I picked this book up on a whim at the library because the cover drew me in and the description sounded good. I kept my fingers crossed that though a contemporary romance it would stay clean. And I was pleasantly surprised to find that for the most part it did. There was a couple instances of the f-bomb but it wasn't gratuitously used. The story was wonderfully and charmingly told. It explores great love and great grief and asks the question "What if one could go back in time to before the defining moment of loss? Would we still want that? Would we miss other defining moments, maybe even happy ones?" The story was sad as Lydia deals with her grief, yet hopeful as a new future starts to unfold before her. I was gripped with the story and my emotions were all in for Lydia. The author tells it in back and forth chapters of "Awake" and "Asleep" the asleep being where she is able to live out her life with Freddie. Lydia is a character who is easy to root for and I cried for her, laughed with her and hoped with her as she comes to a point of decision between her two lives. I did take a smidge off the 10 rating because towards the very end I did feel like it was getting a bit drawn out. But other than that it's a moving story of grief, hope, love, friendship and family. I can see a movie being made out of it.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-3729072155962030682020-01-10T13:09:00.000-07:002020-04-20T09:18:42.908-06:00January - March 2020 Reading LIstFinally decided on the books I want to get to over the next 3 months. I think this will be good, this posting of my seasonal goal. It will help me to focus more on reading and trying to reach my goal rather than wasting time scrolling around on fb or youtube or playing the games on fb. It's not that I don't want to get to my books, I LOVE to read, it's just that tv and fb just suck the time away without me even realizing how much time has passed. The next thing I know what little spare time I have has slipped away and I haven't read. So anyway, if you missed my reading goals for this year I have posted it <a href="https://susannesspace.blogspot.com/2020/01/2020-reading-challenge.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
These are the books I've chosen, minus a couple, for the winter months of January, February, and March. If you'd like to do a post of what you are reading or planning on reading for those months I'll leave a Linky <a href="https://susannesspace.blogspot.com/2020/01/january-march-2020-reading-list.html" target="_blank">on this post</a>. I always find it fun to see what other's are reading.<br />
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GOAL: 1 book a month from my longest owned and unread books
From the oldest TBR box: <br />
<span style="background-color: white;">The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">The Victory Club by Robin Lee Hatcher</span><br />
Sins of the Fathers by James Scott Bell (Did Not Finish)<br />
(these have been in my to read box for years!!)<br />
<br />
GOAL: 2 books per month from my owned piles:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"> If I Run by Terri Blackstock</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"> If I'm Found by Terri Blackstock</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"> If I Live by Terri Blackstock</span><br />
The Secret Wife by Gil Paul<br />
A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"> Shanghai Girls by Lisa See</span><br />
<br />
GOAL: 1 book per month from my library list: <br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Us Against You by Fredrik Backman</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3;"> </span><span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale</span><br />
<span style="color: #d9ead3;"> </span><span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright</span><br />
<br />
GOAL: for devotional type reading 1 novella/study per month from
A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">-Unveiled (Tamar)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"> -Unashamed (Rahab)</span><br />
-Unshaken (Ruth)<br />
<br />
Whew! Looking forward to some good reading! I will be high lighting these as I get them read so I can keep track and to motivate me.<br />
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What are you planning on reading? If you want to do a post on your plans, I don't care if it's a 3 month plan or a monthly plan, <a href="https://susannesspace.blogspot.com/2020/01/january-march-2020-reading-list.html" target="_blank">feel free to link</a> . It must be some kind of reading goal/challenge plan though or the link will be deleted. Happy Reading!Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-47902040103250193442020-01-02T12:26:00.001-07:002020-07-30T08:40:22.007-06:002020 READING GOALS<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 17.6px;" />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">So here we go. It's 2020 and time to set some new reading goals. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">For 2020 my main focus is still trying to read what I own. I am on a book buying ban for the time being so I won't be bringing in anything brand new other than what I have on pre-order that was purchased with a gift card. And I'm going to try and avoid the Little Library jaunts for a bit so no books come into the house that way.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">So broken down generally for the year, my personal reading goal is going to look a bit like this:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">- At least 3 books a month from my own piles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> -one of these books must be from my box that contains the books that have been sitting around here the longest, the ones that keep getting pushed back because I keep bringing in new ones. Hopefully by the end of the year I'll have emptied this box. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">-At least 1 book per month from my library list because I just can't not go to the library</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">-At least 1 novella per month from A Lineage of Grace and Sons of Encouragement study books by Francine Rivers (for a total of 10)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">-I'm going to shoot for the goal of reading 52 books this year. This has always been my goal but I have never quit reached it. Maybe this is my year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">-Because of the success I used to have with the "Spring Fling" and the "Fall Back into Reading" challenges of the past, I am going to list the books I want to read for each quarter. I'm going to put up a Linky in January, April, July, and October for those people that want to join in with me in posting their own reading pile for the quarter. I remember loving looking at what everyone else was reading (though if I recall correctly that helped add to my reading piles. LOL.) We'll see how it goes.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">I will do this post up separately from this one.</span></div>
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Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-8127105494044111092019-01-17T08:08:00.005-07:002020-01-12T21:31:16.369-07:002019 Reads and Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kSHyf6T6vWI/XECaCH6UDkI/AAAAAAAAP8s/-LEQAqkOP_k9C1sdm6Dzj253wPAeeA25ACLcBGAs/s1600/clockmaker%2527s%2Bdaughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1061" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kSHyf6T6vWI/XECaCH6UDkI/AAAAAAAAP8s/-LEQAqkOP_k9C1sdm6Dzj253wPAeeA25ACLcBGAs/s200/clockmaker%2527s%2Bdaughter.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>1. The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: January 14, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 7/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"> </span>In the summer of 1862 a group of young artists meet at Birchwood Manor, the country home of Edward Radcliffe, who is one of the artists. He has gained much popularity amongst the British art world for his portrayals of a beautiful young woman with flaming red hair. They are there with their models to gain inspiration from the countryside and the river Thames, planning on spending the summer. The house has always held a fascination for Edward, and he has felt since a child that it has called to him. But the summer fun ends abruptly with the death of one of the group and another one missing. Edward's perfect life takes an abrupt turn.<br />
<br />
In present day, Elodie Wilson, comes across a leather satchel with a photo of a beautiful young lady and an artist's sketchbook with a sketch of a lovely house by a river. Working as an archivist she recognizes that this may hold some significance to the past and is determined to find out who the beautiful woman is and where the house is. As she discovers there is way more to this mysterious person and the house than she bargained for.<br />
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I was really looking forward to this new book from this author. She has quickly become a favorite from the other books I have read from her. This story, however, was just ok for me. For me, it suffered from way too many characters, with way too many story lines spanning over a time period of 150 or so years, and sometimes the connecting of them all felt a little forced. I thought the story could have used a bit of editing. After reading the story I was still trying to remember how certain characters were connected to the house. It also had a ghost element which is not my cup of tea in stories and had I have known that I would have passed it by. The premise was interesting but the execution didn't work for me. I did, however,like the descriptions of old London and the glimpses into the seedier side of orphan life of those days. Those were interesting and sad at the same time. If you like historical fiction melded with the present day and a ghostly element to your stories this still may be something you might enjoy. I have loved several other books from this author so even though this was a miss for me, I will still look forward to other novels from her.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>2. Secrets at Cedar Cabin by Colleen Coble</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: January 21, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><br />
Bailey Fleming has found out that she wasn't who she thought she was. Her mother has lied to her her whole life and her marriage was all based on lies. Now her mom has been murdered and left her a cryptic message to run for her life. Who can she trust anymore. Running to the only place she can think of, a remote cabin that her ex gave her to try and buy her silence, she wonders who she can trust anymore as she tries to figure out what or who her mom could possibly have been involved with that would want her dead. But when she finally finds the cabin, the bodies of some young girls turn up linking them to a human trafficking ring. An agent on the case, Lance Phoenix, wants very much to solve the case not only for the girls but because he's been searching for his missing sister for years. With clues leading to this cabin, can he rely on Bailey to help him solve the years old mystery or will her own mysterious past get in the way?<br />
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I really enjoyed this wrap up to the Lavender Tides Series. It was fast paced and hard to put down. The story focused on the Bailey, the youngest sister of the three siblings that this series deals with and an FBI agent named Lance who is trying to find his missing sister. The whole series had an interesting premise of 3 siblings separated at a young age through tragedy. It connects them all together in this last installment but this story also dealt with a very real issue and that is the one of human trafficking. At times the story was hard to read because it deals with the tragedy of how young girls are lured away and then taken and what might be happening to them. I thought the author did a very good job of bringing awareness to this very important topic. I liked the character of Bailey and how she struggled to deal with all the lies that made up the foundation of her life and now put her in a position of who to trust going forward. The romance was not heavy handed and I appreciated that though as is usual in stories like this was a bit fast moving. There were a couple parts involving FBI agents that made me wonder if they would actually do that but I can see where it was necessary to keep the story moving and not get bogged down in procedure. All in all I really like this story and the series as a whole.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b>3. Every Note Played by Lisa Genova</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: January 28, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><br />
Richard is a very well known accomplished pianist who has played the starring role with symphonies all over the world. He has spent a lifetime honing his craft to become the best. Music and piano are his life. He spends up to 10 hours a day practicing, to the detriment of his family life. Not that he notices the time. When he's at the piano all time fades away as he is carried away by the music and the perfection of never making a mistake.
Karina is also an accomplished pianist from Poland. She and Richard met at a music college in America. In ways she was technically even more better than Richard naturally feeling the music where Richard had to work at the emotion. When he finally asked her out they clicked immediately, their love for classical music being the foundation. But then Karina took a turn in her choice of music pursuits when she fell in love with jazz, something that Richard could never like. He didn't even consider it music. After marriage and a child, Richard moved the family to another city to pursue his career and so the rifts within the marriage started to build to the point they became irreparable, each blaming the other for the breakdown.
And now Richard has ALS. As the disease claims him piece by piece, with no one else to do it, Karina becomes Richard's caretaker. Both are filled with the regrets of the past but don't know how to move beyond it. But time is not on their side and both of them must take some hard looks at the role each played to get to where they are today.<br />
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Another heartrending story from Lisa Genova of the lives involved and ruined with a horrendous disease. This author has a beautiful gift of being able to give a voice to those suffering from a horrible disease and not only translate what they are going through physically, emotionally and mentally but also those of the family and people around them. The story is touching and maddening, very heavy at times. How can it not be? But I read it to glean the knowledge of what those who face these diseases live with. Lisa Genova is able to really make the reader feel the emotions and struggles. I cried several times throughout this story as I felt for what Richard was going through as the moving paralysis claimed more and more of his body, even as his character was arrogant and unlikeable to me in the beginning. But as is with life things were revealed that made me think a little more why he might have come to be that way. My heart went out to his and Karina's college aged daughter who basically grew up without her dad and now must also face his dying. It's a story that puts a human face to the big ALS "ice bucket" awareness challenge of the last few years. It's a story of loss and regret, suffering, looking for hope in the face of hopelessness, facing one's own roles in the state of relationships and the offering of mercy, service and forgiveness.
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>4. The Real Enemy by Kathy Herman</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: February 5, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><br />
Brill Jessup is the new Police Chief in the town of Sophie Trace, Tennesse. Not only is she the new chief she is the first female chief the town has had, so she feels she has a lot to prove. Her family made the move from Memphis where she was on the police force for 18 years. She had an excellent career there and was known for finding clues others missed. But the family moved when her personal life took a bad turn in an attempt to be where Brill would be less busy solving major crimes and would have more time to devote to their daughter. She and her husband, Kurt, are trying to make a decent home life for their 12 year daughter still at home . Trouble is Brill can barely tolerate being in the same room as her husband. Kurt, her husband, is trying everything in his power to make things right with Brill after his huge failure, but no matter how kind and loving he tries to be it just makes Brill more bitter and angry. In trying to hold it together for their daughter, they are butting their heads against stone walls with each other. And their daughter is noticing the tenseness of her mother towards her father. Now Brill has to deal with a rash of town people who seem to have disappeared off the face of the earth . The locals seem to want to blame an old Cherokee legend that has the spirits of former Cherokee who were driven off the land coming to get their revenge. But Brill knows there has to be a logical explanation. But with seemingly no clues left behind it's an race against time to find the missing people. And now she has a gang trying to raise it's head in the local school. As Brill works around the clock, she must confront the real enemy behind what is going on both in the case and at home.<br />
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I loved this story. Kathy Herman is one of my favorite Christian suspense mystery writers. She is able to write a great page turning mystery while also placing in tough moral dilemmas for the characters to wrestle with. The story was interesting, fast paced and Brill's feelings were very raw and relatable. It drew lots of emotions and made me think. I had read books two & three in this trilogy years ago and really liked them. They were sent to me for review so I was always wanting to get to the first book to find out how the story all started. It's been on my library list for years. So this year I was determined to get to it to knock it off for my reading challenge and it didn't disappoint.<br />
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<i>Set Aside after 2 chapters. Didn't interest me.</i><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>5. Life After by Katie Ganshert</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: February 23, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 10+/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><br />
Autumn Manning was simply living her life, coming home from work one day when a terrorist's bomb rips her train apart. Twenty two people died, and Autumn lived. Now one year later, the anniversary of the explosion is drawing close and Autumn doesn't want to go. Since being found alive, she has wrestled with guilt, not only at being the only survivor, but also because she was misidentified at first, and another family thought they had hope and she feels she ripped it away from them. As Autumn tries to piece her life back together, she struggles with leaving the house, with being obsessed with the people who died in the attack and with all the unanswered questions.<br />
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Meanwhile Paul Elliott, is also trying to move on. His wife died in the attack on the train. But a glimmer of hope was offered to them when it was thought she was the only survivor, only to be taken from them again when it was discovered there had been a mix up in the identification. Now he just wants to get past this anniversary and move his family on. But his 12 year old daughter wants to keep remembering and Paul is terrified she will discover what he has been trying so hard to bury. And now circumstances have brought the very woman who was mistaken for his wife back into their lives.<br />
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I loved this novel. It is hard to review this story due to it's depth of storytelling. I don't want to give anything away. It is such a deep story full of complex layers. It deals with survivor's guilt, truth and lies, forgiveness, grief, and purpose of life just to name a few. The character's are so rich and well written. My heart was torn for them all throughout the story and the author was able to really delve into the emotions and struggles from several angles of those who have survived something like this or to be a family dealing with with the loss of a loved one due to terrorism (or really any tragedy that claims lives due to another's actions). I was really affected by this story and the author's insight and ability to really make me feel invested in the characters and what they were going through. It was one of those where I couldn't pick up another book for a few days because I couldn't stop thinking of this one.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>7. The House of Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: March 25, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
Two years after Kaine Prescott's husband died in a car accident she is still trying to get them to investigate the crash further. Her deep belief that his death was suspicious yet again fails to convince anyone. And now she is being stalked by someone leaving daffodils for her but trying to convince the police is a huge undertaking and they are starting to look at her as a trouble maker. On a whim, to give herself a fresh start, Kaine purchases a house in her grandfather's hometown from an online site without actually going to see it first. But when she arrives to move in she finds way more than she bargained for. It is totally rundown and abandoned, and as she starts to learn about the house's dark history she wonders what she has got herself into. The when the flower has found her yet again, Ivy wonders if isn't her lot in life isn't to have death follow her.<br />
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Ivy Thorpe's father is the coroner in the same town a hundred years before. Ivy is her father's right hand person and death does not bother her. In fact, she is driven to honor the dead and record their stories. The townspeople think she is strange. When a young woman is found murdered on the property of the house, Ivy's search for her identity leads her into dangerous territory that she doesn't understand.
This is the author's first book and she has done a wonderful job in building her story. I was caught up right from the beginning and the more you read the more you want to know what on earth is going on with this house. The contemporary part of the story was interesting and moved along at a good pace and the historical part of the story had a real gothic flavor to it. I loved how the author tied the two together and had me guessing to the end. I found a few parts of the romance sections of the story typical but because the other parts of the story had me so engrossed it was easy to gloss over those. A great first novel for this author.
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>8. The Offering by Angela Hunt</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: April 18, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
Amanda Lisandra and her soldier husband want a big family. They have one young daughter but have decided to wait to have more children until Gideon retires from the military. Serving on a special forces unit that comes and goes randomly as needed around the world, they want to have Gideon home and safe permanently before growing their family. Meanwhile, Amanda works in Gideon's family's Cuban grocery store. When Amanda runs into another military wife who is pregnant it sets off a plan to help her raise funds so that they can purchase a home of their own more quickly. But first she must sell the plan to her husband, and then to his conservative family.<br />
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Once Gideon is okay with the idea of Mandy becoming a gestational carrier for a childless couple, Mandy quickly sets the ball in motion. She chooses a couple from France who are well to do and who desire a child to be heir to their generational vineyards. Mandy's pregnancy with the couple's child is pretty routine and normal other than a day or so of spotting which she also had with her own daughter. Happy and dreaming of the soon to be new life her own family can start, Mandy is happy and feels fulfilled to be able to help another couple have a child. She has no problem with attachment issues to the baby and fully thinks she has a handle on understanding that this is not her child and that the pregnancy is her "job".<br />
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Then tragedy strikes and Mandy dreams are devastated. In shock, Mandy has no time to grieve. When the baby makes it's appearance early, she surrenders the him to his parents as quickly as possible and tries to get past what seems to be continuous loss and on with her life. But the depression and continuous nightmares won't let go. Two years later when she finally gets a card from the French family with a photograph Mandy is overcome with feelings that she may have given away her own biological child fathered by her late husband. She sets herself on the path to find the truth and if her instincts are correct, retrieve her child no matter the cost.<br />
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This story really made me think. I told no spoilers in the description as that is all on the back of the book description also. It delves into all the issues of being a gestational carrier, the emotions, the legalities and what happens if there might be a mistake made in spite of all the contingencies put in place that that wouldn't happen. It's a story of untold grief, a mother's instincts, a person's past affecting their future, and doing what's right and best for another person. Though the story at times ran a little slow for me during Mandy's pregnancy, I would say it definitely was a page turner because of the anticipation of what you kinda of knew was coming. I had to find out what happened and if Mandy's instinct was correct and what would happen either way. I love Angela Hunt's contemporary stories. They deal with real issues and she writes the emotions that would be involved so well. She does her research into the topic and I as the reader always learn something.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>9. I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: May 4, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
In 1918, after surrendering his throne, Tsar Nicholas and his family are under house arrest in their palace. Then they are forced to travel many miles by train to a house in Ekaterinburg where they are kept in even stricter conditions for another year. When they Bolshevik's take over the gov't the imperial family, which included 4 daughters and 1 son, along with a couple of their caretakers, are taken into a basement where they are met with a firing squad. No one survived the massacre. That is what all the executioners say and want everyone to believe.<br />
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In 1920 a young woman with horrific scars on her body is pulled from a canal in Berlin. People watched her jump over the railing but she refuses to say who she is or why she jumped. Suicide being illegal at the time, she is questioned by the police and sent to a mental institution. Finally she reveals that she is Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia. But now she calls herself Anna Anderson and she sets herself on a course to prove in the courts that she is the Grand Duchess so she can finally lay claim to the inheritance that her father, Tsar Nicholas, set up in a bank in England before the revolution in Russia.<br />
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I found this book so interesting. I've always been interested in this time of Russian history and the fall of the aristocracy in Russia. Most people know of Tsar Nicholas and though they may not know everything that happened around the revolution they do know the whole family was massacred in Northern Russia by firing squad at the hands of the Bolsheviks. Because the body of Anastasia Romanov was not recovered immediately, the survival of Anastasia was always a question and mystery of the time. Anna Anderson spent years trying to prove she was Anastasia. This book takes their stories and weaves them together in a clever way. Young Anastasia's story is told in first person and moves in a forward timeline. It is heartbreaking. Anna's story is told in third person and moves backwards. The backwards telling is done in a unique way, giving a date and then moving back in jumps of hours or days or weeks, sometimes several in one chapter. It was a bit confusing at first but once I got the hang of the style, and making sure I read the time post at the tops of the chapters, it was most interesting to me and kept me turning the pages. I was fascinated as this was a piece of the Romanov history I hadn't yet read about. I've read lots of books on the Imperial family but never any about Anna Anderson. I loved the way the author told this piece of history. Even if one knows the outcome of this side of the story, I still found myself turning the pages to see how it all unraveled. I love how she presented the family, letting you in on how they might have felt during their captivity, putting a human face to their tragic story that the non-fiction books struggle to do. Anna Anderson, was a very interesting part of this story and an enigma that puzzled police, lawyers and doctors for years. I love how this author presented her story and kept you guessing even though I already knew the answer. <br />
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I found this story riveting and unique.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>10. Unshakeable Hope by Max Lucado</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: May 7, 2019</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
In this shaky and shifting world it's easy to lose hope. So much bad going on seems to outweigh any good. Is there any hope to be had in this day and age? Because life on this earth can be hard and filled with problems, God's Word is filled with promises. In this book, Max Lucado helps us to regain our focus and place it squarely back on those promises giving us the tools to overcome difficult circumstances we might face. He teaches us to trust God with His promises because of His character and in doing so receive the security and peace we crave even in the midst of the storms. He shows how our hope can be unshakeable.<br />
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We did this book as a study with my ladies group. It is perfectly set up for this. It's written in this author's easy going, conversational style with only about 8 pages per chapter so it's easy reading even for those who dislike to read. Each chapter covers a promise that specifically will help us to build our foundation of hope built on the Word to help overcome shaky times. At the back is questions for reflection for each chapter. They were perfect for fostering good discussion and to turn us to the word of God. I found it great for both those ladies who have been Christians for years and for those who were newer to the faith. There are other helps available to go with this book for bible study groups such as a teaching dvd and leader's guide but we just used the book.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>11. What She Knew by Gilly MacMillan</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: May 12, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
Every parents nightmare.<br />
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Rachel is a divorced parent of a sweet 8 year old boy whom she loves dearly. Though she has had a hard time with the crumbling of her marriage due to an affair on her husband's part she has tried hard to make the best life for her son that she can as she shares him with her ex and his new wife. She loves him fiercely and would protect him at all costs. So when they are at a park one Sunday and he asks to run ahead to the swing which is around a bend in a tree'd area, she hesitates but then gives in. He is eight after all and knows where the swing is. There is nothing to worry about. Except when she gets there a minute later he is nowhere to be seen and the swing is swaying and empty. When she can't find him police are called in and the search begins. But hours pass and then days and still no sign of Ben. So when the police ask her to make a scripted plea for Ben's return she agrees. But when the time actually comes to make the live presentation Rachel totally goes off script and sets up a whole slew of problems for the investigators. Now the media and public opinion is turned against her from that of sympathy to suspicion. And everything is suspect. And Ben still isn't found. As the investigator works his hardest to try to find Ben so many things just don't add up.<br />
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This was a pretty good mystery that kept me guessing until the end. Many factors come into play and I didn't guess until the end. The story goes back and forth between Rachel's point of view and that of the investigating detective. Rachel's is first person and some of the detective's story comes out written by a counsellor he is forced to see after the fact because he is having a tough time dealing with the case and it's outcome and his role in it. I enjoyed the story for the most part though the written record of the counsellor appointments wasn't my favorite method of storytelling and I found this part was a bit dragging for me but that is my preference and no reflection on how well it was or wasn't done. The one thing I found frustrating was this is a British author, I believe, so all the police officers were referred to as they would be in England. But the author abbreviated those titles without really defining them so I had to google what they stood for which was maddening. But once I had them down the story moved at a good pace and kept me interested and engaged the whole time. Because it was a missing child all the reader's emotions get involved. It gave us a small glimpse into the many emotions of all those involved in a missing child case. It also explores the many many assumptions we make when we look at situations through our own emotional pain. I'd read another from this author.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b>12. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: June 3, 2019</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 8/10</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></span><br />
Sara is a Swedish young woman who is 28 and still living at home working at a bookstore in Sweden. Her life is very generic and seemingly going nowhere when she strikes up a pen pal relationship with an elderly woman named Amy from a small town in Iowa named Broken Wheel. As their penpal relationship progresses, on a whim Sara sends Amy a book and thus begins a friendship of sharing books, letters and stories across the continents. Amy invites Sara to come and visit her, and in a bold step Sara accepts but when she arrives in Broken Wheel she finds Amy has just passed away. Now here she is in a strange land in the midst of a quirky strange dying town with a bunch of quirky strangers living in a strange house. What is she to do? Her mother wants her to come home right away but Sara hesitates to throw away her long awaited getaway. Sara feels like a burden staying in Amy's home when Amy is not there and relying on town's people to get her places. She wants to pay rent to someone or fees for all the things she is using but in this strange town no one seems to pay for anything and the townspeople treat her the same way. Sara is driven to do something for them but what can she offer them? All she is really good at is reading and knowing about books. So Sara cooks up a plan to open a bookstore with all of Amy's books in a storefront that Amy actually owned in an effort to pay the townspeople back and bring a little life to the town through the joy of reading. But can the townspeople handle such a thing and will they accept it and therefore her?<br />
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This is a quirky little story from a Swedish author that became an international best seller. It is definitely character driven and does tend to chug along at a slower pace but the look into the different characters that make up a sleepy, dying town that is stuck in their ways is kind of interesting. Sara is a bit odd herself, being a introverted book nerd but as she and the town start to realize their appreciation of each other it's fun to watch them all open up. A lot of characters make up the story with quite a few minor story lines interweaving with the main one so sometimes it was a bit hard to keep everyone straight. There are some statements on marriage within the story that I totally do not agree with but it is within a discussion between two characters and does not make up the bulk of the book. There is also a few unwritten statements about the life of faith that didn't sit with me. While most of it was an engaging look into small town American life and the quirky characters who make the town go round and a look at an introverted young lady coming out of her shell to use her passionate love of books to find her place in life and bring some joy to a town sometimes some of the story went from sweet and sort of funny to a bit silly. It is meant to be a charming and uplifting story and for that it deserves it's credit. The translator did a great job, I thought, and it was an easy spring read.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b>13. The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: July 4, 2019</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 10/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span><br />
It is 1912 and seventeen year old Maggie Murphy has just lost her mother due to an illness and is devasted and alone as her father is also passed away. When her mother's sister, who had been helping care for her mother, makes the executive decision to move Maggie back to her home in America with her, Maggie is heartbroken. Though America sounds exciting and a great opportunity, she is must bid goodbye to the love of her life, Seamus, not knowing if she will ever see him again. She asked Seamus to join them, but he feels he must stay as his Dad also is not doing well. Boarding the Titanic with a pocketful of letters from Seamus, she is both filled with anticipation and yet grieving. Onboard, her take charge aunt soon is sheparding Maggie and the group of girls in their cabin. When a young steward befriends the group of girls they get to experience parts of the Titanic they never thought they could being steerage passengers. Maggie makes sure to keep a journal so that she could tell Seamus all about the great trip. But then unthinkable happens.<br />
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Meanwhile in 1982, Grace Butler is struggling to make life decisions. Just as she was offered the journalistic internship everyone covets her father suddenly passes away. Her reaction to his death is to shut herself off from college life, her internship and her boyfriend and go home to take care of her mom who is not only suffering from grief but an illness of her own. Now after two years her mom is doing well and Grace is feeling adrift. When her grandmother pulls her aside and reveals to her that she was a survivor of the the Titanic and gives her journal to Grace, Grace is shocked that her grandmother wants to now talk about it and to her, no less. No one was to ever mention the Titanic around her and she had never spoken about it to anyone. But now her grandmother wants her story told and wants Grace to do it.<br />
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Inspired by the group of Irish emigrants who left their homes in the same small, impoverished town in Ireland, this small group represented the greatest proportional loss of life from one region when 11 of their 14 perished when the Titanic sank. Though the town name was changed in the story and each main character represented a combination of people from the group and their names also were changed, this was a beautiful story of this great tragedy. I love Titanic stories but had never yet read a story that dealt with this group of emigrants. The author's good research was evident in the story and it is chock full of rich details of what steerage would have been like and how it compared to affluent decks above them. The character's from this group were endearing and the author was really able to bring out a connection to them. I could not put this story down especially when you knew the time for the collision was coming. I wondered if the author would handle it well and rest assured she did. I felt like I was there with the steerage passengers and what they would have been going through. The author was also able to really portray what it would have been like for those waiting back home for word about their loved ones through the swirl of confusion amid reports about the sinking. I hadn't really heard of that perspective in Titanic stories before. It was heartbreaking. This book brought out every emotion. The author's notes at the back are a must read. Highly recommend. I loved it!
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>14. Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: July 15, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 7/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Christine and Marcus have a great marriage that is only lacking one thing...children. After a long time trying, Christine convinces Marcus that they both should be tested. The results are devastating to Marcus as they find out that it is because of him that they can't get pregnant. Christine convinces Marcus that they should get pregnant by a sperm donor. After applying and seeing the specialist, they choose donor 3319 from the company Homestead. Soon Christine is happily pregnant and all too soon she is on her last day of work as a teacher. During her good bye party she glances at the tv screen as sees a young blonde male being arrested for the murder of several nurses. In a split second Christine's perfect pregnancy comes crashing down as she realizes it looks just like their donor. Marcus is furious at Homestead for not vetting their donors more thoroughly and is bent on suing them. But Christine is against that and sets herself on a course to find out if it donor 3319 and this prisoner are one and the same. Without Marcus knowing she heads down to the prison to get some answers and puts herself right into the middle of his defense as she believes he is innoncent.<br />
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I like reading Lisa Scottoline books in the summer as they are the perfect "beach" read. Easy reading with an interesting premise, they are fast, page turning reads. I have to admit that this one, though, wasn't one of my favorites. The premise was indeed interesting and made one of my favorite types of stories, that of a moral dilemma. But I found myself very frustrated with main character. Her stubborn need to know was not surprising but the lengths to which she went and the fact that it had to be in her timing and in her way became kind of unbelievable to me the reader. That she so easily was able to insert herself into the man's defense team gave me pause and that she would involve herself so thoroughly against the husband's wishes when they were suing the company just kind of didn't ring true for me. Her character made me good and mad a few times in the story as she was so bent on doing things her way that she became totally self-unaware of the consequences her actions could/would have. As she is bent upon proving the innocence of the "father" of her baby her marriage starts to crack as the flaws start to override the strength. The wrapping up of that part of the story seemed one sided to me. I did like that it was the author's usual fast pace and each chapter built the story and made it more tense as it went along. I also like that I didn't figure out the ending, in fact I was quite wrong in my guess at how it would conclude and I think this book would make a great book club pick because of the discussions that could be had from the plot. I liked this story but didn't love it.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>15. Bay of Secrets by Rosanna Ley</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Completed: July 24, 2019</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 9/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Spain of 1939 just came out of a civil war which saw a military dictator take over power from a democratically elected government. The country is treading in fear as anyone who sympathizes with the Republicans are under suspicion and could be arrested. Julia and her family live in poverty and fear. In order to survive and to keep the three girls safe, plans are made. Julia is to be given to a convent in Barcelona to become a nun and one of her sisters is to marry a much older man who can take care of her. Julia is devastated but obediently goes along with her father's wishes. Once she becomes a nun she takes an assignment to work at a maternity clinic in Barcelona led by Dr. Lopez. As a nun, Sister Julia quietly does what she is told, never outwardly questioning authority, but inside she is grieved at the way things are handled at the clinic.
In England in 2011, Ruby Rae is trying to get over the sudden death of her beloved parents. After months of avoiding it, she has finally found the courage to go and deal with their home. With the help of her friend, she starts to pack up her parent's belongings in order to sell the family home. But when she finds a box in her mom's closet, it's contents reveal a secret her parents kept that will change Ruby's life forever.<br />
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I found this book at a Little Library in town and it looked very interesting. It was described on the cover as "a must-have summer read" and a "gorgeous dream of a holiday read". So I grabbed it and I'm really glad I did. The story follows three women: Sister Julia, Ruby and Vivien (Ruby's Mom) and also a young artist named Andres. At first glance, it would seem that it would be way too many stories to follow and I admit it was a little bit hard to get into but once it hooked me I couldn't put it down. It is evident the author has done her research well into historical facts and built a lovely though heartbreaking story around them. Each timeline is an interesting story in itself and the author wove them together so well. Her descriptions of Spain, the Spanish Canary Islands and England are beautiful. The characters are so well written, I empathized with them all as they worked through their situations and all the emotions it involved. It's a story of love, courage, forgiveness and finding one's self. I found writing this review hard as this is one story where you cannot give too much away, even naming the historical event, would give spoilers. This book is why I love well written historical fiction. It taught me about a piece of history I knew absolutely nothing about going in and made it interesting enough that I had to look it up after I finished the story. Small warning of some language by one of the characters.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>16. The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: August 1, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Anna Forster is only 38 years old when she notices signs of forgetfulness occurring way too often in her life. Watching her mom suffer through the same diagnosis she knows what's coming. Soon she quits her beloved career as a paramedic not wanting the forgetfulness to manifest itself in an emergency. But when her sweet nephew is injured as a result of a lapse in her memory, Anna gives in to her brother and allows him to take her to an assisted living facility called Rosiland House. With only a dozen residents, it's more home like than institutional, but at her age it's still hard thinking she will be living with all seniors. But when she gets there she meets another person her own age also with early onset dementia. In an impossible future, the two find friendship and love...much to the dismay of her family. As her brother fights to keep them apart, Anna finds empathy with the new cook and cleaner hired by the home. Eve Bennett has taken the less than ideal job at the Rosiland House putting her chef's career on hold so that she can keep her daughter in the school where she has found friends. Recently widowed and betrayed Eve is moved by the relationship that Luke and Anna share. But she must decide if her job is worth the risk of helping them keep their relationship.<br />
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This story is very different from the well known "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova but in it's own way is also a very insightful and touching look into early onset Alzheimer's. While those of us who have never lived through a loved one diagnosed with this horrible disease and will never really know exactly what the heartbreak is like, this story gave us another layer of it that Still Alice started. It takes a peek into life inside an assisted living facility and explores the emotional bonds that young sufferers might face and how they and their families and caretakers cope. It also explores the implications, pros and cons of decisions made by facilities and family and the loss of control of one's own life. It's a bittersweet love story that is eye-opening and made me think what I would have done in both the family's and the cook's viewpoint.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>17. The Lost Daughter by Gill Paul</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: August 13, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
In 1918,with the Bolshevik's taking control of Russia, the Romanov's are moved to a small house in Ekaterinburg and remain living in captivity. Maria is a friendly 19 year old with a fun personality but has a times felt that she is not loved by her parents as much as the other Romanov children are. As time drags on in the house their days drift back and forth between mind numbing boredom and heart stopping fear. Through it all Maria manages to still be friendly with a couple of the younger guards. Little does she realize in her naivety that her innocent flirtations will reap consequences that will have a profound effect on her life.
In 1973 Australia, Val Doyle has struggled all her life in her relationship with her harsh and abusive Russian father. When the nursing home calls her with some strange & disturbing things her father has said, Val breaks her long time estrangement to go see him to try to decipher what he means. But while there he is distraught and repeats to Val what the nurses heard: "I didn't want to kill her". Stunned, Val can only surmise that he is referring to her Asian mother who disappeared without a word when Val was only twelve years old. When her father dies, she tries to solve the mystery of the disappearance of her mom, Val finds there is more to the story than she ever imagined and it all centers on an odd collection of photographs and a Faberge box found in her father's safety deposit box.<br />
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This book is a prime example of why I love historical fiction. It was so well researched and written. I've read quite a bit about the Romanovs, both fiction and non-fiction and still it taught me pieces of Russian history I didn't know a lot about and yet managed to involve my emotions every step of the way. This novel takes historical events and supposes a different outcome. The demise of the Romanov family came with some speculation that some of the children had survived the brutal murderous event. This fictional story supposes that Maria had survived. It follows her life as she tries to survive, remain hidden and get over the horrible, heartbreaking events she witnessed. As she finds love and builds her family Russia is once again in turmoil. The author takes us through Leningrad when Stalin took over and built communism. It takes Maria's family through the heartbreaking siege of Leningrad when Stalin basically abandoned his people to starvation. It was hard to put the book down and had me on the edge of my seat as the author wove the historical and the contemporary stories together. All my emotions were involved. It was fascinating, captivating and I cried my way through several parts of the story. It is a story of survival, courage and love.<br />
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I will put a warning out for domestic abuse within the story and ,of course, the violence of the Romanov murders for those that would be triggered by that.
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>18. The One Good Thing by Kevin Alan Milne</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: August 21, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
When Nathan Steen passes away in a freak accident while helping a stranded motorist, his wife and children are devastated. A small semblance of comfort comes from the fact that Nathan lost his life helping somebody else which is what Nathan lived his life for. As long as Halley had known him, Nathan had carried a handful of stones in his pocket to help him to remember to do small acts of kindness each and everyday, moving a stone to the other pocket with every act of kindness in the day until all the stones had changed pockets. The day wasn't complete until all the stones had moved, whether it was a small kindness or a large one. It doesn't take long for someone to start a facebook page with people leaving comments of how Nathan touched their lives. Nathan's legacy were very big shoes to step into and his family is very aware of that. But as they deal with their grief, Halley finds she is angry at the motorist who needed help and at Nathan for helping him. Then one comment on the facebook page by a stranger that states that Nathan saved her life has Halley questioning who this Madeline Zuckerman is and why Nathan had never mentioned her or saving her life. When Halley is given Nathan's computer from work to sort through his personal stuff, Halley discovers years worth of emails to this Madeline and references to their little girl. Halley is devastated and now is not only fighting grief but anger and betrayal that her husband apparently was not who he said he was and had kept such a huge secret from her. But thirteen year old Alice believes in the character of her father, what he stood for and what he tried to teach them and she embarks on a path to find out the truth. But will her faith in her Dad be rewarded or will she find what she doesn't want to face?<br />
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I loved this story. It was so multi-layered and real. The characters and their emotions were so raw and relatable and the story so inspiring and yet heartbreaking at the same time. It dealt with bullying, grief, abuse, lying...all very heavy topics but the story of love, faith, compassion, friendship, and truth that were the foundation made it thought provoking, convicting, challenging and inspiring. It really brought to the forefront that we really only do see the "now" of a person's life and not what led them to where they are, whether they are people we think negatively of or whether we hold them in high esteem. In my humble opinion, this is the kind of book that should be required reading in all schools, rather than some of the other stuff they made us read that had no impact whatsoever on our lives. It would also be an awesome book for a book club as it deals with very real feelings related to all sorts of things people face and would make great discussion. This is a story that should challenge and make great impact on a reader's life as it really looks at the humanness of us all and how we can all individually choose to make a difference for someone in our everyday lives. I know it really challenged me and made me think for day's after I finished it.<br />
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I do feel I should put a warning of sexual abuse of a minor for those that is would trigger but does so without the descriptive details.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>19. 419 by Will Ferguson</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: September 4, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
When Laura Curtis's father dies unexpectedly in a single vehicle car crash the family is devastated. But inconsistencies start showing up in the investigation and the insurance company rules it a suicide and won't pay out. Upon further investigation her father's emails show correspondence with a young man in Nigeria asking for her father's help to transfer funds for a young woman they name as Miss Sandra. What on earth would possess her father to email back to one of these scams?As Laura starts to dig through the emails the anger and helplessness at the ability of the police to do nothing fuels her rage until she decides to try and take matters into her own hands. But what she finds as she tries to avenge her father's death is way more involved than a single young man in a Lagos, Nigeria internet cafe trying to scam a single person and it may cost Laura everything, including her life.<br />
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I picked this book up not really knowing what 419 meant but it refers to those email scams we all used to get...you know the one's that start out with "Dear Sir, I am the daughter of a Nigerian diplomat, and I need your help..." or something similar. Most people hit the delete button as quick as they open them but there were also lots of people taken in by them and were taken for everything they had. The 419 internet scam is named after the Nigerian criminal code that covers fraud. The author has taken great pains in this book to research the 419 scams and how they operate. From young men, educated but unable to find work, to corrupt oil companies ravaging the Nigerian land and it's people leaving them in desperate situations, to crime cartels running these scams, this book is very multi-layered and eye opening not only to the scam but to the sad situation in Nigeria. The story is built around 3 main characters: Laura from Canada, Winston who is trying to run a scam from Nigeria and an unnamed young women trekking across the dessert obviously trying to escape from something. The author weaves their stories back and forth eventually brings these lives together. I was really drawn into Laura's story. From her introverted bookish lifestyle she takes on a whole other persona when the anger at how and why her father died takes over. And though I was drawn to her and her bravado I wonder how realistic her taking on the individual author of the emails and unknowingly the Nigerian crime cartel really would be. But I guess it was a way to show how quickly individuals who started into this scam would quickly be caught up and in way over their heads with no way out. The story was tense and eye opening. It is not a happy or cheerful pick me story but one more to bring awareness, I think. I did find myself skimming some parts, however, when it came to the unnamed young woman. Her part in the story didn't quite come together for me and was a bit of a distraction and sometimes a confusing addition from the rest of what was going on. For me it was worth the read just for the immense amount of research into how these scams operate and gave me a bit of compassion for the everyday people of Nigeria and what went on there and how these underground crime cartels rose up with such ferocity there, though the understanding did not excuse their forays into brutal crime in my mind. Given with a warning for one secondary character's constant F-bombs in his language if you are sensitive to that.
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>20. The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #0b5394;">Set Aside:</span> September 15 at 97 pages<span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span><br />
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A follow up to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, <a href="https://susannesspace.blogspot.com/search?q=the+unlikely+pilgrimage+of+harold+fry" target="_blank">which I really enjoyed</a>, this book takes a look at the story from Queenie Hennessy's point of view as she lays dying in a hospice care facility. It starts with the letter she sent to Harold that started his whole pilgrimage walking across England to see her and has her reflecting on her life as a nun at the hospice encourages her to write more to Harold while she types it up so that when he arrives Queenie can tell him her story. It delves into her feelings of the moment and her memories of knowing Harold Fry. The story of how Queenie meets and falls in love with Harold, who is a married man, and her unrequited love and pining away just didn't capture me. I just was having a hard time being engaged with the characters or the story so I set it aside. It is rated quite high on Goodreads so maybe it is just the wrong timing for me for this read.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b>21. You Were Always Mine by Nicole Baart</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: September 23, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
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Jessica Chamberlain is just trying to make life work for her and her 2 boys after she and her husband separated. Her oldest is a teenager and Gabe only 7. Both are finding the circumstances difficult with Max acting out and getting in trouble at school but Gabe especially needs delicate hands on support. He doesn't always handle things well and anything with pressure can set him off. As Jessica tries to maneuver through this new world, she receives a phone from a sheriff in another state telling her they believe her husband has been killed in a car accident. Jessica is devastated as she always believed her and Evan would work things out and be back together. What was he doing in another state anyway? As Jessica focuses on getting her family through this tragedy, things start happening that don't add up. And as she tries to figure things out without looking like she is totally losing it, Jessica finds herself discovering all sorts of lies that seem to lead to her adopted son.<br />
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This was a very tense, page turner of a book. I love this author's writing and how she is able to really build her characters make the flawed and very real and relatable. Though sometimes I was very frustrated with Jessica my heart couldn't help but feel for her and everything her family was experiencing. It's a mystery, suspense and family drama that delves into the challenges of having both an adopted and a biological child but also deals with family issues, grief, adoption and lies. The author started each chapter with a female name and description and then some kind of coded letters that the meaning of is slowly revealed as the story progresses. I couldn't stop reading as I had to know what it meant. Though I kinda of guessed what was going on I totally did not see the big twist coming. Very well written and drew me in from beginning to end.
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>22. Love Bears All Things by Beth Wiseman</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: October 1, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Charlotte Dolinsky is not only trying to get over a break up with her boyfriend but now her finances,or lack of them, is forcing her out of her apartment. Offered a reprieve to come back to Lancaster County from her Amish friends, Charlotte decides to take them up on their offer and go back to Amish country to try to sell her deceased brother's home and get her life back on track. Though her Amish "family" welcomes her with open arms not everyone is happy that she is back. Daniel Byler doesn't trust Charlotte one bit after all the lies she's told but he also is trying to get over a heartbreak. And now things have come to light in his own family and the only way to help them is to work with Charlotte. As they try to get over their pasts, could their partnership actually turn into a friendship that helps them get over their hurt? Charlotte hopes so. And as the forgiveness of her Amish family is poured into her life, can she finally get her life back together enough to choose between the two worlds? Just when she thinks she knows her direction, her past comes knocking and she is thrown right back into uncertainty.<br />
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This is book 2 in the Amish Secrets trilogy. <a href="https://susannesspace.blogspot.com/2015/07/her-brothers-keeper-by-beth-wiseman.html" target="_blank">Book 1 is reviewed here</a> and <a href="https://susannesspace.blogspot.com/2017/10/home-all-along-by-beth-wiseman-book.html" target="_blank">book 3 here.</a> I read them out of order because I somehow missed book two in the review offers. I ordered it because I really liked the other ones. I loved this series by Beth Wiseman. The premise of an "Englisher", and one with a hurtful past, being able to insert themselves into the Amish community was so interesting to me. The love and forgiveness of the Amish family towards her was a refreshing thread especially in light of all the hate and bitterness of today's world. I also really enjoyed this series because Beth Wiseman deals with some pretty hard "Englisher" topics: suicide, drug addiction, child abuse, and mixes them with hard topics that the Amish might face: unwed pregnancy, desires to leave community, betrayal, struggles with faith within their own ranks. I thought she did it so well with this series. It was interesting, funny at times, heartbreaking at others and really portrayed real issues with honest feelings and struggles.
Highly recommend if you like Amish stories<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>23. Secret Daughter - a novel by Shilpi Somaya Gowda</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: October 24, 2019</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 10/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> </span><br />
In a small remote village in India, Kavita gives birth to her second daughter. After her first was taken away from her because the baby was not a son, Kavita begs the old woman helping her not to tell her husband. Deciding to save the baby's life by giving her away to an orphanage in Mumbai, Kavita and her sister set out on foot to the big city. It kills Kavita to hand her beautiful daughter over to the orphanage but she hopes this decision will bring her a good life. But everyday for the rest of her life, Kavita wonders.
In America, Somer and her Indian husband, struggle to get pregnant. Both are doctors and have access to the best of care. But now that care has shown that she will never have children. Her husband, Krishnan, talks her into going to Mumbai and adopting an Indian child from an orphanage there. They pack up and go live with his family while they navigate the sometimes insanity of an international adoption from India. Somer struggles with the Indian culture and can't wait to get home. But the baby girl with the incredible eyes has captured their hearts and they feel that their love for her will carry them all through any hard times. But Somer carries a fear with her that starts to control that love and when their daughter wins a scholarship to intern in India her greatest fears just may be realized.<br />
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What to say about this beautiful book. I've had it in my to read pile for 2 years! Two whole years of not realizing the reading treasure sitting there. It was the cover that drew me to it and the fact that it is written by an Canadian/Indian author. At it's core it's a beautiful story of mothers' love that interweaves two totally different cultures. It's emotional and a beautifully written story. Forgiveness, family, adoption, assumptions, perceptions and perspective, and hope are just some of the topics it delves into. It showed the two sides of India, the ultra lavishly wealthy and the incredibly poor and showed how the massively huge slum in Mumbai got it's beginnings. I learned so much about the Indian culture and the theme of "everything is more complicated than it seems" really flowed throughout the story, both from the American character's and the Indian characters. It's writing is captivating with really great character development and gave me all the feels. Loved this story and will definitely be looking for her other books.
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b>24. The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: October 29, 2019 </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><br />
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Anne and Marco Conti are a seemingly happy couple that live in a duplex in a good neighborhood. They have a beautiful 6 month old baby girl named Cora and Marco's business is doing well. Everything seems to be going well for the young couple. They are friends with their next door neighbors and have been invited for a private, "no kids" dinner party for the husband's birthday. Unfortunately, their babysitter has canceled and now they are in a dilemma. Marco came up with the idea, because they live next to each other in a duplex, that Cora can just stay in her crib asleep while they take the monitor with them to the dinner and then they would take turns every half hour checking on Cora. Anne is not in agreement with this idea but finally gives in to Marco. As the evening progresses, the baby checks seem to be going okay but by midnight Anne has had enough and wants to go home but Marco is having a good time, too good of a time enjoying the attention of their female host. When Anne finally gets him to leave the party, Anne's greatest fear is realized as they discover that Cora is missing. Immediately they are under suspicion, who leaves their baby alone and goes to a dinner party even with a monitor? The whole neighborhood is shocked. But as Detective Rasbach unfolds the layers of what actually happened, it becomes apparent that both parents have been hiding secrets from each other but is that enough to make the jump to commit a horrendous crime? Or has this just been a horrible act against an innocent couple who made one bad decision? And what about all the neighbors who have their own secrets?<br />
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For the most part, I enjoyed the mystery element to this book, however it did have it's ups and downs for me and some were insurmountable. It is definitely filled with twists and turns throughout that keep you turning the pages. Some of the twists I figured out but then another would come along that surprised me. The thing that I found difficult with the read, however, was that there was not one likeable character to root for. As more and more is revealed and the suspicion of everyone deepens, my dislike for them all grew. The writing suffered from a bit of clunkiness in parts and repetition at times that kind of broke up the flow. And there is one character that is prone to dropping f-bombs and in one instance coupled it with the Lord's name at which point I almost quit the book for that reason. I HATE when that is done and in my point of view there is NEVER a reason for it. It's never done with any other historical/religious leader and I am highly offended that this author thought it is ok to do it with Christianity's Son of God. Had it happened again, I would not have continued on no matter how good the story was. The rating from me most definitely reflects my deep offense at that. And I will probably not read another from her if that is the "surprise" I will be getting.
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>25. The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: November 13, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><br />
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Whew quite a mouthful. And quite an endeavor. The author's writing before this was a memoir book that was a huge challenge where he tried to become the smartest person in the world by reading the Encyclopedia Britannica from A - Z and now he was on a a quest to find something that would top that. Raised in a secular Jewish family, living in New York and having an agnostic mind set, with the birth of his son he wondered if maybe he was not missing something in raising his child without religion. Was there anything to faith and following a religion. So he decided, because of his background to see if he could follow and live the bible out as literally as possible for a year. Which presented a huge challenge as you can imagine but that was elevated because of the fact that he wasn't sure if there was a God much less one who personally had His hand in the everyday affairs of man. But he says he went into it with a seemingly open mindset wondering if he carried out the actions and rules if that would eventually lead him to a belief in God. He would spend most of the time in the Old Testament because it was larger and leave the last last 4 months for the New Testament. This is his memoir of that year.<br />
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This has been on my list for quite some time. I wondered how one could possibly get through, in this day and age, following the bible literally. I mean, what on earth was he going to do about stoning people and animal sacrifice, for just a couple of examples? And I wondered what he would do with the New Testament. I was very curious to learn where it would lead him in his own personal journey. He was told when he first started that there was no way he would be the same person at the end of the year than he would be in the beginning and I think he experienced that though not as much as I was hoping he would while reading this.<br />
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I did enjoy this book taken in it's context. It was laugh out loud funny at times, a bit sad at times, and he did have some good insightful moments. It is well written and kept me engaged. I wondered if he would be mocking and derogatory towards those of faith but I was pleasantly surprised and though some of the situations did turn out hilarious and he might have questioned what he was required to do, he seemed to remain committed and open and while relaying situations humorously, I didn't get the sense he was openly mocking. He read and researched the bible, formed an advisory board, with a broad scope of beliefs both Jewish and Christian, to help him figure out the different laws and writings and seemed to have an open mind throughout. While I don't agree with some of his conclusions, how can I when he is approaching from a perspective of unbelief, and therefore, would have no true understanding of what it means to truly believe from deep within one's heart and not just follow a bunch of rules, I do wish he would have delved much more into the gospels and mainstream Christianity rather than searching out the extremes but his thoughts when he did visit some of the more extreme churches was actually interesting and he did seem to stay quite respectful. The final four months in the New Testament did seem rushed comparatively. I wish he would have experienced more of what the gospel really is. But for someone who started this journey totally as an unbeliever with the intent of trying to live out an ancient text of faith as literally as he could in this day and age, some of his thoughts were insightful and one good thing about this book is that it made good discussion at our dinner table. Did he do it for a stunt and attention and to sell books or was he truly seeking the answer he asked at the beginning? Only God would know his true heart and it would be interesting to see where he is today as the book was written in 2007. All I can say is bless his very patient wife.
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>26. Dead Mountain - the untold story of the Dyatlov Pass incident by Donnie Eichar</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: November 20, 2019</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>In February 1959, nine students from the Sverdlovsk's Ural Polytechnic Institute set out to earn their Grade III hiking papers during their school break. They head into Russia's Ural Mountains but only one returns. When the other eight are found, there is so many mysterious elements that rescuers and officials are baffled. Everyone was found away from the tent with no shoes, some had unexplained injures and they were not all in the same place, some had shredded clothes, some had radiation in their clothing. Then the government stepped in when it came to their funerals and put restrictions upon how the families could bury their loved one. Decades later, still no answers but plenty of theories.
The author took on the challenge of trying to find answers to this unsolved mystery. With new technologies and scientific discoveries, access to the hiker's diaries and photographs not available before, access to government records previously unattainable by government restrictions, and countless interviews including the previously elusive survivor the author retraces the group's steps and paints a picture of deep friendship based on common interests that ended in a horrible tragedy.<br />
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This was a really interesting book. The author did a great job in weaving together elements that before were not available to be put together and is able to finally tell the story of what happened to these hikers. It gives an interesting look into late 1950's Russia as people are experiencing a bit of freedom before communism takes over. It is well told, they mystery keeps the pages turning and the pace moves along well as the author gives a real and emotional picture into the hiker's and their personalities and their last weeks of life. If you think you can guess what happened you are probably wrong. Recommended if you like true life hiking/mountaineering stories or unsolved mystery stories.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>27. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: November 29,2019</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> <br />
Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as “human computers” used pencils, slide rules and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space.
Among these problem-solvers were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation. Originally relegated to teaching math in the South’s segregated public schools, they were called into service during the labor shortages of World War II, when America’s aeronautics industry was in dire need of anyone who had the right stuff. Suddenly, these overlooked math whizzes had a shot at jobs worthy of their skills, and they answered Uncle Sam’s call, moving to Hampton, Virginia and the fascinating, high-energy world of the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory.
Even as Virginia’s Jim Crow laws required them to be segregated from their white counterparts, the women of Langley’s all-black “West Computing” group helped America achieve one of the things it desired most: a decisive victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War, and complete domination of the heavens.
Starting in World War II and moving through to the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race, Hidden Figures follows the interwoven accounts of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden, four African American women who participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes. It chronicles their careers over nearly three decades they faced challenges, forged alliances and used their intellect to change their own lives, and their country’s future. (above paragraph from back of the book)<br />
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The movie for Hidden Figures is really good and that’s what got me to read the book because the book always has more than the movie, right? Well I have mixed feelings about the book itself. The first half I literally slogged through finding a lot of it very dry. It was very much an information dump and dense and I felt you didn’t really get to know the characters other than they were mathematicians and computers for Langley Aeronautics and the NACA agency which preceded NASA, . Just when they would introduce a black woman character, her personal story was lost in the information of the civil rights movement at the time and how NACA and Langley were handling it and lots of technical info about aeronautics and engineering. While I know that goes hand in hand with their stories, I would have liked to get more on the women on a personal level. There was also lots and lots of different people mentioned without really going into any of them except who they were in regards to the agencies or how they were related to the women. The second half of the book was more to my liking as it dealt with NASA and the bid to get to the moon which I’ve always been interested in and have read tons about. And the book got more personal with one of the major woman who helped accomplish that. The book actually ends about 3/4 of the way through with the rest being “notes” and “bibliography” and “index” so it’s not as long as appears from the size of the book. It was well researched that is for sure. Kudos to the author for that. It must have been very difficult sorting through all of it and deciding what to include. It is about time these women's stories are told as it played a major part in aeronautics, the Apollo program, civil rights, woman's rights and equality, and flight as we know it today. It really is shameful that it has taken this long. With all the reading and biographies and autobiographies I have done over the years I did not know this story so all in all I am very glad that I did push through and finish this book to the end. And standing ovation to all the woman who were courageous enough to follow their dreams through that history and carve a path for the rest of women who wanted to pursue science and engineering.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b>28. The Last Year of the War by Susan Meissner</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: December 28, 2019</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 10/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
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Fourteen year old Elise lives in Iowa with her mom, dad and younger brother. Her parents have been legal U.S. residents for almost 20 years. Her mom is a homemaker and her father works in a chemical factory. They have built a good life in the U.S. and loved it though they never got around to becoming official citizens. The Pearl Harbour happens and the next thing they know Elise father is arrested on charges of being a Nazi sympathizer. Though nothing of the kind, there is circumstantial evidence that seems to say otherwise. After being gone from his family for sometime, they are all sent to an internment camp in Texas, along with other German and Japanese origin families. Elise and her family have lost everything and must make a new life in this camp. Elise goes through turmoil, not understanding why everything has been taken from them. In her mind, her family is fully American. In fact her father refuses to let her go to the German classes in the camp choosing instead to only let her attend the English speaking school. There she meets Mariko, from the Japanese side of the camp, and they form a strong friendship. Neither knows how they would ever make it through the days without each other, but when news comes that each of their families is to be repatriated back to the respective countries of their origin they make a vow to meet in New York when they turn 18 after the war and renew their friendship and their American lives. But when Elise and her family arrive back in Germany, they are faced with being right in the middle of the war. It will be a miracle if they make it through and now her father is faced with having to work for the Nazi's. Can Elise stay true to who she was in America or will the act of surviving through the devastation of the last year of the war change who she is and who she wants to be?<br />
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Susan Meissner once again writes a beautifully written dual time line of a young girl surviving in world war II. She has taken a story of the war I had never even heard of, that of the U.S. trading American legal residents of German descent for American prisoners in Germany. She brings all the struggle of not only being plonked into the middle of the bombing and takeover of Germany, but she shows how difficult it would have been to stay true to your identity and who you thought you were and who you wanted to be and not let the horrors and prejudice and hate overtake you. It's well written and I really felt for the characters as the author developed them throughout the story. I hoped and cheered on the relationship of the two friends even when that friendship faced it's hardest challenges. The dual time line is subtle. The story mostly focuses on what happens during the war but the beginning and the end deals with the current time line bringing it all together.
Highly recommend if you like World War II fiction.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><b>29. The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: December 31, 2019</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-76904377236625628482019-01-17T08:05:00.001-07:002020-01-02T20:53:55.904-07:002019 Reading Goals and ChallengesA new year of anticipating some great reads. This year, once again, my main goal is to work on getting the multitude of books that are already swamping my closet read and pared down. Last year's goal setting really helped this along. So I'm going to keep the skeleton of that and maybe refine it even more. So for 2019 here are my goals. I will add in the titles as I finish them because it was nice to see that list. Even though my numbers were less than usual my goals were pretty much reached minus the library list book I missed in November and an Anne of Green Gables Read.<br />
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Once again the asterick (*) means it was on my library list but then I found it at a little library and also was then owning the copy.<br />
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2019 Reading Goals:<br />
(books that crossover the sections will be marked with an asterisk)<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">At least 2 books per month from my own piles. (Including the Aloha Reef Series by Colleen Coble)</span></i></b><br />
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~ The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton<br />
~ Every Note Played by Lisa Genova<br />
~ Life After by Katie Ganshert<br />
~ The House of Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright*<br />
~ The Offering by Angela Hunt<br />
~ I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon<br />
~ Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline<br />
~ Bay of Secrets by Rosanna Ley<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></i></b><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">~ </span>The Lost Daughter<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span>by Gill Paul<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span>~ The One Good Thing by Kevin Alan Milne<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span>~ You Were Always Mine by Nicole Baart<br />
~ Love Bears All Things by Beth Wiseman<br />
~Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda<br />
~The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena<br />
~The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">6 non-fiction books (some of these will crossover with my own piles or library list)</span></i></b><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span>~Unshakeable Hope by Max Lucado<br />
~What if it's True by Charles Martin (crossover with review books)<br />
~The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs (crossover with my own piles)<br />
~Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly (crossover with my own piles)<br />
~Dead Mountain by Donnie Eichar (crossover with library list)<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">At least 1 book per month from my library to read shelves</span></i></b><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> ~ </span><span style="font-style: italic;">January </span>~The Real Enemy by Kathy Herman*<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> ~ </span>March ~ Beartown by Frederik Bachman<br />
~ May ~ What She Knew by Gilly MacMillan<br />
~ June ~ The Reader's of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span>~ July ~ The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor*<br />
~ August ~ The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth<br />
~ September ~ 419 by Will Fergusson<br />
~ October ~ The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce<br />
(dnf at 97 pgs)<br />
~November ~ Dead Mountain: the untold true story of the Dyatlov Pass incident by Donnie Eichar<br />
~December ~ The Last Year of the War by Susan Meissner<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">6 review books</span></i></b><br />
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<i style="color: #38761d; font-weight: bold;"> </i>~ Secrets at Cedar Cabin by Colleen Coble<br />
~ What if It's True? by Charles Martin (crossover with non-fiction goal)<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">At least 2 rereads both for pleasure and to see if it's a book I still want to keep on my bookshelves</span></i></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Book 3 in the Anne of Green Gables series</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></i></b><span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">3 new to me authors *</span>Jaime Jo Wright<br />
Ariel Lawhon<br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span>Katarina Bivald
<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></i></b><span style="color: #38761d; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span>Hazel Gaynor<br />
Rosanna Ley<br />
Sally Hepworth<br />
Gill Paul<br />
Kevin Alan Milne<br />
Will Ferguson<br />
Shilpi Somaya Gowda<br />
Shari Lapena<br />
Sarah Morgan<br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>1 Jodi Picoult book</b></span><br />
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<br />Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-36802887533582379222018-01-14T16:09:00.005-07:002021-04-21T21:04:20.952-06:002018 Reads and Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>1. A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: January 5, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 6/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
This is the story of 3 women. Two are war brides from World War II traveling on the Queen Mary to join their husbands in America. After surviving the horrors of war, one in France, the other in Germany they are hoping to start anew in the U.S. But both hide deep secrets that they hope will never be found out. One is a present day woman who is facing a huge decision with her husband. But when an old aquaintance calls desperately requesting her assistance she must face the secrets she herself is trying to run away from. Helping this person requires her to take a visit to the Queen Mary which is now docked in a city close to her. What she finds causes her to dig into her secret in order to solve the mystery.<br />
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I had a real love/hate relationship with this story. I love most works by this author and the cover is so beautiful it lulled me into requesting it for Christmas without first checking into a description. But in reality the description on the back would not have truly revealed to me what this story is really about. First the good stuff: Loved the story of the two women, Simone and Annaliese, from World War II and the heartache and horrors they faced and survived. Loved the story and mystery that was developed between the two of them. Their characters were richly told and very believable. I was drawn right in and had a hard time putting the book down when their part of the story was being told.<br />
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What I didn't love or even like was the contemporary part of the story. Brette is an individual who can see and communicate with "drifters", ghosts of individuals who are stuck in a place between life and afterlife. (This is not a spoiler as you learn this right at the beginning). For whatever reason, they are unable to move on. This so-called gift is passed along amongst some of the women in her maternal side of the family and no one knows who will get it and who won't. Brette has been trying to suppress this gift on the advice of her aunt since childhood but when an old schoolmate desperately calls her for help it leads her to the Queen Mary, a ship which historically was used by royalty, used during the war for battle and for transporting war brides and which is now docked, rumored to be haunted and offers historical tours. When there, she encounters a drifter who is also desperately trying to show her something and she feels she must solve the mystery. I felt this whole part of the story just detracted from the wonderfully written historical part. The ending concerning the drifter and the ship was just weird and left me disappointed. The whole ghost thing was distracting to me and I wish the story and it's mysteries could have been told without the ghost narrative. Though I love this author usually, she is one of my favorites, this is now the second book I've read from her that has had a ghost involved. I think I will be checking reviews a bit better to get a better gist of what her story is about seeing as how the back of the book description didn't let me in on any of this (all it said was the character visits the famously haunted Queen Mary...I did not get from that that this was going to be a story who's major plot would be about communicating with "drifters". I don't know maybe I'm dense and don't read between the lines well). Ghost stories are definitely not my cup of tea and I feel if a book who's major storyline is going to be about ghosts maybe should make that a bit more clear in the description?<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">DNF'd at 120 pages</span><br />
120 pages in I finally set it aside. Couldn't get into it. First... there were way too many names mentioned, too many characters, too many references that reference other books. Second... the "information gathering" on the woman the main character was interested in bugged me. At one point he had a video call with her, replayed it after he hung up with her, paused it at a certain point and printed off her picture. He's asking mutual friends for a lot of info on her. A little too stalkerish, creepy, weird to me. Third... The main female character apparently writes "fictional" novels based on real life friends that it turns out are books in a very popular series that this actual author of Full Disclosure has written. A little too much of mentioning and bragging up this series. Even though I loved the series, and reread the every so often, it was just too much like patting oneself on the back within this story for me, it made me uncomfortable. Fourth...the female main character was built up to be just too perfect of a person in the first 100 plus pages that I read. All in all, it just wasn't drawing me in and my mind was wandering as I was reading so I set it aside. Maybe another time I'll give it another go.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>2. The Reluctant Midwife by Patricia Harman</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: January 27, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Becky Myers used to be a very busy surgical nurse and assistant in Dr. Isaac Blum's medical practice. But some tragedies in the doctor's life have taken his ability to cope with life. Somehow his care has landed squarely into Becky's lap. Unable to continue his medical practice, Becky packs up what they have and heads to Hope River where the Doctor has a home. She hopes the change of scenery will knock him out of his stupor. But when they get there things have changed and Becky and the doctor find themselves homeless. Looking up her old friend, Patience Murphy, the midwife of Hope River, she hopes that she can help her out. Once settled into the midwife's old home, Becky's next step is to try to find a job. But the depression has hit West Virginia hard and there are no jobs to be found. What's left is to help Patience in her midwifery, but Becky has never been comfortable with the whole birth process and would rather deal with the sick. When an opportunity comes her way to work as a nurse at the Civilian Conservation Corps camp, she nabs it thinking she can get away from helping birth babies. But now Patience is pregnant and facing months of bed rest and it seems she still must reluctantly take on the delivering of babies. Then new tragedy strikes and it will take all her skills and courage to get through it.
I did enjoy this 2nd installment to the Hope River novel.<br />
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One of the time periods I love reading about is the 1930's and the Depression and this book didn't disappoint in that regard. The descriptions of life in those times was very good and I can't imagine what it must have been like for 40% of people to be out of work and then the dust and fire storms wreaking havoc on top of it all. The Civilian Conservation Corps was a real program developed by then president, Roosevelt to revive the rural economies. It "employed" thousands in several states and was a way for the men to get money sent to their families while it gave them meals and room and board. It was interesting reading how a nurse would cope with a huge crew of all men and the issues that that would bring along in those times. Though at times I felt there were a few coarse descriptions of some of the medical stuff. The Facts page at the back of the book was very interesting concerning this "tree army".
