The Loom - A Review

Lydia knew her fate. Like every other slave on the Maryland plantation, her life would end at the loom...

 
Throughout the pre­-Civil War South, older slaves too worn out for anything else worked daily in the plantation¹s loom room, weaving and creating cloth for their families. Tucked away out of sight and forgotten by most everyone, the wisdom and hard-won experience of these slaves were often overlooked. But Lydia, a light-skinned house slave, listens to their words and dreams of a better life.

When running away leads to her recapture, Lydia discovers that with her pale skin, the right clothing, and pretense, she can walk into a world of freedom and wealth she has only dreamed of.

But Lydia struggles to leave behind the man she loves and the culture of world in which she belongs. Drawing on the wise community in the plantation¹s loom room, Lydia chases freedom in a way no one ever expected and finds that she ultimately must choose between the love she has and the life she doesn't.

The Loom is a colorful tale of love linked to a lie and the discovery that life is not always black or white.

This book is really different from something I would normally pick up and reminded me a little bit of an Oprah’s Book Club choice, only I didn’t hate it. (I have a long history of hating Queen Oprah’s taste in literature) The main character, Lydia, is totally infuriating at times and I could not possibly understand why she would make some of the choices she did, but then again I have always had the freedom to make my own choices. I’ve never felt anything even marginally comparable to being owned by someone, so perhaps that’s why she makes some crazy decisions that I don’t get.

It took me a little while to get on board with the writing style. I felt like many of the chapters started in the middle of thought or memory, which wasn’t very palatable to me. I got over it though because this story is rich. Rich in culture, chaos, sadness, and depth. It is uplifting in the end too – which is ultimately what saved it for me – because I hate books that don’t end well.  This books goes to a lot of dark places, but I still really enjoyed the story.

I also really enjoyed reading the authors thoughts at the end, which is something I never do. I loved the Biblical parallels should put into the story and also enjoyed the storyline involving the elderly slaves, probably because of my love of old people.  I’d say this was a wholesome read for adults and would recommend it to others.

The Ghosts of Varner Creek - A Review

In the summer of 1909, Solomon Mayfield awoke to find his mother and sister had disappeared. Left with his alcoholic and abusive father, Sol lived his life believing the story he'd been told, the story all the people of Varner Creek believed about what happened that summer. But in a plot of twists and family secrets that will leave the reader reaching for their jaw upon the floor, Sol is taken back to his childhood by the spirits he knew in life when he passes away so many years later . . . it is only then he learns what secrets The Ghosts of Varner Creek have been keeping so many years.  

It’s quite interesting when a main character dies in the first chapter of a book, which is exactly what happened with the Ghosts of Varner Creek. The rest of the book is told posthumously by Solomon through his memories, his sister’s memories, and flashbacks of when his parents met. I was enthralled with this book.  Don’t get me wrong, it is dark, and I mean very, very dark at times and not in a fantasy-evil-witchcraft-and-potions kind of dark – in a humans-are-capable-of-unspeakable-acts way.  I still really loved it though. I enjoyed the mystery of what truly happened to the mom and sister and was completely convinced that they’d disappeared for unsavory reasons, along with the rest of the characters. I liked the spooky ghost aspects of this book, but they really took a backseat to the living characters and I felt like they were more a means to an end of telling this story the only way it should’ve been told. I thought it was a very refreshing and creative take on a plot, but still so dark and thought-provoking. I would recommend this to others, but not to the sensitive reader.

 ** There is a disclaimer from the author stating this is material for 18 and older, which I would abide by. It isn’t raunchy or 50 Shades-esque by any means, but it is tragically sad and children are hurt in the worst way in the story line.

50 Shades of Blah

To see summary - I couldn't make myself copy it here.

 I really wanted to form my own opinion about the phenomenon that is Fifty Shades.  I had read some very polarizing reviews from those who skewered this book and called it crap to those who revere it as "mommy porn" and a "great love story". Well, I side more with the former...

Perhaps it is because I am coming off of books like Divergent and The Hunger Games who have kick-ass female leads. Maybe it is because I watched True Grit with yet another kick-ass female lead the day I started this book. Perhaps it is because I had just seen Magic Mike and it wasn't so magical and I was put off of this smutty genre. Or, even more likely, it could be that this is just a crappy book with a wimpy, weepy female lead and "erotic" scenes that fall a little limp - kind of like Magic Mike. I was actually BORED with this book - the plot is so weak and I was more entertained by the Goodreads reviews of this book than I was by the book itself. I echo many of the sentiments I read and I am going to share my favorites Goodreads reviews here with you (please be warned, some of them use foul language, but I tried to sensor my choices)

From Katrina Lumsden: 
(This woman had ALOT of great things to say, it was hard to pick.)
"Christian is a misogynistic, self-loathing, abusive piece of shit. Apparently, his only redeeming qualities are, in this order; his ridiculous good looks, his money, and his giant penis. The only time Ana seems to like him as a person is when he's being "lovable", and those times are few and far between. Most of the time he's serious, brooding, and threatening. How charming."

