Book Review: Gone South

Gone South, by Meg Moseley

Book description:

Leaving frosty Michigan for the Deep South was never a blip in the simple plans Tish McComb imagined for her life, dreams of marriage and family that were dashed five years earlier in a tragic accident. Now an opportunity to buy her great-great-great-grandparents’ Civil War era home beckons Tish to Noble, Alabama, a Southern town in every sense of the word. She wonders if God has given her a new dream— the old house filled with friends, her vintage percolator bubbling on the sideboard.
 
When Tish discovers that McCombs aren’t welcome in town, she feels like a Yankee behind enemy lines. Only local antiques dealer George Zorbas seems willing to give her a chance. What’s a lonely outcast to do but take in Noble’s resident prodigal, Melanie Hamilton, and hope that the two can find some much needed acceptance in each other.
 
Problem is, old habits die hard, and Mel is quite set in her destructive ways. With Melanie blocked from going home, Tish must try to manage her incorrigible houseguest as she attempts to prove her own worth in a town that seems to have forgotten that every sinner needs God-given mercy, love and forgiveness.

I actually really liked this book (which was especially pleasant after the last book I reviewed with the Blogging for Books program).  The characters were interesting and likeable, and I really enjoyed all the moral dilemmas and misunderstandings they faced.  It was a book about fighting prejudices, dealing with unfulfilled expectations, and coming to terms with unpleasant truths. It was a delightful very real story.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars. I did receive this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review.

Book Review: Sierra Jensen Collection, Vol. 1

Book Description:

Happenstance…or God’s Great Plan? 

She’s the bold, free-spirited type. She’s cute, she’s fun, and she’s following God. She’s Sierra Jensen, Christy Miller’s good friend, ready for her junior year of high school! All twelve books in the popular Sierra Jensen series come together in four volumes to reveal the ups and downs of Sierra’s incredible God-led journey! 

Volume One: In Only You, Sierra, she’s nervous to be the “new girl” after her family moves to Portland and wonders if meeting Paul in London was only by chance. Just when everything important seems to elude her, all it takes is one weekend In Your Dreams to prove otherwise. But even a vacation doesn’t keep her troubles away in Don’t You Wish. 

Okay, not gonna lie, I did not enjoy this series.  It is highly unlikely that I would have ever picked it up on my own, and I most definitely wouldn't have bothered finishing.  (I used to feel compelled to finish every book I started...now, I think my time is far too valuable to waste on a book I am not enjoying.)  The only reason I read it was for the Blogging for Books program.  And it took me months to work up the gumption to get it over with.

You know, I like Young Adult fiction.  And I like Christian fiction.  So what about this left me repulsed?

Well, for starters, I disliked the main character.  I suppose she might have been a realistic portrayal of a teenager going through a major transition, but man she was irritating.

Also, the story felt abrupt.  And unbelievable at times.  And...silly.  Silly because that was not the attempt.  There's lighthearted fun silly books, and there's books that are not intended to be silly but are.  Being Christian fiction does not automatically place it in the category of good meaningful book.

Guest Book Review - Two Fantastic Reads from 2011

Now that I've got this year back up and going, I'm looking for weekly guest posters again!  But I'm also expanding what I'm looking for.  I'm still looking for DIY bloggers, but I'm also looking for bloggers who would be interested in doing a book review.  I've been an avid reader all my life, but over the last year I feel I've neglected that NEED...filling up all my time with other projects.  So one of my goals for this year is to rediscover and nourish that part of me.  Regular book reviews from me and from guests will help that!  :)

If you're interested in guesting, see my guest posting page here.

And so, to kick of my book reviews, I have Kimberly here today to share two of her favorite reads from 2011.  Take it away, Kimberly!

2011 was a great year for readers, in areas of fiction and nonfiction alike. In fact it was such a good year for books that you might be hard pressed to settle on any one book from the best-of lists from last year. If that’s the case, I have two great books to recommend. 

The Paris Wife

If you’re a fan of American fiction from the 1920’s, then you’ll love this book. Paula McLain’s novel The Paris Wife chronicles the life of Ernest Hemingway’s wife, Hadley Hemingway, during the couple’s stint in Paris in the 1920’s. It’s a time when her husband was at the peak of his creative power and influence, holding court at Parisian cafes among the likes of Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein. In fact, The Paris Wife reads almost like a version of Hemingway’s book about those years, A Moveable Feast, but told from Hadley’s perspective. The novel focuses mostly on the ups and downs of the relationship between Hadley and Ernest, who first met in Chicago and quickly fell in love, got married and moved to Paris to start a new life. Hadley, a woman in her twenties at the time, becomes immediately swept away by the dynamics between Ernest and his literary round table in Paris. But the exoticism of living among powerful writers soon loses its appeal for Hadley as she becomes privy to the darker tendencies of the group, particularly in her own husband.