Though Betsy was a reluctant midwife in the story I think, if memory serves correctly, there wasn't quite as many "delivery" stories as the first book. I loved the author's character development in both the main characters and some of the secondary and side characters as well. They gave a real understanding to the things that might have been going on in people's lives during that time. And Betsy having to face her fears of midwifery because she had to was good as well. Dr. Blum with his mental health issue was especially interesting to me, along with aggravating at times, and yet how he developed down through the story was fascinating to me. I liked that Patience from the first book was back in the story but didn't override the introduction of Betsy and yet didn't fade away either. The author balanced the two of them very well.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>3. The View from Rainshadow Bay by Colleen Coble</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: January 31, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Shauna is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her small boy after her beloved husband dies in a climbing accident. She misses her husband desperately and totally blames his best friend, Zach, for his death. Zach is into extreme sports and Shauna feels he egged Jack on beyond his capabilities and what was safe. But when Shauna's business partner is killed in an explosion and the circumstances seem to point to murder, Zach is the only one she can turn to keep her and her child safe. Zach wants to help them out. His home security is top notch and he has two guard dogs, so to him it makes sense to have the pair move into his home for protection in spite of the gossip he knows they will endure and in spite of the anger directed towards them both by Shauna's mother in law. Not only will it help to keep them safe but it will make him feel less guilty about Jack's death to be helping out his widow. But when secrets about her family start surfacing, Shauna's safety really does start to be in jeopardy and they wonder if they can piece together the connections before something goes terribly wrong.<br />
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I really enjoyed this latest from Colleen Coble. It's the first in a new series called Lavender Tides and I'm looking forward to more. I think it might be my favorite that I've read from her. The story is a page turner for sure, but what really made it good for me was that it wasn't just a murder suspense mystery but that it had depth to it and involved my emotions as the characters struggled through their grief at losing a young husband, father and friend. The way they were written was really good and very believable. Though there is an element of romance to the story as is in all the author's mysteries, it didn't take over the story and it didn't make me roll my eyes at an "insta-love" element. The ones involved had known each other many years and I found the development of their attraction sweet and probably quite natural. As for the mystery I was really drawn in and couldn't put the book down in a lot of the parts. It paced really well to keep me turning those pages. A few unanswered questions at the end set the book up nicely for the next in the series.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>4. Left Neglected by Lisa Genova</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: February 5, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Sarah Nickerson is the mom who does it all. She juggles a high powered career, a husband who also is climbing the career ladder, and 3 young kids one of whom is under a year old. They live in an affluent neighborhood outside of Boston with both her and her husband commuting into Boston to work and also own a home at a ski resort where they try to escape on the weekends to balance the insane schedules and 80 hour work weeks they keep. She has it all and for the most part loves the busyness. She is the queen of multitasking to keep that wheel turning. But one day it all comes to a grinding halt in a split second of time when she makes the choice to answer her phone while driving. Surviving the accident but sustaining a brain injury called left neglect, she strives to put all her skills and her competitive nature into getting better and getting back to her life. But brain injuries don't always listen to the strongest of our commands or determination and in the forced slow down Sarah must learn to listen to her body, find new ways to navigate life and find the good in the bad circumstances. Retreating to the ski hill she loves, she finds healing and peace but not in the ways she would have ever thought.
Such a good book again by this author.<br />
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Once again, she is able to weave a fictional story around a real life brain illness or injury and teach her readers about the effects on both the injured and their families and those around them. It's a very real, sensitive portrayal of the struggles they face and gives the reader compassion for those facing this kind of injury without it being a dry textbook factual read. You are drawn into the story through the emotional elements the author is so gifted at bringing out in both the characters and the reader. I also love how in this story the concept of the American dream is dissected in the light of one family having to re-examine what they thought was that dream and the accomplishment of it and taking a hard look a what really is important to them in the long run.
I gave this book a 9.5/10. The only reason it didn't score 10 for me was because in the beginning Sarah is having dreams at night and that really slowed the story for me. I'm an at face value reader and struggle with allegorical and hidden meaning elements in stories so I found myself really skimming those parts. Once those parts were done in the story it really picked up and became hard to put down.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>5. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: February 18, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
This book was a re-read for me. I first read it many, many years ago and remember being really impacted by it and I wanted to see if I got the same reaction from it with a reread at a different point and place in my life. I think this book has been republished many times with different covers and this is the cover I own. It is much more muted than the other ones and I kinda like it.<br />
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Redeeming Love is a retelling of the book of Hosea from the bible where God told Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer as an allegory to how the nation of Israel kept leaving God and His ways and God's unconditional and loving pursuit to bring Israel back to himself. The book is mainly in California during the gold rush days of the 1850's. Angel is a prostitute working in the town of Pair a Dice. She is highly desired for her beauty. She comes at a high price but she has also paid a very high price all of her life. Betrayed by men all her life, starting with her own father, who wanted her aborted, she has built a very high wall around herself to protect herself. Wanting nothing more than to just escape the life she has been forced to live and to have a little place all her own, she has been saving towards that for years. But when she tries to get her money for that from the owner of the brothel, she is once again betrayed. Michael is a vegetable farmer who loves the Lord. After coming into town to sell his produce, he sees Angel walking down the street and feels the Lord telling him to marry her. He tries to obey and uses all his earnings to try to see Angel, show her unconditional love and convince her to marry him telling her he offers her a better life. But he is met with disdain and contempt. Eventually they do end up marrying but only because Angel is in a position where she can't refuse. As Michael tries to build a home for them and see her as God does and tries his best to show Angel God's love, he is met with resistance at every turn because Angel sees herself in a very different light. She has one thing on her mind, and that is running and getting the money she worked so hard for so that she can fulfill her dream. Michael knows Angel's brokenness can be healed but only through God's love but can Angel see through her own pain to realize that.<br />
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Once again this book greatly impacted me. The first time it was with the powerful pursuit and love God has for his lost ones, myself included. This time, I think I was more impacted with my own deep down attitudes and thoughts. For that reason I'm glad I reread it. It gave me such an insight and an opening of my eyes into to those things I might up to this point have jumped to conclusions about. My eyes and heart were more opened to the ugliness that might put a person on their path. And my eyes were definitely opened to how a person may struggle with the love of God and the new life God wants to give them. My heart broke as through Angel's story I saw myself sometimes reflected more in the character of Paul who defined hypocrisy at it's finest rather than in some of the other Christian characters who showed love, grace and mercy towards Angel. Depending on where we are in our own walk there are characters one could relate to in this story. It really shows the depth of the story that it spoke so differently to me this time than the last time I read it.
In the beginning the Publisher has a preface and an admonition that they would give the book a PG-13 rating because of the story of adultery, marital infidelity and prostitution. There are also instances of child abuse and physical and mental abuse in it so they caution to use discretion with young readers. It takes on many very difficult issues that our society and people as individuals still face in today's world. Because of this the story may be triggering for some and offensive and controversial to others. The author made some choices so that the reader could very thoroughly understand the things that Angel experienced to bring her to the place where she was and to bring a powerful understanding that we in our sin, our attitudes, our hurt and pain are never beyond the love and pursuit of God which really the bible also shows in the story of Hosea and Gomer and in the story of mankind in general. The story showed how some of us make mistakes and return to that which God has saved us from and that not all of us have that desired immediate total heart change when meeting God. Sometimes there are deep things God has to take care of and it is a struggle to understand how God could love us but God continues to draw us no matter our sin or struggle. I thought the story powerful though thought it was just a touch long and a couple of parts unnecessary but it is definitely a story that has great impact in a lot of different areas.
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>6. The Illusionist's Apprentice by Kristy Cambron</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: February 27, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>7. Promise Me This by Cathy Gohlke</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: March 14, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Making plans to move to America from England, Owen Allen finally confronts his spinster aunt, who has taken him and his sister Annie in when his parents died, with his plans. But those plans involve getting established in America before he can send for his little sister Annie. Because of his aunt's manipulative influence, he moves Annie to a boarding school, with the promise he will send for her within the year as soon as he earns enough in his American Aunt and Uncles gardening business. Booking passage on the Titanic, Owen takes a young stowaway under his wing on the ship when he recognizes the young boy has no one. When the Titanic sinks, Owens makes the ultimate sacrifice and Michael makes it to America with nothing except the vow to Owen to get Annie to America and coat pockets full of Owen's seeds, shoots and garden plans to start getting Owen's dreams to fruition. Annie is devastated by her brother's death and though now connected to Michael through the promise she struggles with forgiving him for living when her brother did not. As Annie tries to deal with her grief and move on with her life, and Michael continues saving to bring Annie over, circumstances they never thought possible conspire to keep her away from the life in America her brother dreamed they would have. When Annie disappears in the midst of WW I Michael takes his own life in his hands to cross the ocean yet again, this time back to England to find Annie.<br />
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I really enjoyed this story that involved not only the Titanic but WW I which followed soon on the heels of the sinking of the ocean liner. I'm always up for a story that involves the Titanic and this didn't disappoint in it's telling of that historical part. The young stowaway made an interesting addition to the tragedy that is the Titanic . I haven't read too much on WW I and the story brought the horrific battles in France and the part that VAD nurses played in tending to the wounded on the front lines to life. It all brought out some deep emotions in me in it's descriptions both of the sinking of the Titanic and the aftermath to both the survivors and the families and the devastation of this war. There was some really nice character development and it was nice to see their growth and change from the beginning to end of the story. The only character that I questioned a bThe only character that I questioned a bit was the aunt and her seeming unchallenged ability to wield power over whomever she basically chose even after her death. But it definitely made for a page turning aspect to the story. I loved the themes of sacrifice for another and the exploration of what that means in the life of a Christian, survivor guilt, anger, forgiveness and fulfilling your promises that this Christian historical novel presented. The only part I didn't enjoy was the addition of some sentences in French as some of the French characters spoke even though they were basically translated within the next sentence or two. I found it frustrating and ended up basically just skipping those sentences (which were only in a few of the chapters) and found they could have just been eliminated altogether.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>8. Hurricane Season by Lauren K. Denton</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: April 7, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Betsy and Ty live on and work a dairy farm that Ty inherited from his grandfather. It's a lovely hard working idyllic life. The only thing that would make it perfect would be too add the children they always dreamed of. But after years of trying and undergoing different fertility treatments it looks like it will be a dream that will never come to pass. Jenna is Betsy's younger sister and couldn't have a more different life. She too knows about broken dreams but when an opportunity comes along for her to once again stir that passion, she calls upon Betsy at the last minute to help out with her own children. Reluctantly Betsy agrees because she has always felt the pull to take care of her sister. But taking on the girls just might end of breaking her heart in two and what is going to happen when that two weeks turns into more right when everyone is on edge with an approaching hurricane?<br />
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The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover, it's just gorgeous. The second was that it is a story of sisters. I'm always up for a good sister story. There are many dynamics that come into play in the relationships that sisters have and this story touched on so many of them. The deep bond of not only being sisters but also being the only two siblings within a family, the perceived or not favortism of the parents, the responsible older sister compared with the wild child younger sister all play into where they are in their lives. Betsy was a character who I could relate to, being the older sister. Both sisters have some issues from their past that affects how they relate to one another and to the world around them. I thought that their characters were quite realistic in that they both had good qualities and yet had flaws arising from the hurt in their lives that caused some questionable decision making. The author was able to involve my emotions toward them in one way or another. The corresponding story of the building hurricane and the swirling events happening in their lives really kept me engaged as I wondered if it all would just blow over or whether there would be devastation, either on land or in hearts. I liked the character development of all the main characters in this story and really liked the how the supporting characters were written. This was a nice, clean, touching contemporary story of the relationship of sisters and overcoming shattered hopes and dreams that I really enjoyed but because it did come from a Christian publisher I did find myself wishing there was a bit more element of faith within the story. That said I would recommend it if you like a contemporary story about sisters, lost dreams, or hope.
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>9. The Abominable by Dan Simmons</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: April 15, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 5.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Journalist Dan Simmons is encouraged by his wife to go and interview an aging mountain climber in a senior's home so that he can get inspired for the Antarctic novel he wants to write. When meeting Jacob Perry he is taken on an epic journey as "Jake" recounts an unbelievable story that he lived through in 1920's. As Jake and 2 other mountain climbers, a British war veteran and a French mountain guide, are climbing the Matterhorn, word comes to them of the infamous death of George Mallory and his climbing partner Sandy Irvine. Shaken to hear the news they nonetheless plan an attempt to conquer Mount Everest themselves the following year. Not getting British funding need to mount an expedition of this magnitude they team with a Lady Bromley who is grieving the disappearance of her son, Lord Percival, on the formidable mountain. She will fund the trip if they will look for her son whom she believes is somehow still alive, but on the condition that a cousin of the family goes and is in charge of the financial aspects of the expedition. The team accepts her generous offer all the while planning a summit attempt while they try to find her son.<br />
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As the team, joined by the cousin who is also a climber, take on Everest, their climbing becomes even more dangerous when they start to be pursued by someone or something. It is now life and death and not just from the mountain.<br />
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The premise of this book sounded so intriguing and I find the main gist of the story still interesting. What I found though, was a 660 page chunker of a story that become bogged down in itself. I think it could have really used some major editing. The research this author did was undeniable. If you didn't know the details and technicalities of mountain climbing and especially the technology of the time of the story, you will when you are done reading. However, there were some excessively long sentences. For example there was one that was 104 words. Yes, I counted! There were some things that were totally overly described. Though I understand detailed descriptions of mountain climbing and it's techniques as it is a story of climbing Everest, did I really need to know page after page describing the ridiculously lavish mansion of Lady Bromley? It really had no bearing on moving the story along. It was not until page 256 that the mountain even came into play in the story. There were some very exciting pages in the story and some that I basically skimmed over. And when it was finally revealed what the abominable was it was like a slap in the face coming out of nowhere. Again, unnecessarily overly described. It could have been made known without the great detailed description. And after slogging through that many pages to have that end up in my face left me really disappointed in the book as a whole.<br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>10. The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: April 27, 2018</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 10/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></span><br />
Roman Velesco is a successful artist who has the world at his fingertips. Living the high life he can have whatever he wants but avoids most relationships beyond how they can serve him at all costs. His past keeps him a bitter loner with walls and secrets. His art brings him money, fame and fortune but not satisfaction or joy. When he hires a young single mother to be his new assistant he can't imagine how she will change his life. Grace has some secrets of her own. Taking the job for Roman was a desperate move to move beyond her self-doubt and guilt and try to make it on her own and build a life for her and her infant son. Grace is a believer and has never tried to hide her faith, but as she starts to finally think her life is on track her faith starts to clash with Roman's lifestyle and his expectations.<br />
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First of all, the cover...it is beautiful! I loved this book. In fact, I think it might be my favorite from this author. She has taken a story of two broken people who had traumatic childhoods and wove a beautiful story of sin and it's consequences, mercy and redemption and love. Both Grace and Roman had very traumatic childhoods and rejection that scarred them deeply. The way they handled it as they grew up could not have been more different and it went on to reflect in their adult lives. I loved how the author explored how childhood trauma follows you into adulthood and affects all your decisions. The main characters really drew me and made me think about how we as adults are shaped by what might have happened to us as children. The paths Grace and Roman chose and the reactions and feelings they had were real and raw and it was easy to cheer them on and to hope for the best for them. I really liked the secondary characters too and loved the stories that connected them to the main characters. The story has been criticized by some as not being biblically truthful to some events that happened within the story. Yes, it might not have been 100% biblically accurate. But my personal take on that is that I like to take stories at face value and I am not necessarily reading a fiction novel to get a theological dissertation to be within the story. As long as it doesn't overtly and purposefully cross the foundations of the Word I am ok with an author taking a few liberties in trying to get a point across. This story just sucked me in with real characters who make mistakes, who are trying to survive their pain, their reactions were honest, raw and real. It re-opened my eyes to the fight of good and evil over a soul and it made me re-realize the love of God and how He reaches out to us where we are at throughout our lives and in ways that we as individuals with different backgrounds and experiences can relate to even though it might not sense to others.
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>11. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: April 5, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Agnes grew up in poverty and neglect in Iceland in the early 1800's. Abandoned at a young age by her unmarried mother and never knowing her father, she moved from farm to farm working to stay alive from the age of 8. Growing up never learning what love was or even what a hug felt like, when she met single "healing doctor" Natan Kettilsson in her 30's, she agreed to move to his farm and become his housekeeper and given the hope that she might become his wife. As Agnes tries to make a life for herself and finds herself falling in love with Natan events conspire and she finds herself, along with the other housekeeper and a 17 year old male on trial and convicted of the brutal murder and attempted cover-up of Natan and another man. Put in jail, she endures great hardship and abuse until the authorities decide to put her with a lesser official's family in Northern Iceland until the king of Denmark's approval of her execution. At first the family is horrified that this is required of them and that they have no choice in the matter. Their reactions of distrust and anger dictate their ignoring of her and treating her as a servant so that she earns her keep but as time passes they come to see another side of the "murderess" and "convict".<br />
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This is a fictionalized account inspired by the of the real life Agnes Magnusdottir who was the last woman to be publicly executed in Iceland. The author has taken great care in her research, both of Agnes and the other main characters in the story and the events surrounding them and also the way of life and what was happening in the country of Iceland at the time. She calls her story a "speculative biography" because of course she had to fill in the blanks of conversations and the relationships within her story but was faithful to stick to her research surrounding the events that transpired. Tradition sees Agnes as a witch of sorts, cold and brutal and uncaring but there is really no historical record of who she really was as Agnes was not really given a chance to tell her side of the story in court. The author gives a voice to perhaps a different story of Agnes' life that led up to her execution.<br />
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The telling of the Agnes' story goes back and for from 1st person as seen through the eyes of Agnes and what she is feeling and going through as she awaits her execution, and then 3rd person telling the story of the family and of the priest Agnes requested be her spiritual advisor. The story was an interesting look into the power hungry officials, how the poor and classless servants were treated and given no voice, how the church officials may have played their role. It is also an interesting character study of both the family Agnes stayed with and Agnes herself exploring assumptions and preconceived ideas dictating reactions. The landscape of Iceland, which the author loves, also became a character of it's own mirroring the bleakness, hopelessness, poverty and hopelessness reflected in the story. Even though one knows right from the beginning what is going to happen because it is history, the author did an amazing job in presenting a character that the reader wants to hope for as her story, as imagined by Hannah Kent, is unfolded. I will put a caution in to my reader's sensitive to it, that there is a couple instances of sexual content.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>12. Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: May 15, 2018</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Allie is dealing with a lot of loss in her life. When her second husband is killed in a horrific trucking accident it's just one more thing in her life to add to the pile. Then unexpectedly Joseph whom she's known since childhood suddenly surfaces in her life once again with an offer to help her retain and rebuild her family's dream of a oceanfront restaurant and hideaway. But Joseph comes with his own pain. He is a Vietnam vet who is trying to come to terms with his own losses and is trying to find peace. Wanting to hide in a remote cabin and be by himself he just can't seem to do anything but help when he sees people in need. But helping Allie will also stir up some demons from that past that neither know if they can handle.<br />
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Once again Charles Martin has written a story that touched all my emotions and had me invested in the characters. It's a beautiful story of lost dreams, great sacrifice, worthiness, PTSD, forgiveness, and the struggle of good and evil. And as always there is a beautiful thread of redemption that all his stories carry. And that is a lot to pack into one story but he managed to do it. The story grabbed me in the very beginning and then kept hold of my interest and emotions right on through. At first there is quite a few story lines being laid but it all starts to come together and presents the story of a Vietnam vet who despite everything he's seen and experienced and his longing to hide himself away, steps up when he comes across someone in need. Charles Martin is my favorite author and once again he's proven why. His stories just do something in my heart, make me really think and feel, his prose is lovely and I can't pick up another book for a few days while I mull over everything I just read. The sentences and statements he makes throughout the book about forgiveness, good vs evil, and worthiness just took my breath away at times. Highly recommend.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>13. The Girl in the Glass by Susan Meissner</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: May 21, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
I picked this book out of my pile because my daughter has just booked her trip to Florence so I thought that was great timing. Meg has been in love with the idea of Florence since she was a small child and her beloved grandmother promised her a trip there. But when her Grandma died when Meg was 12 without being able to fulfill that promise her Dad promised he would step in and take her. As much as she loves him though, her Dad has never been good at doing what he promises. Not wanting to give up hope, Meg is surprised when her Dad sends her an airline ticket and cash card to take the trip. But it's under less than up front circumstances but Meg leaves anyway sure that he will meet her there. And while there she can meet with authors that deal with the publishing company she is working for and check out a new author they want to introduce her to. Sophia Borelli is only too happy to show Meg around the city of Florence and to show Meg more chapters from her book. Claiming to be an only survivor of the Medici family, Meg's bosses want her to find proof of Sophia's claim before they will do anything with the book. But when Sophia starts saying she can hear an old Medici princess Nora, speaking to her through statues and paintings, Meg starts to get caught up in Sophia's world of masterpieces and the Italian Renaissance.<br />
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I gotta admit this started slow for me and never really did pick up or grab me. I found my mind wandering through out the story as I read, to the point where I could not even really remember all that much about the story to write the review, especially the historical parts about Nora and the Medici family and Sophia and her hearing things from Nora through the works of art. I found myself skipping a lot sentences and paragraphs and I didn't engage with the characters. This book does have great reviews on Amazon, however, so other readers did enjoy it. Though I did enjoy the descriptions of Florence, not sure what my thing was, but I just wasn't into this story.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>14. A Time to Stand by Robert Whitlow</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: May 31, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></span><br />
Adisa Johnson is an up and coming attorney at a huge law firm in Atlanta working in the corporate take over division. She thrives on finding traps in multi-million dollar business mergers and purchases and putting together major corporate deals. But when her aunt, who raised her and her sister, has a stroke and will need some help, Adisa heads home to small town Campbellton. When she arrives she finds her home town embroiled in a huge controversial case that is pulling her town apart. A white police officer has shot a popular and athletic black high school student. The youth's life is hanging in the balance as all wait to see if the youth wil survive and the officer will be charged. He claims he had justifiable reason and that he heard a gun shot before he discharged his own weapon, that he is not a racist. But the black community is not buying it and claims that he used his weapon simply because the youth was black. Embroiled in the escalating controversy is a prominent black pastor who leads a very large church in the community. When she comes to town, the pastor assumes which side she will take and wants her help in whatever way she can to prosecute the police officer to the full extent of the law. Pulling her in the other direction is her old mentor who wants her to defend the officer. Just when she has made up her mind and wants to get into the fray by helping prosecute, the young black youth's grandmother does something totally unexpected and Adisa finds herself challenged to look at the case with new eyes and with the town becoming more and more divided she finds herself being drawn to do the unthinkable at great cost to herself.<br />
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I really enjoyed this very timely story. It drew me right in and made me think of these issues from other angles other than what might seem obvious. It challenges perceptions about assumptions, consequences, justice, forgiveness and solutions to the seemingly insurmountable and unsolvable issues of race and profiling and policing. I loved the character of Adisa who was a strong black woman but also felt the affects of racism in her life but was open enough to have her own perceptions and assumptions challenged. I loved her bravery in doing what she thought she was being called to do. With the lines drawn in the sand for the townspeople, I found the aspect of the story which had both sides believing God for victory very interesting, because that is what happens with life. The story drew me to see how the author would handle that dilemma of which prayer God would answer and how. Though once in awhile, I found some of the conversations a bit stilted I really enjoyed this book because of how it opened up my own thinking and would be excellent, I think, for a book club to discuss.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>15. Summer of Joy by Ann H. Gabhart</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">(Heart of Hollyhill #3)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: June 9, 2018</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8/10</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></span><br />
This is the 3rd installment in the Hollyhill series. It continues to follow the story of Jocie Brooke and her family. Jocie is now 14 and looking forward to finishing school and enjoying summer. Everything is going great for everyone in the family...her Dad and his girlfriend Leigh are becoming closer, her sister is doing well and still living with them along with her adorable little baby. They are all enjoying doting on him and the community seems to have accepted his chocolate colored skin in spite of last year's racist upheaval. Everything is fine except for the turmoil that one of Jocie's teacher's is causing her. He is new, stepping in for the regular English teacher on leave. And according to Jocie, he is just plain mean and has it in for her. But as the end of the school year approaches Jocie will have more on her plate to deal with than a frustrating teacher as a shocking appearance by the one person she never wanted to see happens and another stranger comes to town who could just ruin one of her most cherished relationships.<br />
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I enjoyed this wrap up to the coming of age story of Jocie Brooks and the people of Holyhill. It was a satisfying ending to their storylines and their character arc and growth throughout the series was very interesting to me. The author continued in the vein of good storytelling though there was one phrase that I thought was used way too much throughout the story and I found myself sighing everytime it was brought in. I thought the author was very skillful in treating the storylines of a stalker, a teacher who was picking on a student, and small town community attitudes with the 1960's feel. She really was able to convey the attitudes and approaches to those kinds of things from that era's viewpoint. We would definitely not approach things that way today. Though this was my least favorite of the 3 books it wrapped everything up nicely.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>16. Where Hope Begins by Catherine West</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: June 19, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
Savannah's family is falling apart. Her husband of twenty years has left her for someone else and neither her or her children are coping well. While her oldest is at college and her 16 year old is at boarding school, Savannah decides to head for her family's vacation home to try to move on with her life. There she is befriended by a precocious little girl, her eccentric but loving and wise aunt and her introverted novelist father. In trying to heal, she takes on the project of restoring a once beautiful greenhouse to it's former glory. But is there hope in all the ruin?<br />
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Oh boy where do I begin. I finished this book yesterday and my mind and heart are still mulling it over and dealing with all the emotions it evokes. This story is so relevant to this day and age where so many families are devastated by the chaos that marital and family betrayal brings. It dealt with some heavy duty topics: adultery, marriage break up, loss of a child, suicide, guilt, worthiness, forgiveness. The family in this story was facing some major issues. Tragedy, that instead of drawing them closer, was driving them apart as they tried to cope. There were some light moments, some heart breaking moments, some very, very difficult moments and yet the story was infused with hope. I felt the reactions, emotions and struggles of the each of the characters was written very real. I loved that the author didn't try to pretty up and skirt around the pain and not only showed the heartbreak and raw feelings of the parents but also of what the teenager and young adult child were going through. I was the young adult many years ago and this story resurfaced many, many feelings that I went through so I know they were written very honest and legitimate. The characters and their reactions were very real and not perfect as they struggled to make sense of what happened and how to move forward and to face the grief that they had never really dealt with. I loved the symbolism of the broken down, seemingly dead green house and how that became a place of hope and looking beyond the obvious for Savannah. In real life, I think the characters would have had to take much more time to work things through but for the sake of the story the timeline did move quickly. (Otherwise you would end up with a very long tome). There is some physical feelings between husband and wife that are added for those who are sensitive to that in their reading material but I felt they were done tastefully and it is definitely part of what a couple experiencing this would go through.There is great questions in the back and this whole book would make for a great book club read, both Christian and non-believer, as there is so much that could be discussed.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>17. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: July 1, 2018</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></span><br />
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Alice Love wakes up on the floor of her gym staring up at a bunch of strangers who seem to know her quite well. Apparently she fell of the spin cycle and had a bump to the head. But wait a minute, Alice hates the gym. And that is not the only thing that is strange. Very worried about the baby she is pregnant with, her and Nick's first child, Alice is baffled when the hospital insists she is not pregnant at all. And not only that, she is not 29 but 39 and her three children are waiting to be picked up at school. And her world just keeps getting stranger as it is apparent that she has totally lost 10 years of her life out of her memory. Now as the hospital releases her she must go to that life she has no memory of and try to put the pieces together so that she and her family can function in some way. But her family is broken and she is in the midst of a divorce and she has no idea why, she barely has a relationship with the rest of her family and apparently she is some super mom at her kid's school organizing a huge fundraiser that will get them in the Guinness Book of World Records. And who on earth is this "Gina" that everyone doesn't want to talk about? This all is an Alice that she does not recognize at all and now she must figure out either how to go back or how to go forward.<br />
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This was a very interesting premise that really made you think how you would react if you lost the last ten years of your life. As Alice tries to function in her daily life, she has many surprises arise as to what her life and she as a person has become and she is shocked and not happy about a lot of it. But she can't remember what led her there and nobody seems to want to fill her in. A paragraph that I thought perfectly described Alice's dilemma was on page 98 and is a quote from Alice herself:<br />
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"How long have you been married for?" Alice interrupted. The terror of not knowing the facts of her own life gripped her again. She was on one of those amusement park rides that slammed you left, then right, then turned the whole world upside down, giving you unfamiliar glimpses of familiar things. Alice hated amusement park rides."</div>
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I could actually feel her uncertainty and fear.
The story examines looking at the blessings of your life and what might be important and what isn't. It explores the workings of family relationships and what interferes with them. The story is told from 3 voices: Alice, her sister Elizabeth who has desperately been trying to have a baby and can't, and that of her beloved grandmother. The story was thought provoking, funny in a lot of places and also sad in some. For the most part I enjoyed the story and really wanted to find out what happened to Alice and if she would settle within herself who she had become if her memory didn't return. The author gave enough vague references to Alice's former life that kept you turning the pages to find it all out along with Alice though a few sections of the book did drag on a bit.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>18. No One Ever Asked by Katie Genshert</b></span> <br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: July 12, 2018</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
The lives of three women intersect as an affluent school district is forced to allow students, mostly black, to be bussed from a neighboring poor school district after the school loses it's accreditation. Anaya is a teacher who grew up in the poor district but has now been hired by the elementary school in the affluent district. Camille is the wife of an executive. She's a stay at home mom and heavily involved in her children's schools. Jen is new to the area. After years of trying to have children, her and husband have finally adopted a little orphan girl from Kenya but the perfect picture of the happy little family she built for herself is somehow eluding her as she struggles to mother a child with trauma issues.<br />
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This story tackles the issues of racism, international adoption, the illusion of perfect lives and marriages, perception and sexual harassment and forgiveness. It attempts to present in as sensitive and accurate a measure as is possible from a white author both the black and white experience in a school setting forced to come together. It is well written and really made me think. The story is based on a true situation where an affluent school was made to take on students bussed from a poorer district when they lost accreditation. The author tries to round out the story by bringing in characters with different backgrounds, different view points and different current problems. There is a lot of characters to keep track of but once you get onto them it flows well. Because I am a Canadian residing in Alberta our school systems work a little differently so the story gave me a bit of insight into the American school system and their challenges in the area of districts and racism. The character of Camille was most interesting to me because as she fights the bringing in of these students for what she perceives as very viable different reasons other than the color their skin, she and the others of the affluent school are forced to come face to face with what is really in their hearts. It really made me think and search in my own heart. Love when a story is able to do that.<br />
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I loved the approach the author took in having a shocking event occur in the beginning of the story and then rewinding a year to tell the stories of the characters and situations that culminate in that shocking event. You are left with just enough information to get the jist of the event in the beginning but you don't know who was involved which keeps the pages turning as the situations come to the crisis point. There was one situation within the story of one of the characters that I am still mulling over and wondering how I feel about the resolution of that. I don't know what to say other than I'm torn at the wrap up of that particular thing without giving things away. But this book for me was well worth the read and I would recommend it.
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>19. The House at Saltwater Point by Colleen Coble</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: August 2, 2018</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
The is the 2nd installment in the Lavender Tides Novel series. Though it is part of a series it can be a stand alone novel. Some favorite main characters from the first book make an appearance but you don't have to know their full story to "get" this one. There is also a character introduced who was barely made mention of in the first book, but again the author gave enough background that you got their story without having had to have read the first. Though that being said I loved the first book, "The View From Rainshadow Bay", so was looking forward to this one. The element of Ellie Blackmore flipping houses for a living was interesting as it is such a popular thing right now on a lot of tv channels, and the author opened each chapter with a quote from the character's renovation blog which was an ambiguous reference to the coming chapter. There was a lot of action, a smidge of romance and a well done exploration of family loyalty and personal history affecting how a person will react. The characters are well developed but I must say at first the character of Grayson I found most annoying and presumptuous. Though I enjoyed the action and suspense and the story in general in the back of my mind I kinda wondered if I thought it believable. But it was a great summer beach read that took me away to another place and kept the pages turning to the end.
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>20. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: August 6, 2018</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> </span><br />
After receiving a note in the mail from a former co-worker that is saying her goodbyes as she faces a terminal illness, Harold Fry writes her back despite not having had communication with her for many, many years. But as he goes to post the letter in the mailbox, he just can't bring himself to drop it in. After a conversation with a young gas station attendant about hope, Harold makes an impulsive decision to give his friend hope, by walking all the way across the country to see her. But Harold didn't quite think through everything this decision would entail. He has no proper footwear or coat, no maps or phone. His wife does not understand what he is doing. But he knows he must keep going, because he is trying to save his friend's life.<br />
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This story was an interesting and heartfelt look into the human heart. As Harold walks he has nothing to do except think and he faces his own thoughts, emotions and history. As does his wife back at home. It's a subtle coming to terms with aging and what one's life has become because of your past decisions and what one's life can still be. It's also a story of perspective and how we remember events in our lives. As Harold walks he comes across many interesting characters who both add to his walk but also those who are detrimental. The book drew me right in as I kept the hope that Harold would indeed make it on time to Queenie and that somehow against all odds this walk would save her. But it also drew me because, strangely, in so many ways, Harold is so darn relatable. The story is very introspective but the author brilliantly unfolds the past that has led Harold to this point. It is a study in human nature in many layers not just of Harold but all the people that his journey brings him across. About 3/4 of the way through, just when I thought I had enough of the introspection, the author reveals aspects of Harold's story one after another that had me crying and then crying again and yet again. I thought this was a lovely story that was very well done, humorous and subtly thought provoking.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>21. The Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: August 21, 2018</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></span><br />
This is the sequel to The School of Essential Ingredients. Again the author takes a cast of several characters and individually tells their story even as she slowly mixes their lives together. Lillian, the restaurant owner returns, though she is taking a break from teaching her classes. Her relationship with Tom has continued to progress but now something has happened that will change their lives forever. Chloe loves working for Lillian and is not only learning from her but is starting to step out with her own creations. After having her heart broken she finds it hard to trust but moving in with aging Isabelle she is starting to let down the walls just a bit as she finds a place of acceptance even as Isabelle is starting to lose her memories. Finnegan has started working at the restaurant as a dishwasher. He would love to know Chloe better but her walls are hard to break through. He's a hard worker, quiet and reliable but despite his great height his past has taught him how to fade into a background. Then there is Al, Lillian's accountant. His meetings with Lillian are always something to look forward to as she always brings him some delicious concoction she has made. He's always taken great comfort in numbers, but as of late with problems at home with his wife, Louise, he has found comfort in rituals.<br />
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Like the first book the author's prose and descriptions are lovely as she builds the characters stories. They are an eclectic mix of backgrounds and personalities but food is always the the underlying thread that connects them. The story and characters were engaging though I just didn't love it as much as the first book. There was just something missing that the first book had. Maybe I read them too far apart. That is not to say it wasn't a good read but it just didn't evoke the same feelings in me as the first. I loved how the author ended the story with a throwback to something that happened in the beginning of the story. It really tied that part together.<br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>22. Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: August 31, 2018</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 7.0/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></span><br />
They say everyone on a ship is running away from something. It is 1939 and rumors of war are swirling. Lily Shepard finds herself bound on a ship for Australia, her passage payment assisted by the government, along with many other young ladies, in a scheme to anyone prepared to go into domestic service to British families owning large houses in Australia. She is excited to start fresh even though she will greatly miss her family. She is sharing tight quarters with two others, another young lady and a middle aged woman whom no one seems to like. During the voyage Lily will befriend many different characters, all of whom are carrying secrets of their own to their new country, the rich and poorer alike. But Lily brushes away concerns, after all they are on a beautiful ship, with parties and balls and exotic ports they will be stopping at. She is determined to make the most of her time aboard ship. Maybe she might even meet someone special. But it's a long trip, 3 months at least, and the stresses of the different classes of people, from the rich to the tourist class to the poorer immigrants and the Jews fleeing the rising tensions in Europe threaten to boil over. And secrets are hard to hold. As the voyage continues the multitude of them comes to overwhelm their bearers until 2 passengers lose their lives and a shocking arrest has been made.<br />
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This story was made of many colorful and varied characters. The author's premise of exploring the stresses and tensions of the "world-within-a -world" is very interesting. Because it was 1939, communication with those off the ship would have been very limited so the passengers were in a vacuum of sorts of what was happening in the world outside of the ship until they stopped at different ports and where able to hear news. And with so many combinations of people, social groups, lifestyles and secrets something or someone was bound to come unhinged. I was unsure how I felt about the writing style. It was a bit different, not bad, just different. At times it almost felt like the voice over narration you find on shows for the sight impaired where they narrate the actions going on along with the voices. Like I said, not bad, just different. I had a hard time liking the main character in this one. I know she was young in the story, but she just seemed so immature at times. Some of her decisions and actions left me feeling very frustrated with her. The author did a good job not revealing secrets until opportune times so that I as the reader, just had to keep turning those pages because I wanted to find out. <br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>23. The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: September 15, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
When famous British actress Laurel Nicolson was 16 years old, she was witness to a murder of a man on the front steps of her home. Hiding in the tree house while her little brother's birthday party was going on, Laurel was about to join the cake cutting in the garden when a man came up the drive. When her sweet, loving mom Dorothy answers the door to find him there, she seems to know him but instead of a welcome she plunges the cake knife into him. Fifty years later, Laurel is home along with her siblings to celebrate her mother's 90th birthday. But questions have always lingered about her mother since that fateful day and now her mom is saying things that just don't make sense. Because Dorothy is in a nursing home and Laurel is staying in the family home, she goes on a hunt to find the answers to the questions that linger. What she finds will lead her to 1940's London during the blitz and a life her mother has never spoken of. Instead of answers there seems to be even more questions and a feeling that she has never really known her mother after all.<br />
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I loved this story. It goes back and forth between present day, the 1960's and 1940's England just before and during the London Blitz. There were several points of view and the author wove them together in such a way that I was never confused. The story captured me from the very beginning and I found it hard to put it down. The mystery of Dorothy's past is revealed in such a way that kept the pages turning and it was interesting to try and resolve the Dorothy of the 1960's and the present with the Dorothy of war torn London. The reader is taken on a journey of three young people who's lives intersect and are forever changed by knowing each other. Events conspire, both instigated by each of them and those not under their control, that lead them to make decisions that they might not otherwise and I, as the reader, eagerly turned the pages trying to find the mystery of who this man that was murdered by Dorothy might have been in her past. Throw in a love story, and the fact that the war might have caused people to do things they might normally have never done and a twist I did not see coming and you end up with a wonderful mystery with great characters that kept the pages turning. This was one of those rare stories that caused a satisfied sigh to escape when I turned the last page.
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>24. The Little Old Lady Strikes Again by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: September 28, 2018</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 5.5/10 </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> </span><br />
The League of Pensioners is at it again. Martha and her gang of seniors is in Las Vegas and planning the heist of the century. They want to steal from one of the biggest casinos in town. As usual, things don't go quite as planned. Back home, they buy a house in country they can all share as they plan how to disburse their "winnings" to senior facilities and cultural programs. But their new neighbors give them a run for their money in the crime department.<br />
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This is the second installment in this light hearted series with a message that looks at some of the issues that face seniors while it provides laughs to the reader. Unfortunately this second book fell flat for me (though it does get good ratings on amazon but not my library's site). While I loved the first one, laughing through the whole thing, this one bordered on the ridiculous for me and I was kind of bored right from the get go. While the crime capers in the first one had me in stitches trying to imagine my own senior parents doing such a thing, this one didn't seem at all even near believable in the dealings and interactions with their new neighbors. I doubt that group of people would be as dumb or easily fooled as the book presented. I also felt the cover and blurb led me to believe the setting would be Las Vegas which I thought would put an interesting twist into their story but that really was only at the very beginning. In all I was just reading to finish the book while not really enjoying it as the first. There is a third and I will give it a go to see if it returns to the enjoyment of the first one.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>25. Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">DNF: October 14, 2018 set aside 3/4 of the way through</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 5.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
This fictionalized account of the love story between C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman is written from the viewpoint of Joy. In a difficult marriage to an alcoholic and philanderer, Joy is struggling to find her place as a wife, mother of 2 boys and a writer. An avowed atheist and once a member of the Communist party, she has a spiritual awakening and writes to Lewis in hopes of advice to help her in her journey. Thus begins a pen pal relationship that quickly goes from spiritual advice to becoming confidants to friendship and finally to love.<br />
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I am having a difficult time reviewing this book. I was excited and very interested in the story of Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis. I had watched Shadowlands years and years ago and vaguely remembered some of it so thought this book might be a great way to learn about first their pen pal relationship, then friendship, then love. Unfortunately, it was everything else surrounding their story that finally made me set aside this book at 3/4 of the way through. I just didn't care enough to push through to the end. The pace in the book was very slow and because I didn't really know their story, I found it mentally tiring trying to separate the fact from fiction or the fleshing out of the story. I felt the author did a ton of research into the topic and that she really gave a voice to Davidman who was a gifted author herself, but because of the times and circumstances of her life found herself struggling to find her place. Joy Davidman did not have an easy life. I enjoyed reading excerpts of Lewis and Davidman's correspondence and quotes from Lewis. And the description of how the idea of Narnia and it's characters and story was most interesting. The descriptions of England and it's countryside and Oxford were lovely and made me really want to visit that country. That being said the circumstances surrounding their story and the way it was written read very much like a worldly novel to me. Don't get me wrong, I read all sorts of genres beyond Christian fiction, but when I pick up a Christian fiction book, I have certain expectations. I think that had the book been a memoir or biography I would have approached it from a different mindset as an actual factual read and would have thought nothing of it. But because it is labeled as fiction and from a Christian publishing company, I found myself mentally tiring and bogging down trying to sort what might have been actual fact and what was the author fleshing out the story. Even if it had been a mainstream novel from a mainstream publishing house I would have approached it differently. I found way too much detail surrounding circumstances that I don't necessarily want in my choice of Christian fiction. And the amount of alcohol and drinking portrayed in the story not only on the part of Davidman's alcoholic husband but also on the part of Davidman herself was too much for me in a "christian fiction" novel. I had a hard time rooting for the main character. Hence, I feel that for me, the story would have been better served as a non-fiction biography. The reviews by others seem to be divided down the center and leave it as a book you either love or not with not many reviews in the middle, but for me, I'm sorry to say, it was not my cup of tea. It's one of those books where one would have to read it themselves to make up their own minds about it.
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>26. As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: October 26, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
The Bright family experienced a huge loss of son and brother when their infant Henry passed away. Pauline struggled to get past the death of her son, so when her husband proposed moving to Philadelphia to get away from the family tobacco plantation so they could have a fresh start, Pauline agreed. Living with Mr. Bright's uncle in his house/funeral parlor which Mr. Bright will inherit at some point, the family has a chance at a better life. Pauline finds solace in doing the makeup of the deceased and when her middle child, 13 year old Maggie, insists on learning how to also, Pauline convinces the uncle to let her. Though they still grieve for Henry, things may be turning around.
Then WWI hits and when Mr. Bright is called away to training, Pauline and the girls are left on their own to help at the funeral home. Little did they know that not only would WWI start affecting all those they knew, but with it would come the Spanish flu epidemic. No one is immune and as fear and grief start to grip the city and the bodies start to pile up, the city of Philadelphia and the Bright family will never be the same.<br />
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This a a beautifully written story about family and love, grief, and survival. It explores decisions made in the worst of times and how mistakes and choices affect our lives. I never really knew anything about the Spanish flu pandemic but this story really brought home the reality of what these kinds of viruses can do. The author did a tremendous job of the historical aspect of the story. I thought the perspective of how a funeral home of the time would handle such an influx was very interesting. The story is written back and forth from the perspectives of Pauline Bright, the mom, and each of her 3 girls. The Bright family was a very everyday kind of family trying to get past the passing of their baby boy when they went to Philadelphia and I thought their grief and it's effects was well done in their story. It's also a coming of age story as the girls grow up within the story. How each of them, with their own personalities and age, reacts to the events surrounding them really drew me. Even though this story was set in an almost hopeless setting the author still was able to maintain a positiveness in the midst of horror and sorrow. I loved the characters and was totally drawn into their world.
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>27. Under a Cloudless Sky by Chris Fabry</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: November 14, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
In 1933, in the mining town of Beulah Mountain, two young girls form an unlikely friendship. Though from different walks of life, Ruby being the daughter of one of the mine's owners and Bean being the daughter of an alcoholic mine worker, their friendship runs deep and ignores the prejudices from both sides of the track, so to speak. Ruby's father is working hard to try and bring changes to poverty stricken area but he is up against the the other mine owner who only looks at the bottom line and where he can take advantage.<br />
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In 2004, Ruby is now in her 80's. She has been invited to the grand opening of a museum in the town of Beulah Mountain where the mining history of the town will be featured. She has avoided going so far as she doesn't want to think of the tragic massacre that happened there just before she left. But as she listens to a message on the radio from her favorite preacher, she realizes she needs to deal with some secrets from her past. But when her son and daughter show up announcing they want her to quite driving she knows it is now or never and facing the past can no longer be put off.<br />
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At the same time in Beaulah Mountain Hollis Beasley is trying to hang onto his property that has been handed down to him. It is the only thing that his family owned and with come all the history, memories and family legacy. But the mining company has convinced the rest of the town to sell so that they can literally strip the mountain. Hollis doesn't know how much longer he can be the last holdout, especially now that his beloved wife is ill. As the town is nearing it's celebrations for the Company Store Museums grand opening a perfect storm is brewing for Hollis, Ruby and the town of Beaulah Mountain.
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I loved this story!! Bean and Ruby drew me in right from the beginning. Their personalities and unlikely friendship were a great element to the story and it was fun being privy to their developing friendship. I loved the historical aspect of the story that told of the hard lives of the miners and the attitudes of the owners and how that played into Appalachian history. I thought the author did a great job in building all the main and secondary characters in spite of their being quite a few. I was never confused as to who was who and their relationships and stories were all interesting and relatable. Because I am at that time in my life of parents in that age group the part of the story about Ruby and her children really struck home in a lot of ways. There are twists in the story that were timed perfectly. This was a wonderful read. Highly recommend.
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>28. Chosen People by Robert Whitlow</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: December 9, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
This story was an interesting look into terrorism in the Middle East and it's legalities as related to U.S. terrorism laws. Hana Abboud was a very interesting main character. As a Christian Arab Israeli lawyer there were many facets to her personality and her faith is strong and touches everything including her work life. I really liked how faith forward her character was. Because of growing up in Israel and her skill with the languages there, she is now working for an Atlanta law firm when she is asked to be co-counsel on a case that a secular Jewish lawyer, Jakob Brodsky, is trying to pursue for one of his clients, a man who's wife was killed and daughter injured in a act of terrorism while on holiday in Jerusalem. As the case progresses, they realize they will need help and Hanna pursues hiring an investigator who will help them on the Middle East side of digging out the truth. As she and Jakob try to juggle their working relationship events in Atalanta start to look like there might be a connection to the case they are working on. The story was good though I felt the romantic part of the story didn't ring quite true for me. There was some aspects of that relationship that just felt rushed. But other than that I found it interesting learning about relations between the Arab and Israeli parts of the Holy Land, reading about different areas and attractions of Israel and how laws affect pursuing justice in acts of terrorism. I loved the exploration of being chosen for a greater purpose both in the sense of the Jewish people and in a personal way and enjoyed Jakob's growth within the story. If you like legal thrillers with lots of action and light romances this would be a great read, though if reading about terrorism is a trigger for you, I would have to add a caution as this book does not shy away from it's plans and effects.<br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b>29. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Completed: December 28, 2018</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
Memoir of a young child who survived a hugely dysfunctional upbringing. This story evokes many emotions out of the reader as you read of her horrific childhood of neglect and abuse. An alcoholic father who yet, when he was sober, taught them many things, a mother who basically let them do whatever and left them to fend for themselves as she was into her artistic pursuits and shunned anything to do with household care or raising a family, constantly on the move, living in extreme poverty were the norm for this author. But in spite of it all she seems to have grown into a responsible, caring adult who in has managed to keep from being bitter and kept a relationship with her parents to the end. It's always interesting to take a peek into someone else's life, so different from my own. The book moved at a good pace, was absolutely heart breaking at times, maddening at times and makes you question how this family could ever have fallen through the cracks of the social system.Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-13531636809981710802018-01-01T17:05:00.000-07:002018-12-31T10:27:41.013-07:002018 Reading GoalsA New Year, time to make new reading goals. In the past I've done number goals where I've tried to read a certain amount in a year or in a month or in a season. I've done other people's challenges such as Read the Books You Buy Challenge and the PopSugar Reading challenge. But this year, I am going to make my own challenge for myself. I have so many books at home and on my Library to Read shelves that I want to make a good dent towards those so the following is my challenge for the year:<br />
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- 1 Anne of Green Gables book<br />
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- 1 book per month off my library TBR (listed as I go)<br />
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<i>January- "The Reluctant Midwife" by Patricia Harman</i><br />
<i> February - "The Illusionist's Apprentice" by Kristy Cambron</i><br />
<i> March - "Promise Me This" by Cathy Gohlke</i><br />
<i> April - "Burial Rites" by Hannah Kent (*)</i><br />
<i> May - "A Time to Stand" by Robert Whitlow</i><br />
<i> June - "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty (*)</i><br />
<i> July - "No One Ever Asked" by Katie Genshert</i><br />
<i> August - "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" by Rachel Joyce (*)</i><br />
<i> September - "The Secret Keeper" by Kate Morton (*)</i><br />
<i> October - "As Bright As Heaven" by Susan Meissner</i><br />
<i> November - </i><br />
<i>December - The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls</i><br />
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- as many books as I can from my own pile at home (listed as I go)<br />
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<i>"A Bridge Across the Ocean" by Susan Meissner</i><br />
<i> "Left Neglected" by Lisa Genova</i><br />
<i> "Full Disclosure" by Dee Henderson (DNF'd at 120 pgs)</i><br />
<i> "The Abominable" by Dan Simmons</i><br />
<i> "The Masterpiece" by Francine Rivers</i><br />
<i> "The Girl in the Glass" by Susan Meissner</i><br />
<i>"Summer of Joy" by Ann H. Gabhart</i><br />
<i> "The Lost Art of Mixing" by Erica Bauermeister</i><br />
<i> "Dangerous Crossing" by Rachel Rhys</i><br />
<i> "The Little Old Lady Strikes Again" by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg</i><br />
<i>"Under a Cloudless Sky" by Chris Fabry</i><br />
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- 6 review books (at least one every other month)<br />
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<i> "The View from Rainshadow Bay" by Colleen Coble</i><br />
<i> "Hurricane Season" by Lauren K. Denton</i><br />
<i> " Send Down the Rain" by Charles Martin</i><br />
<i> "Where Hope Begins" by Catherine West</i><br />
<i> "The House at Saltwater Point" by Colleen Coble</i><br />
<i> "Becoming Mrs. Lewis" by Patti Callahan (set aside at pg 275/388)</i><br />
<i> "Chosen People" by Robert Whitlow</i><br />
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- New Testament from Bibliotheca<br />
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- 1 or 2 rereads<br />
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<i>"Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers</i><br />
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I have listed them as I finish them. Some are crossovers from my library list and my own pile because I may have found the book at a little library and picked it up so I just stuck it in where I felt it fit more. eg. if the book has been on my library list for a long time and then I found it recently I listed it as read in the library section. If however, it's only been on the library list for less than 6 months and now I have it at home I listed it as read from my own pile. Makes sense to no one but me. Ha. But I noted those crossovers with an (*).Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-17668740390108371612017-01-06T08:33:00.001-07:002019-10-10T09:36:50.571-06:002017 Reads and Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>1. The Ringmaster's Wife by Kristy Cambron</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: January 5, 2017</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>This is the story of two women who's lives were changed by the Ringling Brothers Circus of the 1920's. Both had to find the courage to take a step of faith to make their dreams come to life. Mabel was a young woman who left the comfort and familiarity of the farm she was raised on to head to the big city. Taking a cigar box filled with clippings of her dreams she is working towards those when a stranger comes into the restaurant she is working at and talks her boss into allowing her to escort him around the Chicago World's Fair. Mabel at first has no idea who he is but later learns he was none other than John Ringling. Meeting again in another city they eventually marry. Mable is popular amongst the circus crew and performers for her quiet kindness and strength.
Rosamund Easling is a young lady who is raised in the wealthy parlors of her English Earl father. He beloved brother lost his life in WWI and Rosamund misses him dearly. She finds solace in barebacking riding with the precious horse her brother had given her. But when her parents are forcing her into a marriage to another wealthy man and selling the horse to a man who is buying it for the Ringling circus in America, Rose is heartbroken. When Colin sees her riding Ingenue he sees her potential as a performer and invites her to America with the horse. Rosamund agrees and sneaks off with Colin on a boat to America leaving her parents a note. Intending on returning eventually, Rose's life is changed when she encounters not only the fame and bright lights of the circus world but also the life of a type of nomad during show season and the harsh competitive nature of it.
I enjoyed this historical fiction novel that highlights the early life of the circus.<br />
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The story is told from the viewpoints of the two women and goes back and forth between them. Though of both women's stories are centered in the 1920's Mable's starts of a bit earlier on the timeline. There was a small issue for me in that a couple of times as the two women's stories started to intertwine that the timeline jumps got a little confusing and I did have to backtrack to the the beginnings of chapters to find out what year I was in.<br />
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Mable was the real life wife of John Ringling. She was known for her wisdom and kindness and her John built an amazing estate in Florida where they wintered in the off season but also had amazing parties whose invitations were coveted by both performers and the public. Rosamund and Colin are fictional characters added to the real life story of Mable and it makes for a good read. It was interesting how Mable came from humble farming beginnings and rose up to be wealthy and Roseamund started very wealthy and chose to leave it and start from the bottom in the circus. I thought the author did a wonderful job of conveying what the circus culture of the time would have been like. How hard they all worked together and were like family and yet there was a competitive dynamic in some of the relationships. A good clean read<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>2. Black Ice by Linda Hall</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: January 17, 2017</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span style="color: #351c75;">Lenore Featherjohn is the owner of a local bread and breakfast in the town of Fog Point. It's the middle of winter and the town is experiencing a phenomenon that hasn't happened in a long, long time where the water is so frozen that it is breaking and forming statues. As such, she is busy in her B&B what with all the news people here to report on the event. Then one day she finds a young teenager whom no knows dead by her back door. The very back door that leads downstairs where her grown sons live. As she has done all their lives, in an effort to protect them from being accused, Lenore moves the body to a snowbank on the side of the driveway and put the hands in a prayer position. But now the "Snow Angel" is causing a whole slew of other problems as people come to pray and hope that the spot will heal them of their ills. May and Jake, the town's private detectives, get involved when May's name and phone number turn up in the dead girl's pocket. As tensions rise clues seem to point to the local minister's daughter knowing more than she is letting on.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">I picked this up in a used book store not realizing it was part of a series, even though it said series right on the cover. Oh well. But I recognized the name of the author and thought I had read some of her books before at some time. I thought I'd read it now because we were in the midst of our own winter, icy time. It is a mystery that is filled with lots of suspense which is what kept the pages turning for me but not quite to the point where I was staying up late because I just couldn't put it down. There was a few story lines happening and sometimes it was just difficult to sort out and remember who everybody was. (I think maybe if I'd read the 1st book first that would have helped?) I found the aspect of people flooding to the spot the girl had died to get healed a little too far of a stretch for me. But the actual mystery and how it tied into the epilogue was very interesting. She also delved into the topic of loss of faith through the character of Amy. Amy grew up in a good Christian home, went to Christian schools and university, married a minister, did all the right things but somewhere along the way she had a loss of faith, or maybe she never really did have any but now in the midst of everything happening with her daughter, husband and the mystery girl she is coming face to face with her own crisis. Maybe because this is a series and will further be dealt with in another book, I thought this story line didn't wrap up for me. </span><span style="color: #351c75;">I'll have to check out the others in the series. </span><span style="color: #351c75;">I really thought the author did a wonderful job in exploring how some behaviors in people actually are hiding a deep hurt that they themselves don't even know how to define. </span>An interesting detail is that some of the story is set in a little town here in central Alberta called Barrhead. I don't think I've come across a book that had an Albertan town as a setting. Bonus for that! All said it was an enjoyable read but not one that blew me away.<span style="color: #351c75;">All said it was an enjoyable read but not one that blew me away. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>3. Because You're Mine by Colleen Coble</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: January 20, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Alanna is at a great place in life. Having had a tough childhood, she is now married to the love of her life and they are expecting their first child. Her Celtic band, of whom she is the lead and her husband is the drummer, is taking off and tours are selling out all over the United States. But then tragedy strikes when her husband is killed in a car explosion and his best friend is severely injured who cause turns out to be a bomb. As she deals with that and tries to get her life back together a new threat comes in that her father in law threatens to take away the baby if Alanna does not live the life he dictates. Her manager gives her an escape by offering her a marriage of convenience to save the child from the father in law. It all seems too good to be true but when she moves into the historical home of her new husband things start to happen that are endangering both Alanna and the unborn baby. Are they accidents or is someone trying to harm her too?<br />
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This story had a bit of everything. It's a contemporary mystery thriller. It isn't my absolute fave from this author but I still enjoyed the book and it still held enough for me to keep the pages turning and was a solid tension filled read. It was a bit of a darker and creepier story than most of her mysteries and there were things about it that I loved but there were a few things that left me with a few questions.
The basic story was really interesting to me as we walked through the heartache of what Alanna deals with in the aftermath of the accident and then finding out it was a bomb that killed her husband. Her and her husband's love was sweetly written and it was nice to see marriage positively portrayed even amongst the music industry. The story touches upon struggling with one's faith and anger towards God after a tragedy though I would not really call this an overtly Christian novel and I would have liked to have seen that explored a bit more. I loved the Irish theme woven into it through the main characters. It is mostly set in Charleston, South Carolina but does go back to Ireland a bit. I enjoyed the Irish brogue because it wasn't overly done and didn't leave me googling definitions of words or phrases as other books have done when they use another language. As Alanna's background is unfolded reading of the "travellers" or Irish gypsies was interesting too. I did think some of the story parts were a little rushed and left me with questions and would have like to have seen those fleshed out a bit better and though I guessed parts of the story about 3/4 of the way there was more to the story that kept me going right until the end.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>4. Delilah - Treacherous Beauty by Angela Hunt</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: January 28, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9.0/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
We all know the basic story Samson and Delilah. But the bible itself gives a very little background to the infamous woman who brought Samson, the judge and strongman of Israel, down. In this retelling, Angela Hunt has written the story of a young girl who's mother marries a Philistine business man and takes them from their home in Egypt to his home in Gaza. Though her stepfather is loving and kind to her mother and herself, Delilah's stepbrother is another story. Cruel and vindicitive, he takes every opportunity to make Delilah feel unwelcome. When her stepfather dies suddenly only a few months later, Delilah's life changes for the worst as her stepbrother sells her mother as a slave and turns her into his prisoner, severely abusing her. But Delilah is determined to make an escape and find her mother and buy her back so they can make their way back to their homeland. Easier said than done, but an opportunity presents itself and Delilah grabs her chance. But she must go without her mother as she has nothing. When some Jewish traders take pity upon her and offer her help she goes with them vowing to someday return for her mother. In her travels she comes across the legendary Samson, in the years to come knows she must turn to him to help her with her plans. But she doesn't count on actually falling in love with the strongman and it all comes to a head when she must make a choice between love and ambition and revenge.<br />
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I really liked this story of Delilah. Who has not wondered what was her story was and how she could do such a thing? Not much historical or biblical fact is found about Delilah other than her betrayal of the mighty Samson. But what in her past would bring her to a point that would make her go down in history as one of the greatest betrayers of all time? Angela Hunt has imagined a young foreign girl viciously hurt by the circumstances of her life and trying desperately to put her life back together so when she sees opportunity she takes it. She has taken the premise that "human nature demands that we rationalize our actions" (author's notes: pg 341) and woven both the motivations of Delilah and Samson through that. The time of the judges of Israel and Samson's background was interestingly woven into the story and I learned a few things about that time and how women were treated. The story is told in alternating chapters both from Delilah and from Samson's points of views. And the same as with the building of the other biblical character's in this series, the author stuck close to the biblical story and to human nature and worked out from there. Again it is to the reader's advantage to read the author's notes at the back that explain how the story was built.
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>5. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: February 9, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: black;"> In 1913, a 4 year old girl is found all alone on a dock in Australia by the Hugh, the dockmaster. All she had was a little white suitcase with some clothes and a book of fairy tales. When they couldn't find her family, Hugh and his wife Lil, take her in, name her Nellie as loved and raised her as their own daughter, never telling her about her past. Now she's all grown up, engaged to be married and about to celebrate her 21st birthday. Lil has passed away, and against Lil's wishes Hugh feels he must tell Nellie the truth. As her world and her knowledge of who she is is set spinning, Nell breaks her engagement and sets herself on a quest to find who she really is. With nothing to go on except the book of fairy tales, she heads off to England in pursuit of who the author is. She never finishes her quest to find answers as her life takes another turn when she has to care for her teenage granddaughter. But after Nell passes away, her granddaughter, Cassandra, is surprised to learn Nell has left her a cottage located on the Cornish Coast. Not knowing anything about this from Nell before hand, Cassandra heads to England to deal with the cottage but finds she too is taken up with the mystery that surrounds her grandmother. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"> I loved this story. Though it is a hefty book at 548 pages, I found I couldn't put it down and finished it quite quickly. A family saga that spans 3 generations the story is told in the narrative of 3 people from the 3 generations: Eliza, Nell and Cassandra. It's a maze of a story, kinda like the maze in the garden mentioned in the title, but is worth it to reach the end. At first nothing seems to do with anything else, but the author brings it all together in lovely detail. It's a complicated story but I found the author just drew me in with her descriptions and her ability to really make me feel for the main characters. I mostly had a heart for Eliza whose story was heartbreaking and had me near tears quite a few times. The mystery of who Nell really is grows as the story progresses and though I had a small inkling of who she was I never would have guessed the circumstances surrounding her beginning years. Themes of identity, family history, friendship, family, entitlement, grief, loss, love and decisions affecting generations are all woven into the story beautifully. Though usually as a reader I tend to skip date/location notes at beginning of chapters for some reason, I would definitely suggest to make sure you take note of these as you read the story. It really helps to move the story along and keep the timeline straight in one's thoughts as you read. I gave this story a 10/10 because of the author's ability to draw me right in to all three women's stories and the involvement of my feelings the author was able to bring out.
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>6. The Promise of Jesse Woods by Chris Fabry</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: February 22, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 8/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>7. Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: March 3, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Kendra Kendra Van Zant arrives at an old English cottage in Cotswald, England to interview famous watercolor painter Isabel McFarland who is actually celebrating her 93rd birthday. Isabel is a survivor of the London Blitz but up until now has never talked about it so it was a bit of a surprise that Kendra's professor was able to secure an interview for her. As a visiting student at Oxford studying history, Kendra is writing a paper for the 70th anniversary of VE day with a chance for it to be published. Kendra firmly believes that information is only half the story of an event and personal experience of people involved is the other half. She's done her research and has her questions all lined up but before she can even ask any of them Isabel drops the bombshell that she is not even who everyone thinks she is. And so starts the story of 2 young sisters who lived in London at the time of rumors of war in the 1940's.<br />
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Emmy Downtree is only 15 but has her dreams all planned out. She has been drawing brides and bridal dresses and wants to design them. When she has a chance to work in a bridal shop she takes the job even though her mother is very opposed as she needs to help look after her much younger sister Julia while her mother does whatever she does when she is gone from them. But Emmy's ambitions and dreams come to a halt as London orders the evacuation of all children to foster families in the country side to keep them safe from the threat of bombs. Though she tries to fight it, Emmy is shipped off by train with her sister. But she is determined to make her once in lifetime opportunity a reality and sees only that she has no other choice and steals away in the middle of the night to make her appointment with a designer in the city. But this determination will have ramifications not only for her but for others in her life as well.<br />
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I loved this book. It grabbed me right from the beginning. As the story of the two sisters starts to build it was very easy to lose myself into the story. A portion of the story towards the back is told in letter and diary entry form and though this is a format that I usually really do not like in books it worked for me in this story. The author was really able to convey the terror and emotions of two young girls going through the Blitz as well as the adult characters and what they were going through. The long term ramifications of trauma were really presented in a believable and realistic sense. I really don't know a lot about the war as it affected England so I really learned a lot. I didn't even have any idea that children were evacuated out of London. As I was reading and the Blitz was happening I wondered what on earth the title had to do with the actual story, they seemed on opposite ends of a very large spectrum. But under the reader's guide author Q & A she poses the question "if there really are secrets to living a life that has happily ever after written all over it...and to being able to have everything you've always wanted". In the beginning both Emmy and Kendra seemed to have their p's and q's all lined up for that life. But as the story shows some things you just cannot control and it's the very choices during those times that may be the ones determining where your life goes.
Beautiful writing, realistic emotions, wonderful characters.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>8. Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: March 11, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: purple;"> </span><br />
On the surface the Buckman's seem to be the perfect little family. Jake is a financial planner who's fairly new business is doing well. After having had a shocking lay off when he was an accountant he is finally back on his feet and moving forward career-wise. His wife, Pam, is also on a great career path. She is a appelate judge who loves her job and has just been offered a huge career opportunity. Their only child, Ryan is in high school and is on track to earning a basketball scholarship with his talent and good grades. The one thing marring everything is Jake's relationship with his son. When he started the financial planning business, he devoted all his time to making it successful and his marriage and relationship with his son suffered. Now after counselling his marriage is doing well but he needs to work out the relationship with Ryan. At Pam's suggestion he picks Ryan up from the movies so he can have some alone time with him and against his better judgement he allows Ryan to talk him into letting him drive the car. At 16, Ryan is quite capable but his partial license has time restrictions on it. But Jake wanting to keep the bonding open, thinks that the road they are on is deserted and therefore safe so after much pleading on Ryan's part he allows Ryan to take the wheel. Then the unthinkable happens and Jake makes the split second decisions to protect Ryan's future at all costs and convinces Ryan to keep quiet. But the life altering secret is eating away at both of them and it's events are threatening to blow it all up. One lie leads to another and before Jake knows it the plan to keep Ryan protected might be the very thing that will destroy them all.