"About halfway through, I wished I'd been keeping track of the word "crap" because Ana is constantly saying/thinking it. Crap, Holy Crap, Double and Triple Crap, Oh Crap, This Crap, That Crap, any and all Crap. Speaking of crap, if I ever, ever ever have to hear/read the words "inner goddess" again, I'm going to construct a pyre out of tampons and maxi pads, light it, and toss unsuspecting women into it."

From JT Giessinger:
"The Bad: Terrible writing. Simply insufferable at times, with an abundance of repetitive, trite phrases such as "Oh, my!", "Holy crap!", ad nauseum. The author suffocates the reader with an unending ocean of rolling eyes, biting lips, sighing, shrugging, glaring and giggling. Also present is a very curious tendency to write, "he said" or "she replied" or another version of such after every single sentence uttered by the characters. I could go on, but you get the picture. Ms. James won't win any awards with this one."

From Kim:  
"Now I lay me down to sleep. I hope to hell my soul keeps. Because, if I shake off this mortal coil before I wake, I’m going to be mighty pissed that this was the last book that I freaking finished. This is not my legacy.

I can play all Britney and Oops-I-did-it-again, I could use the old adage ‘Fool me once, shame on you….’ Or I could let my horribly low self worth tell you that yes, I am an idiot and could be classified with all those soccer moms wanting an escape with shiny vampires and fallen angels. You choose.

BUT. I will admit… fully admit… that this book sucked donkey balls. Seriously." 
 
From Stephanie Sinclair:  "Introducing an even more abusive and disturbing TWILIGHT! Now with whips and chains!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   Now trust me folks - what you just read up there in those reviews is better than the book itself. If you loved it, please don't be offended, it was just not my cup of tea at all. That said, I will not judge if you have to pick it up and read it for yourself - just come laugh with me about it later. Nana isn't quite convinced yet and wants to read it for herself - I cannot wait for the phone call on that day she finishes it! 

My Dead Friend Sarah: A Review

Mere months into recovery, Max, an alcoholic with twisted control issues, meets Sarah – the same woman that for years he’s habitually dreamt will die after a botched abduction. "Doing the next right thing," a popular AA phrase he’s picked up in the rooms, means befriending Sarah long enough to warn her and hope she takes him seriously. But when Sarah falls in love with Max, his newly sober thinking drives him to choose his overly devoted wife, and he abandons Sarah – even when it condemns her to death. When Sarah goes missing, the NYPD suspects Max’s dream may have been a pre-crime confession. The truth, all of it, lurks inside of Max, but only by drinking again does he recapture the nerve and clarity vital to free his wife, sponsor, and himself from a life imprisoned by lies. (from Goodreads) 






I don't quite know what to make of this book. It was an intriguing story and I have never read a book quite like it. Both main characters are very damaged individuals and you get to experience a first-person perspective from both Max and Sarah. I was somewhat bored with the first half of the book as they are meeting one another and beginning their friendship. However, Part 2 moved much quicker for me, but was disturbing. As I said, I have never read a book quite like this, and that is mostly due to the personality of Max. It was illuminating and unnerving to read about his alcoholism, his lowest points, recovery, and relapses from his own perspective. 
I am not thrilled with the way this book ends, but that's probably because I held out hope until the very end that there would be some semblance of a happy ending. Note to self: When a book title is "My Dead Friend...." it's not going to end well. 
I give it a 2/5 - it was OK, perhaps not my taste, but definitely interesting.

The Visitation; Book vs. Movie

A weeping crucifix heals a crippled man. Worshipers see a vision of Christ in the clouds. Is God speaking to his people in the last days? When a small farming town is turned upside down by supernatural occurrences, it's up to a burned-out pastor to determine whether these miracles are from heaven---or straight from hell.

I enjoy comparing books with their movie adaptations. Preferably reading the books first, which is what I did with The Visitation. I really enjoyed the book. It has a serious creep-factor and, as any Frank Peretti book, packs a spiritual message.


The movie, while sticking very closely to the story-line of the book, was laughably bad. The cinematography (which is not something I would normally even notice) was horribly choppy, cutting from scene to scene rather disjointedly.

And the acting... oh my the acting. So, so bad.