 It takes a moment to acclimate oneself to the atmosphere and time of the book, but once you do so, I guarantee you’ll be hooked. Critics who reviewed the book praised it as much for the originality and beauty of the story as they did for the thorough research that went into it. Though most of the dialogue and smaller details are fictional, Paula McLain went to great lengths to try to capture as accurate depiction of Hadley Hemingway’s persona as was possible. If you’re looking for new  fiction to read, I would strongly recommend this novel.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

On the nonfiction side of things there is Thinking, Fast and Slow, a fascinating book by Dr. Daniel Khaneman that tackles a rather ambitious subject: human thought. But Dr. Khaneman has some rather impressive credentials to support his ability to write such a book. In 2002 he won the Nobel Peace Prize in economics, as he has devoted the entirety of his professional life to studying the eccentricities and abnormalities of human thought and rationalization.

The book itself proposes that we think about things using two mechanisms of thought, which Dr. Khaneman simply labels Systems 1 and 2. We use System 1 at all times to take in and process the information around us. It’s the kind of instinctual, intuitive sense in us that allows us to go on autopilot about certain things like getting dressed in the morning and holding a conversation about the weather. We use system 2 to perform highly concentrated thinking, such as when someone asks you to multiply 547 by 22—it’s something that makes our brains stop thinking about everything else so we can focus on the task at hand. The book explains the nuances of each system, explaining that we normally operate on system 1 and only bring ourselves to operate on system when it’s absolutely necessary. In other words, Dr. Khaneman contends that we have very lazy brains.

One of the most surprising things about Thinking, Fast and Slow is the ease with which it reads. I fully expected to read an academic text about the human brain when I start the book, but instead I found the pleasant and patient voice of Dr. Khaneman explaining huge concepts through simple diagrams, anecdotes, and exercises. If you want to better understand the mind, this book is for you.

This is a guest post by Kimberly Wilson. Kimberly is from accredited online colleges, she writes on topics including career, education, student life, college life, home improvement, time management etc.

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck book review

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck: A Novel
Synopsis: "Unlikely romance is sometimes just an inconvenient marriage away.
Charlotte Beck may be entering adulthood, but she can’t seem to keep to her stubborn, independent spirit from bucking social protocol. Fed up with her behavior, Charlotte’s father Daniel pressures her to settle into a nice marriage despite knowing she is set on going to college. Then Daniel sees Charlotte with the handsome but annoying English astronomer Alex Hambly, and everything changes.
Though Alex and Charlotte can barely stand one another, Daniel offers them a deal they can’t refuse: if they agree to marry, he will save Alex’s family from financial ruin and grant Charlotte the freedom to go to college. Reluctantly the couple agrees, but in private they plot to annul the marriage as soon as possible.
But when Alex’s feelings change and he refuses to dissolve their contract, will Charlotte find a way out of her vows? Or will she discover that maybe this marriage isn’t so inconvenient after all?"


Hmmm.  Where to start.  Don't bother.  It's not terrible, but with all the other books out there why waste any time on this one?  The story just felt like it rambled on without control.  And then there was the random insert of "faith."  If you're going to be Christian fiction, fine.  But the three paragraphs towards the end of the book that brought up faith just felt like an after thought.  Like the author had forgotten she needed/wanted/should include some little ditty to make it Christian fiction.  
The story line wasn't completely unbelievable, but again towards the end when Charlotte begins to change her mind and decides she wants "to be a wife" to Alex, it's just so silly.  Apparently in the author's eyes, being a wife just means sex, because that seemed to be all Charlotte and Alex meant by deciding not to annul their marriage.
No thanks.  I usually like the books I get from WaterBrook Multnomah, but this one I just didn't.
I give it 2 out of 5 stars. I did receive this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review.

Saving Grace book review

Saving Grace (The Prayer Tree Series #2)by Annie Jones

Synopsis: "Every year on the night of New Bethany's annual Splendor Belle Gala, reclusive Sera Grayson appears on the porch of her aging antebellum home dressed in a tattered ball gown. Legend holds she is reliving the greatest disappointment of her life: waiting endlessly for the man who stood her up more than fifty years ago. Rosemary, Naomi, Gayle, and Lucy, first introduced in Jones's Prayer Tree, together decide to help out the eccentric old woman-partly to strengthen their own special bond, threatened by time and the demands of everyday life. Will their joint project instead tear them apart forever?"