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This was a very fast paced story. The timeline is less than a week but so much happens within that timeline. There was much to like about this book. I liked the exploration of the father's role as provider and what happens when that is shattered. I also liked the exploration of father/son relationships and the idea of how far would a parent go to protect their child. I also liked the raw portrayal of guilt and shame and panic that Ryan is forced to live with and not reveal. The story never let up. That said, though, other than Ryan, I did not like the characters at all. Pam's character was what some call a helicopter mom, which in my circles is called a smother mother. She micromanaged Ryan so much that it was driving me nuts and I had to periodically stop and remind myself that Ryan was actually 16 in the story and not 8. She was also hypocritical. I wanted to shake Jake at times as he dug them in further and further and just wouldn't stop even though he could see the weight of the secret was eating Ryan up. I did like how this author though didn't hold back on the consequences of dishonesty. Sometimes you see characters rewarded and not really paying consequences for their moral failures but this story did not hold back on that aspect...and I liked that. For a reading group there would be much discussion opportunity on the various things brought out in this story.
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>9. The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: March 20, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> </span>From the Reading Group Guide Introduction (back of book):
"When piano progidy Norma Herr was well, she was the most vibrant personality in the room. But as her schizophrenic episodes became more frequent and more dangerous, she withdrew into a world that neither of her daughters could make any sense of. After being violently attacked for demanding that Norma seek help, Mira Bartok and her sister changed their names and cut off all contact in order to keep themselves safe. For the next seventeen years Mira's only contact with her mother was through infrequent letters exchanged through post office boxes, often not even in the same city where she was living.
At the age of forty, artist Mira suffered a debilitating head injury that leaves her memories foggy and her ability to make sense of the world around her forever changed. Hoping to reconnect with her past, Mira reached out to the homeless shelter where her mother was living. When she received word that her mother is dying in a hospital, Mira and her sister traveled to their mother's deathbed to reconcile one last time. Norma gave them a key to the storage unit in which she has kept hundreds od diaries, photographs and momentos fro the past that Mira never imagined she would see again. These artifacts trigger a flood of memories and give Mira access to the past that she believed had been lost forever."<br />
This book has been on my radar for quite awhile now and I finally got around to reading it. With the recent releasing of a schizophrenic man here in Canada who committed a horrible, unimaginable crime on a greyhound bus a few years back that shocked our nation, changed the lives of all those on the bus and was the direct cause of one of the first responders taking their own lives, I really felt the need to read this. I can pretty much say people here are totally dumbfounded and angry as he was given total freedom without conditions and let back into society because it was deemed the crime was committed during an episode and he's now "likely to stay on medication". This made me dig into my TBR pile and pull this book out hoping maybe it would bring some kind of understanding into the life of a person suffering from schizophrenia and how it affects those around them and to somehow justify or explain in my mind the reasoning behind the release of this man here in Canada.<br />
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Mira Bartok was told at her mother's funeral that "people have abandoned their loved ones for much less than you've been through". And even though for their own safety, Mira and her sister had no contact with their mother for many, many years and in fact, changed their names so she couldn't find them, Mira wrote a touching, heartbreaking account of their lives growing up with their mother. The book really let the reader into a glimpse of the harrowing struggle for both the schizophrenic sufferer and their families. And it also brought out how the loved ones can feel hostage to the illness and, in Mira's mother's case anyway, the system that was incapable of bringing help to their family in crisis. In order to protect themselves, they literally had to let their mother become homeless and living on the streets and in shelters. No family should have to make that choice. Mira's story also pointed out to me how memory can be affected by different things and even the one remembering as her and her sister sometimes had different recollections of the same event. There were also beautiful moments throughout the book where Mira makes the mother/daughter connections while caring for her mom. The moment when she was helping her mom in the hospital to walk from the bathroom back to bed and as they stood, her holding her mom up as her mom rested a moment leaning against her and the nurse came and asked if she was okay, and Mira realized she hadn't hugged her mom in 17 years was especially touching. Though at times the writing style bogged me down just a little bit as I tried to make connections in the points the author was trying to convey, this memoir was well worth the read just to gain some understanding of the struggles of those suffering severe mental health issues, to develop some compassion for them and their families and for those who are homeless, and an understanding of how the "system" works and lacks in actually being helpful and beneficial for those in this situation. And most especially to read about that mother/daughter connection in spite of the illness.
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>10. Some Small Magic by Billy Coffey</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: April 1, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 6/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">: </span> </span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Abel is a young boy who has got a tough go of it. Him and his single mom live in run down trailer while his mom works hard at a diner to make ends meet. There never seems to be enough money to be able to breath a bit. Abel has a disease where his bones break easily and it makes him look and walk differently and he endures bullying at school because of it. In an act of retaliation, Abel sets into motion events that will change his life forever.<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></span><br />
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Have you ever read a book where you just didn't know how you felt about it or what to say about it? Well, turns out this is one of those reads for me. The description sounded interesting, a bit out of the genres I usually tend to gravitate towards. Anything in the "magical" genre usually doesn't grab my attention, but I picked it up anyway because of the other aspects to the story.
After reading it, I would have to say I don't know if I would list this as Christian fiction, and by the barcode of the book neither is it listed as such but just as fiction. Has a smidge of faith element to it but I would definitely not call it a biblical based story. If I had approached it this way, rather than expecting more of a faith based read because of who published it, I think I might have enjoyed it a touch better. But I kept waiting for more of a biblical foundation to come through.<br />
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I found there were parts that captured me, where I couldn't put it down and then other parts that tended to the tedious side and I found myself skimming the pages. The friendship struck between Abel who was a young boy born to poverty, raised by a single parent and living each day with a disease that caused his bones to break very easily and the young adult who was mentally disabled was beautiful. How they supported each other was heartwarming and inspiring as goals of friendship. I had to really push past the name given to this character however, as I found it offensive to this day and age and my own sensibilities. The character was a simple-minded man because of events that occurred when he was small and he was called Dumb Willie by those who knew him. For the setting, I understood this and got that the attitude towards him was being established, but then to keep on referring to him as such through the whole story, even by his best friend, was really hard for me to get past, especially with my own experience working with mentally impaired children. The portrayal of brokenness and the different ways brokenness manifests in people's lives was also really well written. But the comparisons, or maybe the right word is references, of faith, miracles and magic just didn't sit quite right with me. This made the telling of the story just a bit too long for me but that could be because with this type of story, rather than relaxing and enjoying it I feel like I always have my discerning feelers up and working. Not what I was expecting and not my cup of tea.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>11. The Shack by Wm. Paul Young</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: April 7, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>12. The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: April 17, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>A young woman named Lily Azerov is coming to Canada from a war torn Europe. Her finance, a man whom she has only communicated with through letters, is to pick her up at the Montreal train station. But when Sol lays eyes on Lily, he turns and leaves. His brother Nathan, sees Lily and has compassion on her and decides right then to marry her. As they try to build a life together, Sol starts to regret letting her go. But Lily has some secrets she has brought with her and she finds fitting into the family difficult. Even after she has a baby, she can't quite shake the depression and guilt that has hounded her so she decides to leave without telling anyone.<br />
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As Lily and Nathan's daughter, Ruth, grows she has many questions about the mother she doesn't remember. The only clues she has are a diary and an uncut diamond. But no one seems to have any answers, not even her Dad who has never spoken a negative word against Lily. But as she starts to dig and connect some dots she finds that life intertwines families in more ways than can be seen just from the surface.<br />
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This book was not what I expected but it was still a really good read. It was written by a Canadian author, which I didn't know when I picked it up. It was most enjoyable to me because of all the mentions of Canadian cities and places. It even mentioned the river that runs through my city. I also enjoyed the references to the cutting of diamonds and the subtle comparisons of that to life. It's a tale of survival, of starting anew, of how hidden secrets change the direction of lives other than that of the secret keeper, of the desire and need to know one's roots, of the ties of family. The mystery of Lily is embedded in World War II and moves itself into the Jewish community of Montreal, Canada. It offers the reader the hope that out of devastation, one can still have love and family. It is not a fast paced read but more of a study of character and the events that shape us into who we are. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>13. The Memory of You by Catherine West</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: April 28, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span> When Natalie Mitchell was 13 she was involved in a tragic accident that took the life of her beloved twin sister. Since then she has been trying to get past it and move on with her life. Now working for her father, a very brusque and successful businessman, she has spent her life since the accident trying to please him and seemingly always coming up short. When her grandfather has a heart attack, her father sends her, against her will, back to the family owned vineyard with the purpose of shutting it down. As Natalie has to face her fears of returning to the place that forever changed her life, she also can't bring herself to say no. <br />
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I loved this story. It captured me right from the first pages and totally had my emotions invested into the characters all throughout the book. The setting is beautiful, the Sonoma wine valley, and the author's descriptions made me picture it clearly in my mind's eye. The two main characters are both dealing with tragic circumstances that have changed who they are and their struggles came across as authentic and well written. Right from the get-go I felt for Natalie's pain and vulnerability as the life-long struggle with the death of her sister so many years before comes back full force after a negative event in her adult life. As her life starts to spiral her father decides she should go back to the very place her pain began, her grandfather's home and winery, with the mandate to shut it down. Because her grandmother bequeathed her the majority of shares in the winery, Natalie hopes to see if she could improve on it and not close it's doors. But she must go against her father to that. And after spending her growing up years and her adult life trying to please her father, Natalie doesn't know if she has the strength to go against him. As she comes face to face with a combative, defensive and angry vintner, who just happens to be a crush from her childhood and who believes she is about to put him out of a job, you can't help but hope she can hold it together. I must admit I struggled a bit to like Tanner at first until his story started to unfold and you saw the place of pain he was operating from. The secondary characters were all nicely developed too. As the story peals back it's many layers it deals with loss, guilt, secrets, family dynamics, depression, facing the past and moving forward, forgiveness, faith and love. I found it multi-layered and rich with a satisfying ending.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>14. The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg</b></span></span> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: May 14, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Martha Andersson is 79 years old and living at a seniors home in Stockholm. In her mind, things are just going downhill there. The food is getting worse, they are being rationed and are basically locked in...all cost cutting measures the owner feels he needs to establish. With the help of the main nurse who is trying to gain a partnership and a husband, they have gone too far in Martha's estimation. To her, the seniors are being treated as children. So she decides to enlist her four friends from the home to start rebelling against the establishment. Naming themselves the League of Pensioners, they start an uproar by not going to bed when they are supposed to, breaking into the staff kitchen after hours to make themselves better tasting meals, etc. All pretty harmless until they start to devise a plan to fund what they think will be a better retirement plan than living at that home. Even a year or so in prison would be better than their current situation, or so they figure.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> I really enjoyed this hilarious crime caper involving senior citizens. It is translated from a Swedish author and has made the International Bestseller's list. I didn't find anything getting lost in the translation It's a humorous, silly, quirky and yet has a strong underlying message on how we as society view and treat our elderly. Throughout the book I kept imagining my 84 year old mom with her cane and walker attempting the biggest heist of the century and getting away with it. Martha and her gang have never done anything like this in their entire lives, but when they plan stealing rich peoples personal items at a fancy hotel they figure they have it planned down to the minutest detail. What could possibly go wrong? When they don't get quite what they thought they figure they will "kidnap" some priceless paintings from the art gallery and hold them for ransom. Stumping the best of the country's detectives, could things actually turn out as they hope?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> The story is written is such a light, engaging way that you are immediately drawn right into the lives of these seniors. The main characters are written well and their individual personalities are all developed well even though their are actually about 8 main characters within the story. I, as the reader, was drawn to take a liking to every senior character. Even the must have "grumpy old man". And yet within the chaos and crime, there is a real underlying message of the worth and ability of even the most elderly and just because one is aging does not mean they want to be hidden away watching tv all day long. It also causes one to think of the mandates of senior residences and what each owner or foundation sees as important. The bottom line or care of the people who pay to live there. I realize each country runs things differently for it's senior citizens but it really does make one think about our attitudes and views. I found it a real fun read, perfect for summer. I noticed there is a second book continuing the story so I will be getting that for sure. I gave this a good, solid 9/10. I thought it could have wrapped up just a little bit sooner but still thoroughly enjoyed it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>15. Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: May 27, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;">Review: </span><span style="color: black;"> I am having a hard time doing a small recap on what this story is about. There was so much depth to this story that it is hard being brief and not giving things away. As all of this author's stories, it has many layers. It is about searching for the truth and where one belongs, it's about secrets and lies and truth rising to the surface, abuse, compassion on the lost and hurting no matter where they've been, it's about brokenness, forgiveness and redemption, it's about life and death and loss and finding one's self, it's about what you do with the life and circumstances you've been dealt and ultimately it is a story of placing value on people no matter where they've been.</span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">The main characters lives are interwoven through the contemporary story line and through a previous history story line of one of the characters. Chase Walker is a reporter who grew up never knowing his family but raised in a loving foster home where he was eventually adopted. But the drive to know who his father was and the truth about his abandonment has driven him his whole life, even to the choosing of his profession which he figured give him access to information to help him find answers. Willie, or "Unc", as he's referred to by Chase, is a man who is compassionate towards children who have had a hard life. He too has had a hard past with loss and betrayal but it has only made him more of a loving person, even as the town and members of his own family look down on him. The other main character is a small boy who has suffered horrific abuse. He is unable to talk but can draw with great skill in order to communicate. They nickname him Sketch no one, not even the boy himself seems to know his real name. As Chase and Willie try to unravel the mystery that Sketch is and where he has come from and to whom he belongs, they must both confront their own issues of brokenness, abandonment and pain.</span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">I'll not lie, the prologue and some parts of the story that involved the young boy were absolutely heartbreaking and not easy to read. Nor was the story line of a secondary female character who is a longtime friend of Chase and niece of Willie. Her story line is also a painful one. But the story is one of redemption and of love standing strong in the face of the worst of what life throws at some people. All the characters are well written and relatable but Willie especially was wonderful. His southern sayings bought a levity to the story that brought smiles even in the midst of their truth. As always Charles Martin's words and story telling ability drew me right in. His phrasing and pacing were right on target and every emotion was drawn out of me, the reader. This story was sad yet beautiful and filled with hope. </span></span>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>16. Scent of Lilacs by Ann H. Gabhart</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">(Book 1 - the Heart of Hollyhill)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: June 15, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">In the quiet town of Hollyhill, Kentucky Jocie Brook is set to enjoy her hot lazy summer before she starts high school. She has one prayer and that is that she gets to see her sister whom she hasn't seen since she was five. Jocie has grown up without her since her mother up and left with her sister without saying a word to anyone. Her loving father is an interim pastor of Mt. Pleasant Church praying to get the permanent pastorship and the vote for that is coming up. But he has some obstacles in his way and he's just believing God will work it all out. He has poured his love and God's love into Jocie and she has grown up being raised by him and her strict aunt. Jocie knows she should just take her father's word for the past but there has always been that wish to know why her Mom and sister took off and left her and nobody seems to know or is willing to tell her. Her two biggest prayers are for a dog and for her to see them again. Both would take a miracle. As she starts digging into her past, she stirs up things she might not want to know and that could affect not only her but her Dad's vote for the pastorship. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">This was such a perfect summer read. It is lovely story building and meandering through the lives of this family during the summer of 1964. I love stories set in this time period and I thought the author captured small town living and attitudes of the time wonderfully. Jocie is a fun, inquisitive, spiritual young girl who draws you into her world and her hopes. All the characters are wonderful from Jocie to her Father with his strong faith in spite of all that has happened to her scripture quoting aunt to her father's quirky friend and co-worker Wes. The secrets they all are hiding are woven together into a story of faith, love and family that I really enjoyed. Looking forward to the second book continuing the story.</span></span>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>17. Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: June 18, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></span><br />
Christine is a woman who wakes up each morning in a panic not knowing who the man next to her in the bed is. And she doesn't recognize the middle aged woman staring back at her in the bathroom mirror. And each morning the man patiently explains that he is Ben, her husband of over 20 years, and that she had a horrific accident 20 years ago that wipes her memory everytime she goes to sleep. Each day she also gets a phone call from a man who tells her he is a Dr. Nash who is working with her without her husband's knowledge to try to bring some memory back. Each day she writes in a journal what happened that day and hides it in her closet and each day Dr. Nash tells her where to look for it. As the entries start to add up, and as she rereads them each, Christine starts to have some questions and some things are not lining up and making sense. But who does she trust and believe? Her husband? Dr. Nash? herself? She can't even remember yesterday!<br />
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This was one tense, page turning, can't put it down psychological thriller. Christine is totally dependent upon her husband, Ben, each and every day to fill in the facts of her existence. But as she journals her days something in her tells her not to let her husband in on what she is doing just yet. And the more she journals and rereads her days, while answering some questions it also raises so many more. The tension in this book runs through each page and doesn't let up. The pacing is really good and keeps you riveted and turning the pages to find out what is going on. Your emotions are really engaged with the main character as it is so hard to imagine this happening to anyone and the utter confusion they would live under on a daily basis yet the book is inspired in part by the lives of several amnesiac patients whom the author mentions in the author's note at the back of the book. You really are rooting for Christine to get her memory back or at least to get the questions answered.
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>18. The Face of the Earth by Deborah Raney</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: July 3, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span> </span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Mitch and Jill Brannon have a wonderful marriage. Both have careers they love, Mitch is a principal at a school and Jill is a grade 3 teacher at another school. Their kids are both grown, their son in university and their daughter soon to join him there. Jill is struggling a bit with the thought of their daughter leaving at the end of summer for school, so Mitch encourages her to attend a teacher conference with her colleagues so she can unwind and get her mind off it. Now conference is over and Mitch is excited to see her and hear all about it. Just having heard that she is on her way home, he's planning a quiet steak dinner at home with her. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">But Jill doesn't come home. Hours tick away and still no Jill and with no calls from her Mitch is beside himself. Shelley, Jill's best friend and the Brannon's next door neighbor, immediately comes over to be with Mitch as he calls police. Days later police still have not a clue what has happened to her. As the days turn into weeks and then months, Mitch is frustrated with what he feels is not enough proactive action on the part of the police and he starts to take matters into his own hands. Bringing Shelley along to help in the search they spend days and miles together looking for Jills's car in ditches and trying to unearth even the smallest of clues that would help to find her. With the common goal of Jill's well being and finding her driving them, Mitch and Shelley's friendship deepens to the point where Shelley's deep buried attraction to Mitch is starting to surface and becoming harder and harder to hide. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I enjoyed the concept of the story. It explored life going on after tragedy that has not had closure and when, if any, time should be the right time to move on. It delved into marriage vows, and explored the depth of them as Mitch's loyalty to the vows he made Jill where thrown into confusion and temptation when it was becoming more and more apparent that Jill had literally disappeared off the face of the earth. With the police believing she disappeared of her own accord, how long could and should he hold onto his vows to her? I appreciated the author's portrayal of a character who took his vows seriously and treated them as sacred and important while still being very human. Mitch's character was so well written and you could feel his struggle and confusion as he was torn between putting all his focus into finding any clues to Jill's whereabouts and facing maybe having to finally just give up and move on with life for the sake of family. The characters of Mitch and Shelley had much to struggle with as the search for Jill kept coming up empty and Shelley was finding it harder and harder to squash her feelings for Mitch. At times I really, really disliked her character as she seemed very self serving at points in the story and was very quick in justifying her words and actions in pushing Mitch to move on way too early, in my humble opinion, and giving him the space and time he needed to grieve in his own way and time. I liked how the author portrayed real people struggling with real temptations and justifications in hard situations, how she portrayed how selfish motivations can cause us to, while sounding like a good thing, do wrong things and justify them, but I also love how she portrays that good marriages and holding onto to vows don't always come easily and must be fought for. A good read that makes one think what "till death do us part" really means.</span></span></span>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>19. Stars Over Sunset Bouldevard by Susan Meissner</b></span></span> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">July 11, 2017</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 10/10</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><br style="color: black;" />Review:</span><br />
In 1938 Violet and Audrey meet in Hollywood working in the secretarial pool for the making of the movie Gone With the Wind. Violet is from a small town and looking to start life over in a new place. Her deepest desire is to become a wife and mother and have a happy home. Audrey is a bit older and more experienced. Having gotten a big break a few years back in a silent film that fell to the introduction of talking movies, she is looking to get re-noticed and be made into the star she knows she can be. When she finds out Violet is looking for a place to live, she offers a room in her home and the two, though so different, become extraordinary life long friends. But the things each woman does to hide the fears from their pasts and to achieve their deepest desires could come to a head and put their very friendship at risk and change the course of their lives.<br />
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Meanwhile in present day, Christine McAllistar comes across the find of a life time when a hat from the movie Gone With the Wind mistakenly surfaces in a box of donated clothing to her vintage clothing boutique. As she returns it to the owner at their request the mystery of how it ended up there intrigues her.<br />
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I loved this book. It's a story of deep friendship and what the definition of that is. It explores what one does and justifies to oneself as one seeks after their dreams and desires. What secrets would we hide, what we would expose? It explores the concept of love and fear sometimes feeling like the same thing and how we hang onto things thinking we love them but in reality we are afraid to let go and that is exactly what love would have us to do. Both women made choices in their lives motivated by the wrong reasons and were broken characters that ultimately just wanted to be happy. I thought the characters were well written, though that doesn't necessarily mean that I always liked them, in fact at times they were infuriating, but that is part of the draw for me. Characters who are flawed and can draw out emotions in me. I thought the author brought the set and making of Gone With the Wind and old Hollywood to life and also touched on how World War II affected Hollywood and the making of films.<br />
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I love this author's ability to tie a historical story into a present day story.
I enjoyed the concept of this story thoroughly and how it played out in the character's lives. It made me think about some of my own choices in life and the motivations behind them long after I closed the book.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>20. Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: July 19, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Rating: 8/10</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Review:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">This book is revisits the Rock Harbor series, a popular series by Colleen Coble, which was written a few years back, something that I didn't realize when I requested it for review. I hadn't read the prior series but I feel this book can be a stand alone and you don't have to read any of the others before you dive into this one. There were only a couple instances when descriptions of minor characters to this story confused me a bit and I felt those descriptions of who was related to who didn't really need to be in there to make the story flow or come together. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">That being said Beneath Copper Falls was a fast paced, edge of your seat murder mystery mixed with romance. But it is not a fluffy read at all. Along with the aspects of abuse, stalking and serial killers in the mystery, it also looks at deep heart issues like focusing on outward appearances and how they can be in direct contradiction to what the heart of a person really is. How do we deal with things we don't like in ourselves especially when life seems to constantly be throwing us curve balls and how do we face what has shaped us and how to go on from there? </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I really like the character of Dana as she tries to get her life back together while on the run from an abusive fiance. To get away from him she heads back to where she feels she'll have some safety and support living with her adoptive brother and in the town where she grew up and has some friends. But it seems trouble follows her no matter where she heads and just when she doesn't need it the past starts to rear it's ugly head. I'll not lie, I found some of abusive parts very difficult to read as well as the actual deaths involved in the story and it may be a trigger for some who have been through situations like that. I can usually handle that and just take it as part of the story but this one touched something in me and it was hard. But Dana's story drew me in as she tried to deal with the feelings that came as everything was happening. I liked the exploration into how we face things or bury them and how either way it shapes who we are and how we handle things. I also liked the look into the work lives of 911 dispatchers and the training of search and rescue dogs. Both careers that I didn't know much about. The ending wrapped up a bit abruptly for me but still enjoyed this page turner. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>21. Secrets She Left Behind by Dianne Chamberlain</b></span></span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: July 26, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 6/10</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></span><br />
8 year old Maggie Lockwood has just been released from prison for her actions which led to a fire at a church that claimed a life and horrified the small town she is from. Going elsewhere is not an option so she must learn to live in a town of people who's feelings toward her range from anger to horror to hate. But no one hates her more than Keith Weston who's last year has been one filled with pain and suffering due to the fire. Keith and Maggie grew up together and used to be friends but the fire burned him horribly and with the pain of the last year, he must now face life badly disfigured. The only person who helps him to get through his days is his mom Sara. But Sara left the house to go somewhere, no one seems to know where, and has not come home. As hours turn into days and days turn into weeks, Keith must deal with her not returning and all the questions and feelings that raise. Maggie's parents have offered to let Keith stay at their home but there is no way he's going to do and be so near to the person he hates. Then Keith meets a girl who looks beyond the disfigurement to who he really is and he starts to think he just might be able to get through this.<br />
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The premise of this story sounded so good. How the author explored how a young person who makes a horrible decision must face the ongoing consequences of that decision and what follows was really good. Also how the people most affected by what happened and everything they also were feeling and struggling with as Maggie was released and back in town was really good. And the mystery involving the disappearance of Sara drew me in. Where the story derailed for me was the constant gravitation toward teenage sexual encounters. I understood the need to develop Keith's relationship with the girl, and being a secular story, I didn't expect it to line up with Christian moral guidelines, but the constant encounters I thought really distracted from the more important elements of what this story was about. I thought it could have risen above that so much better. There also was a huge element of the story involving sin in church leadership that was sad and disheartening that the blurb on the back totally didn't let the possible reader in on so the story ended up being about more than just what was happening with Maggie and the fire and it's consequences.<br />
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I struggled with the rating on the book but finally gave it a 6/10 <span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>22. Love Anthony by Lisa Genova</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: July 31, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9/10</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Review:</span></span></span><br />
Olivia is on Nantucket by herself. No husband and no son with her. She is there trying to make some sense of her son Anthony's short 8 years. Anthony had been diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3. It had been a hard 5 years, ones in which Anthony didn't speak to her, he didn't look at her and he hated being touched by her. And it was hard on her marriage. So hard that she and her husband were not together anymore. But there was also happiness in the midst of the hard, but now Anthony was gone, her husband was gone and life didn't make sense.<br />
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While in Nantucket Olivia meets Beth who is going through her own life issues. Beth is writing a book and what she writes will reopen Olivia's hurting and grieving heart.<br />
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This was a wonderful story by Lisa Genova. The author of "Sill Alice" uses her knowledge as a nueroscientist to once again bring us into a story that brings compassion and understanding into a hard to understand area. I was trained in working with disabled individuals and used to work in the school district with autistic children and this book brought me into places of knowledge, perception and sympathy that I didn't know I was lacking, not only for the autistic individual for their families.
The only reason I gave this a 9 out 10 instead of a 10 was the story line of Beth. I felt distracted from Olivia and Anthony's story with Beth's issues of an unfaithful husband and was bouncing back and forth in my emotions between the two. I wanted to concentrate on more on Olivia's story but Beth's life kept yanking on my emotions too. Both story lines were intense emotionally and I felt a bit torn between the two. I wanted my focus to be more on Olivia and Anthony's story as I thought the book was more about that. Don't know if that makes sense but it's how I felt during the story.
That being said, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about autism and it's effects on the individual and the family.
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>23. The Truth Teller by Angela Hunt</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: August 15, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span><br />
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Lara Godfrey's beloved husband died unexpectedly from a horrible bone cancer not long after they were married. They had very much wanted children so they took steps when he became ill to make sure that that could happen in case all the cancer treatments interfered with their ability to conceive. But now Michael is dead and Lara, after thinking long and hard and praying about it decides to go ahead with the procedure that would allow her to get pregnant by Michael's child. She wants nothing more than to have his baby and have a part of him still with her. And as it turns out Lara works as a physician assistant at a woman's clinic and the husband of the doctor she works for and is friends with is a genetic scientist. So Lara asks him to check if Michael's cancer genes would be passed on to any offspring. Assuring her that he eradicated those genes, the doctor goes ahead with the procedure and Lara finds herself pregnant. When a local celebrity millionaire in her area, a proclaimed bachelor, announces that he is expecting his first child through a surrogate, he is the talk of the coffee room at Lara's clinic. But when he starts showing up at the clinic, some start to get a little suspicious and suspect Lara to be that surrogate. When Lara starts to notice some odd discrepancies in her files, she starts to dig further and makes discoveries that put her and her unborn baby's life in danger. As she deals with the fact she has been deceived by someone she trusted but she is being used as the surrogate for some experimental child that has consequences not only for her and the baby but possibly for the human race. At first repulsed, now Lara will do anything to protect the child from the evil that waits to befall him. Living in hiding, and growing and flourishing under his loving mother's fierce protection, the boy starts to show an unusual gift of sensing when other's are not telling the truth. Now they are again on the run from those who would silence that gift.<br />
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This book was very unique. It was edge of your seat, fascinating, thought provoking and suspenseful. It explores very important issues of genetic manipulation, medical ethics and morals and their clash with science and research, the love of a mother, the value of life and children no matter their parentage and how far a mother would go to protect her children. The book was first published in 1999 and it's messages are still important today, in fact, so much so that the publisher reintroduced in 2006. What I loved about this story was that though it was based in scientific stuff it never bogged down, and kept it's pace from beginning to end. It made me more aware about topics I never thought too much about before but it sure got me thinking now. And of course, with Angela Hunt you get lots of twists and turns keeping you up way past one's bedtime to see what happens. There is some good discussion questions for reading groups in the back.
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>24. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: August 22, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span> <b style="color: purple;"> </b></span><br />
In Tennesse in 1939 Rill Foss is the oldest of 5 siblings living aboard a shanty boat on the river with her parents. Theirs is happy family life albiet a poor life. When her mom, whom they all call Queenie, goes into labor and comes up against major complications, the midwife insists her father, Briny, take her to the hospital. But the hospital is across the river. A family friend, another river dweller in the chaos and panic, offers to take them but Rill, who is only 12, is left behind and given the responsibility to care for the younger ones until Briny can come back. While her parents are gone, strangers come who identify themselves as police and under duress remove the kids, telling them they have to stay in an orphanage until they can be returned to their parents. Having a deep sense that they must stay together, Rill goes along with it, knowing she can't fight the adults anyway.<br />
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In present day South Carolina, Avery Stafford is being groomed to possibly take her Dad's political position. When she returns home to help him out during a health scare, she comes across a lady in a senior's home who mistakes her for someone else. But the encounter compels Avery to start a search into her family's history but what she finds can ruin her well off, upstanding political Southern family.<br />
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I saw this book on a Christian book reader's page on facebook and it came very highly recommended. This was a new author for me and it sounded very interesting so I put it on hold right away. Good thing because it had tons of holds. It is based on a true story about Georgia Tann, who from about 1925 - 1950 when they finally shut her down, kidnapped and stole children from poor families and through her Tennessee Children's Home Society sold them to wealthy families, including the notorious actress Joan Crawford, whose adopted daughter from this orphanage wrote "Mommy Dearest", about the abuse she experienced at the hands of her adopted mother. Google Georgia Tann, you will be shocked! The author wrote from the perspective of the children and though the family in it is fictional, all the goings on were from testimonies of survivors of this horrendous fake orphanage and adoption agency. I was stunned that this could actually happen and that so many people, from police to judges to politicians were bought off and allowed this to continue for so long. Some of the siblings that went through these orphanages spent years trying to find and reunite their families when they became adults. The records were so contorted or "lost" that some never did. It is a sad piece of American history that needs to be told so that it brings awareness to child trafficking and how it hides under the radar.
I loved the character of Rill. Only 12 years old, but as is the nature of the oldest child, she has a strong sense of responsibility and of family and doing what she has to do to try and keep them all together and she deeply feels the burden of that. She is strong and courageous for her young age and what she is going through and is determined to find a way to get back to her parents and home. And I also loved the character of Avery, who dug and strived to find the truth even though it could have tough consequences for those she loved.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>25.</b></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b> His Love Endures Forever by Beth Wiseman</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: August 26, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Danielle Kent and Matthew Lapp couldn't be more different. She's a young girl taken in by family friends when her left her. Martha and Arnold have raised Danielle for the last year or so as their own. Having no children of their own, they had no problem taking her under their wing when her alcoholic and abusive mom took off, leaving Danielle behind. Matthew is a young Amish man, from a very devout family. Matthew, though, longs to leave the Amish traditions behind and is making plans to go live with his cousin who has done the same. In Danielle's mind, this was perfect. She wanted nothing to do with God as she felt He wanted nothing to do with her. Matthew was going to leave the order so there would be no pressure on her to conform. But when she finds herself pregnant at 18, her knight in shining armor suddenly develops some rust when he runs away, leaving her to face her pregnancy on her own.<br />
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Levi is Danielle's best friend. Much to Levi's mom's dismay, he and Danielle have a very close friendship and she is always afraid that the "Englisher" will take her son away from God and their way of life. Levi, himself, loves the Amish life and always planned to stay in the area and marry and raise his children in the Amish ways. He's always told his mom they are just friends. But when Danielle finds herself in trouble and feeling all alone, Levi feels God has other plans for them but it would mean giving up everything he's planned for his life.<br />
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This was a sweet, Amish fiction read that had much depth to it from an author I love. Danielle's struggles are ones that a lot of young people find themselves with nowadays. I loved the themes of friendship, trusting God and His plans, having faith to follow God's leading, forgiveness, sacrifice, love and family that ran through this story. Loved the characters and how they worked through their stuff as the story moved on.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>26. Orchard of Hope by Ann H. Gabhart</b></span> <br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b> (Heart of Hollyhill #2)</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: September 5, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 10/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Review:</span></span><br />
Orchard of Hope is the 2nd book in the Holyhill Series. It picks up and continues the story of young Jocie Brooks (started in Scent of Lilacs reviewed here). Lots is changing in the lives of the Brooke family and in the town of Holyhill. Jocie is starting high school, her sister Tabitha is about to have her baby, her father may just be falling in love with a wonderful lady, Wes has moved into their home while he recuperates from his shattered leg, which Jocie feels totally responsible for. On top of all this a new family has moved into town and bought the farm land from a loving older couple, hoping to turn it into an apple orchard. But trouble starts when people realize the family is not only black but the Mom was heavily involved in protests in the big city they were from and is not about to back down from a civil rights confrontation. In fact, she almost seems to invite it. Not only is the town on pins and needles but so is the church as what is really in the hearts of the people starts to rise to the surface and the close knit town starts to see divides forming.<br />
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I loved this second book in the series. Just like the first book, I loved all the characters. The introduction of the Hearndon family made the story really take a whole other turn, a good one, as the town and it's individuals must face what is in their own hearts. The orchard of hope, as the family calls the farm they are turning into an apple orchard, is their father's fresh start from everything happening in the bigger city where they are from. Jocie's father hires the young boy from the family to help at the newspaper while Wes recovers but as he finds out, not everyone thinks he should have. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;">While the book takes on racial discrimination it also tackles the subject of guilt and forgiving oneself so that you can move on in life. Like the first book, this is not a book that jumped from action packed chapter to action packed chapter, though it did have some, but was beautiful story telling</span></span></span>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>27. The Space Between Words by Michele Phoenix</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: September 13, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Review:</span></span><br />
When I first got this book for review, it wasn't really a book or author I had heard of before. The description vaguely intrigued me so I ordered it. At first taste I thought maybe I would have a hard time getting into it. There are some french words and places in Paris mentioned. Never having been fond of reading or trying to sound out the French language this made me think I might have chosen something that wasn't quite for me. But boy, once the story got going I could not put this book down. I didn't know a lot about the Paris Bataclan attacks of 2015. For some reason I didn't really pay attention to the news at that time. I think I might not have wanted to know as that was the year my daughter had travelled to Paris and I just didn't want to be consumed with thoughts of "it could have been her had she gone a few months later". I don't know. Anyway, this story really opened my eyes to the horror of what those attacks were.<br />
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I've always shied away from reading about matyrs and Christian persecution as it deposited fear into me. In a way, it was a step of faith for me to read this story. I had never heard of the Huguenots of France before but after reading this I have come to realize that their story and that of any story of persecuted Christian faith is important to tell and when told well it can leave a deposit of encouragement and faith and resilience.<br />
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I found this story hard to put down.
By interweaving the ancient story of the Huguenot persecution and the more recent Bataclan attack, this new to me author explored the questions: "Can someone who witnesses unthinkable evil and survives the unbearable, who loses everything, can they not only survive but find happiness in life again?" "Can one live beyond the fear to realize their story is not over and find the courage to continue their story and fight for their ending?" For me, the story of these two women, modern and ancient, and how they answered these questions for themselves was an important one to explore. The story also looks at dealing with grief, PTSD, the importance and blessing of friendship, dealing with guilt, faith and belief in the midst of evil and taking steps forward.
Though the pacing of discoveries by Jessica and Grant was quite quick in this story for story telling's sake, I thought the author did a great job in helping us not to forget this history and told a wonderful story of courage, resilience and faith.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>28. The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck</b></span> <br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: September 25, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 8.5/10 </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Writing is in Tenley Roth's blood. At least that is what she is hoping. Her great grandfather, grandfather and father were all writers. And Tenley is now a runaway bestseller awarded with the very award that is named after her grandfather. Under pressure from her publisher, Tenley now sits with writer's block. No matter how hard she tries, she can't even begin a second novel. The first was her heart poured out in grief over the death of her father, who raised Tenley alone since she was 5. Who does she think she is trying to follow in his footsteps?<br />
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Then out of the blue, Tenley hears from her estranged mother who wants her to come care for her while she goes through chemo. Tenley can't believe the gall of the woman who abandoned her so many years ago but under pressure from both her writing, or rather lack of it, and her "fiance" to go to Paris, Tenley takes a chance and goes to Florida in the hopes of restoring some kind of relationship with her mother and gaining some sort of inspiration to write. There she finds an old antique desk in her mom's family home that she quickly hopes will become her spark. But when a guy named Jonas Sullivan tries to take it claiming her mother sold it to him, Tenley literally falls all over it.<br />
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A century before a young woman named Birdie also had wrote at the desk. She grew up in the Gilded age and was the daughter of very rich parents and a mother who arranged a marriage for Birdie so that she herself could climb the heirarchy of New York. But Birdie has a dream to be a writer but does she have the courage to make those dreams come true?<br />
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This was my first story by this author. I must admit that it was the cover that totally drew me to this book. It is beautiful. I did enjoy this duel time line historical romance. The stories of both women were engaging and drew me right in, though I must admit the whole nature of the attitudes of the gilded age made me want to throw the book at times(not because the author didn't write it well, she certainly did). How could people have acted like that? Yeesh. But the author did a lovely job in describing the time. You could tell it was well researched and I really felt for Birdie who was a young lady ahead of her time. I also felt for Tenley and the pressure she was feeling and could totally relate to her way of handling it. I kinda really loved the way Tenley and Jonas related to each other, in a bit of a sarcastic tone, and laughed aloud a few times with their dialogue. I did, though have a couple of eye roll moments with some of the attraction thoughts wondering if that is really how young people think nowadays. LOL. But it was a really nice double time line story and I loved how the author connected the two women and their stories.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>29. Defending Jacob by Willian Landay</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: October 5, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 8.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>30. Just Like Family by Tasha Blaine</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b> </b>"Inside the Lives of Nannies, the Parents They Work For, and the Children they Love"</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: October 15, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></span><br />
Just like family follows 3 very different nannies from 3 different areas in the U.S.A. The author got to know these nannies and wrote their stories over 5 years. First there was Claudia who was the inspiration for the book. She was a nanny who came from the Caribbean to New York City, leaving behind an infant son with family, so that she could make a better life for them by sending home money. Supporting herself and a daughter born in the States, she was a calm woman who handled things by not handling them, a nanny who didn't interfere with the decisions of the family she cared for, who knew how to disappear when there was tension or family fighting. Working long hours day after day, she had a secret dream of getting her GED and applying to nursing school.<br />
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Then there was Vivian, a young, spirited nanny from Boston taking care of twin boys from birth, who was very driven, take charge and was not shy about telling her parents her opinion and what she felt was best for "her" boys. She was strict but also very loving. The boys were her world. Now they were growing up and she was struggling with her place within the family.<br />
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Kim was a nanny from Texas who found her marriage on the rocks and was now finding work to survive. A live in nanny position was what she needed and being hired by a young couple about to expect seemed the perfect answer. But nothing was right about the job, nothing was turning out as expected or promised and Kim feels stuck having signed a year contract.<br />
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I picked up this book because I was interested in the topic being a child care provider myself. While I am not a nanny looking after the children in just one family in their own home (I can have up to 6 different families at once and care is in my home) there are similarities and I could relate to lots of different parts and experiences of the nannies. I really liked how the author told the stories of 3 very different women in personality from 3 very different backgrounds working for 3 very different families. But the thing they had in common was their love for the children in their care. The book, though non-fiction, is written in a very easy storytelling style which made it so easy to read, not at all like slogging through a non-fiction book full of facts. It was real, relatable and had me tearing up in a few spots for the situations. Really enjoyed this read and would recommend it for anyone who is looking to understand the world of nannies, child care, and the hard to navigate relationships of nannies and the parents.
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Quote I totally connected with:<br />
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"Like Claudia, Vivian, and Kim, this nanny in the park gave a part of herself that she would never get back. For most nannies, the ability to love is part of the job. And when her time is up with one family, a great nanny takes that love with her. She keeps pictures of her old charges on her refrigerator or continues to tell stories about them to friends or just pauses once in a while and sighs, remembering a moment they shared or a funny thing a child might have said. She puts her love in a box, shores it away, and labels it for that one specific child. Then she opens herself up again for the next child, for the next family. She starts the process of love and loss all over again."
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>32. Home All Along by Beth Wiseman</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: October 2017</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> </div>
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Charlotte has been living in the Amish community and has fallen in love with a Amish man. Just when she is considering converting to the Amish faith, things start to once again fall apart around her and she starts to question things once again. Daniel loves Charlotte, even to the point of leaving the Amish community if that is what she chooses, but then life takes a turn for him also with a loved one being faces a hard medical diagnosis. Now they are both faced with choices they never imagined having to make. The question is will their fledgling love hold strong or will it break under all the pressure.<br />
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This is book 3 in the "An Amish Secrets Novel". I reviewed book 1 here. I didn't read book 2 but I didn't feel lost at all in the 3rd book continuing Charlotte's story. I really like the author's portrayal of real life tough stuff in this series and especially this book. This was not a fluffy Amish romance. Though there was a love story involved, there were some strong story lines of life's crisis' and hard decisions both from an "Englisher" perspective and an Amish perspective wrapped around Charlotte and Daniel's love story. I like that the author took these head on without trying to downplay them or the struggles with faith that they bring. The characters had to really work through the issues and I thought she did this well from both perspectives. Though not an action filled book it really drew me with the characters, their journeys, the honesty of emotions and where God fits into it all. Nice finish to the series. I already bought book 2 and will read that later in the year. I know, out of order but I want to see what the second adds.
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>32. Night Song - a story of sacrifice by Tricia Goyer</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: November 2, 2017</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: purple;"> </span><br />
Young Jakub Hanauer's whole world turned upside down when the German soldiers came and took his father away. His father was a great musician and violin repairer who played in orchestras. His brother was a violin progidy who had a great future. Jakub felt he never could be as good as his father or his brother. Now the Germans are back and the remaining family, his mother and younger brother, are being loaded on trains to be transported away from their home. At the concentration camp of Mauthausen he is thought to be his talented brother and put into the care of a world renowned conductor and forced to play in the camp's orchestra. But can he fool everybody with his music or will his deception be found out?<br />
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Evie and Nick are a young couple who met in the States. He is learning to be a doctor and she is the daughter of a diplomat from Europe. The night Nick was to propose changed their lives forever when Evie's family was ordered back to their homeland. With news of the war ever increasing, Nick receives his draft papers and is now training as a medic. He hopes he can find Evie in Europe and will take great risks to do so. But in an encounter with the resistance,Evie has had circumstances happen that drive her into hiding making the task Nick sets for himself impossible.<br />
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As a young German soldier, Otto longs for the power that he had inadvertantly witnessed at a high ranking German officials private meeting. Not just the everyday human driven power but the spiritual power from another world that he knows can rule over everything else. Nothing will stop him from trying to attain that. But when he in his pride tries to make it happen he is transfered over to help catagorize the ever increasing stash of musical instruments.<br />
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This was my first book by this author and it will not be my last. Inside the horrific details of the death camp, Tricia Goyer has told a beautiful tale of faith, grace, courage and survival. The way she tied the three threads of the story together was really well done and it was hard to put the book down even though some of the details were so hard to read. The historical details were so well researched and woven into the personal stories so well it was like a movie running through my head as I read. My heart was gripped and torn at Jakub, Evie and Nick's stories. I will say though that there was a large cast of characters because of the three story lines and at times I did have to pause and think who different characters were. But this is definitely one of those stories that gave me a "book hangover" where I had to process everything for days afterward. Though this is a stand alone novel there are some others in this World War II Liberators series that I will definitely be reading! <span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>33. The Dionnes by Ellie Tesher</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: November 5, 2017</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
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If you are Canadian, you no doubt know about the Dionne quintuplets. If not, you will still find their story fascinating. They took their place in Canadian history when they were born in the 1930's to typical French Canadian farmers. The world's only surviving quintuplets at that time. Because of the uniqueness and miracle of their birth the unthinkable started to happen. In order for the to survive, the doctor had the other siblings removed from the house to keep all germs down so the babies would have every chance of survival. The government stepped in and because of news of their miracle birth and survival spreading across the province, then Canada, then worldwide they built a "hospital" for them across the road from their parents home. They staffed it with the doctor and numbers of nurses. Then it got bizarre, as the parents were kept away from them. The nurses (and nuns who eventually schooled them in the compound) were not allowed to show any affection or interfere with the doctor, they were poked and prodded and tested for years by doctors. They formed a unique bond beyond the normal twins or triplets bond because they only had each other for love. The government of Ontario saw a chance for a great money making opportunity in them as they saw the world's fascination with them. The hospital turned into a compound where the sisters were put on display daily for tourists to gawk at. In the act of supposedly protecting them, they were turned into exhibits that the government sanctioned. Wrenching control from the parents they were made guardians of various agencies. Many from the government to their father to advertisers benefitted from these children. At first their parents tried to fight what was happening, their babies taken from them, a doctor rigidly controlling their visits, but soon it became apparent that they were losing the fight for the quintuplets and meanwhile their other children were suffering. But then the father also saw an opportunity to provide for his other children things like quality education in expensive schools that they would not have been able to have otherwise.<br />
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When they were 9 and no longer bringing in the cash flow, the government turned their world upside down yet again and built a huge furnished house for their family, shut down the compound and forced them to go live with the family who were virtually strangers. Living in the fortress-like mansion, the sisters were kept isolated and separated from the world due to the father's fear of kidnapping while their other siblings lived normal lives. Trying to fit in was virtually impossible for everybody.<br />
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When they became young women their whole lives had been so abnormal, that they all came away as adults with many issues. Added to that was that the trust fund that was supposed to take care of them for life was found to be depleted by the very people that were supposed to manage it for them; their father and the trust fund board. From their fund everything the government was saying they were providing, the sisters were actually paying for. It was a strange upbringing brought about by a greedy government that interfered in the lives of a family when they saw potential for big dollars. By taking over, it allowed the exploitation of 5 little children, power struggles between government, the family and appointed care givers. Media manipulated a public who was in the throes of a depression and fed on their need to have something hopeful and happy to grasp onto. After two of the siblings passed away they disappeared from the public eye. This particular book looks at the sister's 1990's step back into the spotlight after years avoiding it to fight with the Ontario government to get what should have been rightfully theirs to begin with.<br />
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This book is older, published in 1999, but I was curious about their story. It is heartbreaking, totally unbelievable in today's thinking. It's a story of greed gone wrong, prejudices and views of the time, a public looking for something good in life to the point they were willing to overlook what was really happening, and a quest for justice. The author not only gave their childhood background, but also through conversations with the 3 surviving sisters looked at the how their adult lives were anything but a fairy tale as all were living in poverty with many issues. The author of the book, as a journalist, covered their story of pursuing justice and it helped cause a public outcry to force Ontario's government at the time to pay them what was due them. Very readable, super interesting and because of it's unbelievable happenings, it was hard to put down. I finished it in a couple of days.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>34. They Left Us Everything by Plum Johnson</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: November 13, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span style="color: purple;">Plum Johnson cared for her aging and ailing elderly parents for almost 20 years. When they finally passed away, she thought she would finally have her life back but as she and her siblings turn to the task of sorting and emptying their 23 room family home, Plum can't help but remember her family's quaint history. Items bring back so many memories of growing up in the huge lake home in the '50's and '60's and Plum finally gains a perspective of those things her parents gave value to.</span><br />
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I thought this was a nice look back at the life of one woman's parents and her growing up years and those things that she realized along the way about her parents and their lives and the importance of passing along family history.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><b>35. My Secret Sister by Helen Edwards and Jenny Lee Smith</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: November 20, 2017</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: purple;"> </span><br />
This is the memoir of twin sisters who didn't even know the other existed until they were in their 50's. Separated at 6 weeks old in post war England, the two lived lives that couldn't have been more different from each other.<br />
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Jenny, the twin who was given up for adoption, was raised as an only child with parents who loved her and doted on her. Her father, who loved to golf, introduced to the sport when she was three and both parents supported her as she pursued the competitive side of the sport. Even after her father passed away, Jenny's mom made sacrifices to make sure that Jenny was able to go on and become a high ranking championship golfer who competed in the LPGA. Though happy and knowing she was loved, Jenny always felt that something was missing and attributed it to being an only child until she inadvertantly found out she had been adopted.<br />
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Helen, was kept by her mom and grew up with a brother George living close to her grandmother and aunts, uncles and cousins. Though she was surrounded by family, hers was a very lonely childhood as her father was horribly physically abusive towards both her and her mother. He was king of the household and made sure they knew it every chance he got constantly telling Helen everything was her fault. And added to that was her mother's psychological abuse and manipulating that held Helen in it's grips until well after her mother had passed away. Helen grew up with her parents engaged in a daily battle where her mother would taunt and goad her father to violence that most times ended up with her taking the brunt of consequences.<br />
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Though she found out as a teen that she was adopted, Jenny didn't started to look for her birth family until later on in life. When the two sisters connect and they look for answers to why they were separated they unearth as family legacy of lies and deception.<br />
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So many mixed emotions while reading this book. It was a good story but and oh so hard read. Helen's abuse was horrendous and I had to stop and pause throughout the book as it was so hard to read about. That she turned out to be a loving, caring adult is really a miracle. I was torn reading the story of both girls because the story was laid out in a way that went back and forth between the two as they told of their growing up years. I'll be honest and say reading Jenny's story was almost difficult in the sense that hers was such an easy life compared to Helen's and almost felt like fluff (insert myself with guilt pangs for feeling that way) and I felt I wanted to rush through it to get back to Helen's story. Not that I wanted to read about the abuse but I wanted to read that she made it through, that she was able to get away, that she finally was able to leave it behind her. I did learn a little bit from Helen's story about how someone who is abused and manipulated ends up staying in the situation. But I found myself almost talking out loud in frustration to the grown up Helen as both she and her husband at the time continued to make decisions that let certain things continue happening without standing up for themselves. But Jenny's story too, did have some struggles as she dealt with feeling cast aside and rejected by her mother and what she perceived to be a happy family that got rid of her as she had no idea of the abuse that went on in her sister's family. The last part of the book of course was the best part as Jenny and Helen finally find each other and share their inspirational bond and the strength and faith in God they have to not let bitterness define the rest of their lives.<br />
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Because of the frequent abusive situations within Helen's story, I feel that a warning should go with the review of the book for those who would be triggered and/or sensitive to the material.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>36. Lion by Saroo Brierley</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: November 23, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 10/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span></span><br />
This is the true story of Saroo Brierley who grew up in a very poor family in India. At the age of 5, he mistakenly boarded a train looking for his older brother and the train left the station. Saroo was now on his own, not knowing where he came from or where was headed. Where he ended up was in Calcutta, across the country from his hometown. Now, at the age of 5 he had to survive on his own. Twenty five years later, Saroo now an Australian upper middle class young man and very thankful for his upbringing, has never forgotten his Indian family and has always maintained a desire to find out where he had come from. This is the story of his determined search and the miracle that the invention of Google Earth played in it.<br />
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This story was so good. I could not put it down even though I had seen the highly nominated and award winning movie this year (or was it last year?). Anyway, the movie was excellent and the book was too. It boggles the mind that not only did this little five year old survive the ordeal of being separated from his family but that he survived on the streets of Calcutta until he was rescued and sent to an orphanage. That he ended up adopted to an Australian couple whom he loves but that he determined even at a young age that he wouldn't forget any little detail he could remember is amazing. How the whole journey of getting lost to the events that helped him to find his family is an absolute miracle. He shares his story to give others hope to never give up.
I gave it a 10/10 high rating for readability, engagement level, how the story gripped me, did the story make me feel for the person(s) involved. It checked all the boxes for an amazing true story.
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>37. Making Life Rich Without Any Money by Phil Callaway</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: November 29, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> </span><span style="text-align: center;">In this book, humorist Phil Callaway takes us through six characteristics of rich people, and by rich he is not referring to the monetarily wealthy. Instead of a book telling us how to become rich, the author instead takes on a journey of making life rich. The characteristics have nothing to do money in the bank but have everything to do living well.
It took a little for me to get into the book, there is a few beginning chapters that go through some statistics which isn't my thing and seeing this book is already almost 20 years old, I sort of just scanned those. But the principles it lays out really are timeless. Nothing earth shatteringly new in them, but in Phil Calloway's trademark humor, you are relating and laughing along and sometimes without even realizing it you've learned both an eternal value and a life changing principle about what really matters and what really brings joy. I love his writing and this book is worth the read for the humor and the reminders of what really does make us rich. And I'll just say that any of his books are great. He takes hard life issues that most of us deal with at some time or another, wraps them in joy and humor and is able to spread a warm message of hope. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>38. The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;"> </span>(reread)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: December 10, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 10+</span></span><br />
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http://susannesspace.blogspot.ca/2013/03/book-review-mountain-between-us.html
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>39. One Week in December by Holly Chamberlin</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: December 17, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 7/10</span></span><br />
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Becca Rowan is a career minded 32 year old from Boston. She is driven and doesn't have much time for friends or family. This Christmas, however, she will be joining her family at her childhood home in Maine. But it's not because she wants the togetherness that the holidays bring. She has a mission in mind and that is to confront her family on what she considers a huge injustice perpetrated on her when she was a 16 year old in shaky circumstances and to reclaim what was hers. The news will be shocking and will upset the whole family dynamic but she could care less. She is determined to get what she wants. But when she arrives home and meets the neighbor who befriends her she finds herself opening up to someone for the first time in many, many years and her perspective about love and family begin to change. And now she must make a decision that will affect not just her life but her family's.<br />
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I saved this book specifically for a December wintery read. The story was good and delves into many layers of family dynamics, family decisions, the affect of secrets and the revealing of them, and how perspectives can be skewed over years of hurt. I have to say that I did have a hard time connecting with any of the characters, however. I just didn't like them. Could I too have been skewed in my perspective towards them because I was sick and not feeling well when I read the book? Were the complicated family dynamics just too deep for my fever muddled brain? Hmmm, who knows. But at any rate it was a decent winter read but just not one that really grabbed me and I gave it a 7/10.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>40. Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b> with Lynn Vincent (special movie edition)</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: December 28, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; text-align: center;">Review:</span><b style="text-align: center;"> </b><br />
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I've been wanting to read this book for years and when the movie came out this year I made a point of getting to it. What an incredible true story it is. It challenged my faith, challenged me in how I am obedient to what I think God is trying to say, challenged me in how I view the homeless and even in my attitudes to volunteering. Deborah Hall had a heart for the homeless of Fort Worth, Texas and when she talked her husband into going with her to volunteer at the Mission serving lunch, he never imagined how it would change their lives. Deborah had a dream of a very poor homeless man changing the city and the day he walked into the shelter she knew God had big plans. But the only trouble was the man, Denver, wanted nothing to do with anybody. He was big and he was mean and everybody gave him a wide berth. But God had a plan and Deborah was courageous, persistent and determined. This is their story.
The story reads easy and draws you right in causing to take a look at where your own heart is and asks the question "whom is God trying to tell you to show love too and what are you doing about it?". What I really loved about their story was it tore down the preconceived notion that this is a story of how a rich white man changed the life of a poor down and out black man, it is also the story of how that poor black man changed the life of the rich white man. This is also the movie edition so there is an interesting section on the making of the movie.
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>41. Malice by Keigo Higashino</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: December 31, 2017</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: purple;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
The body of a bestselling Japanese author is found in his locked office at his home. The wife and his best friend both discover him but their alibis seem pretty tight. Detective Kyochiro Kaga immediately recognizes the best friend as Osamu Nonoguchi whom he used to teach with at a public school. Osamu left the school to become a full time writer but unlike his friend he writes children's books and is not a best selling author. As Kaga begins to investigate he finds threads that lead to him believing that the two authors were not friends at all but now he must unravel why Osamu would have killed the author.<br />
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This book is a Japanese translation from a bestselling and popular Japanese whodunit author. It's a cat and mouse type of mystery story. I liked the unique approach the author took with the mystery, you know fairly early just who did it but then comes the unraveling of the why. With layer upon layer, you are drawn into the story because you never really know what is truth and what is made up on the part of the character. The revealing of the truth is done well as just enough is given to you through the detective's figuring it out that before you know it you are at the end of the story. It's written in a simple easy going type of style, maybe because of the translation. Once I got used to the Japanese names and which character was who, the story really picked up it's pace. And I have to say this was a major cover buy. Love the cover.<br />
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</span>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-69827969702640823952016-01-07T10:46:00.000-07:002019-02-16T10:03:38.050-07:002016 Reads and ReviewsWhew a bit of a slow start to this year's reading because of everything happening around here. But here we go, looking forward to a great year of reading. With a good challenge chosen, we are under way.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>1. My Name is Mahtob by Mahtob Mahmoody</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: January 9, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> I'm sure most of us, at least those in my generation remember either the book by Betty Mahmoody or the movie starring Sally Field entitled "Not without My Daughter". I remember being deeply affected by the story after reading it, and in fact, it is one of the only trade paperbacks that I kept after my big bookshelf purge a few years back. I remember watching Betty Mahmoody, Mahtob's mom, talking of their experiences on shows like "The 700 Club" and other morning news programs. I remember her telling her story matter of factly and how the laws were not on their side when it all happened and how she was now advocating for parents left behind in international parental abduction cases.<br />
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"My Name is Mahtob" is the story told in Mahtob's (the now grown up daughter) perspective of what occurred and how her life was once they made their harrowing escape back to America. Growing up with the 18 month ordeal in Iran, and then coming back to America, having to change her name, battling trauma and nightmares, she lived with the fear of her father returning for her hanging over her life well into her university days. Having turned her life over to Christ at a young age it is also the story of how her faith has sustained and kept her through it all and through her diagnosis and living with lupus.
Even though these women's experiences of abuse are hard to read, I loved this follow up to the whole story. I was captivated to read what a well rounded individual Mahtob has turned out to be, how she pursued her dreams in the midst of a chaotic life and most of all how she kept and developed her faith in such difficult circumstances even as a child. Reading how her faith and relationship with God developed over the years and got stronger as she grew older is a testimony of the grace of God and is an inspiration. I also really liked reading of her and her mom's relationship through the years and how her mom helped her to not grow up bitter and hard. It was an amazing read and I'm really glad I came across it. Highly recommend it if you have read or seen or heard about "Not Without My Daughter" but it is also a great read if you haven't.
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>2. Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: </span><span style="color: #b45f06;"> </span><span style="color: #e69138;">January 22, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: blue;"> </span>So last year when I was shopping at Costco, low and behold they had the whole set of Anne books (all 8 of them) for a fairly decent price and seeing as I loved Anne of Green Gables so much after finally reading it instead of just watching the movie I took the plunge and bought the set. Which totally set me up to join in with Carrie at Reading to Know and her
<a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2016/01/lucy-maud-montgomery-reading-challenge.html" target="_blank">Lucy Maud Montgomery reading challenge</a>. The challenge is to read as many titles as you can by this author in the month of January and I did all of one. But it did get me finally cracking open this set.<br />
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This book sets up Anne as a young 17 year old who has finished school and is now the school teacher in Avonlea. It continues her adventures finding "kindred spirits" in the continuation of her friendship with Dianna and in her new fledgling friendship with the eccentric Miss Lavender. Anne's personality as usual was all bubbly, fresh, and still doing things without thinking them through though not quite as often as when she was younger. I must admit I did miss the precocious young Anne next to the more mature Anne. It was nice to read of her and Diana's friendship blossoming and being strong. The eccentric characters of Mr. Harrison and Miss Lavender were fun and added a quirkiness to the story. I especially loved reading of how her and Marilla's relationship deepened and moved to an "adult" relationship, reminding me of how my own relationship had changed with my mom when I moved out of the teen years. I missed the character of Gilbert a bit as he was barely mentioned, but there was a good set up for him for the next stories.<br />
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There were a few things, though, that I didn't enjoy so much about this second installment in the series. The first was a chapter in the story that had the school children writing letters to Anne about anything they pleased. After perusing letter after letter and Anne's reaction I grew quite bored and basically skipped most of that chapter. Have I mentioned I really dislike letter writing as a form of story telling? I also found some of the conversations of elementary age children, namely Paul Irving and Davy, so involved and long that it got me questioning whether little boys that age actually converse in looooong complicated paragraphs that way. Some of those were scanned by me too. And last but not least I really disliked how it was mentioned several times throughout the novel that of two siblings in their care, Anne and Marilla loved one well above the other. It wasn't "they liked the personality" of one more, it was they "loved" one more than the other. They had conversations about it. That really irked the mother and child care provider in me immensely. I kept asking the book aloud whether they had never read or heard the story of Joseph.<br />
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As a whole, I enjoyed reading Anne of Avonlea. I don't know what has taken me so long because I love the movies starring Megan Follows, so thanks to Carrie for giving me the nudge to get reading.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>3. Bathsheba - Reluctant Beauty by Angela Hunt </b>(Book 2: A Dangerous Beauty Novel)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: January 31, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>This is book #2 in the A Dangerous Beauty Series by this author. It focuses on 3 different women from the bible who's supreme beauty didn't necessarily benefit them but, if fact, betrayed them or put them in danger. I reviewed the 1st book, Esther: Royal Beauty <a href="http://loveofreading.blogspot.ca/2015/01/2015-reads-and-reviews.html" target="_blank">here (#13)</a>.<br />
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When King David looks out from his rooftop and sees the beautiful Bathsheba bathing in her courtyard, he sends for her and forces himself upon her in spite of the fact that she is married and married to one of his most loyal soldiers at that. To see this side of David who worshipped God with such great abandon, was a shock to Bathsheba and it threw her young life into great turmoil. She loved her husband, Uriah, and hoped she would have a lifetime of loving him and bearing his children. But when Uriah left for war, young Bathsheba still had not conceived a child. Now with King David forcing himself upon her she finds herself pregnant. With this news, David furthers his sin, by bringing Uriah home from the seige of a city and trying to get him to go be with his wife, but in his loyalty Uriah refuses so David has him killed. He then takes Bathsheba into his palace as his wife.<br />
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The story of David and Bathsheba is not a happy, fluffy romance. The consequences of David's sin reverberated throughout his life and caused much sorrow not just for him but for Bathsheba as well. Modern movies and stories have always involved Bathsheba as a quite willing partner in the whole affair but this author has taken a different viewpoint. Bathsheba lost her sense of self, her husband, her child, her home and everything she knew of her life. And probably at a very young age in a very short space of time. From the author's notes in the back, which are well worth taking the time to read, she once again states that she took great care to not purposely contradict anything in the bible. The viewpoint of Bathsheba not being a willing participant in the affair and that her whole life was ruined and changed against her will was one I never thought of before and it took her story in another path with emotions for me. The whole tale, even straight up from the bible is so sad. I love how this story explored the feelings of devastation Bathsheba would have been going through and how she had to learn to forgive and not turn bitter. For the most part, I really enjoyed this look into Bathsheba's life and emotions and thoughts from this perspective. And I appreciated how the author conveyed that through it all God remained faithful and the story is filled with Bathsheba trying to raise her sons to honor the Lord. I also really liked the the exploration of how David's other wives would have reacted to Bathsheba and everything she had to overcome in trying to make friendships within the palace so that she didn't lead a totally isolated and lonely life. The story is told in alternating chapters in Bathsheba's words and in Nathan, the prophet's words. In all honesty, there were just a handful of paragraphs or sentences that made me uncomfortable from the perspective of this being Christian fiction, but it was not anything near what you would find in secular novel and can easily be skipped if you are sensitive to that. I also was a tad uncomfortable with a storyline concerning Nathan's feelings for Bathsheba which I don't think added anything to make the story better.<br />
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Reading this really made me pause and reflect on the story of David and Bathsheba and all there is to be learned from their lives.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>4. Mermaid Moon by Colleen Coble</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: February 6, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>This is the 2nd installment of the Sunset Cove series by Colleen Coble. (The first one, "The Inn at Ocean's Edge" <a href="http://susannesspace.blogspot.ca/2015/04/the-inn-at-oceans-edge-by-colleen-coble_14.html" target="_blank">reviewed here</a>). Like all her contemporary books that I have read it is a suspense romance. The mystery starts almost immediately with Mallory receiving a phone call from her father that has a confusing message for her. But as she listens to him talk Mallory thinks her father is having a heart attack. Her first instinct is to call Kevin, a game warden, who lives in her father's area and with whom Mallory had a relationship before she left 15 years before. Now with her father's death Mallory must take her 14 year daughter back to Folly Shoal's and take care of her father's affairs. It's the last thing she wants to do. But when it's looking like her father didn't have a heart attack but was murdered she is determined to stay and find out what was going on in spite of the fact that she feels everyone is upset that she is back.<br />
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A "Mermaid Moon" refers to a pink moon that Mallory's mother, who died when she was young, used to tell her gave a mermaid the power to overcome her troubles and make a new start. It becomes significant to the story as Mallory's story deals with guilt and shame from her past that paralyzes her future. The story explores what happens when we can't forgive ourselves for something we've done and how it affects all our decisions. And what do we do when that past catches up with us? Mallory has a hard time moving forward past her mistakes and living a happy life.