Here is a taste:


The one thing I will say this movie got right was the creep-factor. It totally nailed that icky, slimy, skin-crawling feeling that I got with the book too. Maybe it is just the subject matter - demonic possession, evil, murders - but I don't know. It gave me a shudder to watch.
That said - just read the book. That movie is an hour and a half you just can't get back. :)

A Drowned Maiden's Hair - A Review

Maud Flynn is known at the orphanage for her impertinence, so when the charming Miss Hyacinth and her sister choose Maud to take home with them, the girl is as baffled as anyone. It seems the sisters need Maud to help stage elaborate séances for bereaved, wealthy patrons. As Maud is drawn deeper into the deception, playing her role as a "secret child," she is torn between her need to please and her growing conscience — until a shocking betrayal makes clear just how heartless her so-called guardians are. Filled with tantalizing details of turn-of-the-century spiritualism and page-turning suspense, this lively historical novel features a winning heroine whom readers will not soon forget.

I have talked to a couple people about this book and they definitely gave it some mixed reviews. The reason I read it is that it was a 99 cent download for my Kindle that looked rather intriguing. It is definitely a dark story - not dark like witchcrafty or occult - dark as in gloomy. The main character, Maud, is a girl who was left at an orphanage, even when her siblings were adopted together. She's not especially charming or pretty or obedient. She finally gets adopted by 3 sisters who wish to use her as "secret child" to help with their seances, so no one can know she was adopted and has to spend all of her time cooped up with only a deaf maid for company. 

Now, I will say, I really liked the book. I thought it was well-written and I enjoyed the rather sad, gloomy story line. I must have been in just the right mood for this book to strike a chord with me. I liked and at the same time was annoyed by Maud, but then again, she was a rule-breaker and I just can't relate to that (I am square to a fault). I was very endeared by her relationship with Muffet (the maid who was deaf) and the authentic love that developed between the two of them. I was also extremely appalled by the sisters. Appalled.

It did make me sad to think about the sisters taking advantage of people in their times of grief and how that applies to modern-day society as well. "Mediums" and "spiritualists" are often-time crooks and I do think that they delude themselves to a point that they believe they are helping the bereaved. Anyway, I digress. 

I felt like the book had a redeeming ending and enjoyed it overall. I was a little confused in the beginning when Maud's brother randomly shows up, as he doesn't appear again, but I think the author wanted to show just how sad and pitiful Maud's situation was. 


All in all, worth 99 cents for sure. 


Anyone else out there read this book? Thoughts?

A Discovery Of Witches - A book review

A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.

*Ahem*  I beg to differ with that last paragraph there...

The book was good, BUT it left a lot to be desired for me. I enjoyed the historical aspects mixed in with the fantasy genre and I did enjoy the characters - even if Diana was a little irritating (I mean COME ON who wouldn't want to use magic!!) My problems with this book do no lie in the story per se, but more in the telling of it. The friendship/courtship of Matthew and Diana was drug out painfully, chapter after chapter.... the details of the scents in the wine they drank, the fragrance of the food, blah flipping blah!! Then, once the book really started picking up, the action felt very rushed in the last 1/4th of the book. This is nearly a 600 page book - it's a whopper folks - and I felt cheated by the rushing of the action. Now, nothing that I can find right now indicates that this woman is going to write another book (I am not sure I would even read it if she did), but she left herself WIDE OPEN at the end to be able to continue with the plot in another novel or 2, 3 or 10 (or however long she'd like to drag it out).

I always hate being caught off-guard by a cliffhanger. There is this book that I read in high school, which is now infamous with me in a very small circle of friends, because the last line is "And maybe they did." REALLY? I read 800 pages for AND MAYBE THEY DID???? I prefer my fiction to be wrapped up and tied with a neat little bow at the end, so I am sure you can imagine my un-bloggable reaction when I finished this book, as it ends, basically the same way, with this elusive, perhaps they made it... type of ending. *sigh* What's a girl to do?

And just a point of annoyance in the summary up there - I really don't think one should compare books to the Twilight novels. I concede that yes, they are addicting fantastic stories, and I am a self-confessed Twi-hard. However, the writing in those books is elementary and I would never want my novel compared to them in a literary sense. The writing in this book is at a much, much, much higher level, so it does have that going for it.... 