This is not the type of book I would normally pick up and read.  I like Christian fiction, but I usually read it because I got it free for my Kindle or I got it free in exchange for a review.  That being said, I almost always enjoy them.  This book is no different.  It's a book about finding strength when you think your world is falling apart.  We all face times like that, and if we maintain the right perspective, we grow stronger.  And we make it.  Being Christian fiction, that idea is shared in terms of religious belief.  This isn't what I would call a born again book.  Those are harder for me to swallow.  :)  This isn't so in your face, it's just a given accepted part of who the characters are.
The story is interesting.  I have a soft spot for history and legends, and as this book touched on both, it's not surprising I liked it.  The characters overall were believable.  I don't know that Ben or his relationship with Lucy were very well developed, but most of the other characters felt rounded out to me.
I might have known the characters a bit better if I had read the first book in this series, The Prayer Tree (The Prayer Tree Series #1).  Normally, reading a book in a series makes me want to read the others, but I have to admit, that is not so in this case.
Anyway, I give it three out of five stars.
I did receive this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review.

A Girl Named Zippy book review

A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel
From the cover: "When Haven Kimmel was born in 1965, Mooreland, Indiana was a sleepy little hamlet of three hundred people. Nicknamed "Zippy" for the way she would run around like a circus monkey, this small girl was possessed of big eyes and even bigger ears. In this lovingly told memoir, Kimmel takes readers back in time to when small-town America was still trapped in the amber of the innocent post-war period—people help their neighbors, go to church, keep barnyard animals in their backyards.

To three-year-old Zippy, it makes perfect sense to strike a bargain with her father to keep her baby bottle—never mind that when she does, it's the first time she's ever spoken. The words never stop once Zippy finds her voice, and it is a voice that Kimmel captures perfectly page after page. In her nonplussed family, Zippy has the ideal supporting cast: her beautiful yet dour brother, Danny, a seeker of the true faith; her sweetly sensible sister, Lindy, who wins the local beauty pageant; her mother, Delonda, who dispenses wisdom from the corner of the couch; and her father, Bob Jarvis, who never met a bet he didn't take. The world seen through Zippy's eyes is vivid and occasionally mind-boggling, especially when Zippy grapples with the meaning of time and has to go lie in a "worm hole" to recover.

Whether describing a serious case of chicken love, another episode with the evil old woman across the street, or the night Zippy's dad borrows thirty-six coon dogs and a raccoon to prove to the complaining neighbors just how quiet his two dogs are, Kimmel treats readers to a heroine as appealing, naive, and knowing as Scout Finch as she navigates the quirky adult world surrounding Zippy."

This was such a charming book to me.  I've always longed for small town life, simpler times.  Reading her stories also reminded me of my own childhood.  Not that mine resembled Haven Kimmel's childhood, but rather something more universal about this book resonated with me.  I think A Girl Named Zippy would make anyone feel nostalgic for times long past, whether they grew up in a small town in Indiana or not.
It also offered a reminder to me as a parent the surprising perceptiveness of a child.  And I'm not going to lie, the concluding story of the book left me a little teary-eyed.  
I will say that it was a little hard to get through at times.  It is sweet and nostalgic, not fast-paced and thrilling.  But worth the time, I think.  I'm definitely interested in reading She Got Up Off the Couch: And Other Heroic Acts from Mooreland, Indiana, which is in essence the sequel to A Girl Named Zippy.
Overall, I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Indelible book review

Indelible by Kristen Heitzmann
From the book jacket: Rescuing a toddler from the jaws of a mountain lion, Trevor MacDaniel, a high-country outfitter, sets in motion events he can’t foresee. His act of bravery entwines his life with gifted sculptor Natalie Reeve—and attracts a grim admirer.

Trevor’s need to guard and protect is born of tragedy, prompting his decision to become a search and rescue volunteer. Natalie’s gift of sculpting comes from an unusual disability that seeks release through her creative hands. In each other they see strength and courage as they face an incomprehensible foe.
 When a troubled soul views Trevor as archangel and adversary, Redford’s peaceful mountain community is threatened. Together with Police Chief Jonah Westfall, Trevor presses his limits to combat the menace who targets the most helpless and innocent.

I loved this book.  I found it fascinating.  My degree is in Psychology, and the workings of the mind have always interested me.  One of the main characters, Natalie, has eidetic memory.  There is much debate over whether or not eidetic memory such as this actually exists, but the idea of it is more than intriguing.  I loved that the author took such a concept and created an entire story around it.  She did embellish eidetic memory a bit, in that Natalie did not just have faces locked in her head, she saw right through people, to the honest good and bad.  Fascinating, the idea that such an ability could exist.

And the story itself is gripping.  Couldn't put it down, as the cliche goes.  And though the events were perhaps extreme, I think it still maintained a sense of believability.

Adventure, danger and of course, a little romance.
Good book.  I'll be reading more from Kristen Heitzmann for sure.
I give four out of five stars.
And I did get Indelible for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review.