The mystery was good and I never guessed the surprise twist at all. Mallory's relationship with her teenaged daughter was totally relatable and the romantic tension between her and her ex, Kevin, was just enough without being overdone. I enjoyed going back to the area in Maine where this story is set after the author introduced it in the first book to the series. Her descriptions are lovely and makes me want to visit there. One of the only criticisms I would have is that there was quite the cast of characters in this story and near the end I was getting a little mixed up as to who was who. This was a fast paced, enjoyable "escape" read.<br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">5. The Lake House by Kate Morton</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: February 28, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>The Edevane family is a wealthy family from the 1930's who seem to have it all. Eleanor and Anthony have a love that others hope for, a family of 3 lovely daughters and now the long desired son, a gorgeous home on well hidden lake with extensive gardens. They live a charmed life. That is until tragedy strikes. As they are hosting their yearly Midsummer party they're precious baby boy disappears seemingly into thin air. After months of searching, with no real clues to go upon, it turns into a unsolved mystery.<br />
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Seventy years later, Sadie Sparrow, a detective with the Met police is taking a leave of absence from work and visiting her father in Cornwall. An upsetting missing persons case of her own has yielded unsatisfactory results and though the police have closed the case there is something about it that keeps eating at her. While out on a run, she stumbles upon the old Edevane estate, now abandoned and overgrown,
and the unsolved mystery of the missing Theo naturally intrigues and draws her. She can't help but look into it further. Finding out that one of the daughters of the Edevanes is none other than the very famous mystery writer, Alice Edevane, and that she is still alive Sadie tries to make contact with her. But Alice Edevane is not inclined to respond to the letters. She has her own secrets to hide about that night and the last thing she wants is a detective poking around.<br />
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This was my first Kate Morton book and I have to say I really enjoyed it. The way this author develops and builds plot is amazing and it made this a really enjoyable page turning read. Her descriptions of the estate and gardens and the time period which the family lives through were rich and detailed. I really felt like I could see it in my mind's eye. The story takes place over two time lines and two different missing persons stories are involved but it is never confusing. As the author builds the plot and reveals clues I never guessed the reveal of the mystery. Though on that note, the reveal where they put the clues together seemed rushed to me and the reactions of the characters seemed very subdued, somehow, considering the situation. Without giving away the story, there is one theme in the book that I wasn't nuts about because it's not a favourite thing for me to read about with my Christian perspective but I thought it was handled well and,after all, this is not a "Christian" story and therefore has no obligation to live up to my sensibilities and convictions. Consequences of the character's actions were not brushed under the rug or glamorized and I appreciated that in the story. I am looking forward to reading more of this author's novels.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>6. The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: March 10, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Lillian was a young girl of 8 when she took over the cooking in their home. After her father left them, her mother also disappeared. Not in the physical sense, but she checked herself out emotionally and lost herself in books. Lillian first started cooking to have something to eat but then as her skills improved and she was mentored by a couple of loving ladies she started to see the power of food to heal. She determined to "cook her mother out" and set herself on a course to perfect her cooking until she saw that happen. Now an adult, Lillian owns a very popular restaurant and still has a special relationship with food and it's emotional power to heal. And she passes that on with a once a month cooking class. Here her students come to learn not only her recipes, but her art of cooking and they leave with not only skills transformed but sometimes also lives transformed.<br />
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The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. Is that not an absolutely lovely cover? And I found the story just as lovely. The descriptions of food are almost poetic and the author's prose is wonderful. I found myself savouring some of the descriptions and sentences and how food and cooking were related to life. I reread many of the sentences and paragraphs because they were so nice. The main character was a likeable woman who had great insight not only into food but also into her students as well and used her creativity to help them define what they were seeking beyond learning to cook. The book's chapters are devoted to the different students and their personal stories and how they found themselves at the cooking school. They were each interesting and real and heartbreaking. Each had something that needed mending deep within their hearts and souls.
The one criticism I had of this book had to do with one of the stories and the baking of an apple cake. I found it very distasteful and gross and not at all endearing or sweet. In fact, I had to reread it a couple of times to make sure that is actually what it was saying. It was one sentence but just took over the whole emotion of what I should have been feeling at that part of the story and focused me on the thing with the cake. Some may not agree with me, but that is what I felt and thought.<br />
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I do want to do a reread of this book. It's not a long or a hard read, but because I'm so busy right now, I feel like my head wasn't always totally there, but on my never ending to-do list of all things wedding. And it is a book I'd like to read again if only for the lovely writing.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>7. The Titanic Enigma by Tom West</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: March 27, 2016</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>375 miles off the coast of Newfoundland a ship comes across a strange phenomenon and right before their eyes a dead whale surfaces. Of course, one of the sailors captures the whole thing with his phone camera and soon the whole thing is viral. With the Titanic wreck lying immediately below, Captain Jerry Durham of the U.S. Navy is put in charge of the investigation. He immediately get marine archeologists Lou Bates and Kate Wetherall on board to help the investigation as they are specialists in deep sea diving and scientific study of ship wrecks. With other countries screaming to get in on the action what they find at the bottom of the ocean puts all their lives in danger.<br />
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I was really excited to read this book but it was just alright. It thought it would be a page turning, edge of your seat mystery involving one of my favourite topics: the Titanic. It didn't turn out to be quite what I was expecting. It goes back and forth between the present day story of the investigation and the secret that was taken aboard the Titanic so many years ago and lay hidden until now. It was not really page turning at all and really dragged in a lot of places. The trouble was I loved the Titanic part of the story a lot but majorly disliked the present day part of the story. I loved the main characters of Dr. Egbert Fortescue and Billy and really was drawn into their part of the story aboard the Titanic. I didn't like any of the characters in the present day part of the story, wasn't drawn into their lives at all. I didn't like all the long descriptions and technical jargon of U.S. army submarine stuff and descriptions of the wreck under the sea. I found it hard to translate it into an actual picture in my head, probably because I was so bored with it. I hated the f-bombs in this part of the story and most of all hated the Lord's name taken in vain a few times. I didn't like the very graphic descriptions of the murders in the present day part of the story that took place. Too descriptive for my tastes. A bit of a surprise ending wrapped up the Titanic part nicely but not enough to save the book for me to give it a higher score.
I gave it a 5/10 because I liked 50% of it.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>8. The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: April 5, 2016</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Sookie Poole finally has a moment to herself after planning four weddings for 3 daughters in under 2 years. She is exhausted and weddinged out. Having nothing to do except take something out for supper is making her very happy indeed. Married to a successful dentist, she dreams of maybe travelling with her husband. But she has Lenore, her mother, to consider. Lenore is well known in their hometown of Point Clear, Alabama by everyone, and being on or president of several committees she is adored and looked up to by most people but having her for a mother Sookie has other thoughts. She has found her quite overbearing and bossy and has spent her life trying to please Lenore and feeling like she can never live up to the expectations put upon her by Lenore. Now with Lenore in her 80's, Sookie must deal with all the details of taking care of her mom though Lenore bucks her every step of the way. One day while handling her mom's mail, Sookie makes a shocking discovery that puts her in a tailspin and makes her wonder who she really is. Sookie finds herself compelled to seek answers but will she like what finds. Her search takes her back to the Midwest and to Texas to a free-spirited lady named Fritzi, who was a wing walker and flew planes for the U.S. and ran an all-girl's filling station while the men were away at war. As Sookie learns Fritzi's story she finds inspiration for her own life.<br />
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I found this book quite enjoyable. The story of Fritzi and Sookie are intertwined until it reaches a very satisfying ending. The author is a wonderful story teller and I was drawn in from the beginning. I especially liked all the history of the women flyers from the second world war who flew planes for the U.S. but who's story has not really been told. In Fritzi's story we also read between the lines of the stories and the challenges of countless women who had to pick up the pieces and take on jobs they never imagined as more and more of the men were shipped overseas. It was a very interesting look into American life during the war. The characters are real and honest, even Lenore, whom I sometimes wanted to shake. I was also drawn to Sookie as her whole world is turned upside down with just one letter and everything she knows about herself is now called into question. I gave this story a 9.5/10<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>9. Remember Mia by Alexandra Burt</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: April 15, 2016</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 7/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></span>Baby Mia, aged 7 months, has gone missing from her parent's home without a trace. Gone are all her clothes, bottles, diapers, everything. But what makes it even stranger is mom, Estelle Paradise, was home at the time and all the doors were heavily locked. Then Estelle turns up miles from home in her car at the bottom of a ravine with life threatening injuries. And amnesia. She at first doesn't even remember that Mia is missing. But time is of the essence for her to regain her memory. Is it just convenient that she has lost her memory or is something else going on? Some of her injuries are questionable as are most of her actions as the story is revealed. What on earth is happening and where is Mia? When Estelle is checked into a hospital and under the care of a psychiatric doctor, she must dig deep and find courage to face some things so that she can remember. Did she hurt Mia and do something with her? As time is ticking and is of the essence, Estelle feels the pressure to remember and find answers not only to locate Mia but to vindicate herself as both police and the media put her under scrutiny and find her story severely lacking in believability.<br />
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This was an emotional, twist filled psychological thriller that explored the depths of depression and guilt that post partum depression can bring. As Estelle delves more into her past few days we start to see a picture of a young mom who was facing severe depression and had no support. Though I never struggled with PPD the profound feelings of guilt she carried for not being a good mom were very emotional but there were also times of boredom in the reading too as descriptions of her mental state got a bit repetitive at times. In her state of not being able to rationally deal with things I found I grew frustrated at some of her lack of communication skills when it came to trying to tell various police officers what she knew and sometimes at her lack of inaction or seeming lack of concern. The book has lots of flashbacks as Estelle's story comes to light piece by piece which kept you guessing at to what could have really happened and changing your mind as to what you thought happened. I found interesting that smells played a part in Estelle remembering some things as scent is a big trigger for me too. There was one section that dealt with small town police that had me wondering if they really would be that negligent to thoroughly check something out. A few f-bombs scattered throughout seems to be the thing with this genre. It was a page turning read in that I just had to find out what happened but slogged along at points to get there.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>10. Sister Dear by Laura McNeill</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: April 24, 2016</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
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This is a fast paced book that has you cheering for the main character. Though at first I thought maybe the back cover blurb (up above) may be giving too much away, it really didn't. From it you know the sister does know something but the story turned out to take a totally different path than I thought it would. Allie's situation is sad and I really wanted her to succeed and move past the small town prejudices. She had been in a great time of her life, engaged to the love of her life who accepted and loved her daughter, accepted into medical school, she seemed to have everything going for her. But when the local sheriff came upon her bent over the bloody body of the beloved high school coach, she was arrested. That she had written an editorial for the paper accusing the coach of some pretty serious things did not help her cause and she was convicted for his murder and sent to prison. But she set her mind to survive because she had her beloved 5 year old daughter to think of. Always maintaining her innocence, she now returns to town, paroled 6 years early, to try to take back her life. But it is so much more difficult that she could have imagined. And when her now teenage daughter is bristling about meeting her and is confused, demanding of her mom to prove that she is innocent, Allie has no choice but to do just that so that her daughter will once again trust her.<br />
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I really liked so many things about the story. How it delved into the difficulty of a person just out of prison trying to start over, what things a teenager might go through with a parent just paroled and also another area of concern that I don't know how to mention without giving away some of the story. But it was interesting and caused me to keep the pages turning. I was much more engaged in this mystery/psychological thriller than I was the last one.<br />
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Of note, though Thomas Nelson (a Christian publishing company) did publish this book, I would not categorize it as a "Christian" fiction. I would just plain plunk into the contemporary suspense thriller genre. I think anyone enjoying a good mystery filled with twists that isn't overly violently graphic in nature or dropping swears continuously would enjoy this taut, page turning read.<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>11. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: May 7, 2016</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: blue;">Rating: 7/10</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></span>
Etta has been preparing for her violin debut what seems like her whole life. At 17, she has given up what most girls her age enjoy for the sake of putting in more time practicing. But on what is supposed to be the night of her life, she is witness to a murder and then is shockingly transported back in time to 1776 onto a ship on the ocean being boarded by "legal" pirates. Just wanting to get back to her debut she is now stuck in a world of confusion and must work with the young pirate captain, Nicholas, piecing together clues that another traveler has left behind, to find an ancient relic that could change the future.
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I really stepped out of my comfort zone reading this novel. Young adult and time travel are both way, way not on my radar for books I just gotta read. But I gotta be honest, the cover really drew me in on this. For the most part, I enjoyed the story. Etta was a strong, persistent young woman. I liked how the story collided the cultures and time periods and it seemed very realistic to the various time periods that the couple traveled through even in respects to how they treated each other. I liked how the author was able to the points of view of both the main characters though they were from very different time periods. I like how the story stayed true to it's original definition of "passage" which was:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i> Passage, n. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>ii. A journey by water; a voyage. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.</i> </blockquote>
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I thought it was creative and adventurous and each time period researched for detail well down to dress , though at times it was a little too flowery in description. It was a "swash buckling" kind of adventure which was lots of fun as I really used my imagination while reading this story. I have read time travel books before and always detested the confusion of time travelling worlds and rules. This one wasn't too bad and for the most part I didn't have to re-read those excerpts to understand what was going on. There was a gradual building of that aspect into the story so that the reader isn't overwhelmed with pages of it all at once.
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What I didn't like about the story was the very things that "aged" the book and made it young. Some passages induced major eye rolling on my part, which I suppose was actually a "young" reaction on my part, HA. I thought the romance was just too much of "insta-love" attraction and I did not like the premarital teenage sexual incident at all, though there was only one occurrence.<br />
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I rated this an 7/10 because it was a fun adventure that smoothly dealt with and exposed cultural clashes. There is a second in the series coming out but time will tell if I'll get to it though it would be fun to see how some situations play out as the book was left on a cliff hanger.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>12. Fearless - Imagine Your Life Without Fear by Max Lucado</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: May 8, 2016</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>This world can be a pretty darn fearful place. The news programs are full of things to fear. A constant bombardment of financial fallouts, oil patch downturns, terrorists, global warming, natural and unnatural disasters, war, teens and people gone bad. Fear is a ruthless taskmaster in our lives and can cause us to be imprisoned. In this book and study Max Lucado ventures to teach us to make faith and not fear our default reaction. By developing a better understanding of God in our lives he challenges us to ask if we can live more without taking on those fears and live life the way God intended.<br />
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I ordered this book and small group discussion guide for our ladies study. All of us had some kind of overwhelming fear in our lives, some very much under the controlling power of fear, and I thought this would be a great way to learn to address those fears.<br />
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I loved this study and the way it was set up. Max Lucado writes in his typical story-telling style. If you've read Max Lucado you'll know what I mean. Each chapter in the book addresses a different fear. I did find that some of the chapters were more involved than others and I did find a couple of them a bit rushed. Now doing this as a group, I encouraged ladies not to skip the chapters they didn't feel pertained to them because you never know if that fear would one day come a'knocking or that they might end up encouraging someone else who was facing that fear. Anyway, at the end of each chapter there is a discussion guide at the back that takes you into a deeper, more personal searching of the heart. The format can be used both for personal study or group study. It is set up under the following headers which I though were a really great way to approach this topic.<br />
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1. " Examining the Fear" in which questions were asked to make you search your heart and/or to pinpoint that particular fear in your own life. Or your lack of that particular fear. And how it might have taken root.<br />
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2. "Exposing the Fear" in which specific scriptures were studied and exposed that fear against the truth of the Word of God.<br />
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3. "Battling Fear" where you were given specific tasks to do to help you make this study very pertinent and real and applicable to your personal life and fears.
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I loved the set up. Sometimes these kinds of studies can get bogged down in just discussing a whole lot about the subject but never takes the steps to aggressively help you deal with the subject. This did. The questions in the Examing Fear part brought out some really good discussion on the part of the group as some of them were quite indepth. But the part I liked best was then it hit you with scriptures and questions to make you think what the Word says about that fear. It's one thing to talk about fears and dissect them but a whole other thing to bring the Word of God which gives truth to those fears. It didn't just mention the scriptures, it asked deep questions to help you get that Word into you and give you a perspective on what God thinks. Knowing what the Bible says about that particular fear is the first step in dealing with it. The scriptures given also taught on how to deal with the fear using the Word of God. And the Battling Fear part helped you to take those steps to not just learn about it but to do it. It was easy to lead this study with the format this discussion guide had.<br />
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I also ordered the Small Group Discussion Guide to help me as the leader with this study. This I found not quite as helpful as just the guide in the back of the actual book. I thought it would be a chapter by chapter helps book but in actuality it only had 6 lessons as compared to the 15 chapters of the book. It made huge jumps between chapters, giving lessons on some but not others. The way we chose to do the study was to study one chapter at a time because of the time involvement of answering the questions so this guide really didn't help but to maybe give an extra thought provoking question or two. Others doing the study in a different way might find this more helpful.
There is also a dvd that can be purchased but I can't comment on that because we didn't use it. I'm thinking the small group guide fits in more so if using this dvd in your study.<br />
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All in all, this was a great study. We all face fear at some point in our lives. And this proactively taught you how to realize that God is so much bigger than the fears we have. But like any other study it takes effort from the person. Those ladies that were serious and didn't just read or skim the chapters but actually took the time to reflect and answer the questions and search their hearts and study the scriptures before the study each week got the most out of the study. I think I, persoanlly, will be rereading this book or portions of it. I highly recommend this study for individual or group use.
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>13. The Last Midwife by Sandra Dallas</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: May 17, 2016</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">Rating 8.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></span>Gracy Brookens is a midwife in Swandyke, a mining town in Colorado in 1880. She has been delivering babies since she was 10 years old. The women of Swandyke trust her and she is the one they call on having their babies. Gracy loves the whole process and loves both the mothers and the babies and does her best for each and every one. But along with the joyous giving of life there is also the hard deaths of both babes and mothers. Gracy grieves with each one. So when she is accused of murdering a baby whom she did not help deliver, Gracy declares her innocence and must clear her name. But things aren't so simple to prove. The baby belonged to the town's chief employer, the owner of the mine. And he had recently fired her husband. So some have taken to not trusting her word anymore. As the trial comes closer, Gracy must decide whether she is willing to divulge some of the secrets she knows in order to save herself.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>This was a story of family, community, of making hard decisions. As a midwife, Gracy becomes privy to some of the more harsh realities of living in a mining town in the 1880's. There is much joy and much heartbreak in her job. This book was fascinating in it's descriptions of the harshness of the day and the occupation and the hardened people it produced, was beautifully descriptive in dealing with the love of the mothers and children and the hard life that was set before them. There was much discussion throughout the book as Gracy would reflect through her career and sort out her feelings when due to the harshness of life sometimes midwives of that time were asked to help terminate a pregnancy. These were done with as much grace as possible, I thought, and were not leaning to either side of that debate, but told in rather a factual manner of what was happening with women at the time. Because Gracy loved and cared about the mothers as much as the joy and love of birthing babies, it showed the struggle midwives might have had. It also dealt with the reality of midwives not being trusted by schooled doctors. I really liked the strong and compassionate character of Gracy throughout the book though I found that maybe she was just a bit too perfect. And the ending of the story left me scratching my head wondering at Gracy's reaction to the secret she finally reveals<span style="color: #cc0000;">.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>14. Go Big or Go Home by Scotty McCreery with Travis Thrasher</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: May 22, 2016</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> </span>I really enjoyed reading Scotty's story. It's written in a very conversational tone, almost like having him sitting with you talking and telling his story. I loved reading about the faith in his family and how it has passed onto him and his deep love for his hometown in North Carolina. His story really starts with how he grew up with a love for Elvis and old time country music. His audition on Idol was not because he came up with the idea but because his mother solidly believed that God gives everyone giftings and it was the job of a parent to recognize them and do everything in their power to nuture those gifts and set the child onto the road of using them. I love how throughout the book he is very humble about his whole journey considering the great success he has already had at the ripe old age of 22. His realization that it is a blessing and that it could end at any time, and how thankful he is for what he's received is prevalent throughout his story. And his love for Jesus shines through without being preachy. The only thing I would like to see changed is the little "add-ins" that they have placed randomly throughout each chapter. Little framed quotes from friends, fans, and people Scotty has worked with. While interesting, I found where they were placed a distraction because I would have to stop mid paragraph or page to read it and then find my place in his story again. Would have much preferred those at the beginning and/or end of the chapters.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 17.6px; line-height: 24.64px;">Review: </span> </span>The front cover of the book described this as "...an unforgettable portrait of a mother, a father, a family, and the explosive, violent consequences of what seem like inconsequential actions." I think because of this I had certain expectations going into the story.<br />
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Mary Beth Latham is happily married, has a thriving landscaping business and is mother to a daughter and twin sons. The daughter is a popular high schooler who has been dating the same boy for years and one twin is a star athlete while the other is more to himself and into music. When one son develops depression Mary Beth naturally starts to put more focus onto him. Then tragedy strikes and she faces the biggest challenge of all navigating through grief and the unthinkable to find hope and courage to go on.<br />
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Because of the front cover description, I approached this story constantly waiting for this violent event to occur. I think because of this it skewed the story a bit for me and I almost put it down. I could not get engaged with the narrative in the first half of the book. Every page turn kept me looking for this event, and I found myself getting quite bored with the ordinary life of a family with teenagers. The fact that the story building was a bit choppy or disjointed didn't help to draw me in either. I also found it difficult to really like any of the characters and so they didn't grab me. So this was almost a DNF for me had it not been for someone encouraging me to keep plugging away. After the horrific "event", of course, the story does pick up. This was where I finally started to if not like, at least sympathize, for the characters. It was heartbreaking and I found myself really hurting for Mary Beth and cheering her on as she tries to get their lives back on track to some semblance of normal. As the story moves on things are revealed that are just sad and maddening and the exploration of how seemingly small choices later turn into big consequences starts to take place. I, as the reader, was left thinking what could have been done differently to have avoided the whole thing, as I'm sure the character of Mary Beth lived with. How many things do we do or say unthinkingly, or stupidly, or with an "I don't care" attitude, or not realizing that it will later affect the course of our lives and the lives of others? How often are we so caught up in the obvious that we miss things elsewhere? I found the exploration of this eye opening and while it drew sympathy out of me and made me think, it honestly did not make me like the characters any better. That said, I couldn't help but root for Mary Beth to find the courage to face that and find some kind of hope to move on with what life now was for her family. I thought how the author handled the aftermath was well done. I must say, though, that because of the nature of the story, it is a tough and heavy read in the second half tackling a tough subject and it definitely left me needing something light and airy to read next.<br />
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I give it a 7.5/10 because the author took on a very hard subject and I do like how she handled the second half of the story and the challenges the characters had to face in just making it through their days.
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>Man Alive! by Mary Kay Zuravleff</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">DNF due to language</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>The Red Tent by Anita Diamont</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;">DNF due to vulgar situations and too much of a departure from the biblical account</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>16. The Sign Painter by Davis Bunn</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: June 14, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span> </span>Amy Dowell lost her beloved husband to cancer and if that was not enough stress and grief now she has lost her home to debt and she finds herself and her 5 year old daughter homeless, living out of their old camper and truck. Struggling to find work and having to be constantly on the move, Amy fears losing her most precious thing in the world, her daughter. On one of her stops at a church that offers breakfast and daycare, Amy tries to "sneak" through the line unnoticed but the center director finds her. Thinking she will be kicked out Amy instead finds a compassionate heart in Lucy who discerns her desperation and offers her an apartment and childcare so she can find a job. When she lands a job with a car dealership who's owner goes to the church Amy thinks she has finally had a chance to turn things around, but then she comes upon a discovery at her job that will find her having to deal with the very people she was trying to avoid, the police.<br />
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This was inspired by a true story. It's an easy read but yet brings out the plight of the homeless we sometimes don't think about. We so easily associate homelessness with those who are substance abusers or certain groups of people but don't always realize or think about the homeless who are in that situation simply because of hard circumstances that have hit and are struggling to get back to some sense of normalcy. It is a vicious cycle of sorts and this book really brings that to light. It's got a bit of mystery, a bit of romanace. You really realize Amy's plight and desperation as she is yet again faced with decisions through no fault of her own that could very well land her in a worse off place than she was before.
A takeaway thought or quote from the book that I really liked was found on page 127:<br />
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<i>"...Paul knew the real mark of courage did not come in being unafraid but in not allowing fear to dominate"</i>
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</span>This was spoken in regards to his job as a police officer and live action in that job, but it can very well be related to anything in life in general, I think.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>17. Above All Things by Tanis Rideout</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: June 26, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 10/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span> Loved. this. book! <br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> Over the years mountaineering and especially the climbs to summit Everest and K2 have fascinated me. Not in the sense that I want to do it, far from it. But the logistics and especially the mind set & obsession of these climbers fascinates me. I've read several books about different mountain climbing exhibitions over the years and have watched all sorts of documentaries and films. In the '90's my family, including my kids, were compelled to watch over and over again the documentary about the horrible '96 Everest storms that took the lives of so many people that year and the miracle return of one man left for dead. The kids called him "Nose Nose" because his nose had totally frozen off and he had reconstructive surgery to grow a new nose on his forehead and then it was flipped over to be set where it belonged. They were totally mesmerized by the whole thing. And then last year in theatres low and behold the movie "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOHS-mxn0RQ" target="_blank">Everest</a>" which was based on this '90's expedition was out in movie theatres and it totally stirred up the amazement of the drive of these climbers once again. To top off all this renewed interest, this spring, a local realtor took on Everest to raise money for the YWCA and awareness against domestic violence. So when I saw this book I was all in. <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> This is a historical fiction account of the ill-fated attempt to summit Everest of George Mallory and his climbing partner Andrew "Sandy" Irvine. Both perished on the mountain in 1924 and only recently has the body of George Mallory been found. Sandy Irvine has never been located but the hunt is continuous for him as he may hold the proof in the camera he was carrying of whether George had actually summited or not. An important thing in history and the world of mountaineering as that would possibly make <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Hillary" target="_blank">Sir Edmund Hillary</a> the second man to summit, not the first. The book is an adventure story, a romance, and a study into obsession, sacrifice, and glory. <br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span> The narration of the story goes back and forth between George Mallory and his wife Ruth with the occasional addition of the voice of Sandy Irvine into George's narration. While George's story is mostly told in real time making this 3rd attempt at conquering and mapping Everest, Ruth's is told in the real time of one day awaiting news of George and in flashbacks of her and George's lives together as she attempts daily living while being left behind for the mountain yet again. While this all sounds like it would be awfully confusing, the author really made it work. I could imagine Ruth as she was trying to live her life while waiting to see if her husband had made it or not. I could almost palpably feel her tension as news in those times took forever, not like the internet instant reporting of today. I loved how their love story was written in the book through the flashbacks, and though it was hinted at that George had had a brief one night stand, the focus in the book was what made their love strong enough to get through the constant separations and fame that George's attempts brought upon them. I was really interested in the mindset of George to prove himself, both to himself and to others, and it was in the conquering of the mountain that he was finding that fulfillment. And I like the interspersion of the viewpoint of the inexperienced Andrew "Sandy" Irvine. While one hears lots of George Mallory, I so far, have not come across what this young man might have been thinking or going through on his final day. <span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><br />
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As the story progressed, I was once again boggled at the bravery, or craziness, as it were depending on what camp you sit in about these kinds of things, of what possesses these people to do this. And being the 1920's, there was no technology helping them, like there is now. Even their dress of layers of cotton clothing and simple winter jackets, which basically amounted to tweed coats, compared to nowadays high tech clothing, is mind blowing. I thought the author did a great job of describing the danger and the logistics of the climb, and the extreme danger that the mountain presented. And even though, I knew how the story ends, the author still did a fantastic job of grabbing a hold of my attention especially in the later part of the book when you know the two climber will disappear. <br />
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I really thought this story was breathtaking and entertaining.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>18. The Romanov Sisters - the lost lives of the daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: July 10, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Born to privilege and royalty, they were the 4 oldest children of the last Tsar and Tsarista of Russia. They were greatly loved by their parents who raised them with deep religious and family values. Told from collections of diaries and letters, the story of their short lives is filled with insight into who they were as people, their upbringing by a very religious yet overly protective mother, and their insights and thoughts into what was going on around them. In their short lives they saw a lot, including WWI, the last days of Imperial Russia and the beginnings of the Russian Revolution which effectively took their lives. We learn of their childhoods, their care for their brother who was the only heir to the throne and who suffered horribly from hemophilia and how they handled their mother's sickly constitution which brought long separations from her. We learn of their hopes and dreams, their deep concern and care as nurses and visitors of the wounded soldiers during the war, and their extreme boredom and fear and courage in the face of their captivity and later their murder. We also learn a bit about their relationship to the controversial Rasputin as their mother relied on him more and more to help young Alexy with his bouts of almost dying from his disease. It was all a very sad time period in the history of Russia. <br />
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I have always been intrigued with this time in Russian history and thoroughly enjoyed this perspective through the eyes of the 4 Grand Duchesses. It is a sad tale indeed. Refreshing to read was the great love of each other this family had. Insights into their daily, very sheltered lives was interesting as was how they handled everything that came upon them because of the political turmoil of the time. Intelligent yet not worldly, they seemed younger than they were but were so open to people and those around them. They had great responsibility yet the general public were not so open to them as it was so important that the Tsaritsa produce a male heir. Yet when he finally did come, he was born with an incurable disease that ran through royalty, and a lot of their childhood was spent hiding that fact and taking care of their very sick brother. As they got older because they were not exposed to the general public so much, sentiment was against them, and they didn't really know how to behave "royally", if that is such a word. Their story is at first interesting, and heartwarming and then when Nicholas abdicates in the mistaken belief that it would be best for their family and for Russia, it turns heartbreaking as the Russian Revolution brings the nightmare of their captivity and eventual death.<br />
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As is usual with non-fiction books of this sort, I find, there were some long run on sentences. And I think this read took me longer than usual because I never did get the hang of pronouncing the long Russian names that were throughout the book. But it was a great read nonetheless. <br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>19. The Promise by Beth Wiseman</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: July 12, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>As a teenager, Mallory Hammond made a promise to her dying cousin...that if she couldn't help save her life she would save someone else's. Now an adult Mallory feels adrift in life as that promise hangs heavy on her. When she starts working for her friend's fiance who is a doctor, she learns of a young girl who is from Pakistan that desperately needs help. But in order to help her, Mallory needs to get her to the States for treatment and the only way to do that is risk everything and travel to a very dangerous part of the world and do something that will take all her courage. Flying in the face of all reason and with dire warnings from her fiance, her friend and sister along with government warnings about the area, she decides to do it anyway so that she can fulfill her promise but what she finds waiting for her may cost her more than she ever bargained for.<br />
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I ordered this book because I have loved the other two contemporary books by this author that I have read. Although the back description really didn't draw me at first, I went with the good reading experience I had already had. And I'm glad I did. I ended up really liking the book. But to be totally honest the character of Mallory drove me nuts throughout the book. Because of the promise she had made and her deep desire to fulfill it, she was totally blinded to what was common sense and warnings from those she should have trusted. But the story really drew me in and I could feel her fiance's and friends tensions as she determined to make it happen. At the end, what made the book even more interesting and relevant was reading the author's notes on why she wrote the book. Based on a good friend's personal experiences, it made the story that much more real. It brought to light & explained how people motivated by love and sacrifice can be betrayed and how shame or embarrassment keeps them from asking for help until sometimes it may be too late. She explained which parts and experiences in the story her friend had actually lived through and that she wrote the story hoping to make a difference. She also wrote the book hoping it would bring closure to their own situation and in an effort to understand her own friend's actions. It certainly opened my eyes to how a person can get themselves into these kinds of situations beyond their control and moved me from being frustrated with the character to having empathy for the character. The author's notes are a part of this book that shouldn't be left unread. <br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>20. The Thing We Knew by Catherine West</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: July 19, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
I found this a very readable, engaging contemporary story. It is definitely packed with family drama as each sibling faces dysfunctional aspects to their lives because of the death of their mother. All but Lynette have taken off to make lives for themselves but Lynette has never been able to bring herself to leave and now she is faced with an ailing father, the family home falling apart around her and the stress of being the only financial contributor to the upkeep of the huge home. When she goes into the bank to try to get a loan she comes face to face with an old family friend and her teenage crush, Nick. And he doesn't have good news for her. The only option he sees for her is to sell the crumbling family home. As the family gathers in Nantucket to deal with this, a stipulation in their mother's will, they must each have to face these dysfunctions and deal with questions surrounding their mother's death. Lynette especially finds this difficult as she was only 12 when it happened and she can't remember anything and no one will talk about it which frustrates her to no end. And now she is having dreams and nightmares and weird things are coming out in her paintings so she is struggling to comprehend what it all means.<br />
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The story was well written in my viewpoint, it certainly kept me turning the pages. I really felt for Lynette as the youngest of the family, being essentially left behind by the others, and having to deal with her dad's illness and the financial issues on her own. The added stress of her mother's death and her lack of remembrance about it felt very real in the story. I also loved how the author wove the other siblings issues into the story so naturally. On the surface their lives all looked pretty good but each was dealing with huge repercussions with what happened so many years ago to their mother.
Nick's character also brings with it an air of mystery. Growing up, he and Lynette's youngest brother were the best of friends and Lynette had a teenage crush on him. But a huge falling out between the two young men and the reason behind it still affects their relationship and throws another layer into the mystery.<br />
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Even though this is Christian fiction, the faith element did not dominate the story so I think anyone who likes contemporary or family drama stories would enjoy this story. Those who are looking for a more heavier faith element might find this light on that aspect but it still makes for a good read.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>21. Ocean Beach by Wendy Wax</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: July 28, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 4/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>The premise of this story sounded so wonderful. Five women who have hit some hard times in their lives come together in Miami to redo a beautiful art deco home owned by a charming ex vaudeville performer who is in his '90's. Filming the reno, they are hoping to sell it to a lifetime tv network and make it a series making it a do over for their lives. But when they arrive the network has sent their own crew to film it with a much different vision for the show. They are wanting a reality show and they want the cameras on them at all times. Finding a private moment the women swear to not give the filming crew any drama amongst themselves for the channel to film, but can they live up to that promise when there is so much going on in their personal lives and amongst their own interactions and relationship. Sounded like a great story of female friendships and getting second chances.<br />
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What to say about this book? I started to really enjoy it. Seemed like a perfect beach kind of read that I took on holidays. It started off great although there were some parts that I did skim due to sexual content. I was interested in the dynamics of the group, their back stories and what got them together, what was still affecting their lives. I found Max, the owner of the home, charming and a fun addition to the story. It was his personal story that was the real hook for me in the book and is what kept me reading the book to the end when I just wanted to throw it in the nearest garbage can. In fact, I did put it down for a couple of days and wasn't going to continue but had to find out how his story wrapped up.<br />
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I felt cheated by this book. One of the elements when reading a a secular book for me is being able to judge how deeply into the promiscuous side and the language side the story is going to be headed fairly early into the book. I'm just not interested in stories that are heavy into either one. This book started off fairly good. Had a bit of sexual stuff but nothing I couldn't skim over. Hard to find a secular book without sex outside of marriage portrayed in some way. I kind of expect that but draw the line when it is filled with explicit descriptions. The language was fine. That is up until 3/4 of the way through. And then it turned absolutely vulgar with one late introduced character. And a party scene overly described. And this is why I felt cheated. Don't hook me that way and then introduce the filth 3/4 of the way through! The sex scene at the party was totally unnecessary. And I get why the character was written that way, but to make me think the book was a fairly clean read only to get hit with it that far into the story just made me mad and I think has ruined me for picking up any more books by this author and has resulted in the low rating I give this book.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>22. Balance - A Story of Faith, Family and Life on the Line by Nik Wallenda </b></span><b style="color: purple;">with David Ritz</b><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: Aug 2, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Nik Wallenda hails from the lengendary famous high wire walking family, the Wallendas. His family has been performing on the high wire for 7 generations. He, himself, has been on the wire since he was 2 years old, granted only a couple feet off the ground when he was little, but you get the idea. Performing and pushing himself to new heights and challenges is literally in his blood and he has broken many world records.<br />
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I had known of the Wallendas before. Nik's grandfather infamously fell to his death while performing on the high wire as did other members of his family in separate incidents. But Nik carries on his family's heritage believing he is called to not only do daring, thrilling feats on the high wire but to share Christ through his giftings that God has given him.
Nik Wallenda came across my radar when I first watched his famous walk across Niagra Falls and he had me hooked. Miked not only to his dad, but into the network's boards, and not knowing his mike was "hot", I watched as he glorified Jesus and was so thankful for the opportunity to do what he was doing and let God know it. It was mesmerizing. Then I watched him do it again across the Grand Canyon and in Chicago between two buildings. So when I saw this book I was super interested to find out how he came to his strong faith and the story of his family.<br />
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This book was really good. Nik is very upfront about his shortcomings. How being in the business for all these years has required that he be very particular and in control, but how not leaving that at the door when he came home almost caused his marriage to fall apart even though he and his wife, also a performer, loved each other dearly. I really appreciated his honesty in how he really had to seek God and still battles it today, with God's help. He tells his story of how his great-grandfather has influenced his life, how his mom and dad instilled faith in the Lord in him from his youngest years and how it all leads his decisions and life today. Just as he uses a balancing pole to keep from falling on the high wire Nik relates God to be his balancing pole in life to keep him from falling...to a keep a balance between ego and humbleness, drive and being led, control and faith to keep him from falling in life.<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><i>"Yes, I have a job to do. Yes, I was born to do that job. And yes, the aim of that job is to thrill people by performing seemingly impossible feats. But, in realizing those feats, if I fail to reflect the glory of God I have accomplished nothing."</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><i>Nik Wallenda</i></span></div>
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A very interesting peek into the life and thoughts of a man who literally puts his life into God's hands in every way yet never expects that God "magically" keeps him falling.
If you've watched any of his walks, heard of his family, are interested in what makes daredevil performers tick or just like a good autobiography this is a great read.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>23. The Sisters Weiss by Naomi Ragen</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: August 10, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Rose and her sister Pearl are growing up in a loving, yet super restrictive ultra-Orthodox Jewish family during the 1950's in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. Though they love each other dearly, there is the typical tensions and jealousy between them that sisters have. Rose is approaching the age when the matchmakers of the community start looking for prospective wives for the young men of the community. This is the life they know until Rose has a chance encounter that introduces her to a love of photography and the stories that photographs tell. Not approved by the community or her parents, photography never the less draws her to the point where she is willing to take chances and she starts to live a hidden life. That is until her secret is exposed by the one person she trusted. Wisked away from all her friends and her school and those she loves to her grandmother's community for a year in punishment and hopes she'll repent, Rose nevertheless cannot resist the draw of the freedom that photography gives her and continues to live a secret other life. When the restrictions become so suffocating she makes the hardest decision of her life and pursues freedom at the cost of exile from her community.
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Forty years later, Rose's daughter receives a strange letter from someone claiming to be her cousin asking for help to break from Williamsburg. Rivka has been inspired by her aunt Rose's infamy within the community and her world renowned achievements in photography and wants to pursue the freedom that she has built up in her mind that her aunt has. But as she recklessly and thoughtlessly pursues what she perceives is the benefits of not answering to anybody, she throws those newly found family members and those that love her back at home into utter chaos. Both Rose and her sister Pearl must reopen old wounds in order to help Rivka.
This book has been on my TBR for a while. It sounded so interesting in the description and it didn't disappoint. It was hard to put it down. It really examines what freedom really is, how we perceive it and the prices that individuals might pay to attain it. It is about love and family relationships, about betrayal and forgiveness and the reverberating consequences of actions that we might not even realize are happening. Both Rose and Rivka make choices within the story that set things into motion in their lives that will have far reaching affects and both must learn that those choices come at a cost. The story also examines the thought process and feelings behind rebellion that might come from such restrictive environments. I found the story super interesting.<br />
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Though I've heard of the Ultra-Orthodox Jews I've never really known what they believe or how they go about their lives. This story was eye opening in that regard. The author is American but has lived in Jerusalem for over forty years and has observed the type of women described in the story both in New York and in Jerusalem. She has friendships both with the religious and secular communities and believes that the stereotypes about both do not do either sides justice. The story made me think about freedoms and what it might mean to individuals. Though Rose chaffed against the restrictions her sister Pearl's character learned accept them and actually find a good life within them. As it also examined perceptions that we may have from both sides of the fence it really made me think. Rivka definitely had a rosy perception of what Rose's life might be like but under the surface there were many life long issues that came with Rose's bid for freedom and pursuing the life she wanted for herself.<br />
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The reason I knocked off a half point for this really good thought provoking story was because in the first 1/3 or so of the book, it is filled with quite a few Jewish sayings. Though there is a glossary of Hebrew and Yiddish words and phrases at the back of the book there was not a way in the story of knowing which term would actually be on the list. I must admit I did get tired of flipping to the back to find meanings and wished it would somehow have been defined within the story itself. But other than that, the story itself was really good. For those who are sensitive to it, there is a scene of promiscuity in the story but can be skimmed over without missing the purpose and consequences of the scene.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>24. Where the River Ends by Charles Martin</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: August 22, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Doss was raised in a trailer park by the river by his loving mom who encouraged his artistic side to help him cope with his life threatening asthma. Now an adult, and his beloved mom passed away years ago, Doss is a struggling artist and fishing guide on the river. When he meets Abby, the beautiful international model who just happens to be the daughter of a very influential & powerful senator, he is smitten but out of his league. But Abby is not like her parents in that respect and does not care where Doss has come from, only who he is as a person. In spite of their objections, she continues to see him and also uses her connections to help his art to sell. Now married 10 years against the wishes of her parents and still totally in love, Abby faces the fight of her life with an aggressive life threatening illness. With Doss by her side supporting her through all the treatments and experimental programs, Abby fights with everything she has. But as all avenues start be closed, Abby makes a list of ten things she wants to do before the illness ends her life. Involving the trip that Doss promised her at the beginning their marriage, they sneak away to make the 130 mile canoe trip down the St. Mary River. But chasing them down is her very angry father who has all resources to find them at this fingertips and a hurricane barreling down the coastline.<br />
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This story is a heartbreaking look into the devastating and emotional journey on one couple's fight against cancer. The story goes back and forth between Doss and Abby's present and their past giving the reader a backseat ride to the the story of their lives. It is emotional and heartbreaking from beginning to end as the story of their deep love and supportive relationship unfolds, to the stress of Abby's powerful father never really accepting Doss even after 10 years, to the decisions that they are faced with as their cancer journey progresses. It is also an exploration in how a person's life should end when they have a long term, terminal illness.<br />
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As usual I loved the story put out by this author. This is not a new release by him being published in 2008, but I'm working my way through all his older novels. He really knows how to build character and how to get the reader to connect with each of the vieiwpoints of the main characters. His story and character building is bar none. As per his other novels there are varied characters from all sorts of backgrounds, good and bad, and their stories really draw you in. That being said, I did find this particular story to be a bit wordy in respect to his descriptions of the river. I found it a bit over done and it actually distracted me from the journey that Doss and Abby were taking. So even though it was a heartbreaking story I was disconnected more than his other books and finally found myself skimming the parts where I was getting bogged down in river descriptions and metaphors and analogies. But I loved how the story was resolved between a couple of the characters and thought that was worth any frustrations described above. This was also still worth the read for me simply for the fact that it took an issue I thought I had a pretty strong stance on and made me at least consider it from a different angle.
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>25. Another Night, Another Day by Sarah Rayner</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: August 31, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Karen, Abby and Michael all find themselves as inpatients at Moreland's Place, a private clinic. They all come from different backgrounds but they have one thing in common: the debilitating depression that had taken over their lives and effected the way they and their loved ones lived. None of them really wants to be there but they must all get over their personal resistance. Going to their one on ones and participating in group sessions with their therapist, Johnnie, is their ticket home. But as they start to open themselves up to each other, and admit their secrets not just to the group but to themselves personally, a bond starts to form in their little band and a real sense of caring for one another starts to happen. As each comes to the close of their stay and are allowed to go home, will they be able to take the coping skills they've learned in the clinic and make them work outside of their group in "real life"? It isn't too far along that life throws them crisis' and they soon find out if they can make it on "the outside".<br />
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I will confess that this was a total cover buy. I really thought the cover was pretty. It wasn't until well into the book that I put two and two together and realized that this was like a part II to another book which I actually had on my "want to read list". Coincidentally, that book also had teacups. So I actually had a moment of being ticked that I had read a sequel before I read the first book. That being said, not reading the first did not make this book at all confusing or hard to understand. It read like a stand alone. The author did a great job of telling this story without having to have the knowledge of the first.<br />
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I also thought the author did a really good job of exploring mental health and issues of depression. The characters were relatable as were they're situations. I was really drawn into their stories and was cheering them on hoping they would all be ok in the end. Karen is a widower who's husband died at a young age from a heart attack and still in the journey of grief for him now her father also passes away. She always puts others first so her emotional health has been set on the back burner as she tries to also be there for her mom at this time. Abby's seven year old son has autism and he can be emotionally and physically draining. She feels that she has had to do it all when it concerns her son and has been resenting her husband's lack of involvement. They haven't been connected emotionally in a long time and she's watching her marriage fall apart in front of her. Michael has spent a life time building his flower shop business but it hasn't been good for the last few years and he has been juggling his debt owing money to different suppliers. When he loses a major account, it is the last straw and he loses his business. But he has a hard time admitting how bad it is to his wife and family and tries to should the load all by himself and instead has turned to drinking to forget about everything. All this comes to a head in their lives and they find themselves at Moreland's Place.<br />
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I finished this book with what I hope is a better understanding and more compassion for those with anxiety, depression and those suffering from mental health issues. One small thing I had with the story was, for myself, because the book dealt with several story lines, I sometimes got lost with who was who amongst the secondary characters.
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>26. Room for Hope by Kim Vogel Sawyer</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: September 11, 2016</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Neva Shilling has the ideal life. A wonderful husband who works hard and provides for his family, 2 children, a lovely home and a thriving business. The only thing that is hard is that her husband is away for month long stretches at a time as he buys and sells for their mercantile, but he always comes home with something wonderful for them; new clothes, furniture, fancy appliances. Yes, they have it pretty good for the standards of the time. And today there is joy in the household because today is the day he comes home. As they await his arrival, a wagon drives up with the news that Warren has died. As Neva tries to digest this piece of news, there is more news...news that brings her whole world crashing down around her as she realizes her whole marriage is built upon lies. The sheriff is not just delivering the bad news of Warren's death, but there are 3 children and household goods in the wagon. Children and goods that apparently belonged to Warren and his wife and now are being delivered to "Aunt Neva" at Warren's last request. As Neva deals with the realization that Warren was leading a double life, she fights feelings of devastation, betrayal, anger and guilt that is was her fault. But she can't wallow in those feelings because she needs to care for her own children, and now must decide whether to take on Warren's other children or send them to an orphanage.<br />
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I really enjoyed how this story unfolded. It had my attention from the first pages and held it until the end. Neva is portrayed as a Christian woman who's world and faith are totally rocked. She wasn't perfect but I loved how the author had her walk out her faith throughout the story. There are many lessons to be learned from the portrayal of this character. And there are many to be gained from the characters of the town and church people as they found out the circumstances of Warren's death and who the children really were. A very honest exploration of hypocrisy. The setting is early 1930's, I believe, or possible late 1920's. Can't quite remember but the the prejudices of the day and heart attitudes are really brought to light in this story. I really cheered for the main character as I tried to put myself into her shoes and receiving the kind of news she did. To become bitter, angry and hard would have been totally viewed as acceptable. I also really loved the exploration of determining what is the right thing, following up on that decision and living with the consequences of that decision. Character development was excellent and there was good growth in several of the characters by the end of the story. A very good read from start to finish.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>27. The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: September 18, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Grace Winter is 22 and on trial for her life. A young newlywed who has just become a widow, Grace never thought she would be in this place in her life. In 1914, a couple years after the sinking of the Titanic, Grace and her new husband are on another beautiful ocean liner headed to America so that Grace can meet Henry's family. But then the unthinkable happens and there is a huge explosion. As the boat sinks Henry is able to get Grace onto one of the lifeboats but in the process he is lost. It soon becomes apparent that the lifeboat is filled to over capacity. Now their survival is dependent upon whom to trust with the hard decisions. As the days drag on and hopes for rescue start to dwindle, starvation starts setting in and clear minded thinking becomes harder, some must lose their lives in order for some to live. But who will it be and who will decide?<br />
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Wow, this is one of those books that left me thinking for days afterward. It is a page turner, for sure, and grabbed me from the very beginning. A psychological horror story it is about the very nature of survival and explores how we would make tough, life altering decisions when all is on the line, who we trust and why, and what we would sacrifice. It is deep and complex and yet I seemed to fly through it. Grace is an interesting character and the story is told in her voice. The story is nerve wracking, suspenseful and challenges the reader to examine their moral standing when their very survival depends upon those decisions. It is at times not an easy story to read though I plowed through because I had to know what happened. Throughout the story, I couldn't help but think "what would I do?". I could say I would take the moral high road as I sit comfortably on my couch, but if I really placed myself into the lifeboat what would I really do as things become more and more desperate? A very good read and one I'll be reading again as there are so many layers to peel away with this story.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>28. Twilight at Blueberry Barrens</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: September 23, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
This is Book 3 in the Sunset Cove Novel series. And Colleen Coble has produced another suspense filled page turner. With favorite characters from the other two books plus a few new ones she takes us into the life of Kate Mason to explore what we let define who we are. With Kate's troubled past and life threatening illness which she overcame, she is struggling to see herself as someone who is worth knowing and loving and tends to see herself through her past. With a newly developing relationship with a twin sister she never knew she had until recently, she is finally starting to have a positive influence in her life. I loved how her sister was her biggest cheerleader yet was able to be totally honest with her.<br />
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This story has some of everything making it complex and interesting; tension and suspense, mystery, crime and romance. Though it might be able to be read as a stand alone, it is so much better to have read the first two so that you know the backgrounds of the relationships of the characters. Though references are made to things that happened in the other books they weren't detailed and might raise some questions for the new reader of just this book. I must admit I found the stalker aspect of the story totally creepy but it added to the atmosphere of tension. If you are at all sensitive to that kind of thing you might want to know it is in there. It was a definite page turner and I had it read in a few days. One small thing I found annoying about the book was that it had several instances of product placement which made the sentences they were in sound a bit "unnatural" but that was easy enough to get past. As usual, this author has an absolute wonderful ability to describe the area the story is placed and make you feel like you are right there. It was nice to revisit the area of Folly Shoals and Maine in this story. If you like the contemporary suspense romance genre you can't go wrong with this series.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>29. "The Truth According to Us" by Annie Barrows</b></span> <br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: October 7, 2016</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue;">Rating: 8.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></span>This book is written by Annie Barrows who co-authored The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society which I enjoyed. The story is set in 1938, a time period which has drawn me as of late, and in small town West Virginia.<br />
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Layla Beck is the daughter of a senator who refuses to bend to her father's wishes in choice of marriage partner so her father forces her to take a job that her uncle finds for her. She is given the job of writing the history of small town Macedonia for the Federal Writer's Project, which incidentally was a real government project of the 1930's that employed writers and attempted to preserve the stories of small town America. Room and board is set up for her in one of the prominent families in town, the Romney's, who's father used to own and run the sock factory in town which was a major employer.
Jottie Romney is the strong female head of the family and in her 30's and unmarried is considered a spinster in town. Under her charge is Willa, a precocious 12 year old who belongs to Felix, Jottie's divorced brother. Since Felix is almost always out of town on business it falls to Jottie to raise Willa and they enjoy a close relationship with Felix moving in and out of their lives at intervals. But the arrival of Layla, whom Willa doesn't trust or like, throws the family into chaos and both start to uncover some startling secrets that certain members of the family have long tried to hide.<br />
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I enjoyed this story and it's exploration of how personal and historical truths are sometimes changed so that they are more palatable to remember. The Romney family had a strong history in the town and they identified strongly with that history but the history was a bit fluid depending on who told it so was it considered accurate depending on who was doing the telling? As Layla starts to dig into the town's history which is also wrapped up in the history of the family she begins developing a relationship with Felix who is not exactly known for his loyalty. But as the truths start slowly revealing themselves she finds more than she bargained for as Felix will do anything to keep certain things hidden. The mystery of that kept the pages turning for me as did Willa's part in the whole thing. She also is doing some digging of her own. One had to feel for a little girl who's Mother was not around and her father was basically missing in action. There were, however, lots of characters and stories to wrap one's head around and so the story definitely was not fast paced but more of a slow burn to get to the end.
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>30. Long Way Gone by Charles Martin</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: October 22, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 10+/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Cooper O'Connor and his dad have a wonderful, close relationship. When his mom died when he was a young boy, Cooper's father raised him, taking him along on his tent revival tours. Cooper's father gave him a love of music as he grew up and when he turned 18, Cooper thought his talent was worthy of moving beyond his father's tents. When he felt his father stood in the way, Cooper took everything from his father and left to make his way in Nashville, but instead of the fame and fortune he was sure was his, he lost it all. Wanting to return home but feeling he couldn't until he was successful and worthy, he finds a place to hide in the shop and friendship of a man who repairs guitars. When he meets the girl he wants to marry and his life is finally looking up, Cooper faces a tragedy that could very well be his undoing.<br />
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This story was so good. Charles Martin has a really unique way of starting a story off and then weaving the past into the present, telling the story in layers that the reader must fold back. This story had me wanting to keep turning the pages a quick as I could read to find out how this telling played out and yet it's the kind of storytelling that I also want to take my time with and savor because of the lovely writing and the depth within it.<br />
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Most of us, especially in Christian circles, knows the story of the prodigal son. This story sets it into modern times and it totally worked and made it fresh and relatable not just for the church goer but for anyone who loves a great story about broken families. I especially enjoyed the many quotable moments about music and it's place in life. The story set in contemporary times brought a real understanding of the prodigal son story and God's love for those gone astray. The depth of feeling, compassion and understanding for both the father and the son that the author was able to bring out in me surprised me and there were many tear filled moments for me throughout. I totally could see myself many times in Cooper's character, and I totally was broken for the father. The part where the son leaves felt like I'd been literally punched. After this story, I think I have a new understanding of the prodigal that wasn't there before and a fresh new understanding of the love God has towards us. Worth reading as always with Charles Martin books is his author's notes. It really lets you into his heart for writing the story.
This is a story that I know I will be rereading and I would highly recommend it. I know it's going to be a go to gift this Christmas for the readers on my list.
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>31. Taken by Dee Henderson</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: November 2, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: blue;"> </span>Matthew Dane, a former cop, is now a private investigator. When he attends a conference, he finds a young woman outside his hotel door looking for help. Shannon Bliss has purposely sought out Matthew's aid. Shannon was kidnapped at age 16, and now 11 years later, after carefully planning for years she has found a way to escape the life forced upon her but she needs Matthew's experience. Matthew's daughter was also kidnapped, at age 8 and was found years later, so he knows the ins and outs of helping a victim to ease back into a normal life and to regain a sense of themselves. But Shannon is determined to do it at her own pace and will only release information as she is ready which means her life could once again be in danger. She has enough information that could put away some people for a very long time but the information also requires that they find hidden evidence. Matthew needs to hold back his natural inclinations to solve the kidnapping at a fast a pace as possible and let Shannon feel comfortable in revealing everything that has happened to her. But her re-entry into society is made more complicated because her brother, who has never stopped looking for her, is also running for governor and is only a few months from election. Could her reappearance ruin his chances at his dream? And could all the information that gets revealed also implicate people she thought loved her?<br />
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Dee Henderson is always an author I know I can go to for a very good story with flawed characters who never the less try to walk out their faith even in the midst of the criminal circumstances surrounding them. Taken was a bit different for me. Rather than an edge of your seat crime drama where one wonders whodunit, it more explored the victim trying to bring their life back to normal and all that would involve. But because of the description on the back cover I was expecting the fast paced crime drama where I kept waiting for something big to happen and it never materialized. Instead it was a very honest look at what crimes like this might leave the victim to deal with even when they are "rescued". It didn't make the read bad, just not what I was expecting. I really liked the strength of Shannon's character in hanging on to her faith even in the midst of years of disappearance and how determined she was not to lose that in her life no matter what was happening. There is a very good discussion between her and Matthew in the story concerning evil and free will that felt woven in very well and not at all just stuck in there. It would make a great discussion point if the book was read in a book club.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>32. The Curiousity by Stephen P. Kiernan</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: November 17, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><span style="color: blue;"> </span>The Curiosity tells the story of Dr. Kate Philo, a brilliant scientist who has been hired to the team of a ground breaking project run by Erastus Carthage, a well known scientist in the study of cell reanimation and cryogenics. The team has been successful in bringing small creatures such as shrimp and krill that have been flash frozen back to life for short periods of time and is now in the arctic looking for something larger frozen into "hard ice" within an iceberg. When they come across a larger form which they think might be a seal, they are shocked to discover that it is actually a man, frozen deep inside the iceberg. Never having attempted reanimation on any kind of larger specimen, Carthage nevertheless has the body brought back to the lab in Boston where attempts are made to bring him back to life, some of which Dr. Kate is not comfortable with, and the project is named the Lazarus Project. As the man begins to live longer than anyone would have estimated and starts to regain some memories, Carthage continues to keep him as a specimen in order to push for more funding but Dr. Kate starts to "see" the man not as a specimen of science but as a living human being that has been literally ripped from his fate and woken up a hundred years later into a very different world. Now she must decide whether to side with scientific discovery or with her conscience and her heart.<br />
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When I finished this story, I found it hard to pick up another story for awhile as I contemplated everything this story explored. It was science fiction, mixed with a touch of romance but one that definitely left the reader thinking when it was all done. This story posed so many questions about science and discovery and ethics and humanity and life. The story is told in 4 viewpoints: Dr. Kate Philo, Erastus Carthage, Daniel Dixon: a journalist that Carthage has given exclusive coverage to, and Jeremiah Rice: the frozen man brought back to life. The first 98 pages were sort of ones I slogged through as the ground work for the story's science of reanimation was laid out as the team was searching in the Arctic. Once the frozen man was found the story really picked up as all the ethical questions of cell reanimation and cryogenics started to enfold. The part ego plays amongst the scientific community and academia was also explored as Carthage would stop at nothing to have the accolades. Never viewing the man as a human but as a specimen, all his decisions and actions reflected his belief.. The significant role of media and it's part in reporting what they want you to know or what the powers that are above them want you to know as opposed to whole truth was also delved into as was how sometimes protest groups might actually be used to fuel controversy and keep something before the public eye, something I had never thought of before.<br />
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I especially liked the exploration of what a man who is frozen and presumably dead and brought back 100 years later might feel and think and experience. Jeremiah's confusion in the situation and fear are felt in the fact that he only will talk with Dr. Kate, the one person he senses can be trusted. His reactions to the culture we live in today made for some interesting moments and thoughts. As he starts to regain his memories and what led up to him being frozen in the Arctic, my heart really went out to his character as he struggled with his own decisions and regrets from his former life. Dr. Kate's concern and compassion for him as a person, not just as a discovery and project, was a refreshing juxtaposition against the hard character of Erastus Carthage.<br />
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Even though I did really like the story, there were a few things from the book that were of concern to me and may be to others. It is a secular story written from a secular scientific point of view and that was reflected in various ways. The aspect of Jeremiah remembering anything after "dying" was approached from that viewpoint. There is some swearing and some touches of vulgarity that I had to skip and in my opinion were unnecessary even though the author explains at the end where it came from. The journalist in the story wasn't my favorite character as he couldn't control where his eyes and thoughts wandered. But removing those things this was an incredibly thought provoking story that touched a whole array of emotions and I couldn't put it down. The film rights have been bought so it should be interesting to see if it actually becomes a movie.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>33. Sisters of Heart and Snow by Margaret Dilloway</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;">Completed: December 19, 2016</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rating: 7/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Rachel and Drew Snow are sisters who grew up in a very dysfunctional family. Their father was an American whose love they had to earn by accomplishing great things in their young lives. Their mother was Japanese and cowered around their father and pretty much acted as his servant. Rachel excelled in swimming in her teens and Drew became accomplished in music. They were fairly close when they were small. But when Rachel injured herself from over practicing her father withdrew any small amount of affection and acceptance he might have given her beforehand. Reacting in typical teenage fashion, Rachel started to look for love by partying and becoming promiscuous in her search for love and acceptance. Resulting in their mother becoming very disengaged and her being kicked out of her home. This also affected the sisters' relationship and they grew apart. Rachel went on to marry a good man and was raising two children of her own who were growing into adulthood. Drew, however, just couldn't get her life together. Now their mother was in stages of dementia and their father wanted to put her into a home where the girls knew she would not be taken care of. When Hikari, the mom, gives Rachel power of attorney, enraging their father, and then mentions an ancient book in her sewing room Rachel must enlist Drew's help in locating it and deciphering why their mother would want them to read it. What does the life of an 12 century samurai female have to do with them?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Going back and forth from 12 century Japan to the modern day, this is a story love and loss and of finding the courage to fight. I loved the Japanese historical aspect of this book. The reader could tell it was well researched and are based on Japanese historical drawings of a real female Samurai named Tomoe Gozen. The culture of that time was in such contrast to the modern part of the story yet there were lessons in that life for the modern women. For the most part the story was good for the sisters era too though I really hated that in one chapter of the story in a tense situation the f-bombs started to really fly. I understand the tense situation but still felt it had basically come out of nowhere and it kind of ruined it for me. There also was an intimate occurence that didn't need to be described as it was for the reader to get the intent and that I didn't like either. To me it was sort of like the author felt she just had to have that added in somewhere. The story would have be just fine without it. And for those reasons I had to mark the rating down. What would have been a great read turned and story turned for me on those two points and dropped the rating to a 7.0.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></span>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-25572398642135970962016-01-06T08:54:00.000-07:002016-01-07T22:25:44.253-07:002016 Reading Challenge So after a real challenging challenge (ha) in 2015, I am ready for one that is a bit more easy going. I liked how last years challenge forced me to get out of some comfort zones, though I did find I left quite a few of the uneasier ones for last anyway and never did get to them because time ran out. Categories such as "a book set in the future", "a book more than a hundred years old", "a book with magic", and"a graphic novel" were not anywhere near my interest radar so it was really hard to motivate myself to get to them. I couldn't always find a book I wanted to read to fit a certain category and at the end I found I was cramming in a book not because I wanted to read it but because it fulfilled three categories. <br />
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With that in mind the challenge I have chosen to do year is:<br />
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Perfectly simple. Right? The time frame given is books purchased from June 2015 - December 2016. I can't emphasize how perfect this is for me right now. I have a huge back log of books to June of last year (and even farther back than that but those won't count) that I purchased which now that I think of it, is around the time I discovered <a href="http://bookoutlet.ca/">BookOutlet.ca</a>. And some of those orders did not fit into the categories of last year, so I'm looking forward to getting into these purchases! I also got several book store gift cards for Christmas so this challenge will fit like a glove. For this challenge, <a href="http://bookdate.blogspot.ca/2015/11/read-books-you-buy-reading-challenge.html">hosted by The Book Date</a>, she wants us to choose one of the percentage goals from the list below that we want to accomplish reading out of the books purchased, list the books we purchase in a post and then cross them off as we read them. There will be a couple link up posts in the year, I believe, where we can share how we are progressing. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 24.64px;">20% or less Money Sitting on the Shelf.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 24.64px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 24.64px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 24.64px;">20 - 40% Making Inroads.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 24.64px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 24.64px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 24.64px;">40 - 60 % Moderately Successful</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 24.64px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 24.64px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 24.64px;">60 - 80 % Maximising Returns</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 24.64px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 24.64px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 24.64px;">80 - 100% Mission Accomplished</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24.64px;"> I am going to choose the 60-80% category. Hopefully I can get that many of the books that I have and will purchase read and enjoyed. So here we go with my list so far of books that I have bought already and are sitting awaiting for me to pick them up:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 24.64px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/bathsheba-reluctant-beauty-angela-hunt/9780764216961/pd/216961?product_redirect=1&Ntt=216961&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP">Bathseba: Reluctant Beauty</a> by Angela Hunt </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 24.64px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/School-Essential-Ingredients-Erica-Bauermeister/dp/0425232093/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094252&sr=1-1&keywords=the+school+of+essential+ingredients">The School of Essential Ingredients</a> by Erica Bauermeister</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 24.64px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Titanic-Enigma-Tom-West/dp/1447210336/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094283&sr=1-1&keywords=the+titanic+enigma">The Titanic Enigma</a> by Tom West</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 24.64px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Curiosity-Stephen-Kiernan-ebook/dp/B00BATUDMU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094309&sr=1-1&keywords=the+curiosity">The Curiosity</a> by Stephen P. Kiernan</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 24.64px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/All-Girl-Filling-Stations-Last-Reunion/dp/1400065941/ref=sr_1_1_twi_har_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094393&sr=1-1&keywords=the+all+girls+filling+station">The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion</a> by Fannie Flagg</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 24.64px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Every-Last-One-Anna-Quindlen/dp/1400065747/ref=sr_1_1_twi_har_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094438&sr=1-1&keywords=every+last+one"><br /></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Every-Last-One-Anna-Quindlen/dp/1400065747/ref=sr_1_1_twi_har_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094438&sr=1-1&keywords=every+last+one">Every Last One</a> by Anna Quindlen</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/ALIVE-Zuravleff-Author-Hardcover-Sep-03-2013/dp/B00UMZ0ZA8/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094573&sr=1-3&keywords=man+alive+by+mary+kay+zuravleff">Man Alive</a> by Mary Kay Zuravleff</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Lifeboat-Novel-Charlotte-Rogan/dp/0316185914/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094607&sr=1-1&keywords=the+lifeboat">The Lifeboat</a> by Charlotte Rogan</div>
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<a href="http://www.christianbook.com/chasing-fireflies-charles-martin/9781595543257/pd/543257?product_redirect=1&Ntt=543257&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.christianbook.com/chasing-fireflies-charles-martin/9781595543257/pd/543257?product_redirect=1&Ntt=543257&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP">Chasing Fireflies</a> by Charles Martin</div>
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<a href="http://www.christianbook.com/where-the-river-ends-ebook/charles-martin/9780767930833/pd/41318EB?event=ESRCG">Where the River Ends</a> by Charles Martin</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Graeme-Simsion-Rosie-Project/dp/B00IBSNWNK/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094708&sr=1-2&keywords=the+rosie+project"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Graeme-Simsion-Rosie-Project/dp/B00IBSNWNK/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094708&sr=1-2&keywords=the+rosie+project">The Rosie Project</a> by Graeme Simsion</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Before-Go-Sleep-Watson-Paperback/dp/B00MU8N8QS/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094761&sr=1-2&keywords=before+I+go+to+sleep"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Before-Go-Sleep-Watson-Paperback/dp/B00MU8N8QS/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094761&sr=1-2&keywords=before+I+go+to+sleep">Before I Go To Sleep</a> by S.J. Watson</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Little-Old-Lady-Broke-Rules/dp/1443428264/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094797&sr=1-1&keywords=the+little+old+lady+who+broke+all+the+rules"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Little-Old-Lady-Broke-Rules/dp/1443428264/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094797&sr=1-1&keywords=the+little+old+lady+who+broke+all+the+rules">The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules</a> by Chatharina Ingelman-Sundberg</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Keep-Quiet-Lisa-Scottoline-ebook/dp/B00FIL9BCE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094848&sr=1-1&keywords=keep+quiet">Keep Quie</a>t by Lisa Scottoline</div>
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<a href="http://www.christianbook.com/offering-angela-hunt/9781439182055/pd/182055?event=ESRCG">The Offering</a> by Angela Hunt</div>
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<a href="http://www.christianbook.com/the-truth-teller-angela-hunt/9781595540478/pd/40472?event=ESRCG">The Truth Teller</a> by Angela Hunt</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Imposter-Bride-Richler-Nancy-Paperback/dp/B00J5TA6YM/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452094982&sr=1-2&keywords=the+imposter+bride">The Imposter Bride</a> by Nancy Richler</div>
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<a href="http://www.christianbook.com/aloha-reef-series-volumes-1-4/pd/663813?event=ESRCG">The Aloha Reef Series</a> (4 Books) by Colleen Coble</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/One-Good-Thing-Novel-ebook/dp/B008TUNVUY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452095061&sr=1-1&keywords=one+good+thing">One Good Thing</a> by Kevin Alan Milne</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Recipes-Perfect-Marriage-Morag-Prunty/dp/1401301975/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452095111&sr=1-1&keywords=recipe+for+a+perfect+marriage+by+morag+prunty">Recipes for a Perfect Marriage</a> by Morag Prunty</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Midwifes-Confession-Diane-Chamberlain-ebook/dp/B004U73UE2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452095141&sr=1-1&keywords=the+midwife%27s+confession">The Midwife's Confession</a> by Diane Chamberlain</div>
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I know!!!! Don't even talk to me! And these are all just ones that I've bought since June 2015, nothing bought YET this year. Addiction much?! And those gift cards are seriously burning a hole in my pocket but I'm going to try really hard to not use them till the last half of the year.</div>
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But you know what else I love about being a part of a hosted challenge once again? Going and reading the participant's reading lists! Although that can create a conundrum because I'll want to add a whole bunch more to my tbr list. LOL. Ahhh, the dilemma's of a book lover.</div>
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I'm also joining in on Carrie's (Reading to Know) <a href="http://www.readingtoknow.com/2016/01/lucy-maud-montgomery-reading-challenge.html">Lucy Maud Montgomery Challenge</a>. The rule: Read as much Montgomery as you can during the month of January. Another perfect one. I had purchased the whole set of "Anne of Green Gables from Costco, 8 books, after Christmas last year and still haven't got to them. But Carrie does this as a yearly challenge so I'm going to try to knock a couple of those off this month. </div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24.64px;">Are you doing any reading challenges this year?</span></span></div>
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Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-12586088768143739402015-01-11T19:13:00.000-07:002016-01-11T09:11:26.658-07:002015 Reads and ReviewsThe start to a new year. I'm excited about all the reading I might get to do this year. I saw an interesting reading challenge<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/340021840591481344/" target="_blank"> on Pinterest here</a> that I thought I'd try. Last year I was disappointed at the actual number of books I finished, down from the years before. I think it might have had something to do with the spring and fall reading challenges that are no more that Callapider Days used to put on coupled with the fact that there were a few books that I made an effort at but set aside about 50 pages in. I also really want to focus on getting a lot of the 70 some odd books that I have stuffed into my closet and in a box under the bed. So hopefully a lot of those will fit into the list of the first challenge. So happy reading year!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g6DedyCi2iI/VLgS4JQhltI/AAAAAAAALUI/uanIuVD2tsE/s1600/Girl%2BRunner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g6DedyCi2iI/VLgS4JQhltI/AAAAAAAALUI/uanIuVD2tsE/s1600/Girl%2BRunner.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>1. "Girl Runner" by Carrie Snyder</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: January 2, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Fiction story<span style="color: #990000;"> i</span>nspired by the 1928 Summer Olympics in which women were first allowed to compete. Wasn't quite what I thought it would be. <br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goal Met:</span><span style="color: #bf9000;"> </span><b style="color: #b45f06;"> </b>Book by an author you've never read; A book by a female author<br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">2. "The Book of Negroes" by Lawrence Hill</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: January 14, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Inspired by the actual Book of Negroes penned in Manhattan in which names were listed of former and current slaves who had helped the British during the Revolutionary war and who were qualified to board ship to travel to a new life in Nova Scotia, Canada.<br />
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Aminata Diallo was only 12 years old when she was abducted by slave traders from her home in West Africa. Forced to walk for 3 months in chains until they reached the sea, she is then shipped to America where she is sold in South Carolina to an indigo plantation. Having the skills of a midwife passed onto to her from her mother she uses those skills to survive and help other slaves by "catching" their babies. Knowing she must learn all she can to survive she secretly is taught to read by the black women who takes her under her wing at the plantation and when she is sold to a Jewish indigo inspector, she is more than willing to learn to work with numbers and ledgers when he wants her to. Befriended by his wife, Aminata continues to expand her knowledge of the white man's world and ways and when opportunity arises for her to make her escape she ends up in Manhattan living in a colony of other ex-slaves. Her reading and writing skills come to the attention of the British military who then "hire" her with the promise of her own name being added to write the "Book of Negroes" a historic British military ledger that allowed Black loyalists passage on ships to Nova Scotia where there were promised land and freedom. With the desire in her heart to someday return to her beloved African village of Bayo, Aminata agrees, seeing it as one step towards that dream. But her losses keep adding up. When the opportunity finally arrives to return, and with no more family ties in North America, she takes her chance and arrives in Freetown, Sierra Leone, a British colony created for returning slaves. Will her losses and disappointments finally end now that she is back in her homeland? Now all of a sudden unsure, Aminata risks her life to travel back to her village not knowing if she will even see it still standing or if anyone will remember her.<br />
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It was hard to put this book down once I started. Epic in it's scope the story starts with an aged Aminata in Britain then travels back to about 40 years earlier to Africa to America to Canada, back to Africa and finally settles itself in Britain. I was amazed that the author, a male, had written such a strong female character, and that, in a first person point of view. I really liked all his research into the historical aspects of the British military and abolitionists role in the actual Book of Negroes and returning slaves to Africa. The Book of Negroes is the largest single document about black people in North America until the end of the 18th century according to the author's research. 3000 names of men, women and children were recorded, those who had served the British in some capacity during the revolutionary war and then promised a new life, so to speak, in Nova Scotia. It was interesting to read his chapter at the end entitled "A word on history" and should not be skipped as it gels the story together.<br />
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The hardships Aminata endured from her capture right until her move to Britain were horrendous and yet her drive for survival and keeping her character never left. There were times in the story, though, when I thought her strength and backbone would have landed her in way more trouble than the story unfolded and she seemed to walk away from a lot of horrible consequences other slaves might not have and lived a proportionately better life than was the status quo of her peers. But totally free of horrors she was not. Physical, mental and emotional abuse followed her throughout her life. It was heart-rending to read of all her losses throughout her life, yet refreshing to also read of her overcoming them and never losing her character or the will to survive within her. Mentioned in the beginning was the fact that her father was a Muslim and taught her to pray but it is not delved into much further within the story. A reunion of a loved one in the end seemed to happen a little too conveniently for it to be quite believable and was unnecessary to the story but didn't detract from the power of the story. It was a brave life that she had the courage to step beyond her pain, losses and disappointments, beyond letting hatred consume her and allow herself to work with the white British abolitionists for the removal of slavery even after being disillusioned with them also. If nothing else the Book of Negroes and the story of Aminata should speak to us of hanging onto our hope and courage in the hardest of times
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Worthy to mention is the fact that there is some sexual content. Too descriptive for my liking it had me skipping a few paragraphs but it is fairly moderate in today's adult book standards but deserves the mention that there is some in the context of the story.<br />
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Alternate title and cover used in U.S.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goal Met:</span><span style="color: #bf9000;"> </span> Book with more than 500 pages (slight cheat coming in at 474); Book that made me cry; Book by an author you've never read; A book you own but have never read; A Book based on or turned into a tv show.<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>3. "Hansi - The Girl Who Loved the Swastika" by Maria Anne Hirschmann</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: January 25, 2015</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 8/10</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>This is the true story of Maria Anne who as a young Chechoslovakian teenager in 1940 won a scholarship to a Nazi school in Prague. Maria Anne's mother died when she was very young and her father gave her away to another family to raise but would never give them permission to adopt her yet had nothing to do with her. This made her foster father never quite accept her as one of his own, though her foster mother loved her deeply and treated her with love and taught her how to pray and love God. However, Maria Anne always felt the deep rejection of her foster father and her real father and therefore when the chance to get away from the home life and poverty she knew through the scholarship she jumped at the chance. She was thrilled that she could have an education for free and was honored to have passed the tests and been chosen out of all the participants. At fourteen, as her train pulled away, her tearful foster mother's words "Don't ever forget Jesus" went with her. But once at the school Maria Anne went on a years long journey of learning atheism and blind devotion to Hitler and the Nazi system. Through years of war and hardship she vehemently stuck up for what she thought was a better Germany coming. When she finally came to have her eyes opened to what Hitler and his regime had actually done and the cowardice of Hitler's suicide, totally disillusioned, she made a frightening escape across the Communist border into West Germany and into a renewal with her relationship with Jesus. After being treated kindly by the American soldiers after her escape, Maria Anne always had a desire to move to America . Eventually the opportunity presented itself and she and her family moved to NewYork. But things were not as they had imagined it to be at first and they were overwhelmed with their own poverty trying to establish themselves and with their observance of careless affluence of others in America. But as they worked to find their footing in this new land with all it's new customs and ways the one thing they took to heart was the freedom they had to make of themselves what they dreamed and the freedom to talk about and teach their deepest Christian convictions. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"> This was an old book from the '70's that I picked up some years ago. I thought it sounded like an interesting story and I wondered at the author's perception of being right inside the Nazi youth. Her life makes quite the story in everything she saw and experienced as she was immersed and deceived into the culture of the Nazi's reign. What really spoke to me in the story was how this family has taken their freedom here in America and truly appreciate it and revel in it. The wonder that they have in being able to share their faith is fresh and inspirational. Coming from freedom my whole life sometimes I feel I slip into an almost apathetic place in truly realizing what I have. But this book really made me more aware of that. It was also very interesting reading someone's story who had been right smack in the middle of Europe during World War II getting caught up in Hitler's Germany. It was a great testament to God's forgiving power and ability to totally change a life. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goal Met:</span><span style="color: #bf9000;"> </span>A Book by a female author; non-fiction; a book set in another country; a book based on a true story; a memoir; a book at the bottom of your to read list </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06;"><b>4. "Miracle on Voodoo Mountain" by Megan Boudreaux</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d;">Completed: January 30, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000;">Review: </span>To say this memoir is inspirational is an understatement. To say that it was totally convicting to my own life and that it was perfect timing is not an exaggeration. I don't believe it was a co-incidence that this true story came across my radar. From the first paragraphs Megan's story grabbed my heart and didn't let up. The book is a very easy read and almost reads like a novel. From her dreams of a lone tamarind tree on a mountain in Haiti, to packing up her whole American life and moving to Haiti with no plan just a deep conviction that that is what God wanted her to do, to finding out the mountain that was in her dreams was actually a place of voodoo worship and sacrifice, to God opening her eyes to the horrendous situation of child slavery that so many children of Haiti live under, to confronting voodoo priests and sham orphanages, it was all a new experience for 24 year old Megan Boudreaux. And she takes you along on that crazy adventure of faith and obedience with her book.