Eat, Pray, Love book review

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

From Publisher's Weekly: "Gilbert (The Last American Man) grafts the structure of romantic fiction upon the inquiries of reporting in this sprawling yet methodical travelogue of soul-searching and self-discovery. Plagued with despair after a nasty divorce, the author, in her early 30s, divides a year equally among three dissimilar countries, exploring her competing urges for earthly delights and divine transcendence. First, pleasure: savoring Italy's buffet of delights--the world's best pizza, free-flowing wine and dashing conversation partners--Gilbert consumes la dolce vita as spiritual succor. "I came to Italy pinched and thin," she writes, but soon fills out in waist and soul. Then, prayer and ascetic rigor: seeking communion with the divine at a sacred ashram in India, Gilbert emulates the ways of yogis in grueling hours of meditation, struggling to still her churning mind. Finally, a balancing act in Bali, where Gilbert tries for equipoise "betwixt and between" realms, studies with a merry medicine man and plunges into a charged love affair. Sustaining a chatty, conspiratorial tone, Gilbert fully engages readers in the year's cultural and emotional tapestry--conveying rapture with infectious brio, recalling anguish with touching candor--as she details her exotic tableau with history, anecdote and impression."


Finally, finally done. There were parts here and there that I enjoyed. Little nuggets of wisdom delivered without being self-absorbed, preachy or superior (unlike the majority of the book). But overall....let's just say there's a reason it took me over two months to get this baby finished.
Eat, Pray, Love had the components of a book I would love: travel, seeking self, seeking spirituality, finding balance. But I found Liz so very egocentric, condescending and...well, IRRITATING, that I only finished it because I don't like to leave books unfinished.  It honestly surprised me, I expected to love it, like everyone else (including many friends whom I respect and love).
I WILL say that Elizabeth Gilbert is a good writer.  She offered up a lot of research in this memoir, which was interesting (most of the time).  And she was very honest.  Still didn't like it though.
At least I can say I read though, right? Though now I am intrigued as to how in the heck they took this book and made a movie out of it. Don't know that it is enough to make me actually watch it. Not even Julia Roberts can save this one for me.

Plain Wisdom book review

Plain Wisdom, by Cindy Woodsmall & Miriam Flaud

From the back cover: "Best-selling novelist Cindy Woodsmall might seem to have little in common with Miriam Flaud, a woman immersed in the culture of Old Order Amish. But with nine children and almost 60 years of marriage between them, Cindy and Miriam both have found the secrets to facing life with strength and grace. Whether enduring financial setbacks, celebrating new babies and times of prosperity, grieving the crushing losses in the deaths of family and friends, or facing disappointments with their respective communities—through it all they find guidance for each day by looking to God.  

With poignant recollections, unexpected insights, and humorous tales, the two women welcome you into their unique friendship.  You’ll also gain a rare glimpse into the traditions and ways of the Amish as Miriam recalls special occasions and shares family recipes throughout the book.

Plain Wisdom is a heartwarming celebration of God, womanhood, and the search for beauty that unites us all. So grab your cup and your quilt and settle in for a soul-comforting read with Plain Wisdom."

To tell the truth, I had a really hard time getting through this book.  And I think I know why. It's because this isn't the type of book you just sit and read.   (But I had to, since this is a book I got for free in exchange for a review through my Blogging for Books program.)  This is the type of book you open up when you are exhausted, discouraged or just need a pick-me-up.  It's a lovely book...just not a book you sit and read cover to cover.  It's not a story, it's a series of vignettes from the lives of two women.  Towards the end of the book, one of the authors says that they wanted this book to feel like a quiet sharing of thoughts and experiences between friends.  And I think they were largely successful.

It was heart warming, to use a cliched term, to read about the struggles and triumphs of others, and their search for faith in the midst of it all, whether that be in a modern lifestyle or one trying to live the Plain ways.

Just a reminder that we're not so very different after all, where ever we come from, who ever we are.

The only issue I have (and maybe it's silly) is the title.  Calling your own words "Wisdom" just seems a little...self-important perhaps.  And I know that was certainly not their intent.  I'm just sayin' is all.

Overall, it's a nice read.  Just one that should be meandered through at a leisurely pace.

Four out of five stars.

And as mentioned, I did receive this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for this review.

Wither book review

Wither by Laura DeStefano

From book jacket: "By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape—before her time runs out?"

Wow, this was pretty intense.  Like Matched, it had a lot of the elements of today's cliché teen fiction: dystopian society, forbidden romance, danger, and a determined main character set on breaking the rules.  That being said, there were certainly unique elements to it.  I was completely sucked in, without question.  And I will get my hands on the sequel as soon as I can (well, at the library, don't love it enough to own it).  I think Lauren DeStefano is a talented writer.  If you liked The Hunger Games, you'll probably like this.  Both stories are gritty and graphic.  But...the book jacket on this page turner recommends ages 14 and up.  Honestly, call me a prude, but I wouldn't want my 14 year old reading this book.  It's a bit too grown-up (I mean, think about it.  Polygamous brides, bought to bear children...?  What kinds of things do you THINK are in this book?!).  And I think kids grow up way too fast these days anyway.