That she went with no real plans and not knowing anyone there or the language boggles my mind. Everyone thought she was crazy, but she knew she had to be obedient to the call of God. What she has accomplished with the Lord guiding her in three short years is truly a miracle. Starting with a Saturday feeding program because she noticed so many of the children were literally starving she wondered why so many children were dressed in rags and hauling water instead of being in school. As she came to realize the ugly truth of Haiti's child slave culture she set out to bring change by helping to get some of these children to a school they could attend for free. It evolved into a two room school which they quickly outgrew. Establishing the non-profit organization Respire Haiti with literally no knowledge of how to do it or how to run it, Megan now has bought land on the mountain which in the past has been the biggest area where voodoo priests have performed their rituals and has built a school which currently has 500 students, a medical center, and a feeding program and a community center, library and church are in the works. Yet, when Megan has someone say to her "I could never do what you do", her response is "Don't we serve the same God? And doesn't He give us all the courage, strength, and boldness we need to do His work?"
For anyone, young and old alike, highly educated or not, this book serves as a great encouragement to exactly that, taking the step to be obedient to what God has showed each individual and then watching Him work the miracle.
Respire (which means to breathe in and out; to breathe easily again, as after a period of exertion or trouble) Haiti's mission statement is "to encourage, educate, and empower restaveks (child slaves), orpahns and vulnerable children."<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goal Met: </span>a memoir, a book published this year, a book written by someone under 30, a book by a female author, a book set in a different country, a non-fiction, a book based on a true story,<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>5. "The Hundred Foot Journey" by Richard C. Morais</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: February 7, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 7/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Young Hassan Haji grew up learning about the love of food and cooking from his mother. Surrounded by spicy Indian foods cooked in their restaurant and the food markets of Mumbai his mother passed on her love of trying new foods and gourmet outing on to her son. But when tragedy strikes the family, their father takes the family on a journey out of India, all across Europe and finally settles in England. But when again circumstances dictate a move the family ends up in a small picturesque village in France called Lumiere. When purchasing the mansion across the street from a very high class inn and restaurant, the family opens up their own Indian quisine restaurant, Madame Mallory, the Michelin award winning chef of that restaurant must face her own issues of fear, mistrust and entitlement. As they wage culinary wars against each other, young Hassan is still drawn to the French way of cooking and Madame Mallory realizes that he is a truly gifted chef. When yet another tragedy strikes, Madame Mallory at last gives in to what she knows she must do, and that is to train Hassan in the art of French cuisine knowing he will make his mark in the world with his gift. Hassan leaves his family and crosses the hundred feet across the road to become a student of Miss Mallory leaving his Indian way of life and cooking behind.<br />
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First off, I must qualify that I saw and fell in love with this movie before I read the book. The movie, to me was wonderful, with incredible scenery and food photography. It gave you a real sense of the love and beauty of "real" food and the wonder of preparing it, both French and Indian. I loved the love story line, the friendship story line, the story of overcoming prejudice and fear. I loved how Hassan, his father and Madame Mallory changed and grew in the movie.<br />
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Now the book. In a very rare case for me, I did not like the book as much as the movie. This is the second time this has happened to me in a story that featured cooking and food, the first being Julie and Julia <a href="http://loveofreading.blogspot.ca/2009/01/2009-completed-books-and-reviews.html" target="_blank">reviewed here #27</a>. While I guess this story was an ok read, it covered a much longer time period in Hassan's life than did the movie, which is only natural. But the thing that I found so different, and it took me a long time of thinking about it and pin-pointing it, was that the book was missing the sweetness and the charm that the movie had. The movie story veered off the book in a lot of places and I found that I liked the changes and liberties that Steven Knight, the movie screenplay writer, had taken. While the movie brought out the beauty of food, I found the book actually grossed me out in a lot places. The father was written as a man of less than charming characteristics who didn't seem to change a whole lot like he did in the movie. There was descriptions of some things about him that really were useless to the story, in my opinion, but left a yuck image to me, the reader. Madame Mallory was a much more unlikeable character than even the movie portrayed and I found I mistrusted her true motives at the end even though she did take young Hassan under her wing. The book got into some of France's ins and outs of owning restaurants that may or may not have interested me so much. And I didn't like the character of Hassan in the book as much as I liked him in the movie, he didn't have that air of innocence that the movie gave him. So in this case, I hate to say but I know I will rewatch the movie over and over but I will take a pass at reading the book again, though I guess it was good to read it to find out the original way the author intended the story to be.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goal Met: </span>A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit, a book by an author you've never read before, a book that became a movie, a book with a number in the title, a book set in a different country,<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>6. "You Are Here - Around the World in 92 Minutes" by Chris Hadfield</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: February 8, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Chris Hadfield is a Canadian astronaut and icon. During his last space mission on the International Space Station from December 2012 to May 2013, he inspired generations of children and adults as he tweeted from space, sang and played guitar in space and had classroom conferences with school children in live time from space. He lit a fire for science and exploration that I'm sure we'll still see the results of as this generation of children grow and turn into adults and choose their careers. As he orbited the earth every 92 minutes and as the earth also was rotating he took about 45,000 photographs. These are his favourites. Grouped into countries, it's a visual wonder looking at his photographs and reading his short descriptions. It's a view of our planet and landmarks from a whole other perspective. Not wanting the photos to just look like a satellite image, he took them with an human element and point of view in mind. They are amazing. How different parts of a map look like a whole other 3D thing as it's seen whizzing by, the differences in continents and actual recognition of divisions of countries, the beauty of cities and the incredible actions of nature are described by Hadfield in sometimes a very witty way. Totally enjoyed this book. A treat visually and descriptively.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goal Met: </span>A book you can finish in a day, a non-fiction<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>7. " Laura Ingalls Wilder Country - the people and places behind Laura Ingalls Wilder's Life and books" by William Anderson</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: February 10, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>I picked this book up for <a href="https://barbarah.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/the-laura-ingalls-wilder-reading-challenge-2015-sign-up-post/" target="_blank">Stray Thoughts</a> Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge. I really enjoyed this "real life" peak and tour into Laura's life. Filled with historical photos and drawings of Laura and her family, family artifacts and pictures of the prairies and homes or replicas thereof where they lived and an engaging commentary. You saw the creek, the farms and landscapes of Laura's life. There were lots of little tidbits that I had never known before that made for a very interesting read. I also found the U.S. map co-ordinated with the different locations of major events of Laura and her families lives very interesting. It really opened my eyes to how much she really did move over her lifetime. Perfect for anyone who has read Laura's books or even watched the tv series to see a real life perspective in photos. <br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goal Met: </span>partipated in Laura Ingalls Wilder reading challenge, non-fiction<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>8. Seagrass Pier by Colleen Coble - Hope Beach Novel Book 3</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: February 19, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Elin Summerall has had a lot on her plate in the last while. After catching a virus that ruined her heart she was lucky to have received a heart transplant and a second chance at life. A young widow and mother she was also caring for her mom who was dealing with early dementia in her 50's. But ever since Elin received her new heart she has been having dreams of being strangled that wake her up in a cold sweat. Knowing that her heart donor had been murdered these dreams are leaving her very unsettled and with unwanted attention from the press and from the donor's murderer. With the police skeptical of any connection between her dreams and her donors murderer, she moves her family to a quiet remote location in Seagrass Pier she hopes the dreams will stop, her family can be safe and she can finish healing physically in peace. But the dreams and the strange occurrences follow her. And now she must work with Marc Everton, an FBI agent and man from her past whom she had never wanted to run into again. <br />
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I really enjoyed this story though am finding it hard to write a review because there was a lot going on it. There were sub-plots running that connected back to other stories and characters as this was the 3rd in a series. I had read the second one, Rosemary Cottage, and really enjoyed it but it was a while ago and I didn't quite remember the characters. But this book was great as a stand alone read without having to know the details from the first stories. <br />
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The cell memory aspect of the story, where Elin has memories of the donor's murder was interesting. It certainly would be totally unsettling and weird. Though that was the main plot, there were also several story lines revealed throughout the story. A historical connection with the former owner of the house brings it's own mystery and adds to Elin's troubles. It made for many twists and turns in the plot and caused it to be a real page turner. You just never knew what was going to be revealed next and I never guessed the ending. The love story was clean and sweet which is always a plus in my books. I did find a bit of how Elin insists and throws herself into the investigation by the FBI agent a little bit unrealistic. I can understand working with him, but him allowing her into some of the dangerous situations rang a little untrue for me, even if he was off-duty and not acting in an official capacity. Without wanting to give away anything in the story, I won't go into more detail than that. Everything was tied together well in the end without anything that left me scratching my head. I really enjoy Colleen Coble's books and this one didn't disappoint in the suspense/romance genre. <br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Goals Met: </span>A book by a female author; a mystery or thriller<br />
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Too many f-bombs started to be dropped, could not get engaged in the story<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>9. Gathering Shadows by Nancy Mehl - Finding Sanctuary Book 1</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: February 24, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Wynter Evans is a reporter with her eye on the anchor seat at a St. Louis television station. But when she sees a picture of a Mennonite teenager she thinks she has spotted her brother who had been abducted at the age of 7, eleven years earlier. At twelve, Wynter felt the deep ache of loss of her brother and was well aware of how it affected her family. The subsequent divorce of her parents devasted her teenage years and it seemed the pain would never go away. But she always felt deep inside that her brother was alive somewhere so when she sees the picture of the Mennonite boy she heads to where the picture was taken, the small town of Santuary. Convincing her station boss to do a story of the interesting things in small towns in Missouri, she is able to arrive in town under the guise of putting together a story. The mayor though is a bit skeptical and very protective of the people in his town. But he agrees to help line up some people Wynter can talk to. But when Wynter and her camera man start to dig too deep and start unearthing secrets, someone wants them either scared off or dead. As they get closer to finding the Mennonite young man, Wynter's estranged father all of a sudden comes into town and the truth may just change everything she thought she knew of her family.<br />
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This is my first book by this author and I thought it was a great suspense story. It is full of intrigue and layers of secrets. Sanctuary is an interesting town and being a place as it's name implies, it is part Mennonite town and part a place where people go who are looking for a place of sanctuary. That made for some interesting characters involved in the story. Being under the romance suspense genre, the story was light on the romance which I thought that was in line with the main gist of the story. Wynter was there on a mission of finding her brother, nothing was more important and I thought the whole thing was woven together nicely with the romance not being foremost and taking over the story. <br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span> book by a female author; mystery or thriller, new to me author<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>10. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: February 25, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> Little House in the Big Woods is the first in this classic children's literature series of homesteading and early prairie life by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I have not read this book since I was a kid. None of my own children had interest in the series, much to my disappointment, so I thought I would jump on board with Barbara at Stray Thoughts and her Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge which happens in February.<br />
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It was fun to revisit the story, but one thing I was struck by rereading as an adult was how "elementary" the writing was. Of course, I didn't remember something like that from reading it as a child. Laura's story in this book scans about a year of her life from the age of 4. There were a few things that stood out to me reading it this time around. Even though I watched the Little House on the Prairie series, again as a young person, and had a somewhat accurate visual, I was still struck by how difficult and filled with hard work the pioneer life really was. Just a few of the things from the book that jumped out was how disciplined the children for the most in the story were and how hard they actually helped out with different aspects around the house that was really hard work at such a young age. I think of kids nowadays at that age and how easy their lives for the most are now in North America. I really enjoyed the descriptions of how they had to prepare foods for the winter. We take so much for granted with grocery stores having all our foods readily available without the hard work. The simpleness of their existence in terms of things they had was also something that really stood out. We have so much stuff nowadays that we think are so essential to our survival, when it's really for our comfort. The sheer isolation of life on the prairies back then boggled my mind. That's something I never really thought about before. Being a bit more of a extrovert than introvert I wonder how I would take to something like that. All I can say about the homesteading life of that time is that I'm sure glad that God knew what he was doing and put me into this time as I don't know how I would have survived all that the prairie life required. <br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span> A book from my childhood, a popular author's first book, a book based on or turned into a tv show, a book with antonyms in the title<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>11. Lethal Beauty by Lis Whiel</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: March 3, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Lethal Beauty is the third installment of the Mia Quinn Mystery series by this author. In this story Mia is prosecuting what would seem to be an open and shut murder case of a young Chinese girl. But she watches in frustration as a key witness goes missing and one member of the jury she helped choose becomes disengaged during the trial. And now another young Chinese person is found murdered. But are they all connected? The more she and homicide detective dig into things the more shocking of a story they unearth. And now can they ever get any new evidence to get the proof they need to convince Mia's boss to take the young girl's case back to trial? With all this on her plate and trying to juggle her family after her husband's sudden death, Mia has her hands full. How do you intermingle a high profile job and a young family as a single parent and not have them interfere with each other? Tough decisions need to be made. Gabe, her teenage son, is struggling trying to take on helping his Mom in roles that really should belong to his Dad and with his role at school. When the opportunity to "improve" himself and become more manly comes along, he makes a decision that could change his life forever. But was it the right one? He seems to think so according to his own research until things start happening that he never could have imagined.<br />
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This was another fast paced murder mystery by this author. Though third in the series, it can easily be a stand alone read. I enjoyed it as it kept me engaged without slowing down and I read through in a few days, always being kept on my toes and turning the pages to find out what happens. The author has taken on some interesting issues as the base of the story. The main issue is that of human trafficking and modern day slavery in America. That was an eye opener for me. I have read and thought about human trafficking but never connected it to a modern day slavery in America. It was, in my mind, a horrible thing that was going on elsewhere in the world. It is something that is hard to grasp as happening in this day and age in North American society. And the second is of drugs marketed to teens to help them with normal everyday issues. Both lines of the story were well written and informative, making me think, while being woven into the lives of the characters and the consequences they were having. Of particular note, is the Reading Group Guide which asked great questions to really make you think. <br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span>A book with a love triangle, a book published this year, a mystery or thriller,<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>12. "Betrayed" by Lisa Scottoline</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: March 9, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>This book is part of the Rosato and DiNunzio series. It focuses on Judy Carrier who is an associate at the all woman firm. After being handed a damages case where she would have to defend the company Judy is not too happy with her boss. The case will take an enormous amount of her time and energy. And right at the same time, she receives news that her beloved Aunt has breast cancer, has had chemo and now needs surgery. Taking the weekend she immediately goes to see her aunt before her surgery. When she arrives, however, she discovers her mother already there. Already on tense footing with her, the stress of the situation amplifies when her mother makes it clear that her Aunt Barb's Mexican friend Iris is not someone her mom approves of. When Iris turns up dead in her vehicle, Barb cannot come to grips with it being the heart attack that the police are saying it was. Suspecting foul play and out of compassion for her distraught aunt, Judy starts to poke around and discovers huge amounts of money in Iris's gardening tote at her aunt's home. As she starts to try to figure out how that kind of money could come to an illegal immigrant, Judy starts to uncover all manner of mystery about the woman's life and death. And to top it all off, things aren't going so well back at work or in her relationship with her live in boyfriend.<br />
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I love mysteries by Lisa Scottoline but I have to say this wasn't a favourite. It had it's highs and it's lows for me. For starters, I don't know if I was sold on the main character of Judy. There was just some things that didn't mesh for me. Just for a few examples without giving away story: She was desiring to eventually want to make partner in the firm yet was trying everything she could to get out of the work her boss was putting on her to do. She seemed to not know about some things in the storyline that I thought was odd, for example, for an educated woman she didn't know what surgical drains were, for a lawyer she seemed to have no clue what ICE was which is Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I thought that was odd. She may not have specialized in that but as a lawyer you'd think she would know the term. She put herself in not just extremely dangerous situations, but to me, foolishly dangerous situations... again for an educated woman? Anyway that could have just been the way I viewed things. Maybe because it involved her precious aunt she lost sight of what was totally and foolishly unsafe in lieu of finding the answers. There was also the issue of too much. Between family illness, family relational breakdowns, love relational issues, work issues, and now a big old mystery on her hands, there just seemed to be too much going on in this girl's life all at the same time. I wondered how on earth she got herself up and going with everything happening to her. I did, however, enjoy the actual mystery. It was a page turner and I couldn't put it down. I had to see what was going to happen and how it all played out. I also liked how through the characters of Iris and her immigrant friends, I learned a bit about the difficulties of illegal immigrants in the U.S. That was interesting for me.<br />
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So in all, this particular one was an average read for me, didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. But it won't stop me from reading other books from this author.
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span>A book with a one word title; a mystery, a book from an author you love but haven't read yet;<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>13. Esther - Royal Beauty by Angela Hunt</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: March 20, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Based on the biblical story of Esther. As a young Jewess living in Persia, young Haddasah finds herself a bit torn. She is drawn to the "romantic" notions of being royalty after she has an encounter with Queen Vashti. Her and her young Persian best friend daydream of belonging to the courts and possibly being queen. But it is in direct conflict with the teachings she received from her cousin Mordecai, who raised her. But when Vashti is stripped of her crown and the King of Persia issues a call for the collection of beautiful young women to become part of his harem, Haddasah is forcibly taken and she finds herself thrown into the courts she dreamed of when younger. But it is not as she and her friend have imagined. Changing her name to Esther to protect her heritage, she undergoes months of preparation in the hopes that the king might call upon her. Call her he does, and becomes so smitten with her he makes her queen. But as years pass, the king's attention is taken up with an evil man who's ambitions are second only to his hatred of the Jewish people. When his plans to kill the Jewish people are granted by the king, Esther must gather all her courage and violate a Persian law that could see her dead before she has a chance to put her request to save her people before the king.<br />
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I've always loved a good biblical historical novel. And yes, I know that not everything that most authors write in these stories is true and some are indeed quite liberal with their embellishments but it helps me to envision what it would have been like to go through what they did. Angela Hunt has taken the biblical story of Esther and give a wonderful fresh perspective while taking great care in remaining true to historical and biblical fact. According to her author's notes, nearly every event in the novel comes from historical record. The biblical account is loyal and then it is completed with writing from a Greek chronicler named Herodotus to fill in Persian history. <br />
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The story is written from two viewpoints: that of Haddasah (Esther) and that of Harbonah, the king's eunich chamberlain. The use of these two viewpoints brought a really wonderful context to the story. Seeing what Harbonah would see from being so close to the king and serving him on a daily basis for many years was a great addition and made for an interesting way of bringing in many aspects of historical fact of the life of King Xerxes and the Persian courts of that time, including the decrowning of Vashti. I loved Hunt's take on Haddasah not being a perfect girl, but with everyday desires and insecurities that didn't necessarily line up with what Mordecai was trying to teach her. That she was torn between her Jewish roots and traditions and yet finding herself being drawn to what life in the palace would be like sounds so much like what a teenager would go through. That Haddasah would have been a teenager when taken had not really sunk into me until I read this story and so the whole relationship between her and the approximately 40 year old king kinda made me squirm. But I loved how she went from being naive to infatuated to love and finally looking beyond her selfish self even if it meant going against her worldly love; going from immature young teenager to a brave, wise still young woman fulfilling the call of God on her life. The way the author put feelings and flesh to the characters of the story of Esther and yet remained true to the biblical and historical account made this book one that I just could not put down and will probably read again! It was so interesting. Can't wait for the next two in this "Dangerous Beauty Series".<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span>Book from an author I love but haven't read yet; book by a female author; A book set in a different country; A book based on a true story;<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>14. The Song by Chris Fabry </b>(based on the movie by Richard L. Ramsey)</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: April 1, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><i>"When even the wisest of men is a fool for love, can true love persevere?"</i><br />
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Jed King is a young singer songwriter who feels called to write music that points people to God. But he is living under the shadow of his famous father, David King who also was a singer songwriter who had made it big in the music world. Though his Dad seemed to have everything this world has to offer, fame, money, and prestige, he also had made huge mistakes and Jed still lives with the consequences of those in his own life. Not getting past a certain point in his career, his manager wants him to forget the God stuff in his songs, but Jed holds his ground. In a career slump, Jed agrees to sing at a wine festival that a vineyard hosts. There he meets Rose, the vineyard owners daughter and finds an instant connection with her. Smitten and inspired by her he sings an off the cuff song, made up while on the stage at the microphone. The song has an emotional impact with the crowd and and gets his career on the path to stardom he has been working for. But more than the fame he wants Rose and he must pass the approval of her strict Christian father. Rose feels she's found the man of her dreams and she is fully supportive of Jed's career when she marries him. But her highly held standards of family priority start to clash with the touring of Jed's band that is required especially when Rose conceives soon after being married. When Jed's manager pairs him up with an opening band who has a very worldy and beautiful lead singer, the same temptation and sins that caused his father to stumble and fall starts to visit the son. As "The Song" takes Jed to Europe both Rose and Jed will come face to face with failure, loss, deep pain and hurt and Rose must take a stand she never imagined she would have to take. But will the built up hurts and past be too much to overcome on both their parts or will love be enough to conquer it all?<br />
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Chris Fabry is one of my favourite authors so when I saw this new book come out I snapped it up right away not realizing that it was a novelization of a movie. "The Song" was written by Kyle Idleman (author of "Not a Fan" and a pastor) and his team. They wanted to bring a modern adaptation of Solomon's life and story through Song of Songs and Ecclesiates to a wider audience. It started as the movie and church resources and now, has been made into a novel by Chris Fabry. I have to make the disclosure that I have not seen the movie so my review will be totally on what I read in the novel without any comparisons.<br />
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While I'm not a huge fan of novelizations, this was a pretty good read. Not quite in the flavour that I am used to with a novel from this author, I thought Chris Fabry did a fine job in keeping the novel flowing and moving without any moments of confusion on the part of me, the reader. I find that sometimes novelizations have gaping holes that unless you watched the movie, the reader is left scratching their head wondering how it jumped to that. I did not find that with this book. I thought he did a good job of bringing out the feelings and issues the characters were facing and feeling. The present day setting of the story was interesting and not stale. The very relatable temptations and failures made this a story for the every person throughout the ages. You don't have to have a music career to run into the temptations that Jed faced, you can have any job, career, or position. The writer of the movie wanted this novel "to provide wisdom on issues of committed love, true beauty and finding satisfaction in relationships" (from the foreword). The underlying message is one of being aware, of overcoming, hope, not giving up and giving God the broken pieces.<br />
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I loved the little nuanced references and parallels to David and Solomon in the bible such as the father's name being David King (King David) and Jedediah being the son of the father's 2nd wife with whom he'd had the affair in parallel with the David of the bible. The fact that David King was a musican and singer as was King David in the bible, the name of the girl in the opening act at Jed's concerts was Shelby Bales, making reference to the "baals" or idols that some of Solomon allowed some of his wives to keep. There were more that the reader can pick up if they know the story from the bible but it is not imperative to know these to make the story understood.<br />
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Though sometime's Rose and Jed's story was hard to read, I think I'd probably read this again at some point just to pick up more of the subtlties that this story contains.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span>A book by an author I love but haven't read yet; a book that became a move twisted (a movie that became a book :)<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>15. The Inn at Ocean's Edge by Colleen Coble (Sunset Cove series #1)</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: April 12, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span><br />
Suspense, twists and turns, a bit of romance, family lies, deception, murder. These are the ingredients that make up this newest novel from Colleen Coble. When Claire shows up at the Hotel Tourmaline unannounced to help her father with a company merger, she has a confusing panic attack right in the hotel lobby. This sets off a whole series of events that has her witnessing a murder nobody believes happened, memories surfacing from her childhood and a mult-layered mystery that involves not only her family but that of Luke Rocco, whose mother went missing from the same area when he was just a small child. As Claire starts having flashbacks that confuse her someone is trying to keep her permanently quiet. Together her and Luke work on putting the pieces together and in the process find an attraction to each other. Add to the mix a young woman named Kate who is bent on meeting up with her father who disengaged from her life when she was just a child. Though her mom begs her to leave things be because it would change their lives she is determined to find and confront the man who blatantly walked away from her and left her life in confusion. All things conspire to bring these individuals together in a mystery that threatens to overtake them all unless Claire and Luke manage to unscramble her past.<br />
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I really enjoyed this book. It grabbed me from the beginning pages where a young girl witnesses a man in confrontation with a woman and runs to hide and then through the rest of the story as the many layers of lies are revealed. I never really guessed until the very end what the full story was. Just when I thought maybe I had an idea another twist or revealed lie would surface. The story is complex with two families lives being laid out, both involving mysteries of missing persons but it was never confusing, mysterious yes, but not confusing. In the author's notes, she explains she wanted to explore family, both blood ties and other connections that make someone feel like family. The trials and how they reacted to them shaped the people in this book, some for the better and some for the worse, and that is explored through the story. The only thing that stood out to me as a negative in the story was the familiarity of the usage of the term "Honey" that Luke would call Claire very early on in their relationship, even while they were yet just acquaintances. It just struck me as odd and pretentious and every time he said it it annoyed me. Other than that small detail, I really enjoyed this page turner and am looking forward the next in the series.<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>16. Traces of Mercy by Michael Landon, Jr. and Cindy Kelley</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: April 18, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>After waking up in a doctor's office as the civil war ends, a young woman grapples with the fact that she has no memory of her past or who she is, nor how she was injured or how she came to be at the doctor's office. With no clues to go by, the doctor takes her to live with a group of nuns in the hopes that eventually her memory will return, at least enough to get her home. But as time passes and still no return of any of her memory, the nuns name the young woman Mercy because of a mercy medallion that was around her neck. Mercy lives her days longing for her memory to return so that she can know who she is. But after meeting a handsome young Yankee bachelor from a prominent family who wants to have a future with her she puts her reservations and hope of knowing her past life aside and instead agrees to marry him. Her life becomes a whirlwind of learning the proper etiquette and behavior, none of which she naturally remembers, and of planning her wedding. There is so much to look forward to until a stranger she meets at her engagement party threatens to destroy everything. He knows something of her past and gives her an ultimatum of telling her fiance by a certain date or he will. Though Mercy remembers none of what he tells her she did, she is thrown into a panic of what it will do to the life she is now trying to build and decides to take matters into her own hands. But her choices can take her down an even more devastating path.<br />
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Though it took me until chapter 2 to really get into the story, once at that point I was hooked. The first chapter is written in a way where no given names are used so I think that is why I found it a bit difficult to just get on board with the story right away. (And that is all I can say so that I don't reveal the story). Once chapter two hits, however, all that falls into place and the story really just takes off. I found the way it was written was really absorbing. The struggles Mercy faces between wanting to know her past and wanting to choose the wonderful future placed before her really drew me. I could almost feel her confusion and how she was torn at times. The innocent and sweet young lady she is is direct contrast to who this stranger claims she is and you feel her pain and panic as she tries to make sense of it all. The contradictions of her actions had me either cheering for her or going No what are you doing? It was relatable though in the sense that we all do stupid things when in a panic and threatened with losing what we consider precious that makes us shake our heads later. I loved this story and couldn't wait to get into the 2nd book of the series.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span>Book I own but have never read; Book by an author I love but have never read<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>17. Finding Mercy by Michael Landon Jr. and Cindy Kelley</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: April 25, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Book Two in this story starts with bounty hunters chasing Mercy as she still tries to figure out her past. Heading south to where she believes she might have come from she is having to dodge not only the bounty hunters but try to pick up clues as to who she might be. After running across a portrait of a military man something in her memory is finally sparked and she goes in search of who it might be. Finally a clue that leads her to a large rice plantation has her meeting her family but still not recognizing them or knowing them. But even as she tries to fit into her past life more questions arise as to who and what kind of person she really was. And then there is still the nasty little detail about the bounty hunters that just won't give up.<br />
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As Mercy is thrown back into her life with a party being thrown for her return by her family, the confusion and mystery continues for her. The black woman who raised her and whom she was supposedly very close to can barely tolerate being in the same room with her and Mercy doesn't know why. She is appalled by the treatment and living quarters of the newly freed slaves who are now employees of the plantation. The attitude of her brother and step Mom towards the black servants saddens her and yet on the flip side they are surprised that she is not harder on the staff. As the young woman she was slowly comes to light, Mercy must reconcile the unrecognizable person she was with the person she is now. Does she want to go back to being that young woman from before the war and reclaim her old life or will she take steps to right the wrongs of the past and embrace who she is now?<br />
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Loved the sequel to Traces to Mercy. What a great story these two books were. I appreciated how the story wove the story of the north and the south viewpoints into it. The immediate results of the civil war on both the plantation owners and the freed slaves was something that this book really brought out to me. I hadn't really paused to think of what those newly freed people would do when on paper they were free but the attitudes were still the same towards them. I thought that the inner struggles that Mercy was having were very well written and felt myself hoping for the best for her and wishing she would quit making impulsive choices. I rooted for her through the set of two books and couldn't wait to see how it all played out for her. This and the first in the series, Traces of Mercy, was an excellent read. It'll be a keeper on my bookshelf.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span>Book I own but haven't read yet; Book by an author I love but haven't read yet<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>18. Wonders Never Cease by Phil Callaway</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: May 11, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 7/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>This is the sequel to The Edge of the World (Chronicles of Grace series) and continues Terry Anderson's story. Terry is now 18 and in his senior year of high school. He is struggling with his parent's faith and has pretty much decided to leave it behind though he hasn't told them that. He can hardly wait to get out of church going small town Grace and start "living". But as graduation nears his boring life is once again thrown into turmoil. Just when he's deciding he doesn't believe his atheist friend is starting to ask all sorts of questions about faith which he is compelled to come up with answers to. His mother's illness from Huntington's disease has caused her to have to take to her bed 24/7 for all intents and purposes stealing her from her family. His brother Ben has secretly returned and now someone is looking for him. And now to top it all off it would have to be him that comes across a dead body and once again he is faced with what to keep secret.<br />
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Although I did like the first installment of this series (reviewed in 2014, #21) a bit better I thought this a good read. Terry is struggling with his faith and is in full fledged rebellion. But the amusing part of it is that his friend (from the previous book) who's father is the town atheist and has raised him that way, is all of a sudden asking all sorts of questions which is forcing Terry to answer and revisit the faith of his own upbringing. I found that part of the story quite appealing and realistic as a lot of teenagers face rebellion and questioning and finding their way in making faith their own and not just their parent's. Secrets are coming to light in the town of Grace and once again Terry is faced with doing the right thing or keep more secrets. With what happened to him when a youngster you'd think the decision would be automatic but it gets more complicated. And once again, Terry finds himself choosing to keep something that isn't his and seeing his whole life turning upside down for it. I found Terry's 18 year old character a bit immature in his thinking and actions. I had to remind myself that his character was actually 18 and about to graduate quite a few times throughout the story. I literally wanted to tell him to grow up at times. I did enjoy the narration of the story through his perspective, though. His mother's story was heartbreaking and you could see the confusion such an illness brings into the family. It was a good exploration of young faith, legalism, facing illness, and broken trusts and finding grace in unexpected places. <br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span>A book set in high school (vaguely),<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>19. GI Brides - The Wartime Girls Who Crossed the Atlantic for Love by Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed May 21, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>During WWII American GI's were stationed all throughout the UK. Over 70,000 of these GI's met and fell in love with the British girls, married them and brought them home to America after the war was over. GI Brides is the true account of 4 of these young British women who met and married American GI's and bravely crossed the ocean leaving everything behind to be with the soldiers they loved. <br />
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I found this story quite fascinating. One of the authors is actually the grand-daughter of one of the women featured and the other three were picked from interviewing about 60 other GI brides. These stories are not always happy ones. These four women did not have the fairy tale lives that they thought they would when they left all behind to follow the men that they loved. I thought the authors did a great job in describing England during the time of war and the fear and oppression they lived under. The hardships that came during wartime: the hard rationing, the danger, the trauma of being constantly bombed are set against the backdrop of meeting the handsome GI's, falling in love and the lure of a better life in golden America. It was interesting to read of the women's trip across the ocean and how they were treated on the boats and how they were treated in America. In Britain the GI's were disliked and resented because they were taking the British girls from the British guys but in America the brides were resented because they had taken the available men. The language barrier was at times funny. Even though they spoke English, it was not the English of America and what meant something overseas certainly did not translate across in America bringing embarrassment. The lives the women dreamed of did not necessarily translate into reality, either. Three of the four did not end up having happy lives and the other suffered through polio and in-law interference. <br />
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The book was written in such a way that each chapter was dedicated to a different woman and rotated and followed the order through out the book. This at times, especially in the beginning when I was just starting to know the characters, was a bit confusing. I kept having to refer back to the characters pictures in the middle of the book and sometimes even scanning back into the chapters to remind myself of whose story was whose. It made each chapter sort of like a mini cliff hanger that you didn't come back to until you finished another chapter of each of the other 3 women's stories. It definitely made it suspenseful so that I didn't want to put the book down but at the same time I can't help but think I would have slowed the reading a bit and would have been able to be more invested into each of their stories if I could have just read them in order. But then the suspense wouldn't have been there in quite the same way, I guess. All in all I love reading people's stories and how they deal with what is dealt them in life and this book didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the read.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-style: italic;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span>Non-fiction, author under 30(?), book based on a true story,<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>20. Water From My Heart by Charles Martin</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed June 14, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 10+</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Charlie Finn has been on his own since he was 16. Without much effort on his part he does well in school and earned himself a scholarship to Harvard. Taking math and business he is then able to insert himself into the fast-paced world of finance. Because of his hard growing up years Charlie has no problem with the indifference to people's hardships his business dealings creates. But when working for a power hungry business executive comes to a unexpected end, Charlie ends up meeting and partnering with a high society drug dealer. Once again his ability to keep his personal and work life separated and his wall of indifference high, he convinces himself he is just offering a service that the elite of society would find someone else to do for them if it wasn't him. And meanwhile he can make himself a very rich man. But when tragedy strikes it causes Charlie to head to an area of Costa Rica and Nicaragua where his former business dealings had left a group of innocent and devastated family coffee farmers. By chance he meets a young woman whom he must rely on to help find his partner's family member. And in the processCharlie comes face to face with who he is and what he has allowed his heart to become and whether he wants to pursue the real riches in life<br />
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Love, love, loved this latest story from Charles Martin. My short description above definitely lacks the amount of details and nuances this wonderful story holds. It was hard to write a description without giving away details but every twist and turn added up to make a story that I thought about for days, even weeks, afterwards. I couldn't pick up another book because this one kept mulling over in my heart. The author takes a bit of a departure from his usual strong, moral male character and instead gives us a main male character who is very flawed. Indifferent and heartless in his business life, the character of Charlie is quite a selfish individual and thinks he can separate his personal life from his business self but will have to come to realize that the two intertwine. It will take a woman and child who survived through horrible pain and loss and yet exude a joy and beauty and love that Charlie has never before experienced. As usual, Charles Martin took my heart on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Several times my husband looked over at me and asked what I was crying about. He takes the high society lives of London and Miami and sets it against the poverty and simplicity of life in Nicaragua. He takes the entitlement, the skewed values of most of North America and shines a light on it comparing it with the riches of what the Nicaraguan mountain people hold dear. Woven into Charles Martin's story is a piece of himself that he experienced when he himself went and met Nicaraguan people who had been devastated when Hurricane Mitch, in 1998, hung over a volcanic lake until it overfilled causing a horrific mudslide that travelled at 100 mph down the mountain cutting a deadly path killing 3000 people. This a beautiful story of fruit in the midst of horror, of true love and redemption that made me take a good hard look at my own indifferences in my own heart. You cannot read this and not be moved. Have I made you curious enough to run out and read it? I hope so. Not to be missed is the author's notes in the end where you are allowed a glimpse of where the story came from.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"> Reading Challenge Goals Met</span>: A book that made me cry, A book published this year, A book set in a different country, A book from an author I love but haven't read yet<br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000;"><b>21. A Matter of Trust by Lis Wiehl</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: June 27, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Mia Quinn's husband passed away 3 months before in a car accident and she has been forced to go back to work as a King County prosecutor to provide for her teenage son and preschool daughter. Already trying to juggle everything on her plate that being a new single parent requires, she is totally unprepared for what is coming her way and struggles to find a balance. While on the phone discussing a case with an office colleague and friend, she hears a gunshot on the other end of the phone and her friend goes silent. In the stress and panic of the moment Mia makes a parenting decision that she will regret as it really effects her son. As a result of the murder of her friend, her boss asks her to take on the case which will require top priority and more hours in the day than Mia has but she feels she must put her friend's killer behind bars. Unfortunately, Charlie Carlson is the detective assigned to the case and Mia has not had a good experience working with him. Add to that, her teenage son is giving her attitude and her young daughter is having screaming episodes at night and Mia's world seems to be one big complication.<br />
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This is the first book in the Mia Quinn Mystery series. I must confess I have already read #2 and #3, reviewed here and here. I received those for review and really liked them so when I saw number 1 on clearance at the book store I nabbed it and picked up the beginning of Mia's story. It was a fast paced murder mystery that kept me guessing as it delved into bullying, accepting others for who they are, and appearances not always being what they seem. Having been a stay at home parent, Mia was struggling with her husband's unexpected death just a few months before and was forced back to work quickly because of unknown to her debts that her husband had accumulated. And then one thing after another just continues to pile onto her plate. I really was pulled into her story, sympathizing with her and the family issues she was having to deal with. Single parenthood, debt, and all that comes with returning to work unexpectedly while her and her family were still trying to deal with their grief, the struggle of a young teen pulling away and not knowing how to help him. The character of the teenage son was also well written and I really felt for him in his grief and trying to fit in at school and all of a sudden having to grow up so fast and help around the house so much. His struggles as he deals with death and school were tough. There were two mysteries woven into the story and I thought they played out well and the author was able to interweave them into the story without confusion. A good mystery earning 9/10 from me.<br />
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<i><span style="color: magenta;"> Reading Challenge Goals Met:</span></i> A trilogy (bit of a cheat because I'd already read the other 2 but at least I completed a trilogy), book by a female author, A mystery or thriller, A book from an author you love but haven't read yet<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>22. Still Alice by Lisa Genova</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: July 1, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
Alice Howland is a brilliant professor of cognitive psychology at Harvard and is world renowned for her research into linguistics. Being a sought after lecturer she has a very busy schedule teaching her classes, lecturing at conferences all over the world and conducting research. It is a life she loves. Her husband is also a busy Harvard professor of science conducting cancer research. Study and learning is very important to them and they have tried to pass that on to their adult children. Their oldest has become a lawyer, the middle child a doctor but it is their youngest whom Alice locks horns with constantly as she has no interest in academia and has chosen instead to pursue a career in acting. While her husband is supportive of this she just cannot help constantly questioning her daughter's decisions. As Alice prepares for a new semester at work, small incidences of forgetfulness and disorientation start to show up in her days. When she becomes lost in a part of town that she knows like the back of her hand it truly frightens her and she makes an appointment at her doctor's thinking she is experiencing a bad case of menopause. It is then that she is handed the diagnosis of early onset Alzheimers at the age of 49.<br />
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This book was very moving and chilling in it's story. It is taken from the viewpoint of Alice which is an approach that I've never read before. I've read other stories that deal with this horrendous disease but always from the spouse, caretaker's or family members points of view. I cried through out the book as Alice's frustration and fear of what was happening was tangible through the words. Her having to slowly let go of life as she knows it and loves it as the disease quickly progresses is truly heart breaking. It is so well written in it's attempt to show the reader what a person going through this disease might go through and feel. It describes the disease, it's consequences and progression so well yet never gets bogged down in super scientific terminology so even someone like myself easy was able to understand what Alice was experiencing. The author herself has a Ph.D in neuroscience from Harvard and is an online columnist for the National Alzheimer's Association so the story rang very true in it's descriptions. She also mentions several areas of drug testing within the scope of the story that was interesting.<br />
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I don't think I'm giving anything away when I say I especially liked the progression of Alice and Lydia's (the actress daughter) relationship in the story. It was moving to have privy to the change even though they are fictional characters. The story ended in a way I was not expecting at all. <br />
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I saw this book mentioned on<a href="http://goldintheclouds-faith.blogspot.ca/2015/05/2015-book-review-14-still-alice.html" target="_blank"> Faith's </a>website, she highly recommended it, and was also interested when I saw that Julianne Moore had won the academy award for her portrayal of Alice in the film. I determined to read the book first so that I could get the author's original intents and story rather than Hollywood's version and I'm so glad I did. It was heart breaking, beautifully written, sensitive, intelligent, compassionate and informative. I, also, highly recommend this book to everyone. It will change how you view and relate to someone going through Alzheimers and/or Dementia. <br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><i>Reading Challenge Goals Met: </i></span>A book a friend recommended, A book that scares me, A book that made me cry, A book by an author I've never read before, A book that became a movie<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>23. Refining Fire by Tracie Peterson</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: July 8, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 6.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Abrianna Cunningham and Militine Scott both attend the Madison Bridal School in Seattle. Having met there they have become best friends. Abrianna was adopted by the 3 single sisters who own the school when her parents died and Militine basically attends the school so that she can hide from her past. The school is a training ground for young women to prepare them for marriage but Militine has no intention of ever marrying. Abrianna is very strong in her Christian faith and very purposefully pushes onto what she feels is her calling and will do anything to accomplish that purpose, There is nothing that will stand in her way of helping the poor including a new pastor whom she doesn't trust. Militine is very hesitant about God because of her past. She can't reconcile what has happened to her with a loving God. <br />
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Thane Patton also has trouble believing because of his own past but he is drawn to Militine. Though she attends a bridal school she has no intention of ever marrying. In spite of her resolve she agrees to court Thane being totally honest with where she stands on the issue. Thane's heart however is also being drawn by God and his best friend, Wade, is a strong Christian who shares his faith in a real and authentic way with him.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>From the publisher's description on the back, this story was about Militine and Thane. While Militine and Thane's story did play out in the book I wish there would have been more focus on how they worked through their painful pasts while coming together as a couple and confronting their beliefs. I, as a reader was really rooting for them. I found that the character of Abrianna who was not even mentioned on the back of the book, totally usurped the lead role in the story. She was a very strong personality in the story and I found all others took a back seat to her. The story, for me, was very conversation driven, again mostly because of Abrianna, and I found I kept wondering when anything was really going to happen. That being said it was an interesting setting being Seattle 1889 and a time period when strong women were not really tolerated. The attitudes of the times were written into the story well and I really got a sense of what it might have been like. Abrianna's total commitment to doing the Lord's work was to be admired and desired though some of her decisions to accomplish the work were not wise at best and again, tended to take override Militine and Thane's story. There is a bit of a twist concerning Abrianna that played in nicely to the story that I didn't see coming at all. The Great Seattle Fire was included and that was really interesting and provided the tension the story needed. <br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>24. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: July 13, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 7/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Rachel commutes on the same train every day at the same time. The train always makes the same stop at a particular signal close to a a row of houses that back onto the the tracks. In one of these houses lives her ex husband and his new family. In another of the houses lives a couple Rachel doesn't know personally but she feels like she totally does know them. Each day Rachel sees them interact on their back deck and from her perspective on the train, it looks like they have the perfect relationship and the perfect life, certainly very different from her own. She looks forward to seeing them each day and has even given them her own made up names, Jess and Jason. She's imagined lives for them which she believes suits them. Their love is everything she doesn't have. But in reality all is not perfect in this couple's world and on one of those stops, Rachel witnesses something that she, in her made up world for the couple, sees as not right. And when news headlines reveal that "her" Jess is missing, Rachel knows she must go tell the police what she saw. But the trouble is Rachel hasn't been quite honest about things and that, coupled with her drinking has not only the police but her very own self wondering how reliable her memory is. As the investigation deepens Rachel finds herself obsessively drawn to the situation but her compulsive actions while drunk or not, only seem to make things worse yet she can't seem to help herself.<br />
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This psychological thriller has a lot of hype surrounding it right now. It is told in the first person narrative of three different women, Rachel, Megan and Anna. Three perspectives and back stories. Yet none of the narratives is reliable as each woman is hiding something. The premise of the story seemed so interesting to me, I do love a good thriller with twists and turns but I have to admit I was wondering if I would be setting this book aside. It started off a bit slow and it is a very dark and depressive kind of story. Each of the women's stories are sad and there is nothing giving or loving it seems about any of the characters within the story. They all seem selfish and wrapped up in themselves. The only bright light amongst the characters, I thought, seems to be the woman that Rachel rents a room from. The story started with an f-bomb or sexual reference dropped here or there but by the end there was quite a bit of language. I would normally have set aside a book that does that but this one did it so infrequently in the beginning that I ignored it and kept going as the story started to entangle the perspectives of the three women and started to hook me. From a Christian world view, I would have to say that it was a bit like a "train wreck" so speak in that you know it's going be bad and you totally won't like what you'll see but you just can't help yourself from keeping on looking. It deals with alcoholism, self-esteem, lies and deception, divorce, depression, adultery, and murder. Not a whole lot of anything light or good or hopeful. I was hoping that at some point there would be some kind of redemption for any of the characters so I kept on reading. From a psychological thriller perspective I would say it did it's job well. Suspenseful with lots of twists and turns and just enough info given at any point to keep the reader hooked because you just have to know how it all ends up. It was hard to put down, I totally admit. So when it was all over and I did set it down, I had totally mixed feelings about it. Totally addictive to read but on the other side of the coin I said to my daughter and fellow reader that I really felt like I needed a light, sweet and totally cheesy story with a generous dose of hopeful after this one and was sorry I had bought it instead of just getting it from the library. <br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span>Book by a female author, A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit, A book by an author I've never read before, a mystery or thriller, a book set in a different country,<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>25. The Sweet By and By by Sarah Evans with Rachel Hauck</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: July 20, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span> I figured I would like to know the beginning of Jade's story. Jade is marrying into a well to do family. The furthest thing from her background. With a father who abandoned her when she was 8, and then having a hippie mom who constantly remarried and followed whatever fancy took her at the time, the only stable thing in Jade's life was her Christian grandmother. So when after college, Jade moved to a new town and became the owner of a antique and retro type store, she left the past in the past. But now with the fancy wedding her future mother in law is forcing upon her, she is confronted with having to invite her mother to the wedding. Which is the last thing Jade wants. Too much hurt and water has passed under that bridge and she will have too much explaining to do to her new family as she has hidden it all from them including her husband to be, granted them both agreeing to keep the past in the past. But when her mother shows up three weeks early with her own news, Jade has to come face to face with her past and hope when it all shakes out and settles she still has a marriage to look forward to.<br />
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I liked this series and it was finally good to read the beginnings of Jade's story. The story is raw and honest in it's feelings. Jade faces many issues from her past that are now resurfacing after she tried so hard to bury them. As each one rears it's ugly head she is forced to resolve them. But her grandmother's Christian roots which she placed in her as a young girl, also come back to the surface and in doing so Jade must also face the hardest questions of why God would let all those things happen to her. Some of the reactions Jade had seemed a little immature for her age but then when one faced as much hurt as she did and then tried to bury it so deep I guess the emotions would also be immature as they were never dealt with. But it was a good story of pain, and redemption.<br />
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<i style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </i>a trilogy (does finally finishing a trilogy count?), a book by a female author (bonus points for me: it had 2 female authors!), a book out of the bottom of my TBR list<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>26. Her Brother's Keeper by Beth Wiseman</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: July 23, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating 9.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Charlotte Dolinsky has come to the Amish community where her brother died looking for answers and someone to blame. And she will do what it takes to find them including lying and pretending to be one of them. And the first people she will try to gain the confidence of is her brother's fiance's. They have never met her so she feels she can pull the wool over their eyes and get the in close with them. But as Charlotte digs deeper into the mystery of her brother's death, she must stack lie upon lie and she is confronted with what it really means to have a family.<br />
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I really enjoyed this story by Beth Wiseman. I love her contemporary stories and this was the first Amish based story I've read by her though she has written quite a few. The story was so much more than the description implies. The whole premise of a worldly "Englisher" trying to pose as an Amish person was interesting. As Charlotte lies her way into the Amish community that her brother chose to adopt and then died in, her determination to find what really happened to him to make him take his own life supercedes sometimes even her common sense. She operates from a standpoint of deep hurt and is looking for someone to blame. Her brother was her only family and now he is gone and she is alone. In her sights first is her brother's fiance. But as Charlotte gets to know her and her family whom she's staying with she sees there is more to the story and as her lies compound she realizes that she has put herself into a precarious position. The love and acceptance the family has given her, though they innocently believe she is someone else, has shown her what real family is about. As her and her brother have never really had a family life, this starts to play on her guilt. And the more she finds out about what happened the more people she realizes are going to be hurt with the truth. Her dilemma becomes not why her brother had to die but when and if she should even really tell the truth. And will they just cast her away like her mother did when she was little.<br />
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There was a bit of mystery to the story but it really was a book about family and faith and what love really is and what forgiveness looks like. I felt for all the characters, which is something I love in a book. The author also tackles the subject of suicide and if the person goes to heaven, which I thought she did with grace. There was moments that made me laugh as Charlotte tries to fit in with the community but her language and lack of domesticity raises eyebrows and questions. This was a perfect summer read for me.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-style: italic;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span>A book published this year, A book by a female author, a mystery, a book from an author I love,<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>27. The Beautiful Daughters by Nicole Baart</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: July 31, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span> Is what we remember and believe to be the truth in a tragic occurrence really truth or how we perceived it and want to believe? <br />
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This is a story of 5 college friends, Adri who is a conservative young woman and her brother, Will, who were raised by their Christian father, Harper who is the wild child of the group, David who is son of very well to do parents who live in a castle-like mansion in town and for whom there is lots of expectations, and Jackson who is rarely mentioned. Adri has become a nurse and has moved to Africa to work with a charity but is called home after the death of the mansion's matriarch has made her an heir. We soon find out that Adri had been engaged to David and had actually fled to Africa following the death of her fiance and the story then starts to backtrack through Adri and Harper's viewpoints to the time of their college days where they met until the present where they both come back to the place they both swore they would never return to. Adri has not seen or talked to Harper since David's death even though they had been the best of friends in college so there is an air of mystery about that and what had actually happened to David. As the story unfolds there are sad and shocking revelations that play on the reader's emotions as and build up to why Adri and Harper no longer have contact. As they are forced to face their past they are also forced to face their guilt in the tragedy that caused them to go their separate ways.<br />
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I usually love Nicole Baart's stories. Her writing is really good but I have to say this is definitely not my favourite of her books. I found I was just making myself finish the book because I usually do like this author's writing and I wanted to see what she would do with the characters not because I was loving the story or the characters involved. There were moments my attention was totally grabbed and then it would back off and I'd chug along until the next moment that it grabbed me. I didn't really engage or connect with either of the main characters unfortunately and I can't really state why. I found the ending did not reward me like I thought it would which is what I was hoping for in my determination not to put the book down. All that said, just because this particular story was not my cup of tea, I would still read the next book by this author.<br />
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<i style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </i>A book set somewhere I've always wanted to visit (Georgia), A book published this year, a book by an author I love but haven't read yet, a book by a female author<br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">28. A House Divided by Robert Whitlow </span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"> Completed: August 11, 2014 </span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 8/10 </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review:</span> For the most part I really enjoyed this legal story that also delves into the issue of alcoholism and it's devastating effects on family. Corbin is a crusty old lawyer who's law practice is barely treading water. His relationship with his grown children is tenuous at best and pretty much non-existant at worst. His son is a little more open to him than his daughter, who really resents his un-involvement in their growing up years due the alcohol and has written him out of her life. Living in Atlanta she is pursuing partnership in a huge international high stakes litigation firm. His son, who is also a lawyer, allows Corbin into his life due to the special relationship that Corbin has with his own son, but when Corbin cannot control his drinking even around his grandson, he might lose even that. As Corbin's decisions start to spin out of control, and once again start to devastate all whom he cares about, he is forced to take a hard look at where his love of alcohol has taken him. In the midst of all this he has taken on one of the toughest cases of his career and he needs the help of those he is alienating.<br />
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I found both the legal case and the personal story very interesting in the book. This family must face real problems in their lives brought on by the alcoholism of their father and I thought their reactions and behavior rang quite true. Corbin's journey to facing what his life and decisions had wrought upon his family drew me right in. The influence of the mother, who was a Christian, on the family was also written well into the story. Even though her death was a catalyst in the beginning of the story to set Corbin on his journey, her legacy of faith was woven into the lives of her family beautifully. The only thing I didn't like about this story was the very beginning where there seemed to be quite a bit of lawyer "language". Not being exposed to much legal jargon I found it a bit tedious wading through that, but that slowed down as the story went on and then the book really picked up for me and drew me right in.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met:</span> A book published this year, A book from an author I loved but haven't yet read,
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>29. Life of Pi by Yann Martel</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: August 26, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Well, I'm certainly late to get on the "must read" bandwagon for this book. In all honesty it's not a book that ever drew my attention when it first came out in spite of seemingly everyone talking about it and it winning a Canadian award. I couldn't imagine reading a story about a boy in a lifeboat with a tiger that had a time span of 227 days. But when the movie came out I went with hubby because he loves the 3D and went for that reason alone. And while the movie was a visual spectacle, I left scratching my head, totally confused with the story. So jump ahead to today and here I am reading the book for basically 2 reasons...the first being one of the challenges on my Reading List Challenge 2015 is "A book with non-human characters". This category is not my norm for choosing a book so it definitely challenged me to find one that I would actually be interested in reading, but my 2nd reason was to maybe have it make sense of the movie for me.<br />
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So "Life of Pi" it was. Now most everyone has by now heard the gist of the storyline. A 16 yr. old boy from Pondicherry, India finds himself the only survivor of a shipwreck somewhere out of Manilla in the Pacific ocean along with a tiger, a zebra, an orangutan, and a hyena. He survives 227 days out at sea trying to survive on a lifeboat while watching as 3 of the animals die "survival of the fittest" deaths until it is only him and the Bengal tiger left. He must learn how to survive not only the elements and the tiger but discouragement and lonliness and lack of hope as time goes on.
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The first third of the book tells the background story of Pi (the nickname he adopted because of being relentlessly teased for his full name of Piscine) growing up with his family in India. His father who owned and ran the Pondicherry zoo was an atheist and raised his children to fear and understand the wild nature of the animals in spite of interacting with them on a daily basis. Richard Parker, the bengal tiger, came to the zoo as a young cub so Pi grew up along with the tiger. In spite of his father's beliefs, or non-belief as it were, Pi goes on to openly embrace 3 religions to which he is exposed. In fact, the story opens with a journalist who is being directed to go find Pi because of his incredible story, a story that will make him believe in God. There is much time spent in discussing the overall view of the 3 major religions in this third of the book and how Pi rationalizes the acceptance of all three in his young boyhood. I found myself skimming a lot of this as it just didn't hold my interest and didn't make sense to me. (There was also lots of endlessly run on sentences in this part of the book.) The three religions are so far apart from each other in their belief systems that I found it far-fetched that a person can live by all three. One of these was Christianity which is clear in the fact that "Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to God but through Him" (John 14:6). So asking me accept the young Pi justifying and rationalizing living by 3 (Hindu and Islam were the other 2) was hard to compute for me even though it was through the viewpoint of a young boy. I could understand his interest in all three, as I had an interest in religions as a young kid, but I was also very clear that in their differences one can really only choose one to take to heart and live by. Accepting all three even from a kid's viewpoint just was not realistic to me, then or now.
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The second part of the book deals with Pi's actual survival on the lifeboat. This is where the story really picked up for me and was hard to put down. The writing seemed to get much more focused and better. Gone were the endless sentences. There are some gruesome detail about the animals and their lack of survival that was hard for me to read, but for the most part the descriptions of Pi's feelings during this part of the story were gripping and real. His beliefs and zoo background come into play to help him and the choices he has to make to survive did make me think. His having to face surviving on a daily basis after hope for rescue dwindled was heartbreaking and his ingenuity had me amazed at times and crying at times as he had to face doing what he had to do in order to survive. I couldn't put this part of the story down.
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That is until he comes to the odd floating algae island. Then this took a hard to make sense of it turn in the story for me. I'm not good with allegory, I'm more of a face value story kind of person, so trying to figure out what it all meant was exhausting for me and I slugged along through this part.