Overall, I liked it.  I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Entwined book review

Entwined by Heather Dixon

From book jacket:
Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.
The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.
Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.
But there is a cost.
The Keeper likes to keep things.Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

I would have read this book just because the cover was so beautiful!  I loved it!  It is a delightful retelling of the Brothers Grimm fairytale The Twelve Dancing Princesses.  Youth fiction with nothing inappropriate or too grown up in it (unlike say, Twilight).  Suspense, mystery, magic, and a little romance.  I recommend it for a light enjoyable read!  I give it four out of five stars.

Lilies in Moonlight book review

Lilies in Moonlight, but Allison Pittman

Book cover synopsis:

"He’d lost his zest for life. She was just lost. Will they find the healing and love they long for?

After a roaring night on the town, fun-loving flapper Lilly Margolis, dazed and disoriented, twists her ankle and falls into the backyard of a wealthy family where the effects of the Great War—over for more than half a decade—are still endured. Inside the walls of the Burnside mansion, Cullen Burnside, a disillusioned and disfigured veteran, and his widowed mother, Betty Ruth, who daily slips a little further into dementia, lead a lonely existence … until Lilly. Whimsical, lighthearted, and beautiful, she rejuvenates their sad, disconnected lives and blossoms in the light of their attention.
 
But Lilly, like Cullen, is hiding from a painful past. And when Cullen insists on returning her to her faraway home, their budding attraction seems destined to die on the vine. The resulting road trip becomes a journey of self-discovery—but what will Cullen and Lilly find at journey’s end?"

I didn't love this book.  It kind of surprised me, actually, because I've liked all the other books I've gotten to review from WaterBrook Multnomah.  But that may just be me, since other reviews I've seen have sung praises.  

I had a hard time liking the heroine.  I finally warmed up to her by the end of the book, but that's mostly because I liked Cullen, our hero, and wanted him to be happy.  Perhaps that should be a lesson to me about seeing the best in people...Cullen obviously saw the best in Lilly, whereas I did not.  I will say Pittman's characters felt real, believable, vivid even.  I think she is a very good writer....I just didn't care for this book.  

I think the book is supposed to be about forgiveness and redemption, which I supposed it was; however it seemed a little lukewarm. 

I did find the author's descriptions of the 1920's very interesting though.  Her research seemed thorough.    

And that's all I have to say about that.  Better luck next time!

I give this book 2.5 out of 5 stars.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.   

Too Rich For a Bride book review

Too Rich For a Bride, by Mona Hodgson

From the book jacket: "With a head more suited to bookkeeping than a bridal veil, Ida’s dreams include big business- not beaus. 
Ida Sinclair has joined her sisters, Kat and Nell, in the untamed mining town of Cripple Creek, Colorado for one reason: to work for the infamous but undeniably successful businesswoman, Mollie O’Bryan. Ida’s sisters may be interested in making a match for their determined older sister, but Ida only wants to build her career.
Under Mollie's tutelage, Ida learns how to play the stock market and revels in her promising accomplishments. Fighting for respect in a man's world, her ambition leaves little room for distractions. She ignores her family's reservations about Mollie O'Bryan's business practices, but no matter how she tries, she can't ignore the two men pursuing her affections—Colin Wagner, the dashing lawyer, and Tucker Raines, the traveling preacher.
Ida wants a career more than anything else, so she shrugs off the suitors and pointed “suggestions” that young ladies don’t belong in business. Will it take unexpected love—or unexpected danger—for Ida to realize where her priorities truly lie?"

I really enjoyed this book.  Not because it was the best book I've ever read, or anything...it was just fun.  A lighthearted clean Christian romance.  I'll probably even keep it (I typically only buy books I've read, loved and want to read again).  It's nice to have a few light bathtub books on hand!  This appears to be the second in a series of books about the Sinclair sisters.  I definitely plan on reading the others.

On a more meaningful level, I could relate to one of the main premises of the book: the struggle of priorities as a woman, between ambition and relationships.  My mother was one of three women to graduated in business from her university in 1974.  The first day of one of her business classes, she walked in and the professor said, "Miss, the typing class is down the hall."  She replied she was in the right place, and sat down.  She went on to have a successful career as a businesswoman.  This is the woman who raised me, who taught me that I could do anything and be anything I wanted.  But all that being said, after I was born, she gave up all of that success to be a stay-at-home mom to me and my two younger siblings that followed.  And so, years later, when I found myself about to graduate from my undergrad with acceptances to two of the best graduate programs in the country...and a fiance who had to stay put, with two more years of undergrad on full scholarship...I chose love over ambition.  I've never regretted it for even a moment.  As I said then, I'm not giving up dreams, I'm choosing some dreams over others for the time being.  Someday, I'll go back to school.  But I'll do it knowing I have everything that really matters, because I chose that first.

I love books that relate to topics I feel passionately about.

I give this book 3.5 stars (which feels a little low honestly...but I just can't give many romances more stars than that!).  A good read.

And yes, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  And I can't wait to pick my next one!

The Pioneer Woman: From Black Heels to Tractor Wheels book review

The Pioneer Woman: From Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond

From Booklist: Popular blogger and cookbook author Drummond shares the story of her courtship and marriage to her husband, whom she refers to as Marlboro Man. Though Drummond grew up in Oklahoma, she never imagined she'd end up there for good. After four years of college in Los Angeles, Drummond was only making a pit stop home before moving to Chicago. A chance encounter with a devastatingly masculine cowboy in a local bar changes everything. Though several months elapse before Marlboro Man calls her, the spark between them ignites as soon as they start dating. A rancher with deep roots in the land he works, Marlboro Man isn't going anywhere, which means Drummond has to decide whether, to be with him, she's willing to give up her dream of moving to Chicago. By the time Marlboro Man proposes, the decision is made, and Drummond prepares to marry the love of her life and discover what being a rancher's wife will entail. Charming and bright, Drummond's story will be an inspiration to those who despair of finding old-fashioned, lasting love. --Kristine Huntley


This book had so many holds on it at the library, I didn't think I'd get my hands on it for a YEAR.  Which made me conclude that 1) the library had a TON of copies in the system to keep up with its popularity, and 2) people must be flying through it and returning it quickly.  So needless to say, I was excited to get going myself.
I can definitely understand why anyone would fly through it.  I found myself alone on a very odd Sunday, early evening.  We'd had a family event that day, so the kids had gone without naps and were in bed early.  My husband was knocked out on Benadryl.  All was quiet, and I had no household chores to do since it was Sunday.  So I picked up this book and read it.  In one sitting.
It's a wonderful book.  Full of romance, a little suspense, and a great sense of humor.  On the back of the book jacket, there are a few quotes from readers.  One says, "This story helped remind me just why I fell in love with my husband...and why I'm still mad crazy about him"  I think she summed it up well.  It's the best kind of love story: one that reinforces your own.
Ree Drummond's book is also about what really matters, and making choices to have those things over all that glitters.
I've heard of her blog, but never read it.  I will definitely be taking a look now.  I'm hooked on her writing style, humor and very interesting life...
Most definitely recommend it.  I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Matched book review

Matched, by Ally Condie

From Amazon Best Books of the Month: "For Cassia, nothing is left to chance--not what she will eat, the job she will have, or the man she will marry. In Matched, the Society Officials have determined optimal outcomes for all aspects of daily life, thereby removing the "burden" of choice. When Cassia's best friend is identified as her ideal marriage Match it confirms her belief that Society knows best, until she plugs in her Match microchip and a different boy’s face flashes on the screen. This improbable mistake sets Cassia on a dangerous path to the unthinkable--rebelling against the predetermined life Society has in store for her. As author Ally Condie’s unique dystopian Society takes chilling measures to maintain the status quo, Matched reminds readers that freedom of choice is precious, and not without sacrifice."

I really really really enjoyed this book.  If you liked The Hunger Games or The Giver, you will like this.  It has all the elements of what is trendy in youth fiction right now: love triangles, forbidden romance, and dystopian societies.  So there is much in the story that isn't fresh and new.  But it's a great read nonetheless.  I'm looking forward to the inevitable sequel.

I was prepared to not like Cassia and Ky, largely because I knew she would be choosing "passion" (Ky) over "perfection" (Xander), and I've always had a soft spot for stories where the heroine ends up with her best friend, whom she had never really looked at before.  (Hence why I was on Team Jacob with the Twilight saga.)  But despite that little bit of predictability (you know, the trends in youth fiction, etc.), I actually really liked them both.  There's more to Cassia and Ky's relationship than ridiculous infatuation (sorry, Bella and Edward...can you tell I didn't love Twilight?), and I was actually torn between rooting for them and rooting for poor Xander, who of course will get the raw end of the deal.  

But, as Cassia said, what was going on in the Society was bigger than all of them.  What is going on in the book is bigger than the love story.  As is the case with all the dystopian society stories, CHOICE, or the lack of it, is a major theme.  Also, of course, is the question of government, and where that power should stop.  Themes like this, when given the chance, offer an interesting opportunity for reflection.  And THAT I liked about this book.