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Though I think most everyone has heard of the story and knows what happens if you haven't then this last part of the review is cautioned with a SPOILER ALERT and you may want to skip the next paragraph.<br />
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The last half of the book deals with Pi finally, after 227 days at sea with a tiger, reaching land. It's heartbreaking as Pi deals with the loss of the only living, breathing thing that has kept him sane and with some company for seven months. Then he has to deal with two officials from the Japanese shipping offices who come to ask what he knows of the ship's sinking. As he tells them the story they are very disbelieving that all this could happen and since there is no Richard Parker around to confirm it they have a hard time. So he gives them another story, one much more "realistic" though gruesome. They are then asked, as is the reader, which is the better story. We are left to ponder which lens and perspective we view the world through This third of the book found me skimming a lot too, because of the way it is written. It is written as an actual transcript of the discussion between Pi and the officials so to me it came off a bit dry.
So this book really had it's highs and it's blah portions for me. I'm glad I read it, the story is always so much better than the movie for the most part for me. The time at sea surely was the best portion, but trying to figure out all the allegory was not my cup of tea nor was trying to figure out Pi's closing statement about God after the officials chose which story they thought to be better. It is definitely a work of story telling. And it leaves one thinking long after the cover is closed on the book. It is more than a fantastical story of survival, it is a story that asks to examine one's faith and the lense through which we view things and whether we are able to believe the amazing things that take faith or whether you look at the world through the absolutes and practicals of what makes sense to your mind. I think this book would make excellent discussions as a reading group choice.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge 2015 goals me</span>t: A book with non-human characters, A book that made me cry, A book that became a movie, A book by an author I've never read before, A book set in a different country<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>30. Invisible Ellen by Shari Shattuck</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: September 5, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>
Ellen has spent her whole life trying to be invisible. Scarred both emotionally and physically since childhood she is now a very overweight, insecure and awkward adult living a very self-secluded life. Though she tries to keep herself from being noticed she is a great observer of people and records what she observes in those around her in journals. Having buried her emotions long ago, her writings involve no feelings, emotion or judgement but are simply a recording of what she has observed. But one day as Ellen catches her usual bus to her night shift job cleaning Costco, Ellen comes across a blind girl named Temerity and her whole life changes. Temerity boards Ellen's bus and due to her exuberant personality, Ellen feels compelled to get off at her stop and follow her. But then she finds herself observing Temerity being mugged and before she realizes what she is doing Ellen steps in to help her, which is totally out of character for Ellen. Temerity and her brother immediately and unconditionally befriend Ellen and step by step Ellen finds herself being swept along in Temerity's whirlwind way of helping others out. Ellen soon discovers herself not quite so invisible anymore and actually having someone she can call her friend for the first time in her life. And through that acceptance Ellen starts to see that she does have some things to offer if she would dare to step out of her invisibility.<br />
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This story turned out to be an enjoyable surprise! One of the components on my Reading Challenge 2015 was to read a book written by an author with the same initials as me. Well, I couldn't think of any off the top of my head and after some extensive searching I found this site that listed a bazillion authors alphabetically. And after scrolling through and clicking on what seemed like a million books written by authors with the initials SS, I found this one that seemed like something I might possibly get into.<br />
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The story grabbed me right away. The concept of a friendship between a person who was emotionally handicapped and trying to hide and a person who was physically handicapped with a exuberant personality and how they connected was fun. I was invested in the main characters and cared what happened to Ellen. My heart broke for her as her story was revealed and cheered her on as she started to break out of the walls and shells she had placed around heart in order to protect herself. I cried and I laughed throughout the book. The way that Temerity seemed to push Ellen out of her comfort zones, always without knowing that that is what she was doing, led to some pretty humorous reactions and situations. There is a natural humor in the story that I really enjoyed. While the situations were a little crazy they lent a craziness and silliness that was refreshing in the midst of the issues that the book was reflecting on. There was a few mentions of marijuana used for recreational purposes as a positive thing but they were for the most part just mentions and not really dwelt upon.<br />
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A couple quotes that really stood out to me:<br />
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"She'd spent her whole life living day to day, hoping for nothing more than to get through each one unnoticed and unscathed.
...It was so much easier to expect nothing and be all right than to expect something and be disappointed." pg 232<br />
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That one really got me thinking how many people I come across who are feeling this way and we tend to just walk right by them not even noticing them or thinking they are unfriendly or unapproachable or we judge them.<br />
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And also:<br />
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"Besides, I always find that focusing on helping other people makes my problems much more insignificant, don't you?" pg. 245<br />
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Sorta sums up the book in a lovely way as Temerity shows Ellen just that.
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge 2015 Goals Met</span>: A book by an author with your same initials, A book by a female author, a funny book, a book by an author I've never read before, a book that made me cry
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>31. Finding Me by Kathryn Cushman</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: September 9, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Kelli Huddleston grew up an only child with her father and stepmother. She was very close to her father and so when he and her stepmother died in a car accident she felt the loss deeply. All her growing up years, Kelli's father would never allow her into his home office, it was out of bounds and Kelli knew it. But now that he is gone she has no choice but to go in there and clear it out and wrap up his business files. But what she finds cause her to question who she is and everything she knew about herself but she'll also find she never really knew her beloved father at all. Needing to find the truth about herself and what her dad did and with only a few pictures to go by, she heads back to Tennessee where she'd always been told her mother and 2 siblings had died in a house fire that took everything. What she finds there will further complicate her once seemingly peaceful life and she must make a decision that will affect not only her but the lives of others.<br />
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Well, this was a story that was hard to put down. I, as the reader, got very caught up in what was happening to Kelli. In the midst of opening up a new restaurant with her best friends, her father and stepmother die tragically. While dealing with the grief of that and realizing she is alone in the world, she is trying to wrap up his business and files and discovers that she is not who she thought she was and her whole life has been a lie. In shock and drawn by the deep desire to discover who the persons in the hidden photographs are and ultimately who she is and against the advice of her best friend, she goes in search of the unknown persons. But once she finds them, it is hard not to be drawn into their lives and now she is faced with continuing the lie or telling the truth and devastating more lives.<br />
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This story was so believable and I really felt Kelli's pain and confusion. It was easy to understand her choices and reasoning for her decisions. Her character was very well written. I had a hard time putting the book down because I just had to find out what was going to happen. I felt for her as she struggled not only with the death of her dad but at understanding and forgiving his deception and what he had done. And then her inner struggles as she finds herself being caught up and befriended by those in the photograph and the choice of whether to tell them who she really is. It's an emotional story, for sure, and engaged me right through out. I must admit, the character of Beth drove me nuts. She was soooo pushy and just wouldn't take no for an answer. It was at times hard not to really dislike her even though her intentions were written as good. I also really like the exploration into the topic of turning from biblical truth and believing lies because that is what you want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:3-5). A really engrossing read.<br />
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<i style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </i>A book I own but haven't read yet, A book published this year, A book by a female author, a book from author I love<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>32. The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: September 17, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>It's 1962 and Kitty Miller is settled and happy in her life as a small book shop owner with her best friend, Frieda. Though at 38 she is still single she has for the most part come to terms with that and enjoys the control and freedom she has to do what she wants when she wants. Her and Frieda are close as business partners and best friends and she has a strong relationship with her parents. Life is good. But when she starts dreaming of another life, one where she is Katharyn with a perfect husband and adorable children in a lovely home in suburbia she chalks it up to her old life's desires which she thought she let go of . It is the perfect life she once held out hopes for. The dreams are so real and she enjoys them at first but when they start to happen consistently and start to reveal layers of imperfections and challenges the lines begin to blur for Kitty and she has to figure out what is reality and what is dream.<br />
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This book had a lot of draws for me. I totally picked it up for it's cover and title and then the 1960's setting drew me in as did the alternate life story of what might have been. I really enjoyed it but am having a hard time writing a coherent and articulate review as there is so much to the story and I don't want to give anything away.
Both of Kitty's worlds were interesting and I couldn't help but be fascinated with her confusion each time as she entered into the dream world. She had to figure things out on the fly which would be totally disconcerting for her and of course her reactions would be confusing for the dream family. I really liked how the writing never left me confused as to what reality Kitty/Katharyn was in and that allowed me to really get into the story of the lives of the character(s). As Katharyn's story developed there were some aspects to it that involved one of the kids that for me was of great interest because of my education background. That was a development I didn't know was in there and I enjoyed reading that part of the story as it 's history is something I 've always been interested in. (I can't say more without giving things away so I'll just have to leave it at that.)<br />
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The 60's aspect was well written. The descriptions of everything from lifestyle, to the decor, the clothing, the political climate to the attitudes and thoughts towards different things such as women's roles in life was all historically correct. It reminded of why I chose the field I did. The one thing I didn't like about the story was the one explicit scene in it. I groaned inwardly when it came up wondering if the novel would be over run with them and if I would end up laying it aside. To me the explicitness was totally unnecessary and the scene could have been told to give me the idea of the character's feelings at the time without describing the whole act to me. Thankfully that was the one and only occurrence and it ended up being an interesting and unique story,<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span>A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit (Denver, Colorado), a book with bad reviews (this one had some mixed reviews), a book by an author I've never read, a book published this year, a book by a female author, a book chosen entirely for it's cover<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>33. Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: September 25, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Joe O'Brien is a career Boston PD Police Officer hailing from the Irish side of town. He loves his wife Rosie and his four grown children and his identity is totally wrapped around being a good police officer and a proud husband and father. In his 40's Joe is working towards his 25th year on the force and eventually the full retirement package in his 50's where he and Rosie can enjoy retirement together. But when he starts to experience bouts of raging temper, dropping items, some involuntary movements and has difficulty writing out his reports at work Rosie talks the doctor avoiding Joe into getting checked by a doctor. He finds himself seeing a neurologist and then being handed the horrible diagnosis of Huntington's disease. As his family grapples with the hereditary significance of the disease Joe also has to face that his mother did not indeed die a drunk in a nursing home as he was told but that she had this horrible disease. And now all those things that scared him about her he will be going through. He also must face losing everything that defines, in his eyes, who he is.<br />
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After reading Still Alice (reviewed here) and learning so much about Alzheimer's disease, I was eager to read another of this author's novels. I basically knew nothing about Huntington's disease before reading this book and I knew, again, that I would learn from it because of author's first hand knowledge of neuroscience (she has a degree from Harvard). Huntington's Disease is a horrible hereditary neurological monster. It is passed on through families and if a parent has the disease, the children have a 50/50 chance of getting it. Symptoms usually start in the 30's or 40's and progress over the next 10 -20 years until death. It affects voluntary movements, walking, speech, temper and people not in the know assume the person is drunk. It eventually makes it so that the victim is bedridden, unable to care for themselves and will affect swallowing and eating. In the 90's a blood test was developed that reveals whether you have the gene pattern that will have Huntingtons in your future. If you are tested positive, you will have the disease 100%. There is no treatment and no cure.<br />
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This story really spelled out what the person and family that has Huntington's running in their family line deals with. It is devastating. My heart was torn for the O'Brien family as they each come to grips with it and each sibling must decide whether to have the test and know for sure before they start to develop symptoms. As Joe is stripped of everything that is him...his health, his strength, his badge, his pride and even what him and Rosie have to face to provide for Rosie after his death is shocking and sad. And then he has to deal with the guilt. Guilt that he passed this onto his kids unknowingly, guilt of how treated his own mother even though he was mislead in what he was told was wrong with her. As he fought within himself on how he wanted to deal with the disease and whether he had the courage to live it out before his family, the story really broke my heart. As each adult child wrestled with whether to take the test and know for sure whether they had the disease, I felt myself asking what I would do. Would I be able to dig deep and find the courage to essentially live a life of hope in the midst of an essentially hopeless diagnosis. The author really drew me into each and every character within the story as she described what they were battling inwardly.<br />
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This author is extremely adept in bringing to light what it is like to be diagnosed and to live with these devastating diseases from both the victim's standpoint and also the family's and to give the reader knowledge and compassion. Both of the books I have read by her have really done that in my heart. I recommend her novels for that very reason. Because they are fiction they teach without the dryness of textbooks and draw out your compassion for what the people with these diseases face in their everyday. They really knock out a lot of my assumptions. That being said I must say that this particular story just about didn't get finished by myself. The proliferation of f-bombs right from the first pages of the book had me wanting to put it aside from about page 5. They are over the top plentiful as are other swears. I usually don't bother with a novel that relies on that amount of swearing. But because I knew I would learn from the story I pressed on. But in reality by the end of the book I was so done with it because of the language. It really did make it hard for me to press through.<br />
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I give this a 9/10 for writing of the devastation and feelings of facing this disease and the knowledge and compassion it brings out of the reader but took a point away for the crazy amount of f-bombs that I had to struggle through.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><i> Reading Challenge Goals Met</i></span>: A book set somewhere I've always wanted to visit (Boston); A book that made me cry; A book published this year; A book by a female author; A book a friend recommended; A book that scares me.<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit;"><b>34. 52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol by Bob Welch</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 10/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;">First off, I just want to say, is that not the lovliest artwork on the cover? That alone would have made me pick up this book. I really like that old fashioned type detailed and coloured type of artwork!</span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;">When I saw this come up on BookLook Bloggers for review I could hardly wait to nab it! I have the book 52 Little Lessons from It's a Wonderful Life and I loved it so I knew this was a no-brainer to order. And I wasn't disappointed! Bob Welch again takes values and lessons to be learned from a beloved story and makes a years worth of weekly lessons out of it. Put into easy readable chapters that can be read in one short sitting, it is chock full of obvious and sometimes not so obvious lessons from Dicken's classic tale. The author pulls us out of a surface reading or watching of the various movie versions and takes us into Dicken's intentions of waking us out of our stupors of lives devoted to our own selfish pursuits and causes us to take a look at our hearts and how we treat those less fortunate. Bob Welche's hope by the books end is that "we will know ourselves better" (pg. xvii). He states in the Author's Notes: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"<i>But perspective of ourselves is critical. It's easy for believers to see themselves as Peter during his bold confession of Christ, but not as Peter when he cowardly denies Christ. Likewise, it will be easier to see ourselves as, say, Bob Cratchit or the kind-hearted nephew, Fred, in A Christmas Carol than as Scrooge. We like to think the best of ourselves.</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">But doesn't Scripture suggest we all have a touch of Scrooge in us (Romans 3:23)? And can't we all benefit from reexamining who we've become in our own life stories?"</span></i></div>
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<i style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> pg. xvii Author's Notes</span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> 52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></i><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;">Bob Welch skillfully takes us through the contrasts in the life story of Scrooge and builds on lessons to take into our own lives today and breathes in a fresh perspective showing us that an old classic story can still be relatable to us now. Though Scrooge is not your typical "hero" of a story, he has much to teach us both with his selfish life and with his redeemed life. Chapter titles such as:</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;"> - Context Clarifies a Story,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;"> -Misery Loves Company,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;"> -It's About More Than Christmas,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;"> -You Make The Chains That Shackle You,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;"> -You Can't Wish Away the Uncomfortable,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;"> -Death is A Comma Not a Period,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;"> -Grace Changes Everything,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;"> -Seeking Forgiveness is a Sign of Strength,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;"> -Life is Best Lived When You're Awake</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;">...just to name a few, draw the reader right in. </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> "52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol is tinted with a fair share of how-not-to-live lessons as well as how-to-live lessons. We learn from both. Scripture is filled with both.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dickens understand this, for he wrote a story that reaches us from both perspectives and is leavened with the author's faith."</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;"> </span><i style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;"> pg.xiv Author's Notes</i></span><br />
<i style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> 52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></i><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; line-height: 18.2px;">In short, I loved this easy to read but chock full of good stuff book. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>35. How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Completed: October 5, 2015</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafefb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Rating: 10/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13px;">Review:
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Shoko fell in love during the war in Japan, she couldn't tell a soul, and she couldn't bring herself to leave and marry her love. Japanese culture dictated that the person she loved was not in the right caste and it would bring shame upon her family. So when tragedy strikes, Shoko decides to marry an American GI not for love but for a better life , her father picks her future husband from a pile of pictures of American suitors. Leaving Japan, she was able to keep her parents honor and have their blessing but instead she incurred the scorn of her beloved brother. Her now husband, trying to help her to fit in to American life, gives her a book called "How to be an American Housewife". Written in both English and Japanese, in it are supposed gems of wisdom in helping the Japanese wife to navigate the differences in customs and attitudes and help to transition her into the Western Culture.
Now fifty years, after raising 2 children in America, Shoko desperately wants to return to Japan and see her family. Not hearing from any of them during her life in America she wants to try to heal the rift with her brother and bring a treasured item home with her. But now health problems prevent her from going and so she turns to her daughter to make the trip for her. The things her grown daughter will learn on this trip will become life changing and will cause her to see her mother in a whole new light. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;"> "For the first years of my marriage, it had been my handbook,
my guide to doing everything. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;">Rules for living, American style. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;">Sometimes it was right, and sometimes it was not.
Sometimes I liked it and sometimes I didn't. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #b45f06; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;">But that was just like life.
You don't always get what you want, do you?" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #b45f06; line-height: 18.2px;">How to be an American Housewife
page 139</span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #e69138; line-height: 18.2px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; line-height: 18.2px;"> I loved this beautiful story. There was so much to it. The war, Japanese culture and attitudes, trying to assimilate into America, facing horrible prejudice, never fitting in, hiding secrets, love and loss. The story starts in America with an aging Shoko and her husband Charlie, and then seamslessly moves into an account of Shoko's growing up years in Japan, of her young adult self full of beauty and potential, of the hard realities of war, her life in America and then moves into the trip her daughter and granddaughter make in her stead. It is full of rich historical detail but never seams dry. The author has woven it into the story very well. The story starts in the voice of Shoko and then later also picks up the voice of Sue, her grown daughter. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; line-height: 18.2px;"> In the author's notes it's interesting to find out that parts of the story are really from her own mother's experiences of coming to America and that the "How to be an American Housewife" book actually was inspired by a book found by the author amongst her mother's cookbooks called "The American way of Housekeeping". Her father had given it to her mother thinking it was a book for housewives, but it really was a book for maids. For the writing of the story, the author created her own version "keeping in mind how her own mother might have viewed the world back then, through her cultural lens. (pg. 335 Author's Notes). </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; line-height: 18.2px;"> This ultimately is a lovely mother/daughter story but it is also a story of forgiveness and redemption, of prejudice and survival. It is charming, ultimately uplifting and I loved it. </span></span><br />
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</span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: magenta;"> Reading Challenge Goals Met</span>: A book based entirely on it's cover (I thought the cover was lovely)... A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit (Japan)... A book with a love triangle (kinda)... A book that made me cry... A book by an author I've never read... A book by a female author...A book set in a different country ( half of it</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13px;">) </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafefb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><b>36. The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafefb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafefb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Completed: October 15, 2015</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafefb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Rating: 9.0/10</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafefb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #fafefb; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Review: </span></span>Addie Metsky is 85 years old when her youngest granddaughter interviews her and asks her how she got to be the woman that she is today. And there starts the story of a young Addie Baum who is 15 years old and growing up in the North End of Boston. Living in a one room walk up with her parents and 2 sisters, she was raised by a very strict and superstitious Jewish mother and her hard working Jewish father. The family are immigrants trying to make it in a better world but not quite prepared for the progressive America. Out of the 3 living children, Addie was the only one born in the US. The mom has never moved on from being forced to leave her Polish home and come to America and blames the father for the loss of their other child who died enroute. They were poor but not starving, in Addie's words. With everyone chipping in, they made enough for rent and food. Addie has a natural curiosity and is very smart so against the wishes of her mother, she joins a library group for girls partly so that she can get out of the house and away from her mom who has never shown her any love or acceptance. She recalls her days at Rockport Lodge where the girls went for a vacation and the lifelong friendships she formed there that helped to shape her life. As Addie reminisces, she tells the story of her life and what it was like trying to make her way in the early 20th century as a woman, a Jew and an immigrant and as a young girl chafing against the old ways and trying to embrace the new. She tells of the influences of her first exposure to "love", the influences of her "delicate" sister and her stronger more worldly sister, of her lifelong desire just to have her mother's acceptance.<br />
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For some reason, I always really like a good immigrant story. Maybe it's because my own parents were immigrants and it helps me to relate to everything they might have faced and went through. I like to read of their hopes and dreams in leaving everything they know and making a journey full of unknowns in the hope for a better life. The courage that would take is astounding to me. I enjoyed this story of family, friendships, immigrants, and trying to find one's place in a world of changing times. Addie was a wonderful character with so many facets to her personality and I felt myself really drawn into her story. Each character was really well developed which made it seem like I actually knew them. The heartbreak of the immigrant story of facing total culture shock was very emotional (as my parents were immigrants too) and the contrasts between the mother who refused to change and accept her new country and in turn the child who was born in America and the father and girls of the family trying to find their place in their new world was very well written. The narrative moves along at a nice pace and I really felt like it was an actual person telling their story which was really nice to me as 1st person narrative is not my favourite choice of story telling. The story pulls you through every emotion: pain, sadness, grief, joy, laughter, love and hopefully leaves the reader with hope.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met</span><span style="color: #351c75;">: </span>A book set somewhere I always wanted to visit (Boston), a book by an author I've never read before, a book by a famous author,<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>37. Wicked Women of the Bible by Ann Spangler</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Ann Spangler has taken the stories of 20 women in the bible, both wicked in thought and deed and wickedly good, and given us an easy to read, enjoyable look into their lives and times with the intention of applying the lessons to be gleaned from them to our contemporary lives and pointing us to a God who redeems. I really liked the format of the book. Each story is a chapter and is divided into 4 components: After the title is a scripture that sort of defines the lesson to be learnt, then the story unfolds in a storytelling format. Next comes a section called "The Times" where the author tells the probable years the story took place and then gives the scriptures where the biblical account can be found. She then describes the historical times that each woman lived in so that we have a better understanding of what each faced in their lives. Lastly comes "The Takeaway" where she asks us to answer some very thought provoking questions that serve to take it from just a story and a lesson to a more deeper application to our own lives.<br />
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The author uses her story telling skills in bringing to life these women's stories. She relays through the story how these women might have been feeling, the setting of the times for their lives and what they were facing as women. The author shows how we can learn from even those women who made history in infamy as well as those who in today's vernacular either were or did something "wicked good" which means great or excellent. In their stories we find a God who redeems. As with any type of historical, biblical storytelling it is best to know first hand what the bible itself actually says about each of these stories and the author provides the places in the bible for the reader to be able to go and look it up themselves. There are many footnotes that provide the sources for pieces of information the author might have included in the story or in describing the time. The questions are good both for personal devotionals and reflection and would be great as discussion prompts in a group study. The chapters can be read in one sitting and a great for personal devotional time.<br />
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I was actually blessed to also do an online kind of bible study that had videos with the author so the book really did come alive for me. I loved this study and am going to put it on my list of probable studies for my group next year.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met:</span></span> A book by a female author, A book of short stories (bit of a cheat but each chapter is a different story about a different woman), A non-fiction<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>38. A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: November 9, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>In 1911, Clara Wood watched as the man she was falling in love with jumped to his death as the flames from the Triangle Shirwaist Factory roared around him. Not being able to face returning to Manhattan to a life she was just starting, she finds a semblance of peace in a nursing job on Ellis island. Here she takes care of the hundreds of immigrants who are kept on the island hospital for health reasons. But when an young immigrant comes in wearing a beautiful woman's scarf with marigolds all over it and in grief for the young bride who succumbed to scarlet fever, Clara feels drawn to help the young man and the colors in the scarf. But in the helping Clara is caught up in a dilemma of whether to tell the truth or not and in turn must confront the feelings of guilt that is itself keeping her prisoner on the island.<br />
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Taryn Michaels has built a life for her and her daughter on Manhattan's Upper West Side. She's working a job she loves researching and finding antique fabrics for her customers and has convinced herself she is finally happy. But September 2011 is coming up, the tenth anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Centers, and she is once again facing that day as a national magazine publishes a formerly unknown picture of her watching in terror and clutching a beautiful scarf with marigolds as the tower collapses and the debris falls around her. Now she must answer her daughter's questions about why she has never said that she was there when the towers fell and the guilt that she has tried to bury comes raging full force as she remembers her husband's death in the towers.<br />
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Susan Meissner has an incredible way of taking two individuals stories years apart and connecting them through a physical object, in this case the scarf and it's journey from one to the other. Living decades apart both women witnessed a horrible life altering tragedy (the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire is a true event). Both of these women's stories were paralleled in that they were both prisoners in a sense to the guilt they felt in what had happened to their loved one, and that both were choosing to live life in an "in between place" of grief and guilt, holding back from really living and loving. Their stories of coping and what led to both tragedies really got me in my heart. I couldn't put the book down. It is beautifully written and causes the reader to think on whether they believe that things happen for a reason. It asks us to wonder if a person can actually fall in love with someone they don't really know, asks us to define what love would be. As an observer one would scoff at Clara's declarations of "loving" someone she didn't even really know, but the feelings she felt for Edward were hers and I as the reader could choose to call it unbelievable or I could choose to believe that this young, innocent girl actually did have deep feelings for the Edward she knew, even though the knowing was more of a budding aquaintanceship (is that a word?). The story asks us if we believe in destiny and that God has a plan for each of our lives. It causes us to think of the choices we make and how that forms where our life will take us. Once again I loved the immigrant experience parts of the story and learning about the hospital on Ellis island.<br />
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There was one thing that prevents me from giving this a 10/10, however, but it is minor. For me there was a bit of confusion at the end on to whom the scarf was passed along to (who is Elinor??) and had me scratching my head and trying to turn back to former pages to see what I had missed. I loved this quote from the end of the story and it sort of summarizes the story for me:
"The scarf was given first to a woman named Lily by a mother who loved her. Life sent Lily to a valley of decision, just as it sends all of us there from time to time. She made difficult choices based on despair. If I have learned anything this past year, is that despair is love's fiercest enemy.
Do not chose to abandon love because you are afraid that it will crush you. Love is the only true constant in a fragile world."
Fall of Marigolds pg. 363
Though in the Christian fiction genre, I think it is a story that anyone would enjoy no matter where they are in faith. I gave this lovely story a 9.5 out 10<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span>A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit (New York); A book by a female author; A book by an author you love<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>39. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: November 21, 2012</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><br />
Ove is a 59 year old man whom everyone thinks is the grumpiest person you would ever meet. He likes his order and he lives by principal. He believes strongly in things in a world where right just had to be right, a very black and white world, according to him. He lives by the rules and there is not a smidge of bending them. His beloved father instilled principles in him after all and he has lived his whole life this way, and there is no reason to change now. And part of that order is setting himself up as the "gatekeeper" of his neighborhood association, looking over the neighborhood and making sure it's safe and no one breaks any "rules". But Ove gets a huge shakeup to his orderly world when new neighbors move into his neighborhood. They are chatty, she is foreign and pregnant, he doesn't know how to fix anything and they have noisy kids. Another thing to grump about in his orderly world. But they aren't just next door, they are in his face and trying to invade his world with cheerfulness and friendship and all he wants is to be left alone so he can carry out his plans.<br />
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This book came highly recommended by the lady at Indigo/Chapters when my daughter and I were on a book buying splurge there this spring. It was originally written in Swedish but has now been translated into, I think I read somewhere, 25 languages. It's popularity has basically been word of mouth. Seeing one of the goals on my 2015 reading challenge was to read a book originally written in another language, this fit the bill. I'm so glad I got it. Though when I first started reading it I did wonder. Ove is introduced as such an unlikeable, angry curmudgeon of a character...and I already had people like that in my life...did I really want to read a story of one? But there was something so appealing about this story as layer by layer Ove's history is revealed and his exuberant new neighbor looks beyond the grumpy to find the heart of the man. As Ove tries to bring his plans for his life to fruition something always happens to interrupt him and he faces choices and putting off those plans. <br />
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It turned into a wonderful story of looking beyond first impressions, of reaching out to others, of lending a hand and of life just being better when others are allowed in. I laughed and cried my way through this whole book, sometimes at the same time, which an author has never been able to accomplish with me before. The writing is quirky, different and charming starting with the chapter titles and carries on throughout the story and I don't think anything was lost in the translation at all. Ove's story really made me look at my own life and what areas I am so rigid and closed off in (I tend to be a natural rule follower so this really woke me up to that) and how I need to open up to others more and enjoy those God places in front of me.<br />
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I gave this book a 10/10 for it's heart-warming look at sharing life with others and exploring how we all have something to offer and for the sheer enjoyment of the read.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"> Reading Challenge 2015 goals met:</span> A book originally written in another language, a book a friend recommended (ok the lady at the store is not my friend but it was still a recommendation), a book set in a different country, a book set somewhere I've always wanted to visit (Sweden), a funny book, a book that made me cry, a book by an author I've never read before,
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>40. Becoming Ellen by Shari Shartuck</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: December 11, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><br />
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This is the follow up to Ellen's story that began with this book. I really enjoyed the first book and so when I saw it was on order at my library I put a hold on it right away and was first in line. So glad I did that because this one was just as enjoyable of a read as the first. It continues Ellen's story of slowing coming out of her shell and reaching out. Her deepening friendship with Temerity, who's is perfectly named by the way, and Temerity's brother Justin, continues to be a safe place for her. Their understanding and unconditional love and acceptance help Ellen to try to step beyond the very high walls and the reclusive invisible life she had built for herself. But when she is confronted with the dire straights of two young children Ellen must face her own childhood of abuse and neglect and come out of her "invisibleness in order to help these kids. Of course, watching from the shadows is not Temerity's style and before Ellen knows it she is being once again drawn into Temerity's whirlwind. And things are once again happening at work which cause Ellen to have to make some decisions about being an onlooker or doing the right thing.<br />
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It's hard to review this book without giving away what happened in the first so that's about all I'm going to tell you plot wise. It is imperative to the reader, I think, for these two books to be read in order. The first one laid all the foundations of Ellen's reclusive life and the uphill battle she has to overcome for all the years of working on making herself invisible. I, once again, really felt for all the main characters of this story. The reader sees a vulnerable side to Temerity in this one that wasn't yet revealed in the first book and we are given access to where she and her brother have learned their compassion and acceptance for others. We continue to see how hard it is for Ellen to overcome everything she has been through and move beyond the social awkwardness but cheer her on when she is able to take those small steps to do what to the average person would not think twice about. The book deals with various kinds of child abuse that just makes me ill to think about but the author, I thought, treated it with as much "gentleness" and care as was possible and still be able tell the story. There is nothing gratuitous in the telling. There was one part of the story that deals with Ellen and Temerity and the inured mother of a little girl that just sort of didn't ring quite true with me, the trust factor seemed very rushed to me, but again to say more would reveal the story.<br />
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Though I thought the first book had more humorous touching moments this one was just as good but in a different way. It takes us deeper into the heart of the matter as more of Ellen and her childhood is revealed. It explores an extreme side of the foster care system which I'm sure is not the norm. I was just as emotionally invested in this story as the first.
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge Goals Met: </span>A Book Published this year, A Book by a female Author<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>41. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: December 26, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>I read this story years ago and remember really enjoying it. I also remember reading it quite quickly so missing out on some of the richer details and points. This year I picked it up once again, not because I necessarily wanted to read it again, but because the competitive in me kicked in and it was December and the time for the 2015 Reading Challenge finish was coming up fast. I chose it simply because it literally knocked 3 categories off the list with one book. It took me awhile to get into it because I just kept wishing I was reading some of the Christmas books in my queue instead. But once I got rolling with it I started to really pick up on the details I had missed before. Maybe not the best read for right before Christmas but definitely now that it's done, glad I read it again. I don't think I'll be reading "Go Set a Watchman" because of the reviews I've read on it. Dosen't draw me at all to pursue it.<br />
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<span style="color: magenta;">Reading Challenge 2015 Goals Met: </span>Pulitzer Prize winner, a banned book, a book published the year I was born<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>42. A Quilt for Christmas by Sandra Dallas</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: December 30, 2015</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>I actually finished this book just under the wire for 2015, but with everything happening here with our kitty, the review sort of went by the wayside. Hence the posting of a Christmas themed book in January.<br />
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It is 1864 and the war between the North and the South is raging. So when Will Spooner joins the Kansas Volunteers to fight the Confederates he hates, he leaves his beloved wife, Elizabeth, at home managing the family farm and their two children. To pass time and to show Will she loves him and is thinking of him she makes him what she does best, a special quilt for Christmas. But she never knows if Will receives the quilt or not because not soon after he is killed in battle. Her only hope is that he was buried wrapped in the quilt which signifies her love for him. Left alone, she finds comfort in rereading Will's letters to her (though she cannot bring herself to open the last one) and in her quilting group which breaks the monotony of grief and the hard work of running the farm with only her teenage son to help her. When her friend desperately needs a home after also losing her husband, Elizabeth takes her in and has her join the group much to the misgivings of some of the other members because of the girl's past. When the underground comes knocking on her door asking for help to hide an escaped slave accused of murder, Elizabeth must decide what she and Will really stood for and if she has the courage to see it all through. Then out of the blue the quilt shows up at her door in the hands of a soldier and Elizabeth has yet again been brought to a place of searching her heart.<br />
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This story was rich in historical detail and really gave me a sense of the hardship the war brought to the women and families left behind. It was a touching story of love, forgiveness and courage to do what's right in the hardest of situations. A quick read for my Christmas holiday.<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><br /></b></span>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-89413243118112717902014-01-08T20:27:00.001-07:002015-05-14T08:50:00.642-06:002014 Reads and Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>1</b></span><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>. "A Promise Kept" by Robin Lee Hatcher</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b style="color: #741b47;"> </b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: January 7, 2014</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span><span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Allison has moved to the mountain of Idaho to start life over. After her marriage ended in divorce, she moved into the rustic log cabin that her great Aunt Emma had left her. Bringing huge disappointment and guilt along with her, Allison hopes to start the process of healing. But first she needs to get past the confusion of why God didn't step in and fix her marriage. She thought she'd heard from God and was obedient to what believed God had said. But nothing had turned out the way she thought it would. When she finds an old wedding dress in the cabin she wonders who's it could be. Her aunt had been a single woman. One who was confident and adventurous but definitely single. When she comes across journals her aunt had kept since a teenager, Allison savors reading through them and is surprised to learn that her aunt had secrets that no one in the family knew and that she had more in common with her beloved aunt than she ever thought.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; line-height: 19.5px;">Robin Lee Hatcher is one of my favorite authors in the Christian genre so I was excited to see something new in the contemporary style from her. For this story she draws from her experience of divorce and alcoholism to tell us the story of the main character, Allison. As Allison tries to put her life back together, she questions whether she really heard from God when she was so sure God would save her marriage. Her character is very relatable. The disappointment that things didn't turn out as she thought and hoped, the confusion in whether she had heard from God and the obviously opposite outcome, the insecurity and unsureness of where her life was now headed are all things any of us struggle with in life. I loved the added dimension of the story of her great Aunt Emma's life which, unbeknownst to her, in many ways paralleled her own. Some might say the ending wrapped up too neatly and nicely but I found the struggle to get to where the characters went and the time frame it took them fit very nicely. I found the story anencouragment to seek and totally lay one's life down to the Lord and to trust in His wisdom and ways. The one thing that I didn't like about the book was that Emma's journal entries were put into a font that was quite a bit smaller than the regular type. For my eyes that presented a touch of difficulty while reading. But I did enjoy the story and the realness of the struggle of the characters.</span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; line-height: 19.5px;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="line-height: 19.5px;"><b>2. "Fallen Women" by Sandra Dallas</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="line-height: 19.5px;">Completed: January 18, 2014</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19.5px;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 8/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="line-height: 19.5px;"><b>3. "Butterfly Palace" by Colleen Coble</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19.5px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: January 30, 2014</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19.5px;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 8.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19.5px;"><span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Four years ago, Lily Donaldson lost her father in a questionable barn fire that also took the life of her fiance's father and the grief and guilt of which drove her fiance away. Now still not over those losses, Lily is grieving the death of her mother and moves to the city to take on work as a house maid in a grand house working for a senator hopeful. While it seems like a wonderful job she is creeped out by the the owner's love and collection of butterflies that she must be exposed to on a regular basis. She is quickly promoted to lady's maid to the owner's very spoiled and beautiful niece who has her eyes set on a handsome young man. One whom Lily discovers much to her shock and anger, is none other than her former fiance. But he's changed his name and his past and has begged Lily not to reveal him. Just as she determines to find out what is going on another servant girl from the city is attacked. And Lily is there when it happens. Now she must find out what is this mystery with her ex and figure out how can she trust him ever again even while the terror of the mysterious killer threatens to overwhelm the household.</span><br />
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This was only my second ever Colleen Coble novel and I have to say I did enjoy it. It fit the bill for the type of read I was wanting at the time: easy reading, historical setting, bit of a romance, bit of mystery. While it probably would be labeled historical fiction because of the time period it was in and involved the class distinctions of the rich and the servants it did feel like it had a bit of a contemporary flavor to it. The mystery was the best part for me. The author was able to put together 3 different puzzles and weave them with twists and turns that left me guessing right till the end whether one had anything to do with the other and who or who all was behind it. While there was a violent aspect to part of the mystery I never felt it was gratuitous or overly described or written so as to strike "stay up at night" fear in me. There were lots of characters but it was never confusing and their personalities were definitely distinct. Three of the main characters had definite growth happen by the end and I really like how that played out in the story. In the end, it was a story that kept me turning the pages.<br />
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The one thing that irked me, that I just have to get off my chest, which I have mentioned with other novels before, is the fact that the book cover does not match the description within the story. While absolutely lovely artwork, it is nothing like the house described on page 7 as such: "The automobile stopped in front of a grand stone mansion" and "...dark brick that made it look stern and unwelcoming", and "willed herself to admire the 4 story mansion". It might be a small thing but it is a pet peeve with me and I don't understand why publishers do that. As I read the story my mind's eye pictures the home on the front of the cover and soon forgets the author's actual description and the character's initial feelings when laying eyes on it. But that is my pet peeve and one that didn't actually take away from this particular story.
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>4. "Forever After" by Deborah Raney (Hanover Falls #2)</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: January 7 2014</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 8.0/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span> This is the second in the Hanover Falls series from Deborah Raney. This story picks up the lives of two of the characters that were introduced in the first book. Luke Vermontez not only lost his father, the captain, in the tragic blaze of the homeless shelter from the last book, but he was seriously injured and almost lost his own life. After a year of multiple surgeries and intense and painful rehab, Luke is still holding onto the dream of getting back to his job as a firefighter. But with progress not going as fast as he would hope he has fought frustration and depression over the last year as he feels useless and lost in his life.<br />
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Jenna Morgan's husband was one of the firefighters who died in the blaze a year ago. In the last book she had pulled herself away from her friend Brynne, who's mistake started the fire. But as the year passes Jenna faces mounting debt and a realization that she has been living a lie in more ways than one. All her secrets are making getting her life on track nearly impossible and she finds herself moving in with her very wealthy in-laws. When her and Luke's lives intersect and Luke starts to make clear that he wants more than a friendship Jenna must come to terms with everything she has so carefully tried to keep hidden.<br />
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While not as intense as the first book in the series, this was still a good read. I especially liked the arc of Luke's story. A very dedicated rookie firefighter, his dream was to walk in his dad's footsteps. I was drawn into his emotions and struggles as he not only had to deal with his dad's death, but his own guilty feelings concerning surviving the fire and his painful recovery and loss of purpose. Then as he became closer to Jenna he was also fighting feelings of guilt as Jenna's deceased husband was his best buddy at the firehall. I loved how the author really brought forth all the emotional and psychological mountains that an injured first responder might face. Jenna's story was at times frustrating due to her attitudes and the secrets she was keeping driving a lot of her decisions. I wanted to root for her but also wanted to shake her at times. But her story also was interesting as she did show some growth. I found this story well written and one that engaged my emotions.<br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>5. "Sweet Dreams" by Carla Stewart</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: February 24, 2014</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 8.0/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px;">Dusty Fairchild has grown up in Texas with her self made oil millionaire father and a loving housekeeper. Her mother passed away when she was very little and from her funeral gravesite Dusty pocketed some rocks that she found appealing. Fast forward to her graduation party and Dusty still has a passion for rocks and her dream is to go to college and study geology. But it is 1962 and her father feels she will be better off attending a finishing school. It is the last thing she wants to do but her father insists and in trying to bargain going to college afterwards, she agrees to go to the finishing school. And besides, in trying to sway her in that direction her father paid for her cousin Paisley to attend with her. Paisley is the same age as Dusty but couldn't have lived a life more different than her. While Dusty has been sheltered and brought up quite strict Paisley has traveled all over the U.S. with her hippie mom and already has had a life time of adventures. The cousins are close friends and this is making the year of finishing school tolerable for Dusty. Paisley on the other hand is thrilled to have the chance to attend finishing school and embraces it wholeheartedly. She's had enough of the vagabond lifestyle that her mother so embraces. She wants stability and some roots. But there are secrets swirling around the two of them that threatens to destroy their bond, secrets concerning Paisley's mom and the deep dislike Dusty's dad has towards her. And then there is the little matter of Paisley falling in love with a young man she has met on the first day of finishing school. A young man whom she later finds out is non other than Dusty's boyfriend from back home. But when a life threatening accident happens back on the ranch, it brings out what really matters to each girl's heart.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px;">This was a nice read from Carla Stewart. While it didn't grab me in quite the same way as the others I have read from her did, it still was a wonderful read that drew me into the story and the characters. There is a bit of mystery with family secrets and issues along several fronts and a theme of following one's dreams and talents and of learning to forgive. I love how the author develops her stories and characters, like a slow simmer, and it really keeps the pages turning for me7. Her characters are so relatable and I get really attached to them as the story progresses. I loved the setting for the book, the early '60's and the finishing school. I can't say I have read a whole lot of books with that setting. Class systems, bullying, abuse,trying to fit in and societal expectations are all explored through the story of these two cousins. I have so far not been disappointed in any of this author's novels. She's one I keep on my watch list for new stories coming.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: March 2, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9/10</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span> I've always <strike>been mildly obsessed</strike> been very interested in the missions to land a man on the moon of the 1960's. But all the books I've read have always focused on the astronauts or on a specific mission. Finally a book takes a look into the lives of the astronaut's wives and how their husband's very public, very dangerous jobs affected their family lives.<br />
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From the beginning of their young married lives as wives of test pilots, wondering and worrying daily if their husbands would come home alive each day from their jobs, to being thrown in a very public life once the goal of "a man on the moon before the end of the decade" became the focus of the country, theirs was not necessarily an easy life. They were the ones at home budgeting their meager military income as test pilot families and then handling all of a sudden having all sorts of perks handed to them from companies then just as quickly it seemed having to split those perks with more and more astronaut families. They went from basically quiet, private lives to the sudden popularity and worries of other women now throwing themselves at their husbands. They had to handle and navigate the stresses of watching their husbands be in a very competitive organization and had to learn to be open to the constant demand for interviews and a very public fishbowl existence that was now required of them. They were expected to hold it together at home so that their husbands would be able to concentrate on the task at hand in their work. In the process some handled it better than others. The women formed a tight unit with the original 7 wives and Marge Slayton attempted to continue it on by starting the Astronaut Wives Club to provide support. It was very interesting how they survived the "rock star" status of their husbands, with the constant demands that the public and NASA placed upon their husbands, marriages and families. It is also interesting to note that a very small percentage were able to hold their marriages together through the stress but that they had to put on a good "show" to the public. I thought this was a great read that finally gave some credit to the women who stayed on the home front during a time when the hope of a nation was placed in the history that the space program was writing and the eyes of all were on the heroes that their husbands had become.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>7. "David and Goliath - Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants" by Malcolm Gladwell</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: March 5, 2014</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px;">This book turned out to be something different than what I was thinking it was going to be. For some reason I thought it was going to be a indepth study of the biblical story of David and Goliath but that was my error for not reading the description closely enough. While the author has started off with the story of David and Goliath he uses that as the diving board to explore many other aspects and more current stories of what the world would call underdogs rising above their circumstances and stations in life to accomplish the seemingly impossible.</span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px;">While the description on the cover of the book states it he begins with the "real" story of what happened between the giant and the shepherd boy, David, I found that I could not quite agree that it was the "real" story. I felt it was more supposition on the author's part. He breaks it down into a pretty much intellectual breakdown of what might have happened and what might have accounted for David's victory over the Philistine giant. In my mind, while all that "might" have been true, there is no evidence for it, the story of David and Goliath is so much more than what is seen with the eye. It is a story of great spiritual significance, of a young boy's deep faith in the greatness and faithfulness of God and his audacity to take God at His word. It is a story of God's plan and fulfillment of that plan, of David fulfilling what God had called him to in order to change history. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px;">That being said I did find the exploration of the underdog very interesting. By going into other true to life stories the author takes a look at what we as a society define as handicaps, disabilities and disadvantages and how certain groups and individuals have taken that and turned it around into a victory. Because non-fiction is always more challenging to me it took me a little longer to make it through to the end but I'm glad I was persistent with it. Some of the statistics in the book did bog me down but the book is not over done with them. The questions and arguments the author stated did challenge my thinking and made for some good conversations.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px;">The book being mostly a historical and psycological study, I found it didn't touch on the spiritual at all except to quote a scripture at the beginning of each chapter. It is interesting to note that in writing this book it kicked off a journey for the author into turning back to his family's Christian faith. He also on the </span><a href="http://%E2%80%9Cbelieving%20that%20the%20power%20within%20us%20%E2%80%93%20the%20spirit%20of%20god%20%E2%80%93%20can%20overcome%20the%20powers%20against%20us%20means%20that%20we%20are%20not%20the%20underdog%2C%E2%80%9D%20explains%20gladwell.%20%E2%80%9Cwe%20are%20not%20as%20weak%20as%20we%20think%20we%20are.%20neither%20is%20the%20giant%20as%20strong%20as%20he%20seems.%20this%20is%20an%20important%20lesson%20for%20us%20to%20learn%20in%20our%20battles%20with%20opponents%20of%20all%20kinds.%E2%80%9D/" style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #507d17; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">B& B media blog when discussing this book quoted: </a><br />
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<i>“Believing that the power within us – the Spirit of God – can overcome the powers against us means that we are not the underdog,” explains Gladwell. “We are not as weak as we think we are. Neither is the giant as strong as he seems. This is an important lesson for us to learn in our battles with opponents of all kinds.”</i></div>
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And in essence I think that that is the point that Mr. Gladwell has learned and now speaks about in interviews. I wish a bit more of that point was made more clear within the book itself. After all is said and done, I found the book interesting, very readable to even a non-fiction reader such as myself, and challenging to examine my own way of thinking.<br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>8. "The Book of Matt - Hidden Truths about the Murder of Matthew Shepard" by Stephen Jimenez</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: March 9, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9/10</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>After researching the murder and trial of Matthew Sheppard's killers, Stephen Jimenz, gay himself, has come to the conclusion that there was way more to the story than media's report and the prosecution's case of this being a gay hate crime. Very well researched, research which took him over 10 years, Jimenez has done a lot of work and spoke to a great many who had contact with those involved, to bring to light the truth of this very sad ending to a young man's life.</div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>9. "Sweet Salt Air" by Barbara Delinsky</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: March 17, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 7/10</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Liked the story line though I guessed a lot of of the stuff going on before it was revealed. The plot was good though there was lots of pre-marital sexual encounters and descriptions thereof, which I know the general population thinks nothing about anymore, but it meant lots of skipping parts of the book for me. I especially liked the addition of the food blogger story line. The MS storyline and experimental therapies was very interesting. Ending was a bit predictable. <br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>10. "After All" by Deborah Raney</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: March 20, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Book 3 of the Hanover Falls series, finds Susan Marlowe finally starting to heal after the tragic fire that took the life of her firefighter husband. What made it even worse was that the fire was at the homeless shelter which she started and devoted her life to. Now after a lot of work the shelter is back up and running in a different location but now she has much opposition from certain people in town and they are spreading their opinions so much that giving has been way down. And in the midst of that pressure she makes a startling discovery about a secret her husband tried to hide. The fire investigator from the Grove Street shelter also hides a secret. Her firefighter friend also died in the shelter fire. She had such hopes that the friendship would become more but now that will never be. And she must grieve in private only because because her friend was also a married man. Firechief Peter Brennan is still recovering emotionally from that horrendous fire. He lost so many of his men that night and is still in the process of rebuilding the department. But when the two women enter his life he has a whole new set of problems he must contend with.</div>
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After All is the third and final installment in the series and picks up on the story of the Shelter founder and director Susan Marlowe's life 18 months after the shelter fire. It is a story that deals with betrayal, forgiveness and hope of moving on. There is a bit of mystery woven into the story that really kept the pages turning for me. A bit of love triangle provides tension throughout and my heart went out to Susan's young adult son who was introduced in this book. At 22, he has moved back into Susan's home and is still struggling to come to terms with his father's death and the secret that he knew his father was keeping. A twist in the story surprised me in the end, which is something I like. Once again Deborah Raney has written a story that totally drew me in and made me care about the characters.</div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>11. "Unquenchable - Growing a Wildfire Faith that Will Endure Anything" by Carol Kent</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: March 26, 2014</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 8.5/10</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><span style="color: #333333;"> Sometimes this life is just plain hard and there are times when things turn out very disappointingly different than what we would plan. How do we not just not lose faith in but actually grow our faith in these times? This book endeavours to show us how. There are plenty of stories of women who have gone through hard, hard things. But the main theme of going through your own personal fiery trials and not just scraping by but actually growing a wildfire faith that spreads to others is brought out loud and clear. Life is not always easy peasy for believers and we all will face hardships and disappointments in this life. The author, through the stories of some courageous women who have gone through some extremely difficult and horrendous things and have come out with hope and faith, encourages us and teaches us to find God in the firestorms of life and to grow our faith to wildfire proportions through these difficult times. ( I do have to admit though that one of the stories I just could not wrap my head around.) Each chapter ends with questions you can journal the answers to or if doing as a group you can use them to start discussions. She then gives a practical "Fire Building Challenge" to help you to do something practical and meaningful that relates to that chapter's lesson.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>12. "Girls with Swords" by Lisa Bever (book and workbook)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: April 7, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">Rating: 6.5/10</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>13. " My Life with George" by Judith Summers</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: April 12, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">Rating: 9.5</span><span style="color: #741b47;">/10</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">"What I Learned about Joy from One Neurotic (and Very Expensive) Dog"</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">When Judith Summers lost her beloved husband to cancer, her and her young son were understandably at a loss. In an effort to help with their profound grief, Judith gave in and said yes to a dog. After some research, she decided that a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel would fit the bill. Enter George into their lives. Charming, adorable, loving and fun. George also turned out to be high maintenance, naughty, and accident prone. Things happened to George. A lot. This is Judith's story of how a small bundle of fur can take over one's life in hilarious and moving ways. It's a story full of laughter and tears as George just takes completely over. I loved her tales of his naughtiness, laughing much because as a dog owner I could totally relate to a lot of it. I also cried along with her as her and her son dealt with the loss of husband, father, best friend, provider and the huge hole that was left in their lives. Judith writes in a very engaging way and you are drawn right into their lives and the chaos that is George. Loved this story.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; line-height: 18px;"><b>13. "When Crickets Cry" by Charles Martin</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; line-height: 18px;">Completed: April 26, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>14. "Snapshot" by Lis Wiehl</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: May 22, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9/10</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;">Waldren is a very busy, very successful federal prosecutor and has just finished wrapping up a very important case when she is contacted by her father. A former FBI man he is insistent she take a look at a case of a black man on death row who is there for killing a civil rights leader. A man her father believes is innocent. But Lisa is reluctant to take a look at the case. First because the marches in the South that happened so long ago seem so far removed from her life in Boston now and second, because her relationship with her father is so strained and distant that taking it on is just another stress. But when her father reveals that Lisa was actually at the march where Benjamin Gray was murdered and shows Lisa a picture he took of her and another little African American girl, Lisa's curiosity is peaked. As the search begins to identify the little girl and women in the snapshot, Lisa starts to see why her father may have been so distant as she grew up.</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;">I really enjoyed this murder mystery. The photograph on the cover of the book is an actual photo of the author herself when she was three. That she built the story around that photograph and based it on real events and her father's own G-man career and his involvement in the investigation of Kennedy's murder and her own knowledge and background as a former federal prosecutor made the book seem very appealing when I read and purchased it. She wove in some history from the civil rights movement in the South and built a page turning story that is also thought provoking and touching.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;"> The main story centers around proving the African American man who is on death row , a man who has spent the majority of his life in prison for murder, is actually innocent of the crime. Then the author weaves in father-daughter relational issues, racial prejudice, secrets, forgiveness, and justice into an exciting story. I really enjoyed the mystery within a mystery that the author put in with presidential cabinet that holds a clue. The path that the author took me on from a photograph in the '60's and using modern techniques and available tools such as the internet to find connections was really interesting. There were actually two father daughter story lines, which I thought was really worthy of note in their comparisons. Her exploration of the two father-daughter relationships was a touching and thought provoking aspect to the fast paced mystery part of the story and, I thought, well done. I also liked how the antagonist and his family history was also developed. It really added to the story. I know it seems like there were many story lines within the book but the author wove it together so well and everything fit and didn't seem unnecessary to the story. Just a small note, because it is a murder mystery there are a couple of grisly descriptions, so if you are squeamish about that, those parts can easily be skimmed over. This was a very interesting page turning read. It was my first book by this author and I'm glad I picked it up.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;"><b>15. "Little Girl Blue - The Life of Karen Carpenter" by Randy L. Schmidt</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;">Completed: June 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;">Rating: 8.5/10</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;">Review: </span><span style="line-height: 16.363636016845703px;">The biography of Karen Carpenter's life and death. From the beginning's of her life and growing up years to her passion for drums and her rise to fame as the lead singing half of the duo from the '70's "the Carpenter's". Karen seemed to have it all, yet behind the scenes and in her private times another story unfolded. At a time when very little was understood about anorexia, Karen struggled privately to gain some control over her own life. This book wrote of a domineering mother who's main goal was to promote her brother Richard. Karen was secondary and decisions were always made in the context of how it would benefit Richard's music career. The family was close and yet no one saw what was happening to Karen until she was well into the anorexia. As a team Richard and Karen were very hard workers, always working on their music and even though surrounded by people Karen found herself quite lonely. She dreamed of being married and having children. What started out as a diet to help her slim down soon spiraled out of control with food becoming the one thing in her life she felt she was in control of. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 16.363636016845703px;">It was an interesting read, fascinating and sad. As with all biographies, especially when the subject has passed away and can't speak for themselves, I read with a grain of salt. But if everything in this version is true, there was a sadness to this young woman's life and a lesson to be learned of the sometimes heavy burden of pain that famous people might carry that no one knows about. Karen kept her weight loss very well hidden and though at times some noticed and commented she vehemently would deny it and wouldn't even admit it to herself. When she finally did seek help it was with the thought that she would attend counselling for a very set period of time and then she figured she was fine. Not much was known of the causes and triggers of anorexia at the time, so her story ends with the tragic death of one of music's talented artists at a very early age.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="line-height: 16.363636016845703px;"><b>16. " A Deadly Business" by Lis Wiehl</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.363636016845703px;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: June 22, 2014</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.363636016845703px;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 8/10</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="line-height: 16.363636016845703px;">Review: </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px;"> I like a mystery once in awhile so when this book came up for review I ordered it in spite of the fact that it is actually the 2nd in a series, the first of which I hadn't read. But I thought I'd give it a go because I really enjoyed </span><a href="http://www.susannesspace.blogspot.ca/2014/06/snapshot-by-lis-wiehl-book-review.html" style="color: #507d17; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the last book I read</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px;"> from this author. As described above Mia Quinn is a Seattle prosecutor who is was widowed seven months before and is doing her best trying to raise a teen and a younger child on her own while still dealing with grief. Her work takes a lot of time and on top of just being attacked in court by a defendant she was handed a very tough assignment of deciding whether a couple of teens should be prosecuted as adults or juvenilles in a very polarizing violent crime. So when her friend, a detective, comes to tell her he thinks that the accident that took her husband isn't an accident Mia feels totally overwhelmed. But as they start to look into it, questions start to arise as to what her husband was really up to in the last months of his life. Things become more complex and dangerous the more they dig and Mia is not sure she wants to know the truth.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">The story hit the floor running and didn't stop until the end. Lots of fast paced action made it a page turner. The main characters were very likable and I didn't feel like I was lost from not having read the first book of the series. I felt for Mia in her struggles with juggling a very demanding job, being there for her children and helping them deal with their new normal without their dad while also still dealing with her own grief. But when clues start to point towards the possibility of her husband not being the person she believed before he died, and Mia wrestling with the knowledge that she had suspicions but didn't confront him when he was still alive, the reading got a bit emotionally difficult for me. It was hard getting through that. But when things really started coming to head, it was a book that was hard to put down. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">The secondary story of the teens being charged with a violent crime was at times heart wrenching and I liked how the author explored the consequences and politics of what would happen if these teens were charged either way and what factors might have contributed to the decisions they made. It made an interesting part of the story that made me think on a topic that I don't normally come to face. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">If you're looking for a heavy Christian element from the story, it isn't there but for a murder mystery I found it a good, tense page turner. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px;"><b>17. "Bridge to Haven" by Francine Rivers</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">Completed: July 9, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">Rating: 9/10</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 19.5px;">Review: </span>Lena Scott is a rising star in Hollywood during the 1950's. With an ambitious agent she is on her way up. Everything should be perfect for her. But Lena is weary. Not just physically but in her heart. She's tired of playing a part even in her off screen life. Though her real name is Abra Freeman, no one knows her as such, even her husband/agent refuses to call her anything but Lena and she must play the part of the starlet 24/7. No one knows of her humble background as a young girl raised in a small town with Christian roots. Found under a bridge as an infant by the local pastor and taken home she was nurtured by a loving family. Until tragedy struck and she found herself given to another family who adopted her and tried to love her. But now Abra had deep scars of rejection to deal with and that built over the years to the point where she couldn't see the love that was right in front of her. Bitter and disenchanted, bored with what she perceives is her dull life , she easily falls prey to the attentions of the dashing and older young man who rides into town with a fast car and slick words. Knowing Abra is vulnerable he charms her with promises of a more exciting life. But the life he leads her to causes her to leave everything behind and too late she realizes the price she has had to pay for the attention and love she feels she must have. She's left her past behind but now all she wants is to go home with no way to get there. Too late she realizes the life she shunned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pastor Ezekiel has never given up hope for Abra and prays for her continuously. His son Joshua has loved Abra since childhood but being drafted to war has separated them in more than distance. When he comes home from war, amidst having to deal with his own heart wounds, he finds an Abra who is closed off and rebellious and he finds he has no influence to what Abra thinks she wants. After she leaves he has tried to find Abra but all the looking he has done has led him nowhere. In frustration he finally does what his father advises him to do and that is to let Abra go and to let God in His time work on her. But his heart is having a hard time letting her go. No one is more shocked than he when he hears she is a movie star in Hollywood. Now what does he do?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;">I finished this book quite a while ago but it's sat waiting for me to review. Notes from the author in the back tells us that the story is based on the scripture from Ezekiel 16 *"where God speaks of His chosen people as an unwanted newborn whom He cared for, watched over and eventually chose as His bride despite their rejection of Him". She relates it to her own life of going her own way and the consequences and regrets until finally being brought to her knees and surrendering back to the Lord. It is worth the read of the Author notes to know how she felt about the main characters in her book. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;">The author brought the lifestyle of the 1950's small town and Hollywood to life in her descriptions. I found the story very heartbreaking and I could see myself a lot in the character of Abra, not necessarily in the circumstances but in the heart attitude. I think the story in that sense if very relatable to all. Although it is a story that is long in length I could not put it down. Some have criticized some of the actions of the pastor in the book in that he didn't discuss things with the 5 year old Abra when she overhears him and his wife talking about the hardship on the wife's health that the taking in of Abra was. They feel that didn't jive. And then again when the pastor gives Abra to another family. It was criticized that the church family would have rallied around and helped him. But to me it rang true to the decade setting of the book. It was the 1950's after all, not 2014. Children were seen and not heard and were treated as children not as little adults. The actions and decisions of adults were not discussed with children. They were made and the children's opinions were not sought out. Anyway, that was a little point I found odd in other critiques. When reading a novel we should keep in mind the culture and mindset of the time and not hold it up to how things are done today. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;">Anyway, the reason I found it so hard to review this story was not because of the story itself, that was wonderful, but because of some instances of graphic content. It is not going to be every Christian's cup of tea even though it is in the Christian fiction genre. Some of the imtimate scenes were much more described than one usually finds in this genre. In the context of the story I can see what the author was trying to show, however. That said, I do feel I have to make mention of it to my book review readers as I feel some would want to be aware of that within the story.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 16.363636016845703px;">All said I did find it a great prodigal son type of read, a story of hurt and stubborness, of mercy, grace and unconditional love. I've always loved this author for the emotions she is able to draw out of me throughout the story, how she involves my heart and draws me right in from the beginning and how she is able to parallel a biblical story to a more modern time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*quote from Notes from the Author, pg 481, Bridge to Haven.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">Completed: July 18, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">Rating: 7/10</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">Review: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">Jimmy McCullen and his wife Jackie both have careers where they take their life in their hands. Jimmy is a firefighter with the FDNY and Jackie is an army nurse who has finished 3 seven month tours of Afghanistan. Jimmy plays the role of father and mother to their son, Charlie, while Jackie is gone and they are a close knit family. When Jimmy is killed in a horrendous fire both Jackie and Charlie are understandably devastated. Finding it hard to move on and watching her happy, active and outgoing boy turn quiet and inward, Jackie decides to spend the summer on Sullivan's Island with her mother. Hoping it will bring some healing time for her son, Jackie wonders how she herself will get along with her mom. They are incredibly different people and Jackie feels her mom has never understood her or her choice of career. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">Annie is thrilled to have Jackie and Charlie coming home and fully prepares the house including turning the porch lights on until they make the long trip from New York. Her quirky friend Deb helps her but Annie was not expecting the help of her estranged husband who walked out of her life 11 years ago. While not together, they have not divorced and it stirs up her aggravation at him all over again when he comes back into their lives. Add in Jackie's blaming of her mother for the separation and it makes for awkward family relationships. But for the sake of her grandson, who desperately needs the loving influence of his grandfather, Annie gives in to his presence in their lives. Add in a good looking, single doctor who lives next door who Annie and Deb tease each other about and it becomes quite the summer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">It took me a long time to get into the book. The story is told from the viewpoint of Jackie and Annie alternating between chapters. Once I got past the first few chapters and got used to the "voice" that was telling the story it became better reading for me. Each chapter has a verse that starts it off from Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Gold Bug" which is also worked into the main storyline. In all honesty, not a thing that appeals to me as a reader and I found myself skipping that beginning verse. I did, however, like how who Edgar Allan Poe was and what he had to do with the island and how that was worked into the storyline. Very interesting. Another thing that I couldn't really get into in the story was the constant mention of alcohol and it's consumption. They forever seemed to be purchasing booze for the bar, setting up the bar, deciding what drink to have and this part of the story, to me, got to be unnecessary. What I did like about the story was the lovely descriptions of the South and island life, the occasional humor that made me laugh out loud and the underlying love beneath the family issues that caused one woman to hang onto the hope of eventually seeing her family back together. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.488636016845703px;">Review: </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 16.545454025268555px;">Livvy Alvarsson has not had an easy go of the adult life. In her forties, she has faced the devastating and debilitating disappearance of her 4 year old son eleven years earlier. There was never any clues and the police finally had to call off the search with Daniel never being found. Eleven years later Livvy still feels the profound loss. And now she's facing another loss. That of her beloved younger brother to cancer. Hoping she can be his bone marrow donor she is shaken to the core to find out that there is no way that she can. Now she no longer even knows who she is and with only a clue of a gas mask with a partial name and a life changing secret revealed she sets off from her community in British Columbia, Canada to a search in England.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 16.545454025268555px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 16.545454025268555px;">I don't know what originally drew me to this book, the cover, the title, the description or the fact that the author is Canadian. Maybe all of the above. But I really was captured by this story. It's a story of profound loss and grief, but also one of love and family, restoration and acceptance. It gripped me from the very beginning as Livvy starts her story in the form of "conversation" with her beloved brother, holding his hand as he lays unconscious dying from cancer. As she talks to him and unburdens her heart, her story starts to unfold and it is absorbing in the way she speaks and the way she puts it together. The writing is beautiful. You go through her life with her, the joys and excitements and then the deep despair of trying to find the lost child. Livvy bears the full brunt of feeling guilty as Daniel was with her and you go with her through the difficulties and the search and then the effects on her marriage and trying to move on with life. When the horrific secret that is revealed when her brother becomes ill you wonder how she will hold up under the news. Her search for family history brings into her life a handful of interesting characters, some that bring some lightness to the story so even though the story was very sad in parts it was lifted by these moments of wonderful characters, but also a character that makes you determined never to become like that. It shows the devastating effects of unforgiveness and hard heartedness and religion gone to merciless extremes. The story and the style and the prose was so engaging I could not put it down. Amidst the heaviness, the author beautifully weaves in through Livvy's voice the joys of life and family, the strength of a committed marriage, and finding hope to go on until the story comes full circle. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 16.545454025268555px;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 16.545454025268555px;">Review: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 16.545454025268555px;">Heather has it all. A privileged lifestyle provided by her heart surgeon husband. She is a stay at home mom with a teen age son, lives in a huge house on a lake, drives a big vehicle and wants for nothing. But she's not happy. She is constantly spending more and more money. And convincing herself it's all for good reason. The tennis court is so her son's friends can hang out, the new pool furniture to replace the furniture that's only a couple years old is so that she can give the older one to someone who needs furniture. And on and on it goes to the point where her husband is being worked into the ground in order to keep up with it. And his dream of missions is permanently on hold. But Heather can't seem to stop herself. She must keep up with the Jones and surpass them all and keep up appearances all in the name of being a giving person. But this summer all is about to change. As she is starting to be convicted of her attitudes and spending habits, her world turns upside down when circumstances cause her to meet a pair of Quaker sisters who reach out to her and a nun who runs the homeless shelter. Can she put aside all her excuses and learn what God is trying to show her? What needs to happen before she can let go?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; line-height: 16.545454025268555px;">I really did enjoy this story. I found it quite relatable in the sense that we all make excuses, even good sounding ones, for our attitudes and lifestyles and actions. But when God starts to convict us on some of this stuff we tend to run the other direction unfortunately and it takes time for Him to get through to us. Though the author chose the vehicle of a privileged lifestyle to get the story across, Heather's journey could have been mine in any number of areas. About 3/4 of the way through the book I was thinking "Get the point already, Heather", I thought to myself that sometimes I too am stubborn and clueless and don't want to admit or learn what God would be trying to show me. We tend to hang onto what we know and what is our comfort zones. This story made me laugh, and cringe, and my heart went out to the character as she struggled to let go and get out of what was comfortable. </span><br />
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<b style="color: #741b47;">21. The Edge of the World by Phil Callaway</b></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: September 15, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 8/10</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16.5454540252686px;">Terry Anderson is a 10 (or is it 8? I can't remember) year old growing up in the small town of Grace. As small towns go back in the day, the citizens are grouped by each other into distinct categories of either church goers or not. Terry's family definitely is so his growing up years are steeped in Christian school and church activities. And being extremely poor shapes everything he does. Terry thrives on the outdoor rink each winter, skating until he's frozen. The indoor rink where it would definitely be warmer is off limits to the church going kids. So suffer it out he must. Nothing keeps him away. And it is during one of those times when he is the last to leave that Terry makes a discovery that could change his life forever. But he must keep it a secret or risk losing it all. But with the secrets come the lies. And with the telling of the lies comes keeping all those lies straight. And then there is the moral dilemma of it all. How is a young kid to cope? But the lure of keeping the secret and making his life easier is too big to pass up and Terry starts to question what he really believes. Does he have the faith of his parents? With a godly older brother to look up to and whom he doesn't want to disappoint, Terry struggles with telling anyone his secret. He knows he should but the doors it is opening to his impoverished life is just too tempting. Maybe he'll wait just one more day.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16.5454540252686px;">This fiction story is written by one of my favorite funny authors. It's his first fictional story and I think it was an engaging and sweet read. It is written in the voice of young Terry and you really get a young boy's view on everything from church, to school, to a young boy's first crush on the pretty girl at school, to the fun characters in the town that make up his small world. It takes a look at some pretty deep issues of faith and poverty, seemingly good circumstances and moral dilemmas and looks at them through the innocence of a young boy. The author made the mid century Canadian town come to life through Terry's telling and it was nostalgic and fun, sad and sweet all at the same time. There were many laugh out loud moments as the young Terry describes what he sees in truth and honesty without all the covering up that adults tend to do to keep up appearances. I thought it was a great read.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; line-height: 16.5454540252686px;"><b>22. Operation Christmas Child - the Story of Simple Gifts by Franklin Graham and Donna Lee Toney</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; line-height: 16.5454540252686px;">Completed: September 27, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; line-height: 16.5454540252686px;">Review: </span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16.5454540252686px;">I finished this book weeks ago but you know, life just sorta got hectic and I just haven't put my brain together to write a review. What can I say about this book? My heart has been connected with this ministry from the first time I saw Franklin Graham talk about sending shoeboxes to Bosnia in the 1990's. Our family has been sending shoeboxes since then and I've been the co-ordinator at my church for years. It is very near and dear to my heart. So when this book came out to celebrate 100 million shoeboxes packed and given to needy children I had to read it.</span></div>
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<i style="color: #333333; line-height: 16.5454540252686px;"><br /></i><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16.5454540252686px;">This is the beautiful history of this ministry, from the inception of the idea, to the excitement, the joy and sometimes danger of delivering the boxes, to the incredible stories of the perfect box miraculously being placed in the hands of just the right child and how it spoke to them of God's love and let them know that somebody somewhere cared about what they were going through. The story is told, fittingly, in the voice of Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's son, who heads the world wide emergency relief organization Samaritan's Purse under which Operation Christmas Child operates. This book is touching and I recommend a big ol' box of kleenex to be handy when you delve into the pages. You'll cry as you read the plight and conditions of the children the boxes are for, how God has led and blessed the delivery of the boxes, how everyday people have caught the vision and excitement and sought God on what to pack and how certain boxes have made it to children who needed or asked God to show His love by having a certain item within a box. In other words, you'll do a fair bit of crying. It is truly a miraculous story and one cannot fail to be touched by what goes on in this organization. I highly recommend reading this is you've ever wondered about Operation Christmas Child or Samaritan's Purse, ever been curious what happens to the boxes, ever packed a box and thought about the children or if you love an encouraging story of a simple idea touching kids around the world.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; line-height: 16.5454540252686px;"><b>23. A Life Intercepted by Charles Martin</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; line-height: 16.5454540252686px;">Completed: October 20, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Twelve years later Matthew is freed but must register as sex offender and wear a ankle bracelet. Determined to find Audrey he heads back to the very place where he is most unwelcome, his home town. Audrey has hidden herself well from everyone including the unrelenting media in a quiet Catholic school where she has taken a young orphan boy under her wing all these years. Honing his talents and using her knowledge of football and Matthew's old game tapes she feels she has a young man on her hands who can be even better than Matthew had once been. But he plays under a coach who has ulterior motives to further his own son in his football career. Knowing Matthew can take him all the way she convinces him to coach the boy even though it violates his parole and could put him back in jail for life. In the midst of media speculation if he will try to return to the game, Matthew takes on the challenge in secret in the hopes of winning back Audrey.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: normal;">My favorite author strikes again writing a wonderful story. Drawn in right from the beginning, he captured my attention with the devastated Audrey as he slowly revealed the story. I love the character development the author takes. He reveals the nature of the characters layer by layer as the story progresses. One thing I always love about this author is the way he is able to create a main male character who has strong moral qualities yet are very human and relatable with their struggles and mistakes. As usual his prose and way of putting sentences together totally captivates me and keeps me turning the pages staying up way too late to finish the story. The story goes back and forth between real time and the past nicely laying out Matthew and Audrey's life together. There was never any confusion to me, the reader, and I followed it easily. Audrey's character was a complicated one and I understood her pain as she tried to reconcile the Matthew she knew with the Matthew that was convicted. Her confusion, anger and betrayal were plain to see throughout the story even though I found it hard to believe she wouldn't stand by him a little more. Another thing I always love about this author is how he weaves elements and tenants of faith and real life together in a story without it being labeled a Christian novel, if you know what I mean. And with a little twist in the story revealed at the end, this novel leaves you thinking and savoring the implications of living a life of true love. Again the author's notes at the end are well worth the read as they reveal where the story came in his own life.</span><span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: normal;"><b>24. Don't Go by Lisa Scottoline</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Completed: October 30, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span></span><span style="line-height: normal;">Dr. Mike Scanlon is a doctor serving in Afghanistan. On his second tour his thoughts are frequently at home with his wife, Chloe, and their new baby. Chloe was not happy for Mike to be going back on a second tour and so he deals with guilt while in Afgahanistan. When news comes that Chloe has died at home in a freak home accident Mike is devastated. Coming home on leave to make funeral arrangements, Mike is hit with the oddness of her death and is blindsided with a secret that she had been keeping. Now he has a precious baby girl, that doesn't know him at all and is terrified of him, a medical practice that is changing without his input and the knowledge that he still has to go back to Afghanistan. Leaving his baby girl in the hands of Chloe's sister and husband, Mike goes back to finish his deployment. But there, too, things start to fall apart. The medical compound is hit with an attack and 2 doctors lose their lives. Now with a doctor shortage he is under pressure to stay and serve another year. But his choice brings life long consequences and he must gather up everything within himself to fight for what is most important.</span><br />
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I really enjoyed this book from one of my favorite authors. In it she explores what it means to be a father, a man and a hero. It's a departure from her other books whose main character has always been women. As Mike faces his world falling apart around him, he must figure out how to deal with what he doesn't want to admit to anyone, let alone himself. The action goes back and forth from fast paced to very emotional and I was not bored in the story at all. I was very moved in the descriptions of his very small daughter's reactions to him and how totally lost he was in trying to make it better. I'm sure that is very true of some of our service men and women who come home to find their little ones not even knowing who they are. Virtual strangers trying to love on their children. It must be quite the patient process to try to get to know one another. The mystery in the story was revealed slowly and I have to admit I didn't guess it until the reveal. I was a little surprised at the time line of the story. Once Mike was back, it seemed to me that it was quite a while as layers of the mystery were revealed and everything was swirling around him but in fact it was only about a week. That seemed a shock to me as some of the events that unfolded, in my mind, would take longer. But that said, I love a story that draws out lots of emotions and this one did that for me.</div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>25. "The Unbreakable Boy by Scott M. LeRette with Susy Flory</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: November 5, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">In Austin's world a simple hug can break his bones. How does he handle every day life? With great gusto! Add to his medical condition a diagnosis of autism and his parents are kept on their toes minute by minute. You never know what their day will bring. I really enjoyed this true story. Young Austin has many challenges in his day to day life and yet he approaches life with positiveness and with great verve! I really enjoyed reading about his escapades and how he kept his parents on the go though I was exhausted just reading about it and my heart went out to them many times throughout the telling. I especially enjoyed the journey of Austin's father from a selfish young man who fathered a boy with many needs not really in love with his wife to a more mature man, husband and father totally committed to God and family. And I love how he wove in how Austin has taught him all this throughout the years along with his wife Theresa who was a steadfast rock. It was an easy read having a good flow to it. Each event told was significant to the whole of the book and I never felt bogged down in the telling. I finished it a few days. I closed the book with a smile on my face from having read such a wonderful perspective. If I had to describe this book in just a sentence I would say inspirational in many, many ways. </span><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I also really liked the questions at the back for book clubs. They were thought provoking and are the kind that would make for great discussions.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 19.5px;"><b>26. "The Hatmaker's Heart" by Carla Stewart</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">Completed: November 18, 2014</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 19.5px;">Review: </span><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With this novel, Carla Stewart has taken a step back farther in time than she usually writes about and has created a story set in the Roaring 20's. The heroine, Nell Marchwold, dreams of designing and making hats. It is sheer joy to her to have a woman try on a hat she designed and witness that woman see herself as beautiful and poised, whether the woman is outwardly beautiful or not. For Nell it is not about fame. As an apprentice hatmaker at Oscar Fields Millinery in New York she works hard for her employer even though he is a hard taskmaster and can be quite belittling. When she is called upon to design hats for a valued customer and her daughters, Nell's world is changed as she is thrown into the spotlight from the rave reviews on her designs. Though thrilled with the business it brings, her boss is not too happy to not have the credit himself and is very skeptical when a up and coming fashion designer wants Nell to design the hats to go with his new collection. With that success opportunity comes knocking to expand the business to England and he quickly has Nell on the ship with two assistants to design hats for a prominent family there who will be attending the wedding of the queen. Thrilled to be going home, Nell hopes to visit her aging grandmother and her long time friend Quentin but her boss is quite adamant about controlling every moment of her time. As Nell faces her feelings for Quentin, she has to decide what it is she really wants out of life.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have enjoyed every Carla Stewart book that I have read and this was no exception. For me, this author has a real gift at transporting the reader into another era. The setting was quite different than her usual backgrounds being set in the 1920's rather than the 1960's. It was interesting reading about the New York lifestyle during that time period. Nell was an endearing character who drew you into her quiet world with her great attitude and her passion for hat making and seeing the blossoming of women as they wore her creations. She is a character of high standards in her work and personal life. I liked the glimpse we got into the life of a woman of that time, one with dreams of entering a field dominated and run by men, and especially a woman with a speech impediment and how she was treated because of it. As family secrets are revealed and the pressure of the fashion business closes in on her, I really liked how Nell grew throughout the story and came into her own at the end. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>27. To See The Moon Again by Jamie Langston Turner</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Completed: December 13, 2014</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>28. The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Completed: December 17, 2014</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>29. The Choice by Robert Whitlow</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Completed: December 26, 2014</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-28101803262981756482013-01-08T09:03:00.004-07:002021-03-29T16:44:29.605-06:002013 Reads & ReviewsNew Year. New list of books. This year I really want to make a dent in my book basket which is overflowing onto the floor of my closet. And under my bed. And on my coffee table. So I'm going to really try and focus on not getting so much out of the library and used book for sale section. Though it pains me I will skip the 2 big library sales this year and try get my pile down to a manageable one contained withIN the basket. Maybe only one library book per visit rather than four? We'll see. Hard to pass up those books just calling my name off the shelves. And even harder is not looking in the bookstores. But try I shall. Looking forward to a great year of great reading! <br />
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<b><span style="color: #a64d79;">1. "The Bridge" by Karen Kingsbury</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: January 6, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: </span><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span><span style="color: #3d85c6;">7/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-weight: bold;"> </span>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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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.<br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>2. "Borders of the Heart" by Chris Fabry</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: January 12, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>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.<br />
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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. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #a64d79;">3. "the Midwife of Hope River" by Patricia Harmon</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: January 27, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7;">4. "Stardust" by Carla Stewart</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Completed: February 10, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>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.<br />
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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.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_aZmdKYECHc/YGJS9DRX24I/AAAAAAAAR5Q/QRf82Jd5LLo0vm1nUB5i1PPiRZvbFHabQCLcBGAsYHQ/s213/Moon%2BOver.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="140" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_aZmdKYECHc/YGJS9DRX24I/AAAAAAAAR5Q/QRf82Jd5LLo0vm1nUB5i1PPiRZvbFHabQCLcBGAsYHQ/w131-h200/Moon%2BOver.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>5. Moon Over Edisto by Beth Webb Hart</b></span></div><div><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: February 20, 2013</span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></div><div><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></div><div>Edisto Island was where it all came apart. Can the Bennett girls ever be whole again? Once, they were the happiest family under the sun, crabbing and fishing and painting on beautiful Edisto Island in South Carolina’s lowcountry. Then everything went wrong, and twenty years later the Bennett family is still in pieces. Mary Ellen still struggles to understand why her picture-perfect marriage came apart. Daughter Meg keeps a death grip on her own family, controlling her relationships at a distance. And eldest daughter, Julia, left it all behind years ago, forging a whole new life as an artist and academic in Manhattan. She’s engaged to an art dealer and has no intentions of returning to Edisto. Ever. Then an emergency forces Julia back to Edisto to care for her three young half-siblings. She grudgingly agrees to stay a week. But there’s something about Edisto that changes people. Can Julia and her fractured family somehow manage to come together again under that low-hanging Edisto moon? </div><div><br /></div><div> I had read this author's last book and remember really enjoying it and it's very relatable characters. In Moon Over Edisto I really feel the author has once again developed a story with characters who's feelings I really related to. I enjoyed the character development of Julia, who in all regards, seemed to have her life really on track. An artist who was actually making money from her art along with being a professor, a good man she had finally convinced to marry her, a trip to Budapest to teach and to paint coming up over the summer. It all seemed to be going so well in her life. But deep inside, she was still was still reeling and hurting,still running from the betrayal of her best friend and her father which literally turned her world upside down so many years ago. She never dealt with all the feelings that came from that, choosing instead to run to the big city and forge her own life, disconnected from her family. But when her former friend shows up on her doorstep asking for her help and once again wanting to turn her world upside down, Julia is forced to face all those feelings and must make some exceptionally difficult decisions. Her journey from deep pain to choosing to do what was difficult to forgiveness to finally making the hardest decision of all left me feeling it all with her and rooting for her because of her courage. Whereas Julia chose to run away, her sister's feelings of deep anger and hatred were also relatable as was her not wanting to let them go. While her journey to resolution was more abrupt you could feel the lingering affects on her life and on her family as her choices were directly made through the lens of one who was betrayed. Both were faced to answer whether they were really happy in the lives they had chosen. This story was heartfelt and deep showing the redemptive power of choosing love.