Overall, good book, I recommend it and give it 4 stars.

The Shape of Mercy book review

The Shape of Mercy, by Susan Meissner.

From Publisher's Weekly:
"Meissner's newest novel is potentially life-changing, the kind of inspirational fiction that prompts readers to call up old friends, lost loves or fallen-away family members to tell them that all is forgiven and that life is too short for holding grudges. Achingly romantic, the novel features the legacy of Mercy Hayworth—a young woman convicted during the Salem witch trials—whose words reach out from the past to forever transform the lives of two present-day women. These book lovers—Abigail Boyles, elderly, bitter and frail, and Lauren Lars Durough, wealthy, earnest and young—become unlikely friends, drawn together over the untimely death of Mercy, whose precious diary is all that remains of her too short life. And what a diary! Mercy's words not only beguile but help Abigail and Lars together face life's hardest struggles about where true meaning is found, which dreams are worth chasing and which only lead to emptiness, and why faith and hope are essential on life's difficult path. Meissner's prose is exquisite and she is a stunning storyteller. This is a novel to be shared with friends."


Where do you start with a book you loved?  I've read Susan Meissner before; I reviewed one of her books a few months ago.  It was good, I liked it.  But this....this book was amazing.  I've always really enjoyed historical fiction, and this is both historical and modern.  It's a fascinating story to begin with, all sides of it.  I was completely sucked into the lives of the three women.  We all love a good story, after all.  But more than that, the underlying themes really resonated with me.  Love, judgment, and what really matters in life.
I won't say I came to any profound conclusions.  At least none I care to share in a very public forum such as this.  But I will say that this book epitomizes why I love reading: really good books raise questions in you, questions that, given a moment of reflection, can change how you think and therefore who you are.  
This book is without question worth reading.  I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
And yes, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 

The Bridge of Peace book review

Sorry folks, not ready to post pictures of my new kitchen.  Because, well, it's not done.  We moved into our house with the cabinet bases stained and done.  But I'm putting my dishes into cabinets with no doors and drawers with no drawer fronts.  They're mostly sanded, sitting in the garage, waiting for me to finish them.
But I DID finish something else.  A book.  I totally laid down on my bed during the kids' nap time yesterday, surrounded by boxes waiting to be unpacked, and read a book instead.  So I'm posted a review.

The Bridge of Peace, by Cindy Woodsmall
From the back cover: "Lena Kauffman is a young Old Order Amish schoolteacher who has dealt all her life with attention raised by a noticeable birthmark on her cheek. Having learned to move past the stares and whispers, Lena channels her zest for living into her love of teaching. But tensions mount as she is challenged to work with a rebellious young man and deal with several crises at the schoolhouse that threaten her other students. Her lack of submission and use of ideas that don’t line up with the Old Ways strengthen the school board’s case as they begin to believe that Lena is behind all the trouble.

One member of the school board, Grey Graber, feels trapped by his own stifling circumstances. His wife, Elsie, has shut him out of her life, and he doesn’t know how long he can continue to live as if nothing is wrong. As the two finally come to a place of working toward a better marriage, tragedy befalls their family.

Lena and Grey have been life-long friends, but their relationship begins to crumble amidst unsettling deceptions, propelling each of them to finally face their own secrets. Can they both find a way past their losses and discover the strength to build a new bridge?"

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It wasn't so much for the story (though it was fine).  It was because of the very interesting look into the daily lives of an Amish community in Pennsylvania.  As a religious person myself, I am fascinated by others' religion.  By the choices they make based on their beliefs of what God expects of them.  Often, in thinking of how I can explain my religion and my choices to others, I come back to to saying, "If you believed ______________ with all your heart, wouldn't it lead you to do ______________?"  And so I apply that same concept in understanding other religions.  It always makes me realize in the end that we are not so different.

I also enjoyed the simpler life (in some ways) this community lived, because of the things they chose not to embrace.  I think in this modern technology-dependent society, most people are seeking for a simpler life, and yet are unable to find it.  Perhaps taking a step back, a step away, from all of these gadgets, the busy schedules, the endless spinning of our wheels, would allow us a clearer view of our lives and what we want from them.  Perhaps giving up some of those things (though not all) would give us a more satisfying life, a more secure view of our place in the world, and maybe even a feeling of contentment, which seems to elude so many.

As far as the story goes, it too was interesting.  It certainly brought up ideas of handling grief, challenging convention, what true beauty is, and how love comes to people in their different situations.  But again, this book caught me more for the descriptions of the community that the main storyline.

And it was clean.  There is a great reason to read Christian fiction!

This book is part of a series, and I fully intend on reading more of the series.

I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.  

And yes, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  But I told the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!

The Charlatan's Boy Book Review

From the back cover: "As far back as he can remember, the orphan Grady has tramped from village to village in the company of a huckster named Floyd. With his adolescent accomplice, Floyd perpetrates a variety of hoaxes and flimflams on the good citizens of the Corenwald frontier, such as the Ugliest Boy in the World act.

It’s a hard way to make a living, made harder by the memory of fatter times when audiences thronged to see young Grady perform as “The Wild Man of the Feechiefen Swamp.” But what can they do? Nobody believes in feechies anymore.

When Floyd stages an elaborate plot to revive Corenwalders’ belief in the mythical swamp-dwellers known as the feechiefolk, he overshoots the mark. Floyd’s Great Feechie Scare becomes widespread panic. Eager audiences become angry mobs, and in the ensuing chaos, the Charlatan’s Boy discovers the truth that has evaded him all his life—and will change his path forever."


I've always had a soft spot for Young Adult fiction.  I still love to read the books I grew up loving: Anne of Green Gables, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Nancy Drew, to name a few of the series I enjoyed.  Well, this book is NOTHING like those!  But different isn't a bad thing.  Different is definitely good.  In fact, one of the most meaningful lines in the book says, "It just goes to show what fear of the unknown will do to a feller."  In addition to being a great story, The Charlatan's Boy is peppered with thoughts and ideas such as this.  
The story itself caught me from the very first page.  It is unique, for sure, and interesting.  The writing style is skillful, purposefully rustic, and definitely well-written.  The themes of identity and honesty from someone who isn't sure about either lends a different perspective.  This story commends integrity without preaching it.  Perfect for young audiences that are just forming their own opinions and character.
It is overall a very interesting and enjoyable story that has more to offer than just fluff!  Looking forward to the sequel coming out sometime this year. And yes, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 

Lady in Waiting book review

From Publisher's Weekly on Lady in Waiting, by Susan Meissner: "Veteran author Meissner (White Picket Fences) blends past and present in this compelling novel about making choices. Jane Lindsay never thought she'd be alone, but after her husband leaves her, she must face the reality of her marriage and life choices. One small ring, found in the binding of a book bought at an English rummage sale, changes the course of Jane's thinking as she researches another Jane, whose name is inscribed in the ring. Readers jump back in time to England after the death of Henry VIII. Lucy Day is ordered to Sudeley Castle, bearing a dress for Lady Jane Grey. Lucy narrates the tale of Lady Jane, pawn in the schemes of powerful men who seek the throne of England even as young Jane Grey is determined to live-and die-on her own terms. Modern Jane studies Lady Jane, coming to realize that she alone must choose how she lives. Both the history and the modern tale are enticing, with Meissner doing a masterful job blending the two."


When I started this book, I was determined to read it with a critical eye and find things I did not like.  Honestly, the things I wasn't so fond of (for personal reasons) were non-issues by the conclusion of this book.  I really really liked it.


Susan Meissner is a good writer.  Her style suits me well, seeing as I was sucked into the story immediately.  Right away, I was interested in Jane Lindsay and her story (and nervous about how it may go).  And I love history, so the chapters about Jane Grey were fascinating to me.  Perhaps the only criticism I could offer is on this point: the story switched back and forth, and some people may find that....annoying?  I personally didn't, and I don't think it was hard to follow because of those switches either.


The underlying issues of happiness and choice spoke to me.  I've long thought that if you were unhappy with your life, you needed to DO something to change it.  The power of choice is incredible.  The possibilities available to anyone are amazing...but it is all about the choices you make.  And on that note, I've often looked at my life, and the lives of those around me, and traced back the choices that led us each to where we are today.  And I've often thought about the choices that are still before us, that can completely change our path.  Seeing these ideas I've pondered traced out in the lives of these two Janes was both validating and interesting.


All in all, I would definitely recommend this book.  And yes, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  Which is why I tried so hard to find things I didn't like.  But...well, it's a good book!

Little Star book review

Little Star, by Anthony DeStefano, illustrated by Mark Elliott

I have a three year old little boy, and he is just now getting the idea of Christmas.  Meaning he gets presents.  We are Christians, and we tried so hard this year to drive home the concept that he gets presents because it is Jesus' birthday.  We told him the Christmas story over and over, had him act it out with his Fisher-Price little people nativity, and read him lots of stories about the true meaning of Christmas.  This book was one of those stories, and we all really liked it.
It was a unique take on the Christmas story, in addition to addressing other issues like being laughed at or ignored, that you can be important even when you are small, and sacrificing for others.  It was really a sweet beautiful story of Jesus' birth.  I recommend it to anyone trying to teach a child how Christmas began, and why it is important today.

*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.  (But that doesn't mean I didn't say exactly what I think!)