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>6. "Book of Dreams" by Davis Bunn</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: February 28, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7;">7. "The Mountain Between Us" by Charles Martin</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: March 8, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>8. "The Covenant Child" by Terri Blackstock</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: March 11, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>9. "Strengthen Yourself in the Lord" by Bill Johnson</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: March 14, 2013</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>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. <br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>10. "Beneath the Night Tree" by Nicole Baart</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: March 19, 2013</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>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.<br />
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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. <br />
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Part 1 - After the Leaves Fall reviewed <a href="http://susannesspace.blogspot.ca/2008/04/book-review-after-leaves-fall.html">here</a><br />
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Part 2 - Summer Snow reviewed<a href="http://loveofreading.blogspot.ca/2010/01/2010-completed-books-and-reviews.html"> here</a>. Scroll to number 37.<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>11. "Iscariot" by Tosca Lee</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: March 23, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>12. "Shades of Morning" by Marlo Schalesky</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: April 5, 2013</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 7/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>13. "The Invitation" by Anne Cherian</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: April 11, 2013</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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".<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>14. "False Pretenses" by Kathy Herman</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: April 25, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>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.<br />
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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).<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>15. "Joni and Ken - An Untold Love Story" by Ken and Joni Eareckson Tada with Larry Libby</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: April 29, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>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. <br />
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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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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,<br />
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<i>"Joni, If I met all your expectations, you wouldn't need God" pg. 103</i></div>
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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. </div>
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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</div>
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<i> 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></div>
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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. </div>
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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. </div>
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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.<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>16. "Dangerous Mercy" by Kathy Herman</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: May 7, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>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.<br />
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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. <br />
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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. <br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>17. "Jesus - The Greatest Life of All" by Charles R. Swindoll</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: May 11, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>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. <br />
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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.<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>18. "Band of Sisters" by Cathy Gohlke</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: May 22, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Maureen O'Reilly lives a life of rejection from the small Irish community in which she lives. The shame that was forced upon her through no fault of her own and continues so that her, her mom and her sister can survive is something that is a huge burden that weighs on her constantly. With the death of her mom and her sister facing the same future of a landlord forcing himself upon her, Maureen grabs the life line that her aunt gives her. With money and a promise of a benefactor in New York who promised their father help if he came to America, Maureen and Katie Rose flee the harsh life they have.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">But when they arrive at Ellis Island, it seems a harsh life is not to be evaded. Their hoped-for wealthy benefactor has passed away and the family seems to feel no compulsion to help. In desperation Maureen feels she has to lie and cheat her way into a position at a major department store so that Ellis Island will release Katie Rose and not deport the two of them back to Ireland. But things are not as they seem at the prestigious department store and Maureen becomes witness to events that puts her life in danger. Girls are disappearing after being promoted "upstairs" and Maureen becomes frantic when it happens to one of her only friends. To make matters worse, she suspects the very man who threw her out the door and onto the street when she went to the benefactor's home to introduce herself, as having a huge part in the disappearances.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Meanwhile Olivia Wakefield, daughter of the man Maureen was trying to contact, cannot forget about the red haired Irish immigrant who came knocking on her door one night. Feeling a great deal of guilt and conviction over her brother in law rudely tossing the woman out onto the streets, Olivia sets things in motion to try and find her. Finding evidence of a promise her father had made to the Irish girl's father it becomes imperative to Olivia to find the girl and honor that promise that was made. While her society ladies group debates what their project of the year will be, the mutual reading of the book </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/His-Steps-Charles-Monroe-Sheldon/dp/1619492660/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369318227&sr=1-1&keywords=in+his+steps" style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #507d17; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">"In His Steps" by Charles Sheldon</a><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> spurs her on with even more motivation and will change all their lives and the way they approach how to help those less fortunate than themselves. The test of their faith comes when they are faced with deciding to help women who have been found themselves forced into white slavery.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">This was an excellent story that delved into the extreme poverty of the immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island with nothing and the harshness of life after they landed in the country that was supposed to offer them hope and a better life. The author also delves into the subject of "white slavery", the human trafficking of women and children for the purpose of prostitution. In introducing the the society ladies of the story to the book "In His Steps" the author presents the argument that only when we all ask ourselves "What would Jesus do?" and then following through with each of our individual answers to that question will any of sociey's problems, whether it is human trafficking today or poverty or homelessness, etc., be truly dealt with. Which is a position that I heartily agree with. I found the story challenging to me personally and it has given me the desire to reread "In His Steps" once again. It is a book written, I believe, approximately a hundred years ago but still has immense significance and relevance for today and is still, not surprisingly, popular and should be a staple read for every Christian.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> I loved the development of the main characters and how each had to face their own beliefs, whether it was facing their shame and believing that God could actually love them, or in facing their fears and going against societal pressures to actually live out what each felt God called them to do to make a difference. I loved the female characters who were able to be strong in the face of insurmountable danger. The story keeps you turning the pages. The author with this story has laid out a great read and a great challenge for the reader.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>19. "Relentless Pursuit" by Kathy Herman</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Completed: May 31, 2013</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Book 3 in the Roux River Bayou Series finds Sax Henry, a jazz saxaphone player from New Orleans, showing up on Adele Woodmore's doorstep. Sax has been in search of his missing sister for 3 years and Adele is his last hope of finding her. Sax's personal life is a mess and in finding his sister and making amends he hopes to finally find the peace and restoration he has been searching for. But Adele is not too sure about this stranger and her fierce protective instincts take over. But Sax is determined and desperate to find Shelby and peace and he'll do anything that will take him one step closer to his goal. Even if that means staying in a tourist town where a bioterrorist has surfaced. Little does he know that his sister is really right before his eyes, but she might not have the peace that his is so desperately searching for.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Emily's new friend Chance is hit with the devastating news that both of his parents have just died from cyanide poisoning. As more people are admitted to the hospital and the news of more deaths hit the news, the police department is working 24/7 to find out what is going on. Finding that water bottles have been injected with the poison and with no one taking responsibility for the act, they are not succumbing to rumors that it is a terrorist organization wreaking havoc. They have to dig deep and work around the clock to come up with any links to who might be doing it and with keeping panic in the community down. Emily meanwhile has her hands full in helping Chance deal with his grief. But as Chance depends more and more on her instead of on his family Vanessa and Emily's co-workers start to question the amount of time and work she is investing in helping Chance.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I love this installment in the series. The author, through the characters of Sax and Shelby (Zoe) explores our search for peace in our lives and where true peace comes from. She also continues the theme of mercy and grace that she presented in book 2 of the series (reviewed above). Though Zoe had been shown mercy and grace that changed her life, she struggled to give it to her brother whom she loved and trusted and was her rock as a child and then felt had abandoned her in the most horrific of circumstances. It is a struggle that many of us also face when presented with it. I love how real her character was and how that dilemma was not made easy by the author. While I felt a little bit like the mystery part of the story was a bit disconnected from this part of the story the author wove the main theme into that as well towards the end. The character of Emily, though frustrating at times had to make me smile. She was the typical young adult; stubborn, loyal to a fault with her friends, thought she knew better, refusing to heed to caution but her character really became courageous. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">All in all I really liked this series. The author was very good at re-introducing and connecting a few characters from her former series, the Sohpie Trace Trilogy and in continuing to develop the personalities first introduced in book one of this series. She really made me care about the main characters and the tough issues they were facing. The mystery kept me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages. And I like how her books are not just mysteries but each carry life changing messages about issues we all face.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #674ea7; line-height: 18px;"><b>20. "the Other Side of Darkness" by Melody Carlson</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Completed: June 6, 2013</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Ruth and her family seem like the ideal family. She is a stay at home mom to two wonderful girls and her husband, Rick, is a hard working father providing for his family. They attend church together and Ruth has just removed the girls from public school and registered them into the church's school even though the tuition put a serious dent into their budget. All seems to be going just right in their lovely family. But Ruth is hiding deep self esteem issues that stem back to her treatment when a child by her mother. And she knows that she must pray and pray hard to fight off that same evil from destroying her own family. But when her best friend Colleen starts to have serious doubts about the church they are attending as does her husband, Rick, Ruth pushes back by getting even more serious about fighting the battle in prayer and doing what she has to loosen the grip of worldy things upon her family, even if it means usurping Rick in every decision. When the pastor is fired amidst rumors of an affair, Ruth takes matters into her own hands and helps him to set up another church. But the more Ruth battles in prayer against the demons she is starting to find lurking in every corner, the less peace she has. Will she ever get it right and win this spiritual battle? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">This was not an easy story to read as the author takes us into the mind of a person sliding deeper and deeper into mental health issues. Ruth does not realize that she is actually battling Obssessive Compulsive Disorder and is the very thing that is making her latch onto what she in her mind feels is destroying her family. The story begins with Ruth starting with the greatest of intentions in prayer and heartfelt dedication and service to the Lord but it soon spirals into Ruth becoming obsessed with evil and demons to the point where she sees demons lurking everywhere and in everything including inatimate objects. Her whole focus starts to become demons and evil rather than the Lord. Becoming entangled with a handful of church members who rely on her need to feel wanted and useful and able, they draw her into their circle by giving her responsibilities that build her self esteem. Not recognizing that she is lured into cultlish and unbiblical practices, she accuses the ones who are trying to point it out to her of being influenced by the very evil she is fighting. It was hard after awhile to continue on reading of the constant focus on demons that Ruth began to have but it was the nature of her illness. In the reader's guide at the back the author poses the question, "Were you surprised to discover that OCD sufferers are at greater risk for spiritual deception? Why or why not?". In all honesty I had never ever thought of that but after reading Ruth's story I could see how that would be possible. Even though the reading did start to get difficult, I stuck with the story to find out what would happen to Ruth's girls, who through their mother, were also being drawn into the cult that Ruth was becoming entrenched in. In her obsession to save her family she actually started to endanger their lives. I wanted to see how Rick would resolve the scary descent that he saw happening to his family. Though the end was gut wrenching the actual resolution, I found, was wrapped up quicker than I would have liked. I wanted to see a bit more of Ruth's actual journey of dealing with letting go ingrained ideas she had battled with. Though I suppose the book then would have become double the size in it's reading. A tough book to read but one that was interesting in it's journey into the mind of someone dealing with mental illness and cults and it's repercussions on the loved ones around them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Author's notes and an excerpt is found <a href="http://www.melodycarlson.com/CARLSON%20OtherSideofDarkness%20CHS1-2%20and%20author's%20note.pdf">here</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><b>21. "the Blessed" by Ann H. Gabhart</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;">Completed: June 20, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;">Rating: 7/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;">Review: </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;">Lacey has had a difficult life. Given away when a young teen to a Reverend's family she worked for her keep by taking care of the ailing wife, Mona. She found love from Mona who taught her scripture. Then one day they find a baby left on their doorstep. Mona takes the child in and raises it as her own though the Reverend won't have anything to do with her. Lacey especially feels close to the child and the bond they share is unbreakable. Then Mona passes away, and the church people begin to gossip and judge when Lacey continues to live at the Reverend's home. When he gives her the choice to marry him or else to leave the house and never see the child again, she does what she has to do to continue to be with the little girl. But Lacey cannot give herself completely as a wife to the Reverend and when the Shakers come knocking on their door the man eventually gets pulled into doctrines of living where marriage is considered a sin. Soon Lacey finds herself moved out to Harmony Hill, the Shaker village, and separated from the child anyway. How could everything she tried to do be brought to this?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;">I had read another of the author's books, the Seeker, that featured the Shakers and really enjoyed it. In this installment of her Shaker stories, the author really goes into a lot of their beliefs and odd rituals and the demands and rules placed upon the people of their community. The themes of accepting forgiveness, and trying to fix things in our own strength is delved into. I did find this story got bogged down for me. The constant oddness with angels got to be too much at times. There seemed nothing of joy within the Shaker community for Lacey and her inner struggles just seemed to continue to grow with no end in sight. Though she knew what the Shakers believed didn't line up with what Mona had taught her of the bible, she continued to struggle with staying due to the circumstances. Her feelings of entrapment made it a heavy read for me. I just wanted her to get out of there. So all that to say I wanted to love this one but it just an okay read for me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><b>22. Jesus, the One and Only by Beth Moore</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;">Completed: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;">Review: </span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Having just wrapped up an intense bible study course by Beth Moore with the ladies at church, I jumped at the chance to read this book. It didn't disappoint. Beth Moore takes us chapter by chapter through the book of Luke taking an in-depth look at the life of Jesus and inviting us to get to know Him on a personal level. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>23. House of Secrets by Tracie Peterson</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Completed: June 29, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Rating: 8/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Bailee Cooper is an up and coming editor and she is thrilled when she is offered a permanent position in New York with her publishing company. But a couple of things make it so that she doesn't grab the opportunity immediately. First there is the fact that she'd have to move away from her sisters. Though they are all adults, Bailee has always felt the strong need to take care of them and to be close at hand for them. Though her sisters are living their own lives she just can't seem to make that break. And secondly, there is the matter of Mark Delahunt, her boss's son who is heir to the publishing company. He is attractive and single and he seems to have taken to Bailee. But Bailee is just not about to get into a relationship. Her past interferes with that and she has settled the fact that she will never be in a relationship. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">In the midst of trying to make this life changing decision at work, Bailee's father decides to round everyone up at the old vacation house in Washington so that he can share some news. With no choice but to go, Bailee puts her career on a short hold and goes to see what is up. But the memories and secrets from the family's past threatens to undo them all and the truth must come out. But the truth will also make them all question what they've really believed all these years.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Lately I seem to be choosing books that explore mental illness within a family. This is another of those books and it is written with a Christian worldview. My last book dealt with OCD and this one delves into the world of paranoid schizophrenia and it's devastating effects upon a family. Though the mother who suffered from the disease died when Bailee was just a child, the legacy of the disease and the effects are seen throughout Bailee's life. Her whole adulthood and personality is a result of everything she experienced as a child. Secrets abound in the family, even amonst themselves, that have dictated even how they relate to one another. But it all comes to a head when their father calls them together to share what should have been happy news. It's a very emotional book as the family works through the constant feelings and memories that keep cropping up over the weekend. I felt very drawn towards the characters and could understand where each of them would be coming from, and the hurt and shame and pressure each of them felt. At times the younger sister's reactions made me mad but then I'd remember that she really was too young to remember and so she was dealing with a whole lot of confusion thrown into the mix. And in the midst of it all Bailee is confronted with and struggles to figure out what she believes about God and about relationships. A good read and I finished it quite quickly as I just had to know what would happen.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #674ea7; line-height: 18px;"><b>24. One Summer by David Baldacci</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; line-height: 18px;">Completed: July 4, 2013</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 10/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Jack is a 35 year old father of 3 who is on his deathbed. Diagnosed with a rare, terminal disease and becoming totally helpless was not how he saw his life playing out, especially at this age. Always healthy, he was strong from first his career in the army and up until recently his construction job. But now he can only lay on his bed in the den and watch as his family tries to carry on preparing for Christmas, while they all struggle to say goodbye. Lizzie the love of his life and his wife is totally supportive and working hard taking care of him and working to support the family and Jack's heart is tearing out at the thought of leaving her. He's writing her a letter every day in his last week to speak of his love and thoughts. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> Then the unthinkable happens. Lizzie is killed in a tragic accident. Thinking she is doing the best for the kids, Lizzie's mother individually farms out the children to relatives after Lizzie's funeral, scattering them across the country and leaves Jack to die by himself in the hospice. With nothing to do but think of Lizzie and regretting his time away from his family during his army years and then the long hours at work, Jack hopes his end will come quickly. But miraculously and against all odds, Jack starts to get better. As it becomes apparent that he is indeed beating the disease he draws on his inner resolve from army days he pushes his body to regain his strength so that he can claim his children back. Struggling to rebuild the family he takes them to South Carolina for the summer to the beach house that Lizzie grew up in. Here they face their emotions and pain and learn to become a family again.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">If you are a David Baldacci fan and expecting a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/David-Baldacci/e/B000AQ0STC">mystery or thriller</a>, this is not it. In a step away from his usual fare, the author has written a beautiful and sensitive story of family, love, learning to relive and second chances. This was my first book by this author and I loved it. It's very emotional and the character's draw you right in as they try to come to terms with their lives totally turned upside down. It was really refreshing to read a story of love and characters facing daunting circumstances without the author needing to fill the pages with swearing and sex scenes. I loved the secondary characters who enter their lives at the beach house, their support and friendship were lovely to read about, as was the friendship of Jack and his friend , Sammy. The only thing I would comment on would be the fact as part of the story, some events happen to which credit is given to Jack's wife, who is actually passed away. Looking at it from a Christian perspective, that is not a philosophy I can hold to. And that is all I'll say on that because it will give away major parts of the story.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">This was a great, clean read, just the kind of story I love to kick off my summer reading. I closed it at the end with a very satisfied sigh. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>25. "Sherlock Holmes and the Needle's Eye by Len Bailey</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: July</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Sherlock Holmes and Watson travel back in time with the aid of a Moriarty designed time machine to biblical times, both old and new testament, to find clues to help solve some biblical mysteries.<br />
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Why did Jesus delay in going to Lazarus?</span></span></li>
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I have to say this book was a really unique concept. It can be read as a novel straight through, each chapter being a story of the bible mystery the pair are trying to solve. Or it can be done as a bible study by going to the back of the book first and finding the corresponding study to the chapter you are starting. There are specific scriptures that take you through the bible story and mystery and yet stop short of revealing the mystery. You read the story part of the book for the final reveal. Then there are also questions about the story to answer and corresponding scripture that make the story clearer, and then questions that connect the theme of the mystery to your own life today and make the scripture applicable to the reader. </div>
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The stories were engaging and fun though not having read the original Sherlock Holmes I cannot make comparison's to how closely the author was able to stick to character's personalities and the flow and intent of the original books. Some of the mysteries were questions that I have thought of in the back of my mind and the solving of them and the process Sherlock goes through was interesting. All of the stories were intriguing and some grabbed me more than other ones, but it was interesting being plonked down into the biblical story and seeing it through the eyes of Sherlock, who was an unbeliever and just there to do a job a client had hired him to do and also seeing it through the eyes of Watson, who was a believer and had his faith affected by some of the various mysteries. I, personally, chose to do the book as a bible study so that I could get the full flavor of the book. <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Though I have to say the narrative threw me a little in a couple of chapters as it seemed to change from the original flow, on the whole, </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">I found the book interesting and engaging and I really enjoyed the study part.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; line-height: 1.5em;"><b>26. "Unwritten" by Charles Martin</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; line-height: 1.5em;">Completed: July 15, 2013</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; line-height: 1.5em;">Rating: 10/10</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; line-height: 1.5em;">Revie</span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">w: </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Unwritten is the story of two lives. Two lives which are overtaken with pain. Katie Quinn is a world famous actress who is revered the world over. But the fame and the pain are threatening to cause her to want to end it all. Sunday is a fishing guide when he wants to work and a recluse most all the time. Keeping to himself has been his way and his choice for many years, so when his trusted and only friend, Father Steady, asks him to help out a friend of his, the famous Katie Quinn, Sunday balks at the suggestion. When Sunday finally agrees to help the troubled actress out of her troubles, he doesn't realize that it is just the beginning of a long and hard journey that the both of them will walk together. One that will lead to leaving the comfort zone he has built for himself and confronting painful secrets from both of their pasts before they can move on with hope for their futures.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">This was a very sad story yet infused with hope. There are only 3 main characters in the story and two of them are so filled with past baggage and pain that it pushes them to the edge. Father Steady, the priest that is the connection between the two of them, is just what his name suggests; the steady, trusted friend to the both of them who recognizes they will need each other to confront that pain if they are each to find peace. A few reviews I read said they didn't like it because it seemed to be about the filthy rich whining about their problems. Though I did get frustrated with the some of actions, reactions and attitudes of mostly Katie, to me the story was more than that. The story showed me that no matter the amount of money you earn, your popularity, your power, your fame or your station in life it does not make you immune to desperate pain. And the avenues and choices used to mask or bury the pain will always have consequences of their own, sometimes taking on a life of their own. The story also brought out for me that we need each other and that using the gifts God has given you is a path to one's own healing, that we need to stay open and realize that we may have something that is within us to give to another. The story made me think of how I handle my own deep hurts and how I forgive and what I do with the gifts God has given me. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">It's been difficult to start the next book. As with Martin's other stories I've read, I tend to really mull them over long after I close the last page. I don't know if it's because they emotionally put me through the wringer, in a good way. He has a way of connecting emotionally with his characters and then conveying that emotion to me, the reader. Or if it's because he just has such a lovely way with words and descriptions that I just keep dwelling on the prose or if it's because the stories are all so involving and I become really invested in the characters. But I mostly think it's because his characters and stories usually cause me to think of my own life and faith and what I do with them. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">There's a reading group guide at the back and interestingly the author also answers the discussion questions after the interview with the author at the back.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>27. "The Light Between Oceans" by M.L. Stedman</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Completed: July 23, 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Tom is an ex-soldier who spent four years on the Western Front. He is a good man with high morals and doesn't hesitate to help others. After returning to his homeland of Australia, he takes a job as a lighthouse keeper on one of the most isolated of all posts, Janus Rock. Supply boats only come out once every season or so and the postings are long, usually 2 - 3 years. Tom is good at his job and is meticulous about all aspects of it including keeping finely detailed records. Against all odds Tom meets a young girl in town named Isabel and they get married, Isabel understanding that life will be very different for her from that point on. But she loved Tom. But as the years go by and she suffers two miscarriages and now a still birth on the island she is having a more difficult time getting over it. Not long after the stillbirth, Isabel hears a baby's cries. When Tom goes to investigate, he finds a boat with dead man on it and a baby hidden in the front of the boat. He wants to radio shore and report it immediately but Isabel in her depressed state feels it is a gift of God to them. After coming up with excuse after excuse to put off reporting it, she talks Tom into taking the child as theirs. After all, no one at home knows about the still birth as of yet. Toms struggles with what is placed before him. His moral ethics scream that it is wrong and someone will be looking for the baby but Isabel's reasoning and her obvious happiness with the baby wear him down. It gets to be too late to report anything. When they return to the mainland for a break a couple of years later, they find out their choices had implications for other people and the couple is thrown into an even deeper moral dilemma than what faced them when they first kept the child without reporting it.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">This was a book that really kept me engrossed from beginning to end. It left me thinking about it for a long time afterwards. It is not an easy story to read in the sense that it forces you to think through the moral dilemmas each character faces in the story, and it is more than Tom and Isabel who are up against that wall, and makes you ask yourself what would you do. It is in essence an extremely sad story to read. I felt it was almost forcing me to choose which side of the line I would fall on and then when I made that choice, which I did right at the onset, the story and characters bring you along with them into their world. You feel Tom's dilemma and confusion and are heartbroken at Isabel's grief and sadness. In my empathizing with them, I could almost feel myself being swept up in Isabel's justifications. It brings to light the slippery slope us humans put ourselves on when we start to believe our own justifications for our actions even when convicted of it's wrongness at first. It is hard to say more without giving away what happens in the story. It was a book well worth reading, beautifully written but at the same time it totally put my heart through the wringer.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>28. "Rosemary Cottage" by Colleen Coble</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Completed: August 1, 1013</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">This was my first read by this author and I really enjoyed it. I would categorize it into the contemporary suspense/mystery/romance category. The mystery and the suspense part of the novel drew me right in and the end was a surprise. I actually didn't figure it out until the author revealed what was going on. She did a good job in hiding just enough that I wasn't quite sure, I had bits and pieces but didn't put it all together. There was a good build up to the reveal that kept me turning the pages so that I could find out. I loved the way the author wrote the stories of each main character and their siblings. Amy was the younger sister who looked up to and worshiped her older brother who in her eyes could do no wrong. Curtis knew his sister's previous flaws and yet hung onto to what he knew, that she had changed for the better, even in the turmoil of circumstances trying to say otherwise. The connection of sibling deaths and working together to find the truth was a great storyline. The tension between the two because of what they needed to face concerning their siblings was real and heartfelt. I really liked how the author had one character having to prove and convince the other that there was something not quite right with the deaths. What gave me pause was Curtis knowing that Ben, Amy's brother, wasn't the knight in shining armor that Amy held him up to be, yet he still had infinite patience with Amy as she tried to work through those facts, even though it also involved his sister's death and her reputation and accusations from Amy against his sister. And in the midst of that tension a romance developed between the two. While sweet, I did wonder if that could happen had the situation been real. There was just so much that Amy had to resolve and Curtis just had to have a lot of patience for. But then that is what great fiction is for, to take us out of the real. On the other side of the coin, it was nice to read about a romance developing between two individuals without all the steamy, lusty scenes that are par for the course in the secular book market. The characters and reactions were well written and real. Overall I did enjoy the story and though it is book 2 in a series, A Hope Beach novel, it was totally wonderful as a stand alone. I was never confused with circumstances or characters that might have been in the first. It made for a great vacation read.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>29. "Wounds" by Alton Gansky</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: August 15, 2013</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">When one his students turns up dead in San Diego's botanical garden, Dr. Ellis Poe, a religious professor at a seminary, is shocked when the investigating detective on the case is someone out of his past. Seeing her has brought back memories of a secret he has been running from since a teen, a secret that has changed his life. When more murders start to turn up, all with strange wounds on their bodies, Dr. Poe finds himself being reluctantly drawn into the case due to his knowledge of religion.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Detective Carmen Rainmondi had wanted to be doctor, but when her teenage sister was murdered she became a detective in the hopes that one day she would find her sister's killer. When a serial killer turns up in San Diego, she and her team must work overtime to solve the strange crimes before another person can fall victim to the killer. She is good at what she does and is very driven. But with strange wounds on the bodies and the killer being very smart and not leaving any clues, the team is stumped until Dr. Ellis Poe starts to see an unbelievable pattern and must use his knowledge of the bible to help solve the mystery. They must pool all their skills to stop the evil. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Every once in a while I get a hankering to read a good detective/crime/mystery type of novel. I'd read another of Alton Gansky's novels years ago and remembered liking it so I nabbed this as a spur of the moment purchase from the book store. It definitely fit the bill for mystery and suspense. The author did a good job of fleshing out the main characters and their motivations from a devastating event from the past that connected them. An event that changed their lives forever, making one a guilt ridden almost recluse and the other a determined, toughened detective with an ulterior mission but also choosing being alone. Dr. Poe struggles with what he knows the bible says about God's forgiveness and the events in his own life and the choices he has made. Detective Rainmondi struggles with letting go of the past. Their stories is what drove the novel for me, even more so than the fast paced crime and action involved in the solving of the murders. The author delivers on giving a complex murder mystery while at the same time delving into deep motivations of the main characters without the story getting confused or bogged down at all. How he connected it all was brilliant. The story deals with choices, guilt, redemption, forgiveness and, most definitely, evil. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">That said, this book might not be for everyone. It is intense and the descriptions of the wounds and deaths is graphic, think CSI kind of detail, and for me, very sad. Each murder is discussed more than once through out the story because the murders all connect even though the methods are very different. While I found it hard to put the book down due to the mystery, characters and fast pace of the book, I found I had to put it down at different times just to give myself a breather from the gruesomeness. It was an interesting story with a unique edge. The very last page, especially the closing line, had me thinking a long time.</span></div>
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<div><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>30. "The Chance" by Karen Kingsbury</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: August 20, 2103</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Ellie is 15 when her world is turned upside down with the separation of her parents. As if the circumstances leading to the split are not bad enough, now her Dad is moving her across the country away, ripping her away from everything she holds dear including her best friend, Nolan and her Mom. Ellie and Nolan have been best friends since childhood, with Nolan making bold declarations, on a regular basis, of marrying Ellie. But now they are being torn apart and the night before Ellie leaves they meet in their usual spot and write letters telling their true feelings for each other which they bury beneath "their" tree and agree that if they don't reconnect in the following years, that in 11 years, on a specific date, they will both come back to this spot and dig up the letters they wrote each other and read them. It will be their "last chance" in case life tries to keep them apart.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">But life does step in. Nolan goes on to fulfill his dreams of playing in the NBA and though he has desperately tried to find Ellie, using all means available to him, he can never seem to pick up her trail. Though he has everything anyone can ever want: fame, money, any girl he desires, there is a huge hole in heart and he cannot get Ellie out of his heart and mind. In spite of this his faith in God remains strong and unchanged. Ellie's life has changed and not for the best. In the grief of being torn from her mother and Nolan and the hardship of her new life, Ellie has lost her faith and now she is working just to get by to provide for her small daughter and herself. She watches Nolan occasionally on TV and dreams of days gone by. Both are well aware of the 11 year date approaching quickly. Ellie just wants to get there and dig up her letter and leave before Nolan sees either her, the letter or what her life has become. Nolan is desperate to get there and reconnect with Ellie who's friendship and love he has not been able to move beyond in all these years. It's all about hope, forgiveness and second chances for all the main characters involved.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">I think this was one of the best Karen Kingsbury novels I have read. It was multi-layered with more than one character having to deal with the consequences of their's and other's actions and decisions. I, the reader, was made well aware of how the things a person does really does filter down and affect so many other lives. It's never just about ourselves. And on the same token, I, the reader, saw the hope infused into the story through the character of Nolan and his strong faith in God and his belief that he and Ellie were meant to somehow reconnect. Even though the story had tough circumstances and was in essence sad, there was always an element of hope that ran through it. I know this author has had her naysayers but it was a refreshing and uplifting read after a summer of reading a couple of really heavy, sad stories, that though really good, didn't have the hope in them that Karen Kingsbury was able to achieve with this story. There is something to be said for a good cry and an ending that leaves you with a satisfied sigh!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>31. "Not My Daughter" by Barbara Delinsky</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Completed: August 27, 2013</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Rating: 6/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>I first picked up this book because the premise sounded interesting. Lily Tate, a 17 year old senior, announces to her mom, Susan Tate, that she is pregnant. Her single mom, the principal of the high school school she attends, is shocked and upset but being a mom who herself was pregnant out of wedlock when she was young, she tries to react as best as she can. The maddening thing is Lily is not one bit sorry or afraid or confused. In fact, it comes out that Lily has gotten pregnant on purpose. To make matters worse, it is revealed that 2 of Lily's best friends are also pregnant. And on purpose. It seems the girls thought it would be an awesome thing to all be pregnant together and all raise their kids together and have them be the third generation of friends. As the news of the "pregnancy pact", hits the very conservative town, Susan finds her job is threatened and the fall out extends way beyond what any of the girls considered in their plan.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">This book sounded so interesting. The author wrote it after the 2008 media coverage of a high school in Massachusetts where the pregnancy rates rose dramatically. The principle used the word "pact" when talking to the media and the story went crazy. It was later determined there was no pact and the principle was fired. The author explores the what if's of a group of girls who actually would make such a pact and why they would do it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">While the story seemed like such an interesting premise, it just didn't deliver for me. It took me a long time to write this review, because I just had to sort through so many things in my head. In fact, it made me mad on so many levels I can't even list them all here or the post would go on forever. The most offending for me was not that the fact that the girls were pregnant, or made a pact, though on a personal moral standpoint that crosses over many lines for me, but I knew that was what the story was about when I went into it. No, the thing that made me crazy throughout the book was that the girls were presented as very intelligent, top of their class, college bound girls. And yet not one of their arguments, reasonings or actions even approached or got close to intelligent on any level. They were selfish children who wanted what they wanted and did what they wanted to get what they wanted without owning up to any of the fallout around them or how it was affecting anybody else's lives. Everybody was just supposed to happily accept it. Their behavior was that of entitled, self absorbed brats rather than the intelligent girls they were supposed to be. The main character mother made me crazy too. Because she was the principal and because she had fought to bring in a health clinic that passed out cond*ms at the school her job was up for much scrutiny amidst the school board members and the parents of the conservative town. Yet when her daughter was so casual and naive and uncaring about it, she let it pass. Everytime. Some of the conversations between the two just didn't quite ring true, for me. Then the small detail of her "situation" with Lily's father set me off . Not being married to Lily's father, she still kept in touch with him and he occasionally came and visited. He stayed at their house and she continued a physical relationship with the man when he was around. Now that I am not naive about and I understand it happens. But when Lily let it be known that she knew that was happening, Susan, the intelligent, wise woman was shocked & embarrassed that her daughter knew. Seriously? Does a high school principal not know that teenagers stay up until the wee hours of the morning even if they are in their rooms? Does she think that high school kids would never figure it out? She actually thought her daughter would never know? Seriously? Not ringing true, once again. The ending was just too pretty and not true to most baby bearing teenage girl's situations, I would think . There were other details too but like I said before too numerous to go on. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">With all that being said, there were some good points to the story that bear mentioning. The young man who was "used" to father Lily's child, though he felt betrayed insisted on wanting to be a part of the pregnancy and the child's life. Lily did not want him being involved at all. This baby was hers and her alone, she insisted in all her great intelligence. In spite of all that, the young man wanted involvement. When most young men would have been only too happy to be let off the hook and not to have anything to do with the situation, he showed some real character. The other aspect of the story that was good was that it definitely spoke of the fact that babies are real from their very conception and not just blobs of flesh as some would have everyone believe. Lily's fascination with the development of the child and habit of detailing it for her mother at every stage gave witness to how amazing the growth of a baby really is in the womb. The miracle of a developing child was celebrated. For that I commend the author.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">So perhaps making me mad, or at least, raising some kind of strong emotion in me was what the author had in mind. Maybe it was so that the book could be a vehicle for discussion. All in all though, it just wasn't a great read for me but I will give the author one more try. I've got another of her books in my reading basket. Hopefully that one will hit me better. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #674ea7; line-height: 18px;"><b>32. "The Return of Cassandra Todd" by Darrel Nelson</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; line-height: 18px;">Completed: September 5, 2013</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">33. "The Aviator's Wife" by Melanie Benjami</span><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">n</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; line-height: 18px;">Completed: September 17, 2013</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 9/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">The Aviator's Wife is a fictional account based on historical fact of the story of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, wife of Charles Lindbergh, the famous pilot who made the first flight across the ocean. Anne Morrow grew up as the second daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico. Shy in nature, she aspired to be a writer and lived her life in the shadow of her outgoing parents and older sister. When she met Charles Lindbergh right after his famous flight, she automatically thought that he would be attracted to her sister Elizabeth and was surprised to find that she herself was drawn to his confidence and allure. When Charles showed interest in her no one was more surprised than shy Anne. But Charles saw in her the potential for a fellow explorer and soon asked her to marry him. As a couple they made history together with charting flight routes all around the world. Anne, herself, became an accomplished pilot in her own right and was the first woman to get her glider pilot's license. She learned to navigate by the stars and became accomplished at Morse Code. But with all the fame came life changing consequences. The public and the press followed them constantly and wanted to be privy to every part of their lives, following them everywhere. They had to resort to wearing disguises just to go out. Even with all her accomplishments, Anne once again found herself in the shadow, this time of her controlling husband. Even though they did all the exploring together, Charles publicly took all the credit for himself. And when they had their first baby, Charles demanded Anne leave him with nannies while she came with him continuiing his work. When their first child at 20 months was kidnapped, Charles took over the investigation, his fame over riding even the detectives on the case. But as days turned to weeks, and weeks into months, Anne knew she had to give the detectives permission to do what they had to even it was behind Charles back. Sadly after 3 months the child was found dead. This was a major turning point in the lives of Charles and Anne. Charles started to hide Anne, and eventually their other children, away in remote areas and kept them moving. He started to take on controversial political views. He started to leave home for longer and longer periods of time, leaving Anne lonely to care for the children on her own in remote houses. Anne, while disagreeing with alot of things her husband said and did, always gave in to Charles, because he was her hero. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">This was such an interesting read. It captured me right from the beginning and was hard to put down. I love a fictional account of someone or something historical and it was evident throughout the book that the author did much research into these very famous and historical figures. She took a lot of the accounts and events of their lives and put emotion and a real element into the documented facts. I grieved with them as their child was discovered dead and was angered by the man that Charles became. If all true, he was no hero to what should have been his most cherished accomplishment of his life, his family. He was quite despicable, in fact. I was grieved for Anne as she was not allowed to cry publicly or in his presence at the loss of her son. I became angry that she wouldn't stand up for herself and say no and allowed Charles to manipulate her into doing things for him even though her heart told her it was not right. I was saddened for the person she was becoming. I cheered for her when she started to come out of it and took on the writing she always dreamed she'd do. Though her affair in midlife made for a very sad part of the story for me, her deep need to actually be loved and appreciated and have her unending lonliness filled with companionship, was understandable. Tough uncomfortable for me to read that portion of her story, it was a fact of her life, and the author did not go and on and on with it. I loved the way the author wrote about this very intelligent, accomplished woman and brought her out of the famous shadow and gave her the credit due her as a true courageous explorer in her own right. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>34. "The Restoration Artist" by Lewis Desoto</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed: September 28, 2013</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 5.5/10</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><b> "The Man Who Quit Money" by Mark Sundeen</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">75 pages in I could not continue. This is the true story of Daniel Suelo who literally walked away from using money in any way, shape or form, to live. Adopting a philosophy of living only on what others throw away, and only taking what is truly given with no strings or ties or expectations, the man lives in caves in the Moab area, which I believe, is in Utah. His cave is open to whoever wants to go in and he freely offers the things he has if others want them. While the premise and idea captured my interest, I mean, really in our culture how does one achieve living without money?, I soon grew bored of the mish mash of religious ideals that seem to motivate the man and the book. He was raised fundamentalist Christian but seems to have just taken what he wants from that and mixes it together with a bunch of religions thoughts creating what he thinks is right for him, stating that Jesus himself was itinerant and lived off of what others gave Him. (Do I even need to say that Jesus also said to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and was trained in carpentry by his father and Paul the apostle even worked making tents so that he could support himself and not live off of others?) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> While throwing away using money for himself, this man has no problem using someone else's money in the form of taking rides or meals or whatever else. He is a squatter in national parks, using the thought that they are public property and he has every right. He refuses to eat at soup kitchens stating that they expect something in return, instead he takes from dumpsters, restaurants and individuals whom he had deemed freely give to him. He goes to the library and uses their computers to do whatever it is that he does. Is it only in my mind that money had to pay for the vehicle, insurance and gas, coming out of the pockets of those who offer him a ride? Do tax dollars not pay for the parks to remain public and for their upkeep? Do restaurants not pay for the food they order with money in order for them to be able to make meals? Is the library he is so "freely" using not funded by tax dollars taken from the population after they have worked hard to earn a living? His teeth were fixed by a dentist who did it for free, but did the dentist not have to pay for the materials he used? With money? But as long as it's freely offered with no expectations on him I guess, it's ok with him. He does work, when he feels like it, volunteering his time at charities, never in exchange for money. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">While there were some good thoughts to think on, especially on the areas of the wastefulness the North American culture generates in everything from food to pleasure items, the position he takes, is to me an extreme position and a lot of it just made me mad. Is he really advocating we all quit jobs that pay money and live where ever we feel like at the moment, taking off others? Soon there would be no excess for him to live off of and then where would he and all of us be? Or is this a just a handy lifestyle he's taken on so he can do whatever he wants, when he wants and not have any worries or be responsible or accountable to anyone? It is not money that is evil, but the love of money and the greed and excess it produces. Being a literate and seemingly intelligent individual, would it not be better for him to be a contributor to society and put his intelligence to good use to come up with a way to help those who really are on the fringes and dealing with homelessness and poverty through no fault of their own or circumstances of life that have hit them, rather than choosing to walk away and make some kind of extreme statement, becoming a glorified bum with no responsibilities towards anyone? Would it not be better to come up with a way to teach and bring awareness to excesses of society, other than just removing one's self from it and living off of others? The author poses the question to the reader to decide for themselves: </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> "Is he is a prophet of the times or just a highly amusing bum?" From the chapters I read, I wouldn't say I was a whole lot amused.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>35. "Sleeping in Eden" by Nicole Baart</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Completed: October 17, 2013</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Rating: 9/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>"Straight Up" by Lisa Samson</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; line-height: 18px;">set aside (couldn't get into it)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #674ea7; line-height: 18px;"><b>36. "Every Waking Moment" by Chris Fabry</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; line-height: 18px;">Completed: November 3, 2013</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 8.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Every Waking Moment is the story of a young woman with an unusual name and an unusual gift. Treha works as a janitor at Desert Gardens Retirement Home. Though she might be considered handicapped, she has an affliction with her eyes that causes them to dart back and cannot express her own emotions, Miriam, the director at the Home hired her because she saw something special in her. She has a special, undefined something that can draw people out to communicate with her when they haven't communicated for a long time with anyone else. She shows great respect for them and they all love her. Treha has especially built a mutual friendship with a resident, who was a former doctor. He draws her out of her own shell, and challenges her with puzzles and word games that they both mutally enjoy. Miriam encourages her relationships with the residents but all that comes to a screeching halt when Miriam is forced into retirement and another director comes in who is all about the bottom line and is seemingly without compassion for the very residents she works for. She's coming in with an iron fist that will bring changes for all the residents. When she meets up with Treha she is bent on getting her out of the Home at all costs. She is suspicious of Treha's past as no seems to know anything about her, not even Treha herself. Amidst all of the chaos of the shake up at the Home, are a couple of guys filming a documentary with the residents and in the midst of them telling their stories a long buried secret starts to come to light. But when they notice Treha and the special way she affects the residents their focus starts to turn to her and her abilities with the residents and they also want to tell her story. But in helping Treha to find out why she is the way she is more secrets start to come to light. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Chris Fabry has with his last three novels become one of my favorite authors who's next novels to hit shelves I excitedly wait for. While this book had several main characters all with their own stories going on, he took the main character of Treha, and connected them all seemlessly, slowly drawing you in until the secret is totally revealed. While I must admit this story did start off slowly for me once it grabbed me I couldn't put it down. It deals with issues of finding our pasts, facing aging and the loss of independence, treating the elderly with dignity and compassion, and pursuing our dreams. I love how the author showed we all have a life story that brought us to where we are and we all need someone to care and to listen to that story. Though it did start off slowly for me and the wrap up of the story wasn't quite what I was expecting it was a really good read and I would recommend it, for sure!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #674ea7; line-height: 18px;"><b>37. "Jennifer" by Dee Henderson</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; line-height: 18px;">Completed November 14, 2013</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 7/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">A very short prequel to the prequel of the O'Malley series, this story introduces the youngest of the O'Malley clan, Jennifer. Jennifer is a very compassionate, caring pediatrician working with children who have very serious, sometimes terminal illnesses. She loves her job and all the children who come into her care. Which makes it extremely difficult when any her young patients pass away. Her whole life is about her job and she very deliberately put aside having any relationships to devote her whole heart to her patients. But when she meets Tom, another doctor, he slowly works his way into her life and her heart. Jennifer is leary to go beyond just a friendship, especially when it is very apparent that Tom is very seriously devoted to his faith and belief in Jesus. She is not prepared at all to go down that road. But she sees qualities in Tom that she knows stems from his deep beliefs and it draws her. But just when her own faith takes it's first steps she is dealt a medical blow that threatens to shatter it's beginnings.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Jennifer is first introduced in the O'Malley series in the first book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Negotiator-OMalley-Series/dp/1414310560/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384467567&sr=8-1&keywords=the+negotiator+by+dee+henderson">the Negotiator</a>. This is her back story to that initial introduction. Written in the same style as the whole O'Malley series which puts faith in the forefront, her story explores faith in God and serious illness. Each book in the series delves into a different aspect of faith. What I appreciate about this series is that it is unapologetic that it is Christian and doesn't skirt around topics but takes them head on and presents a very strong biblical world view. Jennifer was the first in her unusual family to be introduced to faith and this story tells of that experience. She was also the first in the family to be married even though she is the youngest and the story also tells how she met her future husband. An enjoyable and quick read. Makes me want to read the whole O'Malley series as it's one of my favorites.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #674ea7; line-height: 18px;"><b>38. "The Merciful Scar" by Reecca St. James & Nancy Rue</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; line-height: 18px;">Completed: November 20, 2013</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 10/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Kirsten is a young woman completing her graduate year to become an architect. She is in a great relationship with long time boyfriend, Wes, but on the night Kirsten hopes he will propose her entire world comes crashing down when she sees him kissing her best friend. Devasted, Kirsten copes in the only way she knows, by immediately turning to self injury. But as she tries to make the cut that will bring the relief she seeks, a panicked Wes causes a string of events that land Kirsten in the psych ward at the hospital. With not a lot of choices before her, Kirsten takes the suggestion of her pastor and goes to a 30 day program at a working sheep ranch in Montana. Not knowing what to expect and desiring just to get it over with, she arrives at the ranch not knowing how an ex-nun, a dog, a bunch of sheep and other "odd" characters can have anything to do with helping people such as herself.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">I loved this story. Right from the beginning I was drawn into Kirsten's story. It tells a very powerful story that stuck with me for days afterward. Through the assortment of characters, the reader is shown a variety of attempts they use at hiding deep pain within their lives. The main character is a very likeable young woman with secrets she has tried to hide since her youth. The only release she finds is through self injury. She is very careful to keep her secret but when an event occurs that causes her "accident" to be misinterpreted, the self injury is no longer a secret. Faced with having to do something about it, Kirsten chooses to go to a sheep ranch in Montana at the recommendation of her pastor. It is here, from the loving and accepting ex-nun, Sister Frankie, and the honest work of a sheep ranch that Kirsten starts to finally face the guilt, pain and anger that have so long been buried inside of her. Though the story is built on her, there are other characters introduced that allow the reader to relate to any one of them in how they, themselves might deal with the painful things in our lives. Theirs is a long and difficult journey that I felt invested emotionally in as the story continued. The novel is really well paced and always give just information that kept me glued to the book to find out what all the secrets were and if they would ever find healing and be able to handle life. And though the characters all had different types anger and hurt and different ways of dealing with it, their path to recovery and healing all pointed to hearing God for themselves. The foundations of the book are Christian and hearing God for themselves is a main point of recovery the book was never "preachy" to the point of taking over the story. It was presented "naturally" and, I thought, beautifully to the reader. The characters and situations are very believeable. I think the book is directed mostly to young adults but it really is a great read for any age, especially if you have young people in your life. I'm passing this book onto my girls (ages 18 and 23) to read.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.9972px;"><b>39. "Bound to a Promise" by Bonnie Floyd</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.9972px;">Completed: December 5, 2013</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.9972px;">Rating: 7.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bound to a Promise tells the amazing true story of God’s faithfulness in the face of unimaginable loss. Bonnie Floyd’s father and stepmother had been living a dream life—serving as caretakers of a private tropical island and traveling the world in a sailboat. That life was cut short when three young men boarded their yacht as it was anchored off the coast of Antigua. Determined that there should be no witnesses to their theft and brutality, the assailants shot all four people on board.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the coming months and years, as God began to reveal what really happened that night in Antigua, Bonnie found not just the assurance that she would see her parents again in heaven, but also the power <span style="font-family: inherit;">t</span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">o forgive.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As I read through this book I was continually amazed. Bonnie tells her story, weaving into it her journey with Jesus and when the unthinkable happens, she continues this journey with how Jesus carried her through the pain and the anger to the other side where, because of a willingness to be obedient to God's leadings, she and her husband now have a life they never imagined. It read like a fictional legal mystery but was an all too real account of her life. I was amazed at the grace of God carrying her through the incredible grief of having her Dad and stepmom murdered, the subsequent investigation and the trial that lasted longer than they thought. I was amazed at her and her husband Don's willingness to do what God wanted them to do even when it seemed impossible in their own strength. It was incredible to read what God could do through people who were willing to face hard things and extend the love and forgiveness of God, walking out the Christian life to the extreme, to someone who had done something so horrible to them. It was a great read that was also a convicting and encouraging </span></span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">read.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>40. "Heart Failure" by Richard L. Mabry, M.D.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Completed<b>: </b>December 17, 2013</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Rating: 7/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A little suspense, a little mystery, a little romance, a little about faith and medicine is what this book presented to me. When Dr. Carrie Markham becomes engaged to paralegal Adam Davidson, she has finally come to a place in her life where she can move on from her past. But at a time when they should be happiest Adam's past has come to haunt them and put her in the cross hairs of someone trying to kill them. As they work to try to figure out who that person could be, Carrie is also challenged to renew the faith she left behind when her husband died. The description on the back of the book really piqued my interest but unfortunately it took until past the middle of the book for it to really start to grab my attention. Not to say that it is a bad story, it's not, but for whatever reason, it just didn't really hold my attention well until that point. When it finally did, though, I did find it hard to put down until who was threatening them finally was revealed. Just when I thought I had it figured out there were twists and more suspects thrown into the combination of characters. So a bit of a slow start to this one but I did end up enjoying the second half of the book.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="line-height: 17.9972px;">Rating: 8.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 17.9972px;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Review: </span>Brynne Hennesey volunteers at a local Homeless Shelter. She finds it fulfilling and it fills all the loneliness she feels when her husband is gone with his job as a firefighter. Because of some events that had happened at the shelter her husband feels she should not be there for her own safety. But Brynne cannot stop volunteering and does it behind his back while he is on shift. The the unspeakable happens when Brynne is at the shelter one night. A huge fire breaks out and burns the shelter to the ground. Five firefighters lose their lives, including her husband and the husband of the shelter director. As they try to find the cause of the fire Brynne realizes she cannot remember some of her own actions during that night. While she tries to cope and move on with her life, she meets Garrett who lost his firefighter wife in the blaze. The death of his beloved wife has left him staggering with unbearable loss and guilt for not protecting her in some way. As their friendship develops Brynne comes to some realizations that will in all likelihood end the budding relationship with Garrett and very well may consume her with her own brand of guilty feelings.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 17.9972px;">I love a story that grabs me right from the beginning, and this was one of those. The story built with tension right from the beginning even as a bit of background was being laid with the tension filled relationship of Brynne and her firefighter husband. It doesn't let up throughout as fire investigators try to figure out the cause and Brynne's memory lapses interfere with her moving on from that night of the blaze. Garrett and Brynne's relationship is a sweet one as they form a friendship that is first based on shared grief and then quickly becomes stronger. But when revelations start to come forth from the fire they must both dig deep to forgive the person who caused it. I love how the author approached forgiveness in the the context of the story. She really delved into various depths of it and explored against the backdrop of a horrible tragedy. This was a great read and I'm looking forward to the other two books in the series.</span><br />
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</div>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2615479509632793213.post-54768612083304952722012-01-06T21:29:00.163-07:002018-02-08T09:24:14.325-07:002012 Completed Books and Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>1. "The Touch" </b>by Randall Wallace</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: January 4, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Jones is a young doctor with amazing neuro-surgeon abilities. But when he is unable to help his fiance at the scene of an accident, Jones is shaken to the core and leaves surgery in favor of teaching in a medical school. When Lara Blair, the owner of biomedical engineering company comes calling on his door to help develop a robotic surgical tool that goes deep into the brain his immediate reaction is thank you but no. But Lara is a determined young woman for urgent reasons way beyond the thrill of invention and money. As their friendship develops Jones must push beyond his fears and find the courage to re-enter the surgical suite as more than a teacher.<br />
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While a little slow moving for me in a few places this was a wonderful story of love and pain, the courage to move beyond and of recognizing God's gifting in your life. The research on robotic surgery really showed but was placed into the story in a very easily readable, and definitely not dry, way. Lara and Jones relationship was very interesting as it developed beyond the pursuit of business.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>2. Love Lifted Me </b>by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: January 10, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> Max and Jade's story continues as Max returns from rehab. With much to make amends for, he and Jade start to try to rebuild their family which now includes Max's son whom Jade as been raising as her own while Max was at rehab. Their story was believable as they try to work out the difficulties of trust issues that come with addiction, and as they face secrets again trying to come into their lives and blow them apart, even while trying to know and follow where they feel is God leading them. It was easy to cheer for them and feel happy for their triumphs even while feeling your heart sink with their trials and mistakes. This was one of those stories that didn't mince on difficulties but at the same time left the reader feeling uplifted. Definite thumbs up in my opinion.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>3. "Not in the Heart" by Chris Fabry</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: January 30, 2012</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span></span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Truman Wiley is a character you love to hate. He's got issues and plenty of them. Having lost his high profile job with a news network, he is now estranged from his family, has a major gambling habit, is in debt and running from a loan shark, has lost his car and the cabin he was living in. He is sarcastic, a dead beat dad and a missing in action husband who has not been there for his wife. And his son is dying. He is at the end of his rope when an opportunity to write the story of a man on death row comes his way. Conley was convicted of murder and is set to face death in one month. Always maintaining his innocence and having had a prison conversion to Christianity, he has given up hope of having his sentence over-turned and wants to have something good come out of the situation. He wants to donate his heart to a dying teen. A dying teen who happens to be Truman's own son. Truman reluctantly takes the job, not thrilled that anything to do with Christianity is involved, but the family also happens to go to his wife's church. And he desperately needs the money. As he starts looking into the death of the murdered hair dresser, he starts to come across evidence that could mean Conley has been telling the truth all along. But telling the truth would mean that in all likelyhood his son will die.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">I thought this was an great, albiet heavy, read, one that brings you face to face with how you think and feel about some tough subjects. I felt Fabry handled the personality of an addict very well. While I have not had experience with a gambling addict, I have known and had to deal with a drug addict. Totally narcissistic, running from all responsibility, all their decisions, even to the detriment of all their relationships, being made through the lens of their addiction was told in a very realistic way. I thought the relationships between Truman, his wife and his children's viewpoints was told seamlessly as it went back and forth between them. Yes, the personality made me mad but that is the nature of an addicted person. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Conley as the convicted murderer who maintains his innocence but is resolved with the fact he is going to die, also brings in the issues of capital punishment and of organ donation. The author, through the story, shows the great need out there for organ donation and asks us how far are we willing to go with it? The controversy of organ donation by death row prisoners is brought to the forefront and raises many questions. Is it ethical? Do people want the organs of who they might feel are "evil" and "bad". Will more prisoners be killed quicker on death row just so their organs can be harvested for transplants? All these questions and more are looked at through the story and makes you think where your stand is on very hot button issues. The main character also wrestles with the fact that he may have evidence that in the very least would throw doubt onto the prisoner's conviction and that the revealing of it will remove all chances for his son and mean his death. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">As a reader, I was faced with how I view other's shortcomings and failures as well as my own. Is there a place for second chances even in the most dire of circumstances? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>4. the Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Completed: February 7, 2012</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Rating: 6.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Review: </span></span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">After being persuaded to be the bride at her town's Founder's Day celebrations, Shay is shocked to see that the "groom" waiting at the top of the aisle is non other than Travis, her first love, and the man that left her on the courthouse steps 14 years earlier to pursue his rodeo dreams. Using the premise of a couple becoming accidentally married in reality when all they were doing was a reenactment of a historical event, the author explores topics such as forgiveness, trust and worrying about what others think. It is a romance story so there is a very strong romantic element. I enjoyed the storyline of Travis trying win back Shay's heart. In turn, I thought the story of Shay's feelings and struggle in believing and trusting Travis, even with his most honorable intentions, after being abandoned both by him and her husband in her past was believable and well written. Throw in her childhood poverty, her desperation at losing her ranch and her desire to do the best by her young daughter and I could certainly see where she was coming from. Because it is a romance novel, there are parts where the two run into situations where they're attraction to each other takes over. While the feelings are described, a few of which while coming close, did not cross my personal lines, but do get intense and did make me consider whether I would want my teenager to read. And because I am reviewing with my personal Christian convictions, there is an element regarding that within the story that made me a bit uncomfortable. ( I don't know how else to say it without telling a part of the story). All in all, it was a good weekend read for those who enjoy a romance novel that has some exploration of issues we all go through thrown in.</span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>5. "The Devil in Pew Number Seven-A True Story" by Rebecca N. Alonzo</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06; line-height: 18px;">Completed: February 10, 2012</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #134f5c; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span></span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">In 1969, Rebecca's family moved to Sellerstown, North Carolina. Rebecca was just a pre-schooler when her father felt the call of God to pastor a small church in this small farming community. They were welcomed openly and as the small congregation grew all who attended respected and loved Pastor Robert, his wife Ramona and Rebecca. All except one man who attended the church but was not actually a member. Being wealthy and having a strong control over the people of the town, he was not pleased when decisions in the church started to not go his way. Over the next five years, this "upstanding" member of the town unleashed an attack that is almost indescribable against Rebecca's family in order to drive them from the town. The Nichol's family lived under constant harassment, threats, shootings and even dynamite bombings for 5 years planned methodically to scare them away. Rebecca never knew a time in her childhood when she wasn't afraid. Then an event occured that changed Rebecca's life forever.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">But the family also lived with a deep faith in God, His calling, and His love and forgiveness. Pastor Nichols believed no one was beyond redemption and believed in walking out the forgiveness of God in a spirit of humility and love. He took it very seriously where in the bible where Jesus said:</span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">“You have heard that it was said, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">‘</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana,tahoma,arial,sans-serif; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">pray for those who spitefully use you</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "tahoma" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"> and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”</span></i></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> He and Ramona instilled deep into Rebecca's heart that forgiveness, for the Christian, was a way of life and not an option.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">This story touched me deeply. We are studying offense and forgiveness in my ladies study group (see book in my sidebar) so the timing of this book coming into my hands could only be from God. It lined up perfectly. In our discussions on forgiveness us ladies at the group go through a whole lot of "ya but's". This story is the testimony of someone who actually walked out that forgiveness that we are with such difficulty trying to wrap our heads around. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">While most of my reviews, unless a book tour review, are being done on my book blog, I felt I had to review this one here so more people would know of it. I will not lie, this book was in places grievous to read. It broke my heart what this family went through. What a person out of rage and jealousy can perpetrate upon others is unbelievable. There were several times when I just cried for them and my heart literally felt heavy. But it is also a story of redemption, of faith, of hope and of the power of God's grace to forgive the actions of even your worst enemy. Rebecca's last chapter teaching on forgiveness is biblically solid and her story shows it is possible, that God doesn't ask us to do something He will not give us the grace and strength to carry out. I would say this book has had a profound effect on me and has faced me square on with the "ya-but's" excuses in my life. Unforgiveness is rampant in society and causes a myriad of problems in people's lives. It can be passed down in families and amongst friends. It puts us into chains and takes us captive and puts us into a chokehold that God never meant for us to live with. This story shows that forgiveness can profoundly effect us, whether we are the forgiver or the one being forgiven. I borrowed it from the library, but I will be buying my own copy so my kids (17, 20 & 22) can read it and so that I can lend it out to those struggling with forgiving others. I highly, highly recommend this read.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>6. Sweeter than Birdsong </b>by Rosslyn Elliott</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Completed: February 22, 2012</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Rating: 9.0/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Review: </span></span>Kate Winters is a young lady from a fairly well off family in 1855 Westerville, Ohio. She is one of a very small group of young ladies who are the first women to attend Otterbein College and with graduating comes the first step towards her secret dreams of leaving Westerville before the family secrets and her Mother's controlling suffocate her. But she is hindered from achieving that dream when, because of her painful shyness, she is not able to complete an assignment that requires she make a speech in front of the class. At her Mother's insistence she tries out for a musicale being done at the college, her mother hoping she gets over her shyness and Kate in the hopes that she can use it to make an escape and run away from home & her Mother's schemes to marry her off to a wealthy young man who also attends the college.<br />
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When Ben Hanby hears Kate sing, though she is quiet and shy, he is taken with her voice and quiet demeanor. He immediately wants to cast her for the solo in the musicale. As Ben starts to develop feelings beyond the musicale for Kate he is torn because of his own secrets that he must keep as his faith leads him to work alongside his parents for the Underground Railroad. While on a "railroad business" trip that coincides with a shopping trip that his mother is making that includes Kate, Ben and Kate are unexpectedly thrown together into circumstances that goes beyond the musicale and brings their hearts together in a way neither could have imagined.<br />
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This is the second book in the Saddler's Legacy Series by the author. Though the I did not read the first, this story was totally easy to follow and didn't leave me wondering what was going on. It is a fictional story that was based on historical facts of the Hanby family who were very involved in aiding slaves to find their freedom through the Underground Railroad and on Ben Hanby specifically, whose published song became one of the hallmarks of the abolitionist movement. I really enjoyed all the research the author made into the main characters that were real persons and how she developed their personalities. The traditions of the day came across in the descriptions and events and were told with, what I thought, were great detail. I loved paragraphs such as this describing female equestrians at a circus:<br />
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"The equestriennes vaulted from one horse's back to another, changing places with astonishing precision. A clergyman had endorsed this act, with women in their knee-length tutus and exposed legs in tights? It was no different from the ballet, she supposed. Nonetheless, she sensed Ben's shyness from the determined set of his head, as if he dared not even glance at any of his lady companions while such a display of limbs occurred--not just ankles, but entire calves, practically even knees when the tutus bounced. "<br />
And this one describing a train ride:<br />
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"The air shimmered with the heat of the woodstove down by the door, but here in the middle of the car, Ben had to pull his muffler closer to his neck against the cold. Woodstoves could not combat the drafts from the windows of a wooden box on wheels, speeding across the landscape at twenty miles per hour."<br />
The contrast to today's world is made so well by the descriptions of the decorum and transportation of the time it made me smile. <br />
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But the story also told of the heartache of the slaves and their flights to freedom and of the deep convictions of those helping them. It was beautifully written and conveyed their deep convictions and courage. I would love to get ahold of the first book in the series which centers around the parents of Ben Hanby and their work. I would definitely recommend this read for historical fiction fans, clean love story fans and/or those interested in the history of the Underground Railroad.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>7. "Another Dawn" </b>by Kathryn Cushman</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: February 23, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Grace Graham is a young single mother who has spent her life running from the tough situations in her life. She has just broken up with her fiance so when her sister phones and basically demands she come home to help care for their father who is having knee replacement surgery, Grace reluctantly agrees. Now she must face her anger at her father, whom she blames for her mother's death. And all she wants to do is turn around and run. But her four year old son is thrilled to meet his baby cousin for the first time so she tries to stick it out as best as she can. But when Dylan starts to get ill, and it turns out the illness is a direct result of decisions she had made in the past all she wants to do us run again. And now her decision has not only affected her and her son but many families within the community. But she has nowhere left to run. She must find the courage and strength to stay and face what happens and grab the second and last chance she has been given to make things right.<br />
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I could not put this book down and read it within a day. That is unusual for me but it was easy reading that just drew me right in and didn't let go until the very end. The author, in my opinion, presented really well the arguments for and against immunizations. And in the context of this debate she tells a wonderful story of coming full circle, second chances and doing the right thing in spite of our fears. I was drawn in by all the characters, everyone of them was interesting to me. The situation was complex and unthinkable and their emotions and reactions were very real and raw. It had my heart gripped. An excellent read!<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>8. "The Power of Praying for Your Marriage" by Stormie Omaritan</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: February 2012</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 9/10</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-weight: bold;">Review: </span>With each chapter taking on a different issue that can harm marriages, the author gives a small biblical teaching on each topic and then teaches you how to pray for it. I liked how she approached some difficult topics and always looked at them through the lens of hope. I liked the format of tackling each topic separately and how the prayer sections at the end of each chapter were set up: Prayer for Protection, Prayer for Breakthrough in Me, and, Prayer for Breakthrough in My Spouse. A really powerful little reference book chockfull of scripture. <br />
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Topics:<br />
1. If Communication Breaks Down<br />
2. If Anger, Rudeness orAbuse Poisons Your Relationship<br />
3. If Forgiveness Doesn't Come Easy<br />
4. If Depression or Negative Emotions Spoil the Atomosphere<br />
5. If Children Start to Dominate Your Lives<br />
6. If Finances Get Out of Control<br />
7. If Addictions or Other Destructive Behaviors Manifest<br />
8. If Outside Influences Pollute Your Sexual Relationship<br />
9. If Hardness of Heart Causes Love to Die<br />
10. If You are No Longer Each Other's Priority<br />
11. If the "D" word Becomes An Option<br />
12. If Infidelity Shakes Your Foundation<br />
13. If One of You Decides to Leave Home<br />
14. If Hope Seems Lost and You Need A Miracle<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>9. "Wrapped in Rain" by Charles Martin</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: March 2, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 10/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Tucker Mason didn't have an easy childhood. Raised without a mother and with an alcoholic father who wanted basically nothing to do with him and his brother, Tucker received his moments of love and happiness not from his father but from spending time with his brother and young friend, Katie and from the black woman his father hired to take care of them. Tucker is now a world famous photographer whose work has graced the covers of the most famous magazines and newspapers. As he heads home after a shoot in Florida, he comes across a young woman and her son who are on the run and who obviously need help. Then when the news comes that his brother has escaped from a mental facility, Tucker is forced to face his own ways of running. Running from a horrid childhood. Running from the hate that would consume him. But the one thing he can't run from is the love and influence of Miss Ella, who raised him and his brother as if they were her own. Though she passed away several years ago, her words are still rising up to influence and guide him to break the cycle of anger and let love win, but will he listen?<br />
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This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's compelling and haunting. A story of good vs evil. Of love and redemption. Of influence in a child's life. The writing is more sophisticated, for lack of a better word, than a lot of the books I've read of late. It took me a little while to get used to the flow of it. The descriptions at first seemed a bit much for my liking but it all came together as the story went on to the point it was hard to put the book down. The author wove the story with such skill that every emotion of the characters was felt deeply as I read. Each main character was developed so well that you felt you knew them. The last quarter of the book I basically cried through as Tucker and his brother, Mutt, had to come to the place of dealing with what they had seen and experienced as children. I'll not lie, reading parts of this story was very difficult but I don't think the author dragged those out. He kept the focus of the characters who put their hearts to do good. My heart broke for both the brothers but mostly for Mutt who was dealing with mental illness. I thought the author took us to an understanding of mental illness that fiction novels usually don't. The character of Miss Ella, who raised Tucker and Mutt as though they were her own children, and who consistency and with love and a deep faith, built them up even as their father tore them down, even as she, herself, suffered was compelling and inspirational. And reading the author's notes on his own memories of a praying mother made me long for my own children to have those kinds of memories of me. This is one of those stories that you think on for a long time after you turn the last page. An absolute must read in my opinion. Would make a great reading group choice in spite of the fact that it does not have a reading group discussion guide at the back.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>10. "For Time & Eternity" by Allison Pittman</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: March 6, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">11. The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: March 12, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Rose, Bianca and Cordy, three grown sisters, all find themselves back at home in their parents house when their mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. They come to help but they also come for their own secret reasons, the likes of which they don't want anyone, not even their sisters to find out. It isn't long before the family dysfunction starts to surface and overtake the reunion, and they fall back into their old patterns of sibling roles. Rose the strong, take charge oldest sibling. Bianca, the feeling like a nobody, has to prove herself middle sister, and Cordy the spoiled, responsibility shirking, princess of the family. But as adults it all starts to blow apart as the crisis makes each sister take a good hard look at their own lives and changes they might need to make.<br />
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This book left me with mixed feelings. The good stuff: I thought the approach of writing parts of the story from a narrated point of view of the sisters as a group was unique. It added a different flavor to the writing. The story was compelling and heartfelt and you just wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen with each character, to see if they would be able to get over themselves long enough to really help their mom. Each character was well thought out and written, exploring the relationship between sisters and birth order. I, of course, related most to the oldest sister, and saw parts of myself, in her character. The father, an intellectual and a professor of Shakespeare, and the way he related to his children and it's effect on their lives, was also explored on a lesser level. The writer drew you into their lives, the good and the bad, right from the beginning. While the issues and problems were forefront for most of the book, the ending left me feeling you could cheer them on to the places in their lives they were going. And while two of the sisters had no problem with "free love" and it was a huge part of the story of their lives, I thought the author was, thankfully on my part, not overly descriptive. I knew this book would not be presenting a Christian world view, so I was not expecting it to be clean cut, but it was a nice surprise to find the author handled this area in a way that didn't make my hair curl. <br />
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The stuff I didn't enjoy so much: While the lifestyles and secrets each sister held started off as interesting, by 3/4 of the way through, I was tiring of their immaturity, selfishness and self absorption. The way they acted reminded me at times more of teenagers than of adults. The way the father interacted with them, while unusual, left me wanting to shake him. About midway through the book the "f bombs" started to fall and continued occasionally until the end. I thought there could have been more of a look into the influence of the mom in the story. In spite of these things, though, the book did really hold my interest as I held out hope that something would change in this dysfunctional family and their personalities and relationships would mature, grow and mend.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>"Rescue" by Anita Shreve</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>I was first drawn to this book because my son is studying to be a paramedic and the back cover sounded interesting. However, after the second chapter I closed the covers and set it aside due to the prolific use of expletives. Just didn't want to deal with that. The story is not worth the wading through constant f-bombs, taking the Lord's name in vain and various other swears. Not worth my time. I know in the book above I mentioned there were f-bombs but they were few and far between compared to this novel and the Lord's name was not used as a swear. This was over my imaginary line.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>12. "Forsaking All Others" by Allison Pittman</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: March 20, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 8/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>13. "God Loves Broken People (And Those Who Pretend They're Not) by Sheila Walsh</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: March 22, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 5.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>In this book Sheila Walsh, coming from her own places of brokeness and pain, tries to help us deal with the pain and suffering we may be experiencing in our own lives and points us ultimately to Jesus to open doors of deeper intimacy with Him. <span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I was looking forward to reading this book by Sheila Walsh. I've known of her background from singer to tv host to admittance to a psychiatric ward for severe depression to speaker at Women of Faith conferences. So I knew she would be coming from a very personal place in writing this book. And she does write honestly about her places of brokeness and the things that she still struggles with today. This was however, a book I found very hard to get into and to finish. It felt disjointed to me and I had to really focus and plug away at it. She tends to quote a lot of other people all through out the book which I don't like because to me personally, it breaks the flow of the author's voice. And she tells a lot of other people's stories along with her own. I also didn't quite know what to make of the chapter comparing some grace to what she calls "Halloween" grace. I hated that term and comparison. In glancing back through the book to write my review, I can see however, there were a couple chapters that I did get lots out of as evidenced by the heavy doses of underlining and writing in the edges in those chapters as compared to the other ones. But all in all, this was a book that was, for me, more of a picking up nuggets type of a read. There is an indepth study in the back but in all honesty, I only glanced at it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>14. "Broken Wings" by Carla Stewart</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Completed: March 25, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Mitzi Steiner was once a celebrated half of a singing duo with her husband Gabe. Now in her eighties, Mitzi divides her time in between volunteering at the local hospital and spending time and ministering to her now bed ridden and unaware Alzheimer's stricken beloved husband.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Brooke Woodson's life seems to be finally on track. She has a great job as a paralegal and seems to have snagged the most wanted ambitious bachelor in town. But after their engagement, a side of her fiance starts to surface that Brooke never could have imagined. As his anger spins out of control, Brooke is under pressure to hide the real man from her Mom, family and work colleagues, all at risk to herself.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">When Mitzi and Brooke's paths cross in the hospital, Mitzi immediately recognizes what Brooke's accidents really are and takes a step of faith and offers Brooke shelter and a safe place to recover. Not knowing why Brooke accepts and the start of their unlikely friendship starts. During her stay with Mitzi Brooke learns of Mitzi's own difficult past and understands why Mitzi so wants to help her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">The story telling talents of author, Carla Stewart, really shine through as she weaves the stories of Mitzi's past and present and Brooke's difficult life into a story that really pulls out every emotion in the reader. I cried, I felt uplifted, I felt the pain and the anxiety the story tells. I cheered on Brooke as she admitted and faced what she had to, felt compassion for Mitzi as she tenderly cared for husband, was drawn into the story of Mitzi's past. Each main character was well written and I really cared about the characters as the story made it's way to the end. How the author wove such a great story together while dealing with such difficult issues as abuse and Alzheimer's in a compassionate way and still maintaining a story that flowed and didn't get bogged down gives credit to her wonderful story telling. A wonderful read if you like a book that makes you care.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18px;">Review: <span style="color: black;">We did this book as a study book at my ladies bible study and I don't think any of us were truly prepared for the depth of study and the challenge this book would present to our Christian walk. The author takes the reader through step by step, into a study of how satan uses offense and bitterness to entangle and snare a believer, how God feels about it, and then he teaches the reader how to get free. It is deep and it is challenging. It makes you search your heart, it makes you get face to face with issues and excuses, and it brings you before the Lord. Parts of it are not easy. The study at the back asks guide the reader through specific thoughts and questions to pinpoint where you are with offense in your life and then shows scripturally how God looks at it and how we are to deal with it. At the end, I was left with a better understanding of offense and what it does in a Christian's walk and relationship with God and I am now much more of aware of my "red flags" that tell me when I am allowing offense in. Well worth the study and it's a keeper on my bookshelf. I'm sure I'll be referring to various chapters and rereading this one!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18px;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">16. "And The Angels Were Silent" by Max Lucado</span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: April 7, 2012</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 8/10</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18px;">Review: <span style="color: black;">Max Lucado takes on a journey following the last week of Jesus' life here on earth. He explores what was most important to Jesus in the things He did and spoke when He knew His life was coming to an end.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: black;">I picked up this book because I wanted to read something before Easter that spoke to my heart about what we are observing and celebrating as Christians in this season. I'd never thought about when someone knows they are dying that the last words they speak and the last actions they do are what is most important to them. I thought it was a beautiful perspective that Max Lucado showed. Some chapters really spoke to my heart and were easy to grab ahold of and connect with. Others were a little bit more of a struggle as I tried to get past the writing style to find what the author was really trying to say. But all in all, it was the perfect book to read over Lent and prepare my heart for Easter. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>17. "Anne of Green Gables" by L.M. Montgomery</b></span> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: April 9, 2012</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>18. "life, on the line" by Grant Achatz and Nick Kokanas</b></span><span style="color: black;"> </span><b style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: April 14, 2012</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #134f5c; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 8/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">"life, on the line" is the story of Chef and co-founder of <a href="http://www.alinea-restaurant.com/pages/gallery/gallery_cuis.html">Alinea</a>, a restaurant that is ranked in the top 10 of the world. From his humble beginnings cracking eggs with his grandmother in the family owned diner at the age of 5 to his journey to becoming named Best New Chef, Rising Star Chef of America and Best Restaurant in America, this was an interesting read. You follow Achatz through his strained childhood with an alcoholic father who came in and out of his life to his time at the Culinary Institute of America to his working for his mentor, Thomas Keller at <a href="http://www.frenchlaundry.com/">the French Laundry</a>, (another top restaurant), to his meeting with his friend and business partner Nick and the founding of Alinea. It's a story of a very driven, very creative young man. The reader is taken into a journey of his philosophy of food, that of food not only involving the sensory of taste but of evoking emotion as well, of food as art, food as entertainment. The storytelling was interesting and I never found it dry, not even when there was lots of pages of descriptions of the restaurant coming together. In fact it was a story hard to put down. Once Achatz meets his business partner, the story starts to go back and forth between the two of them and brings both of their perspectives into view. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">But this isn't just another story of another world class chef and the building of a world renown restaurant. What was really unique about this story and what really brings the title of the book into a whole other meaning is that right when Achatz realizes his culinary dreams he starts to get sick. He is diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma or tongue cancer. Doctors don't give him much hope and the treatment of the day would radically alter his appearance, his speech, his life, his career and his quality of life as they would remove his tongue, cut his jaw and into neck. Without this "treatment" he basically has a few painful months to live. As he deals with the most horrendous news a chef and a person could receive by turning to the safety net of his work, his friend and business partner deals with the news by searching the internet constantly for alternative treatments. He found one that involved very aggressive chemo with a different drug and then a schedule of twice a day radiation that takes the patient as low as they can go and then removal of the lymph nodes of the neck. Achatz decides to try for the alternative treatment but pays the price of losing his sense of taste. But he kept at his life's work and has gone on to open yet another innovative restaurant and win the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef in America Award.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I like autobiographies because I like to see what makes people tick. I wouldn't call myself a foodie but I do love watching the food network. </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">I've always wondered what makes these chefs so driven, so willing to work so hard at their craft with what sounds like not much pay, and why sometimes they are so egotistical. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> When I saw the book at the library I was drawn right to it. It's not just a story of a very creative person or of food or the ego or the drive. It's a story of surviving cancer and of friendship. I really, really enjoyed the whole of this chef's story. I do feel that I should warn there is some foul language scattered here and there. There are several f-bombs dropped. There is a couple instances of the Lord's name being taken in vain, which to me is the worst swear. On the whole the swearing is much less than what I thought would appear in a book written by a chef considering the amount of swearing there is on some of the shows on the food network. I was totally prepared to put the book down as I have done before when the swearing is pervasive, and though I would MUCH prefer that there be no swearing whatsoever, I know that is probably unrealistic in a book of this sort. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>19. Need You Now </b>by Beth Wiseman</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Completed: April 24, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">When the opportunity to move their family to a small rural town presents itself, Brad and Darlene take it in the hopes that it will help their oldest son who was starting to get in with the wrong crowd in the big city. But coping with the move has been hardest on their middle child and in an effort to keep living up to being the perfect child and not rock the boat, Grace is dealing with her pain in her own way, by cutting herself. Darlene thinking her family is going along just fine, starts a job outside of the home but when things start to unravel bringing turmoil not only into the family unit as a whole but into what she thought was a rock solid marriage, Darlene is faced with temptations of her own. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> This was my first Beth Wiseman book and I enjoyed it. While up until now she has written Amish fiction, this book was a contemporary story about a family in crisis. The base premise of the story was really good... who do you turn to when everything in your world is falling down around you? When even God seems far away? When confusion and fear starts to color all your perspective and decision making process? There was lots of tough issues tackled in this book, some really well and some only touched upon. Because it is a book about a family, there is five characters each dealing with something in their own individual lives and yet affecting the family unit as a whole. Throw in a handful of secondary characters and that is a lot of issue and character juggling. But I thought the author chose which of the issues should come to the forefront and carried it through to the end of the story. I'm actually hoping that there is a second book in the works so that those issues and characters that were pushed to the background can be explored. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> I was very curious how the author would delve into the huge issue of teenage cutting as my daughter used to have a friend who was battling this. And it is scary! I was afraid that the issue would be over simplified with simple, wrapped up in a bow solutions because in real life it is not. The author, I thought, did as good a job as one can do within a novel of normal length. The story gave me a better understanding of the struggle faced by these kids who cut. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> **POSSIBLE SPOILER HERE** There is one part of the story dealing with the main character, mom Darlene, that did start to delve into uncomfortable territory for me. With the distance widening between her and her husband, Darlene also had to face the temptation of succumbing to the attentions of another man. The storyline culminated in a point that, for me, was a cringe worthy moment. But as I thought about it for this review, I realized that isn't it like that in real life? Just when we are at our most vulnerable, satan attacks with all the forces of hell and throws every temptation he can to brings us to the bottom. The character faced this and had to look deep into her heart to find what she really believed. **END OF SPOILER**</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> All in all I enjoyed this modern story of the trials and struggles of a Christian mom who finds herself confronted with what she really believes.
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>20. "Mine Is the Night" </b>by Liz Curtis Higgs</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Completed May 4, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>21. "the Accidental Bestseller" </b>by Wendy Wax</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Completed: May 16, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 6.0/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Ten years ago Kendall, Mallory, Faye and Tanya were aspiring writers who met at a conference and formed a strong bond and friendship. Mallory became a best-selling author pumping out book after book, Faye, married to an internationally known televangelist, found her niche in the inspirational fiction market, Tanya in the romance genre. Kendall, in spite of all her efforts remained an author in the middle of the pack and has been experiencing failing sales. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">When Kendall's career and her personal life starts to unravel and she hits bottom, her four friends rush to her side at her mountain home to try to get her over the hump. With unwavering support they come with an idea to help her ghost write her next book which is due in a few months. Coming up with a story of four writers with an enduring friendship (based on their own) each woman puts more of their own personal lives into the story than they care to admit is true, especially when each has secrets they have told and unexpectedly the book hits the Best Seller List. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">I had mixed feelings about this book. The good stuff was the story of friendship and support. The insider's look into the world of publishing and novel writing was really, really interesting. Kendall's reaction to her life falling apart by fixing things in her house was a relatable and at times humorous read. The secrets they all carried that none knew about the other made for interesting thoughts on how close their friendship really could have been if they could hide those from each other for 10 years. The mean, evil characters were exactly that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> There were some things I didn't like about the story. One, as with any story, I have definite lines that I don't like to cross when it comes to reading love making scenes. This story crossed it a few times for me, which meant skipped paragraphs. That is my choice. And along with that, a story line in the book also really left me feeling uncomfortable. Without giving anything away, I will say the resolution of Faye, the televangelist's wife, secret was what bothered me. While I could see the secret and situation could happen, and the justification and reasoning has been used before, it left me with an unease of how it was wrapped up and of it's believeableness that it would so easily be brushed aside and accepted and promoted as continuing on from a religious leader's wife. There were comments made by the character, that while it sounds like it would make sense, if one knows the bible in any way, then the comments would immediately be recognized as false and not what God would be behind. In fact I thought the character was quite bold in making her claims with no biblical backing for them. It smacked to me of no biblical research being done on the subject therefore making the credibility of Faye's story line wrap up not ring true. It made for an unsatisfying finish to the book for me. I also found it a bit unbelievable that the characters would use names so similar to their own for their fictional characters in the book and then reveal their most deepest secrets about their lives. It seems that at least one of the four of them would have thought through some possible consequences.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>22. Sarah's Key </b>by Tatiana de Rosnay</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Completed: May 28, 2012</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Rating: 9.5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Sarah is a young 10 year old girl living in occupied France during July 1942. Raised in a loving Jewish family, Sarah is growing frustrated with the frantic, whispered conversations between her mom and dad feeling she is being left out. When the French police knock on their door in the middle of the night, Sarah hides and locks her 4 year old brother into a secret cupboard to keep him safe telling him she'll be back for him in a little while when they are released. But Sarah and her family's life is about to change forever. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Meanwhile 60 years later Julia Jarmond, who is an American journalist married to a French man and living in Paris, is assigned to write an article because of an upcoming commemoration of the Vel' d'Hiv', a round up of almost 10,000 Jewish people, over 4000 of which were children. But in researching for her article Julia comes across connections between her husband's family and that of Sarah's family and changes their own lives forever as she unearths secrets deeply buried.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I was not prepared for the moving and gut wrenching story that this would be. It is told from both Sarah and Julia's perspectives, alternating between chapters. Sarah's voice totally gripped me and had my stomach in a ball the whole time I was reading it. Her story while fictitious is based on the historical fact of the round up and arresting of the Jewish peoples around Paris in July 1942. What is doubly horrific is that it was done, not by the Nazis, but by the French police under orders from their government who worked with the Nazis. The containment of them in a major indoor sports arena for more than a week with no food, water or bathrooms was sickening to read as was the separating of mothers and children. All were sent to Auschwitz to their deaths. And the realization that this part of the war was so kept silent and only recently talked about is heartbreaking. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Julia's part of the story although not as gripping was interesting in the fact that the history and personal connection of this event changed her own life sixty years later. Very interesting to me was how the author delved into the different reactions to the event and the personal connection to them of different family members and the French people as a whole. I did feel, however, like the last 25 pages of the story (the New York setting) or so seemed to drag on. Once the climax of the story had been reached it seemed the story just wasn't wrapping up, almost like the author just couldn't let go of the characters. Sarah's story had ended but a lot of Julia's story somehow seemed to not want to finish. But in spite of that, it was a story that I am so glad the author told and well worth the read. It definitely made me think and will make me remember that date and what happened. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>23. One More Sunrise by Michael Landon Jr. & Tracie Peterson</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Completed: June 8, 2012</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Rating: 8/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Joe Daley married his high school sweetheart and thought that was the beginning of his dreams. But when he gets turned down to fly for the army in the war due to a medical condition, Joe's life takes a very different turn. Now everything is viewed by him as life before the medical or life after the medical. As one thing after another happens that, in his eyes, makes him a disappointment, he turns to alcohol to help him get through. And then one morning, while he's flying his crop dusting plane, he hits what he figures is a very large bird. As his plane is spiraling to earth he begs God for a second chance to make things right with his family.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Joe's wife Meg is heart sick as she watches her beloved Joe's life going downhill fast. For years she has tried to hide his drinking from the children but after the last broken promise she feels she cannot take it anymore. Meanwhile a former school mate has turned back up in their small farming community and is offering the town and farmers a second chance if they would sell their farms to his company. It sounds too good to pass up but are they putting their hopes in the wrong thing? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I really enjoyed this book. Though when writing what it is about I found it quite difficult. There are several story lines woven throughout each other in the book that it was hard to put it down without writing way too much. But suffice it to say it is a story of second chances. There is a small spiritual element to the story that made it an interesting story. All in all it was a good read.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #38761d; line-height: 18px;"><b>24. The Romanov Bride by Robert Alexander</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06; line-height: 18px;">Completed: June 19, 2012</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 9/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span></span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">The Grand Duchess Elisavyeta has always led a life of royalty. She was born a princess of Germany and married the Grand Duke Sergei of Russia and because her sister married into the Romanov dynasty and is now the Tsaritsa of all Russia, Elisavyeta lives in the very rich and pampered courts of the royals of Russia. Her husband lavishes the finest of jewels on her and she is renowned among the privileged for the these and her beauty. But the teachings and example of her mother in caring for the people never leave her and as her husband gets harder and tougher in his ruling of Moscow, she finds herself struggling with the hard lives of the people. When her husband is assassinated she sells all her jewels and possessions and builds a convent and hospital to help the poorest of the poor. She devotes her life to serving the Lord and the people.</span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Pavel is a young, newly married peasant come to Moscow to try to provide for his wife and soon to be child. Living in squalor, sharing a basement corner with four other families he can barely afford to put bread on the table. But he and his wife have the love for their Tsar and Tsaritsa that most Russians did and with optimism believe they will be heard if they just bring their petition and trials to the attention of the Tsar. He is the "father" of the country after all, and they his "children". How can he not listen to them and help them? But when they join a peaceful march and things turn ugly, Pavel's life is changed forever and as his heart fills with hatred and bitterness he joins the revolutionaries. As Russia is thrown into turmoil Pavel's and Elisavyeta's life will be thrown together.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">I really liked this story. As with "</span><a href="http://www.sitestories.com/thekitchenboy/" style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #507d17; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">The Kitchen Boy</a><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">", Robert Alexander has done a lot of research into Russian history so all the historical aspects of the Romanov family and the revolution and the events leading to it are woven so well with the fictional parts of his story. The story is told in first person from two viewpoints that of Ella ( the real life Duchess turned nun) and Pavel (the fictional character, the revolutionary). Their lives take very different directions, Ella's compassionate and caring, and Pavel's, brutal and obsessed. I found it so interesting how each character dealt with the death and tragedy in their lives and chose very different paths in reaction to it. The hope that Ella brings to the sickest, the downtrodden and outcasts of Russia is in strong contrast to the hate and violence of the revolutionaries. Through the voice of Pavel, you gain an understanding of where Russia was at the time from viewpoint of the peasant and the poor and how bitterness creeping in can find hatred and will use any means to get change. I found the change in Ella's life from extravagance and oppulence to chosen poverty and service was amazing and the fact that it is true even more miraculous. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> In warning there is a few vulgar parts in the story. When the revolutionaries speak of the Tsaritsa, it is in very vulgar and profane terms. It is part of history, and how the revolutionaries spread hate for her amongst the people. These parts are a few paragraphs and the book is not permeated with them but they are a nasty part. Parts of the story are very violent as they deal with the real events in history of the revolution.</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>25. "Hope Springs" by Kim Cash Tate</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Completed: July 2, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 5.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">The story takes on two generations and two churches in a small town. It revolves mainly around Grandma Geri Sanders and her family and the family of fellow neighbor and pastor of one of the churches, Pastor Jim. The families are gathering in Hope Springs to attend the funeral of Pastor Jim who died suddenly. While there Grandma Geri faces a devasting health crisis and the lives of her loved ones are changed as they rally around to help her. This book, for me, took on way too many characters and way too many storylines. I lost the thread of the story several times as my mind tried to sort out who was who and which family they belonged with and which church they attended. While I had read the author's other two books I was still thrown for a loop as characters from those showed up in this book as well with no reminder backgrouds. I had to pause to remember what their personalities and stories were from the other books. While I thought she dealt with the issue of race and attitudes and relations between a white church and a black church in a gracious way the significance of that line of the story was a little drowned out for me by all the characters I had to keep track of. There is a family tree in the beginning of the book but I'm not one to constantly have to refer to it. I did like the themes of faith, forgiveness, doing what is right, unity and servanthood that are woven throughout the storylines.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>26. "Waiting for Morning" by Karen Kingsbury </b>(Book I - Forever Faithful Series)</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Completed: July 15, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Rating: 9/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Hannah Ryan has the perfect life. Having married her childhood sweetheart, they now share a deep love and 2 beautiful girls, 15 and 13. Tom Ryan is a doctor and very involved husband and father. Their Christian faith has been intentionally passed onto their daughters all their lives. Each year Tom takes the girls camping as a last hurrah of summer right before school is about to start. This year Hannah didn't go with them. As she waits at home, their arrival time has come and gone, and she tries to take control over her thoughts over why they might be so late without a phone call. When the news comes that her oldest daughter and husband have been killed by a drunk driver, Hannah must try to pick up the pieces of her and surviving daughter's life. But she finds herself consumed with hate for the man who destroyed her family and she throws herself into work with MADD and with helping a lawyer bring a conviction of first degree murder against the man. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> Hoping for the peace that she has convinced herself will come with the conviction, her daughter's and her own grieving and suffering are pushed to the side to be dealt with later and her faith is thrown out in her anger. But it isn't until her husband's dying words find their way to her that she finally finds the peace she is searching for.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Karen Kingsbury has definitely dragged my emotions all over the board with this story. It is a story of love, anger, revenge, pain, loss, grieving, and forgiveness. In casting the main character as a Christian and putting her into the midst of horrible tragedy, a tragedy that could have been prevented, she is faced with what she really believes. Any one of us could face any number of tragedies that may be caused by another's carelessness or neglect here on earth and none of us knows how we would deal with such a thing unless we really go through. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Do we choose to believe God even when it makes no sense to our minds? Or do we choose to hang on with everything we've got and believe He is good and in control</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">It's nice to think & say that we would react the way the Word tells us to with instant forgiveness and love. But Kingsbury gives us a character who is very real and relateable in her journey through a devastating time. At times I totally related to her and other times I wanted to shake her. Hannah's story is one that shows how choices we make and warning signals we ignore can have long term consequences on ourselves and those we love. It also shows how God's mercy and grace can reach even through the deepest of pain and help us to do what He calls us to do. I could not put this book down once I started it. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>27. "A Moment of Weakness" by Karen Kingbury </b>(Book 2 - Forever Faithful series)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Completed: July 18, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Jade and Tanner are childhood friends and Tanner always believed he and Jade would be married someday. But when Jade's family unexpectedly moves away it seems that dream is not to be. But Tanner has never forgotten Jade, even as he is in school pursuing the dreams his Mother has for him of a political nature. When their paths cross again while Tanner is doing a practicum for school, they fall back into their friendship of years past much to the shock and horror of his mother. Soon it becomes more and once again Tanner is determined to marry her. But first he wants to go on an extended mission trip to Hungary to see for himself what religious oppression does to people. But before he leaves they get themselves into a situation and Jade finds herself pregnant. There is no way to reach Tanner while he is on the mission and so Jade turns to his mother for advice. What she tells Jade changes the course of their lives. Jade goes on to marry a young man from high school and Tanner returns from the mission trip to find this out and spends the next 10 years confused and grieving the loss of Jade even as he pursues becoming a legal religious freedom fighter in America. But their paths cross again when Jade finds herself in the kind of trouble that only Tanner and his law firm can get her out of. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I found that while the story was really good, this installment in the series didn't grab me quite as much as the first book. But that is my head space as I've always had a place in my heart for the MADD organization and those families who lose loved ones to drunk drivers. This book was no less thought provoking or important in it's content, however, as it examined the eroding religious freedoms of some individuals in America. It also continues with themes of redemption and forgiveness that were part of the first book. Matt and Hannah are reintroduced into this story as Matt becomes Tanner's partner in the law firm fighting religious freedom but their story is really kept to a minimum as it is really focused on Jade and Tanner and what is happening to them. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>28. "Halfway to Forever" by Karen Kingsbury </b>(Book 3 - Forever Faithful series)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Completed: July 21, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">In the last installment to the series, Jade and Tanner have now married but Jade still feels insecurities of whether they had done the right thing. Matt and Hannah have finally decided to adopt and both families are now very close friends. Just as their lives seem to be really going along with a little girl coming to Matt and Hannah and Jade finally after years of trying has become pregnant. But things take a huge downturn for both families and they must draw on every bit of faith they have to make it through.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">This last book of the series delves into what we believe about God's forgiveness and God's plan and goodness in our lives. It explores marriage, friendship and faith in the most trying of circumstances. This was a story that was just as good as the first two though I did find the author made a lot of background info and references to what happened in the first two books all throughout this story. Which was okay if you didn't read the first two installments but because I did read them I found myself scanning a lot of pages because to me it was redundant. I know a lot of people find the happy outcomes to this author's books frustrating but I find sometimes one just needs that. I like the positive outcomes to battles fought in faith. It lifts my own faith as I find the not so perfect characters making mistakes and struggling through their own trials coming to good resolutions</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> so I find this series was well worth the read.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>29. "True Sisters" by Sandra Dallas</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Completed: July 30, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> In 1856, Nannie and her beloved sister and brother in law, Jessie and her two brothers, Anne and her family, and Louisa and her family, join others from England and make the trip to the U.S as Mormon converts headed to the Zion. Louisa is married to a church leader and missionary who did much of the preaching in England and while many find her husband overbearing she believes he speaks for God. Nannie, from Scotland, was abandoned on her wedding day and is horrified to find that her former fiance is travelling in the same Company with his new wife. Jessie and her brothers have dreams of farming in Zion, dreams that made selling everything they had seem worth the risk. Anne has not yet converted to Mormonism, but feels forced to come along as her husband sold everything including their very successful tailoring business and she has nothing left. Fearing he'd take the children without her, she joins him on the trek. Being promised by Brigham Young that they would have wagons and guides, they get to Iowa City only to find that they have no wagons and must instead build two-wheeled handcarts that they will push and pull. Being forced to downsize their already meager belongs, they set off on a 1300 mile journey on foot. Their company, the Martin Handcart Company, is the last to leave. With great hope of joining other companies already successfully arrived in Salt Lake City, they have no idea of the hardships and devastation that await them. Or of the strong bond of friendship that this hardship will cement between them.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Based on the true story of the actual trip of the handcart company, this story was typical of the author's amazing story telling ability. The rich characters she painted and the all too human weaknesses made this a moving story from beginning to end. On her website she states she is not Mormon but wanted to tell the story of what the women went through and how the bonds of friendship helped to see them through struggle, bone weariness, overwhelming heat and cold, starvation and death. My heart was gripped through the whole story at what they were going through and every emotion was pulled out of me. It's hard to believe that the foundation of this story is true and decisions made on the behalf of hundreds of trusting people put their lives and their family's lives on the the line. Though it is a story of Mormon history the author makes just enough references to aspects of their religion to bring knowledge of what was going on at the time and decisions made and reasoning for them and not as a story meant to convince you to convert. It's a heart moving and heart wrenching story built around the character's of these four women and their families. At the very end, the author tells what eventually happened in the lives of these women after they reached Salt Lake City, but I'm still trying to decided if it was just a wrap up to the fictional characters or if these women were really historical figures. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>30. "Possession" by Rene Gutteridge</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Completed: August 2012</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>31. "The Dead Don't Dance" by Charles Martin</b></span> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Completed: August 22, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>32. "Last Summer" by Holly Chamberlin</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Completed: August 24, 2012</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Rating: 8/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #38761d; line-height: 18px;"><b>33. "A Sound Among the Trees" by Susan Meissner</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06; line-height: 18px;">Completed: September 1, 2012</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #134f5c; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Holly Oak is a huge old Southern Mansion that has seen it's share of tragedy over the years. When Marielle Bishop marries Carson he brings her to "his" home where he lives with his two children from his deceased wife and her grandmother, Adelaide, now 90 years old. But "his" home is really Adelaide's and it has been in her family for generations. Having lived through tragedy in her own life, including having a mentally ill daughter who ran away from home in her teens and was rarely heard from, Adelaide now has superstitions and strange beliefs about this home she has known all her life. As Marielle trys to start her new life, what she at first believes to be the odd musings of an old woman start to become a bit muddled and she starts to wonder if the house really does bring misfortune to the female occupants. As she tries to sort it all out, she comes across some old diaries of Carson's deceased first wife and it leads her on a quest to find out the truth about the house and it's occupants. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I usually love Susan Meissner stories. Her stories always draw me in through the character's lives and I love how she blends history within the contemporary story. This book, however, didn't grab me in quite the same way or felt as enjoyable as her former books. The contemporary part of the story was interesting, for awhile, but then it started to get too mish mashed for me with all the different characters and their separate views of what went on with the house, most of which were superstitions and just odd. Then when the historical part of the story started the tale was told through letters that were written by a young Susannah, Adelaide's great grandmother. Susannah was rumored to have been a traitor in the civil war and all the fears of Holly Oak being haunted are rooted in her story but hers was really a story of sacrifice. A full 1/4 of the book were page after page of these letters and I just couldn't get into that style of storytelling. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Though this book is marketed to a Christian reader it really did not have a whole lot in it to do with God. Only one character is even mentioned as a believer and that was just barely touched upon. The story also contained a person who is supposedly spiritually sensitive and senses a presence in the house which everyone thinks is the ghost of Susannah. The character is probably what I would label a medium and I definitely wasn't enjoying the parts of the book where her viewpoint and practices were being the focus. to me there was never any real resolution in speaking to this and the other superstitions presented as against scripture and the Christian viewpoint represented and therefore I wonder why this book was marketed as Christian. I'll read other Susan Meissner books because the other three or four I have read were really, really good but as far as this one is concerned I was disappointed.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #38761d; line-height: 18px;"><b>34. 52 Little Lessons from a Wonderful Life by Bob Welch</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06; line-height: 18px;">Completed: September 3, 2012</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #134f5c; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 10/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i><br /></i></span></span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"></span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">"It' a Wonderful Life" is not just one of my favorite Christmas movies but it's one of my favorite movies of all time. So I jumped at the chance to get this book when it was offered. I am so glad I did. Because it was for a book tour and review I had to read it quickly but I will sure be going back into it and savoring the insight Bob Welch has into the characters of the movie and applying these lessons into our modern lives. It will make it even more meaningful the next time I watch it. Each lesson starts with a quote from the movie and is a small chapter that can be read in minutes. Great life lessons are expounded upon in the context of the movie and biblically. A few examples are:</span></span><br />
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<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">God Honors Our "Childlike Faith"</span></span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Self-Pity Skews Our Vision</span></span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Life's Greatest Adventures Are About People, Not Places or Things</span></span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">You Can't Run Away from Your Problems</span></span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Perspective Changes Everything</span></span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Prayer Changes Things</span></span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Don't Wait to Tell Someone You Care</span></span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">It's in Helping Others That We Help Ourselves</span></span></li>
<li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; line-height: 18px;">What Triggers True Change is True Humility...</span></li>
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">...just to name a few. Such an enjoyable and meaningful little book. Hard to put down once you start. If you watch the movie with your kids this would be a great companion book to teach character and values lessons.</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #38761d; line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cG7ZJjSsBjU/UFjaVeRDHfI/AAAAAAAAHWI/xzEiwNd4f5A/s1600/secret+life+of+bees.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cG7ZJjSsBjU/UFjaVeRDHfI/AAAAAAAAHWI/xzEiwNd4f5A/s200/secret+life+of+bees.gif" width="153" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #38761d; line-height: 18px;"><b>35. "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Completed: September 18, 2012</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Rating: 5/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Lily is a 14 year old girl living on a peach farm in South Carolina in 1964. Her mother died when she was 4 and Lily believes it is her fault. Her father shows her no love and deals with her harshly and the only person she can turn to is her African American nanny, Rosaleen. But when Rosaleen is arrested when provoked by the town's worst rascist, Lily feels totally alone. In a rash decision to run away and break Rosaleen out of the town jail, the two embark on a journey towards a town called Tiburon. Lily found the name of a town on a picture of a black Madonna that was part of her mother's few possessions. So in an effort to connect with her deceased Mom, the two set out on a journey that leads them to the home of 3 bee keeping sisters. The sisters take them in, with hardly a question asked and it's here that Lily finds answers to those questions that she has struggled with for so long. It's a story that involves turbulent racial times, racism, love and finding your place and where home is.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I finally got around to reading this book. But it took over 2 weeks to get through it. It just didn't grab me. "Plodding along" is how I felt reading through it. I kept reading it because it is a book that has had so much "buzz" (haha) about it. That's what compelled me to keep reading, not so much the story. I have to admit the whole aspect of the story that revolved around the black Madonna did not appeal to me at all, and it ended up being a huge part of the story. I thought the rituals with the madonna were just plain weird and the divine personality and abilities attributed to the Madonna was just maddening from a Christian perspective. Some parts of the story I thought were either a bit unbelievable or not followed through enough. Case in point was the part where Lily, the young white girl, and Zach, a teenage black teen who worked at the bee farm, had gone to town and get mixed up in a racial argument that ends up with a white man with a broken nose and several black teens, including Zach, being hauled off to jail. Serious stuff. That Lily just sits in the truck throughout, with seemingly not a lot of fear, with not one person noticing that she was actually with one of the black teens and she wasn't questioned or even acknowledged and just walked away is strange to me. This was set in the South in racially turbulent, scary times.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">What I did like though, was the story of the closeness of the 3 sisters. I really liked some of the personalities of the main characters. I did like how the author described things in the book like the pink house, the honey house and bees and their lives. But the story just didn't have that "can't put it down, stay up way too late reading" feel to it for me. I just don't get the fascination of this story that seems to be out there.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79; line-height: 18px;">Updated to add:</span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> I watched the movie on the weekend and I must say that in this rare case I liked the movie better than the book. The movie did not focus on the black madonna at all, revealing only what was needed. And it really brought out the emotions of Lily and the beekeeper sisters in a really nice way.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GbYY1guZn4E/UGsW9biy21I/AAAAAAAAHkQ/PS4pzauhNw8/s1600/wherever+Grace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GbYY1guZn4E/UGsW9biy21I/AAAAAAAAHkQ/PS4pzauhNw8/s200/wherever+Grace.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #38761d; line-height: 18px;"><b>36. "Wherever Grace is Needed" by Elizabeth Bass</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #b45f06; line-height: 18px;">Completed: October 1, 2012</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; line-height: 18px;">Rating: 8/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="color: #990000; line-height: 18px;">Review: </span></span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">This is essentially the story of two families. One a family that has been disconnected through divorce and now faces a crisis and the other a family trying to find their way through a tragedy and grief that has paralyzed them. The common denominator that ties the two together is Grace Oliver. Grace has felt disconnected from her father and brothers ever since her mother moved her away to Portland in the aftermath of divorce when she was six. With only occasional visits to her father, she has always felt on the outside edges of the Oliver side of the family. When her brother calls to say that her dad has had an accident and has a broken leg, Grace puts her life on hold and returns home for a few weeks to help her father recover. When home the family is hit with the shock of finding that their father also is in the early stages of Alzheimer's and Grace extends her stay indefinitely. Next door to her father is a young family who has lost their mother and one daughter to a car accident the year before. The father in deep grief, cannot seem to be able to surface out of it in order to help his other children, one of whom feels responsible for the accident. As the family dynamics spiral downward the younger children (aged 10 & 15) find a friend in Grace and Mr. Oliver even as the older teen resents Grace for perceived intrusions into their life.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">This was my first read by this author and I have to say I did enjoy it. It has lots of heart rending moments as each family deals with loss. The parts that really tore my heart were the ones that involved the kids and how they were dealing with the loss of mom and sister and now, basically, an absentee father. The author wove in heartwarming moments and light heartedness so what could have been a very heavy story was lifted by these parts of the story. There were however, a few cheesier moments in the story that did nothing to elevate it for me and the end did wrap up "all of a sudden" for me but for the most part it was a good story that involved me emotionally on many levels with the characters. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5H_k2DbnGA/UHhBgPHxSdI/AAAAAAAAHng/4JkyG9iQQAc/s1600/maggie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v5H_k2DbnGA/UHhBgPHxSdI/AAAAAAAAHng/4JkyG9iQQAc/s200/maggie.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>37. "Maggie - The Sequel to The Dead Don't Dance" by Charles Martin</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Completed: October 11, 2012</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Rating: 9/10</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>After Maggie wakes up from being in a coma for 4 months, Dylan is elated but knows he and Maggie must walk through the grief of losing their son during the birth that put Maggie into the coma. Dylan finds it hard to talk about the things he went through when Maggie was in the coma so she asks him to write it down instead of talking. But Dylan feels he can't share the deep, heart breaking things where he came to the end of himself with Maggie, feeling she is on the edge of emotional breakdown herself. So he writes two stories, one that only shares some of the things which he gives to Maggie, and one that tells the gut wrenching truth, the one he hides in the floor boards. As they try to put their lives back together and deal with their grief, Maggie once again finds herself pregnant. Though it brings joy, it also brings fear. Fear that the unspeakable could happen once again.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Charles Martin writes a heart rending, beautiful story of a woman whose identity is wrapped up in being a mother. When circumstances seem to all work against that identity she is totally lost The heartache and loss she experiences takes her down a hard road, one that her husband is sometimes at a loss as how to handle. Throw in some other suspenseful side stories that also directly affect the lives of these two and a quirky character first introduced in the Dead Don't Dance and now further developed and this was a story that was hard to put down. I don't quite know what it is about Charles Martin's writing but it just draws me in. His descriptions and use of words are amazing at times and beautiful and I find myself nodding my head and saying to myself, "Yes, yes, that is exactly what it is and what it feels like!" Case in point, Dylan the main character, after Maggie tells him she is again pregnant, in narrative starts to speak of hope (keeping in mind they lost their first child and Maggie almost died and went into a 4 month coma that was starting look pretty hopeless for her recovery all resulting from the previous delivery). From chapter 7, page 57 and 58:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>"I've never been a fearful man. That does not mean I've never known fear; God knows I have. There's no S pinned on my chest. I just mean it's not something that stays with me all day perched atop my shoulder and whispering in my ear. In the months after Maggie woke up, I wrestled - even battled- with a long litany of </i>what ifs <i>that scared me . But her waking every morning had put that whisper to rest.</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<i>But the moment I leaned in and listened, tasting the trickle of hope and wondering at the unfathomable enormity once again, the whisper echoed. It smelled like the air behind the trash truck, the soil in Pinky's stall, or the floor of the delivery room. It's breath alone could gag a maggot.</i></blockquote>
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<i>Whereas <u>hope</u> had returned only after I'd cornered him in the barn and extended an invitation, <u>what if</u> reached up out of the floorboards, threw his bags on the couch, and made himself at home without so much as a peep. And unlike <u>hope</u>, who was tidy and neat, <u>what if</u> was a slob, seldom cleaning up after himself, and made it his point to throw remnants of his life in every nook and cranny of the house. Polar opposites, <u>hope</u> never raised his voice, while <u>what if</u> never lowered his. Not compatible roommates, they charged the air with a tension that even Blue </i>(the dog) <i>picked up on."</i></blockquote>
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"Maggie- the sequel to the Dead Don't Dance" by Charles Martin</div>
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pg. 57, 58</div>
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Copy write 2006, Charles Martin</div>
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Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. </div>
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Loved this story of redemption, hope, love and commitment.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>38. "Thunder and Rain" by Charles Martin</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000;">Completed: October 21, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 7/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Tyler Steele is a third generation Texas Ranger. Honest, kind and with a strong sense of wrong and right and protecting the innocent, his dedication comes with lots of glory and with lots of sacrifice including his marriage falling apart. Now he is retired and raising his 11 year old son on his own trying to find his way. Heading home one night he literally runs into a woman and her daughter who need help. In trying to help them he finds out that they are on the run from an abusive ex who has abused both mother and daughter and who can access ways to hunt them down. In protective mode he takes them to his town and gives them a place to stay hoping to keep them safe. But things start getting out of control when his feelings turn to more than general protection and when the ex finds them and the local prison breaks out in riot.<br />
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So far I have loved the books by this author that I have read. He was quickly climbing my ladder to become one of my favorites. But this novel didn't capture me the same way. The story started as a great premise but I found it was so drawn out. While in his other stories that I've read, the author's use of words captivated me, I found this story to be very wordy and I found myself starting to skim over huge parts where the conversation just didn't stop. While I loved the morality and strong character of Tyler, the characters of Sam and Andie had me hanging in how I felt about them. As the story built and the attraction between Tyler and Sam started to build, there were parts that I was just getting plain uncomfortable with. I found her throwing herself at him cringeworthy a lot of the time and of course, because the character of Tyler is narrating the story you get his descriptions of his attraction to her. Though he is ever the gentleman and has high moral standards, you are privy to his thoughts on the matter. <br />
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Parts of the story are narrated by ten year old Hope who was abused It's in the form of journal writing and letters to God. These are the most emotional parts of the story for me as she trys to sort out what has happened to her and why and her thoughts and observations of the man that is helping them. Though some of these entries I found inconsistent in that one time it was like a hurt desperate little girl talking and other times I could not accept them as a 10 year old writing them. The thoughts and wording were just too mature. <br />
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So though it bugs me to say it, and though he still is one of my favorite authors, this novel is not one I'm raving about.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>39. " Eternal on the Water" by Joseph Monninger</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: October 31, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Jonathan<span style="color: #990000;"> </span>Cobb is an English professor who takes a sabbatical from teaching to take a kayaking trip down the Allagash River in Maine so that he can experience what Thoreau experienced, that of simple living and enjoying nature. Little does he know it will change his life forever but not in the way he supposes. On his first day there he meets Mary, a corvid (crow and raven) scientist, who also loves the simple life and deriving pleasure from nature. From the moment they meet they fall madly and deeply in love. But Mary, and now Cobb with her, must face some hard turbulents in her life, harder than the river rapids they are kayaking together. As they try to build the best life they can together, Mary's outlook on life, to live each day to the absolute fullest, brings them closer and more in love as they face the hard times.<br />
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This was a lovely story, one of deep love and absolute commitment no matter life's journey. It was a story of friendship and uplifting others. And it was a story of living life the best you know how, to the fullest living in each moment. The settings in the book of Maine, Indonesia and Yellowstone National Park were beautifully described by the author. It made me want to go to all three areas just to experience them. The story incorporated a lot of nature into it and I think I learned more about crows than I ever thought I wanted to know. LOL. While I did enjoy the interjections of nature throughout, I did sort of tire of some of the mythology & storytelling within the story, a story within a story, per se. But that is personally me. I'm sure there was some significance to those but I was too caught up in the other aspects of the story to focus on figuring all that out. I found myself skipping a few of those. But the main story itself, that of Mary and Cobb's life together was told beautifully and I liked how the author mingled that together with a group that reaches out to young girls and whose influence had greatly affected Mary's life . I also liked how he used the river as a significant part of the story affecting both Cobb and Mary's lives from beginning to end. A box of kleenex is definitely a must in the last chapters. The book does delve into a very tough subject that is a hot debate right now. I don't want to reveal it though because it will give away some aspects. It did make me think about it though, not to agree or disagree with it, but to think about it, to where exactly my stand might be.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>40. "Everything-What You Give and What You Gain to Become Like Jesus" by Mary DeMuth</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: October 10, 2012</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">When this book came up for review, I requested it right away. It went right along with something we'd been talking about at bible study: giving every bit of ourselves, not just pieces of ourselves or certain areas to the Lord. Mary DeMuth speaks from her heart and shares stories that have brought her to places of facing the challenge of surrendering all to the Lord and in Him finding the everything that we want and need. The book is broken down into three areas of surrender: our Head - What We Think, our Heart-Who We Are, and our Hands-How We Live. These areas include chapters that delve more into the specific areas that everyone finds harder to relinquish such as worry, failure, insecurity, control, letting the past define us, letting others define us, the vows that we make are just a few example. I found this book to be a great encouragement in showing how Jesus desires to be all that we need and that it is a good thing to give up even those areas that we hide deep inside that no one can see. We've all got them. All of us find some areas easier than others. As I read and answered the questions at the end of each chapter, I felt challenged yet could feel that desire to let it all go and get closer to God and find in Jesus all that I'm really searching for. I will be honest in saying that, for me, this is not a book that can just be sat down and read. While the style is pleasant reading for a non-fiction, it is challenging in the sense of causing me to look deep inside. I had to take breaks and chew on what the author was trying to get across. Sometimes I had to reread sections and paragraphs. But it was sorta like a friend cheering me on to do the very thing that would get me closer to the Lord.</span><span style="color: #990000;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>"The Winter Palace" by Eva Stachniak</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Uncompleted: </span>Set aside at page 59. Couldn't get into it at all. The style of writing didn't draw me in the least.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>41. "The Lake of Dreams" by Kim Edwards</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: November 24, 2012</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>Lucy Jarret lives in Japan with her boyfriend Yoshi. Having recently lost her job, Lucy feels unsettled in all aspects of her life, including her relationship with Yoshi. When news comes that her mother has been in an accident and has hurt her arm, upon Yoshi's suggestion Lucy decides to return to the States to lend a hand until her mother can heal. But returning to Lake of Dreams has stirred up all the reasons why Lucy left. The drowning death of her father ten years before still haunts her and she is thrown for a loop when she returns to find her mother dating another man and that her old love now has a glass business in town. Restless and not knowing where she belongs she comes across some papers in her family's home from the early 1900's as well as a few handwritten notes written by a person named Rose. Her attention is captured and she sets out to find out who this Rose was and how she was connected to her family. What she unearths changes her and her family's lives.<br />
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I really enjoyed the major parts of this story though did find it a tad slow going in the beginning. But once the mystery started building it was hard to put down. The author's attention to detail about the historical aspects of the suffrage movement of the early century was really interesting and I liked how it was woven into the the contemporary part of the story through the family connection. The dilemmas that women faced and hard choices they had to make because of the views of the times were told through the life story of Rose as Lucy discovered it. I enjoyed reading of Lucy's journey to discovering herself through her almost obsession of finding what happened to Rose. There were a few aspects of the story that were frustrating to me and those were the parts I didn't enjoy. The whole part of the comet I could have done without, to me it was just another detail that I had to remember and when it came up later in the story I found myself thinking "oh yeah, that was in here". Lucy's selfishness was sometimes annoying and her reactions were sometimes those of a teenager and not a 30 year old who'd lived around the world but as you read on she seems stuck at the point her father drowned and is not able to move emotionally from there. A very frustrating part of the story for me occured when a secret was revealed accidentally and the mother in her excitement insisted on disclosing that she knew, no matter the consequence or the fallout or the feelings involved. I found that quite unrealistic, at least compared with mothers that I know. I did close the book feeling satisfied with the ending and that the story was complete (not always the feeling I get with some novels).<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>42. "And the Band Played On" by Christopher Ward</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: December 2012</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 9/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span>This is the story of Jock Hume, one of the band members on board the Titanic, who played music to keep passengers calm while the ship went down. Written by his grandson, it is family history that has been both passed down and researched by the author. It's a fascinating look into what happened after the Titanic sank and how it personally affected this one family. There is lots of interesting facts and details, many of which I'd I'd never heard before, incorporated into the story about the Titanic and what happened, but there is also the very personal elements of this family's loss that impacted them deeply and that they carried with themselves long after the sinking. At times it was hard to read of the family dynamics but ultimately it was the story of a real person who died giving of his talents to others. It was hard to put the down.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b>43. "The Story of Beautiful Girl" by Rachel Simon</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Completed: December 27, 2012</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Rating: 9.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Review: </span><span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">It is the late 1960's and Lynnie, known as "No-no", and Homan, known only as No. Forty Two as they don't know his name, escape the School for Incurable and Feebleminded in Pennsylvania. Both Lynnie and Homan have been committed to the school, left and forgotten by everyone they've known. Lynnie, by her parents, because she had a developmental disability and Homan, by the police because he is deaf and unable to communicate and they didn't know who he was. Being higher functioning, they are allowed a little bit more freedom within the institution and so manage to meet secretly now and then forming an deep bond and friendship which eventually leads to love. On the night they escape, they knock on the farmhouse door of a widow and former teacher named Martha, who despite her fear takes a bold step of compassion and lets them in, feeding and clothing them. But they also bring with them a newborn infant, one that no one knows about, and when the police knock on the door looking for them, Martha makes a promise and pledge to Lynnie to hide the child. While Homan escapes once again, Lynnie is taken back to the institution with the hopes that Homan will come back for her and they will find Martha and the baby. But Homan's life takes on twists and turns that he never could have forseen and as he tries to navigate the world without hearing and understanding he is taken away farther and farther away from where Lynnie is, not knowing how to get back to her. Lynnie lives her days in the horrors of the institution while finding a friend in a worker there who takes her under her wing. Martha makes good on her promise to hide the baby and take of her and spends many years on the run moving from city to city. That timid knock on the farmhouse door will change all their lives and the next forty years will see them face insurmountable odds while trying to keep their hopes alive that one day they will reunite.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">I picked this book up because the description on the back grabbed me. My field of study and interests in college was Rehabilitation Services and there was a couple of institutions that we were supposed to tour during our study years. I was always very interested in the courses that studied the history and attitudes of the different time periods of society and how they treated their handicapped, who they considered were disabled and what they did to and for the individuals. This was an incredible story that showed the plight of hundreds of thousands of American people in the 60's and 70's who were committed to institutions around the country not only for severe handicaps for such small things as not pronouncing their words properly or for being deaf or blind. Because the story spanned so many years it also took us through the movement to deinstitutionalize those that had been "put away" and forgotten and bring them back into the community.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;"> Through much research and the inspiration of a true story she read of an African American deaf man who was committed simply because he could not communicate and make himself understood and having the experience of a sister with developmental disabilities whom her parents refused to send to an institution, the author shows us not only the horror of what the institutions were like but also the opposite side, the story of those support workers who were caring and loving individuals and did the best they could for the patients in the most awful of circumstances. The story was an emotional ride that spanned forty years of three individuals who were drawn together by circumstance, love and commitment and though at times lost hope, continued to press on in their search to reunite. It was beautiful and heart wrenching and definitely needed keenex at the end. The author's notes and Q and A with the author at the back of the book were well worth the read and added greatly to the story.</span><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; line-height: 18px;">One of my favorite reads for 2012!</span></div>
<span style="background-color: #fafefb; color: #134f5c; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>Susannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02757963698816530787noreply@blogger.com3