Still Alice - A Review

 Still Alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50-year-old woman's sudden descent into early onset Alzheimer's disease, written by first-time author Lisa Genova, who holds a Ph. D in neuroscience from Harvard University. Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the Cape, is a celebrated Harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. As confusion starts to cloud her thinking and her memory begins to fail her, she receives a devastating diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer's disease. Fiercely independent, Alice struggles to maintain her lifestyle and live in the moment, even as her sense of self is being stripped away. In turns heartbreaking, inspiring and terrifying, Still Alice captures in remarkable detail what's it's like to literally lose your mind... Reminiscent of A Beautiful Mind, Ordinary People and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Still Alice packs a powerful emotional punch and marks the arrival of a strong new voice in fiction

This book was given to me to read by one of my resident's daughters. She said it had been a powerful read for her and helped to give her insight into her mother's disease. As a director of a dementia-care unit, I felt compelled to read it, not only for the person who recommended it to me, but for all of my residents too. I feel a responsibility to do as much as I can to understand where they are emotionally, cognitively, and physically. This book was an amazing picture the heartbreak that surrounds this disease.

I cried my way through the last half of this book as Alice begins to deteriorate further. It gave me such perspective on the lives people have before this disease robs them of themselves. This book also has helped me to empathize more with the family members who struggle so much with the Alzheimer's diagnosis. I would absolutely recommend this book to people working in the long-term care field and those who have a loved one struggling with dementia. No, it is not an uplifting book, but it will leave a lasting impact on those who read it.

God Quest

Our most recent sermon series at church is following The GodQuest, which is basically a church-wide Bible study. There are weekly lessons, a book, and videos that coincide with the weekly messages at church. We are meeting weekly as a small group with the in-laws and some other church-goers. This study/quest was designed by Sean McDowell, son of the famous author, Josh McDowell. As I understood it, the God Quest is supposed to answer some of those really difficult questions that Christians and non-believers (those who may be considering Christianity) face about God, Jesus, and religion in general. (ex: Why does God allow suffering in the world?)

As I write this now, we are about 3 weeks into the study and I am less than impressed with parts of it, but it may be accomplishing what it is supposed too... Jury is still out. So, I am going to list my gripes and end on a positive note.

First of all, Sean McDowell is really, really irritating to watch and listen too. He is obviously passionate about what he is teaching, which is wonderful. However, I. can. not. stand. him. I think it has something to do with his eye-brow waggling and the way he emphasizes his words. And I find the setting of his videos to be pretty cheesy.

Secondly, this series was "advertised" (for lack of a better word) as having all of this great input from Biblical experts, which is does, kinda. I would much rather hear from the likes of Josh McDowell (who is not nearly as annoying as his son), Lee Stroble, and other experts, but they only get a 30-90 second snippet of the weekly videos. I would like more from them.

Lastly, I really don't feel like I have any answered questions yet. I have learned a lot of great facts, but the weekly questions that are presented have not been fully answered for me yet. Now, to be fair, we are only halfway through the series, but as it is going so far, I still don't feel like my questions are going to be answered.

I suppose though, that the point of this entire "God Quest" is to make people more actively seek to know God and know about God. This series has started lots of discussions at home about God, His plans and purpose for our lives, among other things. One of the main point that has been made is that those who often criticize the Bible have never sat down and read it and studied it, which is a valid point. So, I am going to embark on my own little "quest" to read through the Bible. I found a schedule to read through it in a year and am planning to follow it as much as I can. I have chosen to read through it chronologically, which makes the most sense to me personally. I am using a study-Bible too, so that I can read commentary as I go to further explain the context of what I am reading.

So there you have it. My thoughts on the God Quest.

Omnivore's Dilemma - A Review

What’s for dinner?” seems like a simple question. But do you really know…

- What happens to a field of potatoes destined to become french fries … or
- In how many disguises corn sneaks into your food? (Hint: it’s in your soda, your burger, and that Twinkie!)
- Do you know what that “organic” sticker on your banana actually means … or
- Where the chicken in your nugget grew up?


Do you know the secrets behind what you eat?


In this book, you’ll go undercover at the supermarket. You’ll delve behind the scenes of your dinner, and by the time you’ve digested the last page you’ll have put together the fascinating (and sometimes disturbing) puzzle of what’s on your plate and how it got there.


This young readers edition of Michael Pollan’s bestseller The Omnivore’s Dilemma includes a brand-new introduction and afterword, an exclusive author Q&A, and a variety of fresh visual “evidence.”

Now, I need to be honest about 2 things about this book.
#1. When I first heard about it, I thought my friend Meredith was completely insane and I did not want to read a book about corn taking over the supermarket. She is one of those super-healthy people and I thought this book was just another part of her crazy, health-nut, marathon running, Whole Foods shopping ideology. Well, it is, but I just don't think any of that is crazy anymore (well, aside from the marathon running).

#2. I read the Young Adult version of the book, as recommended by another friend who told me how much easier it was to understand. I am so glad I did. I think that if I would have read the adult version (without the fun graphs, pictures, and easy to understand language) that it would not have held my attention as well as this one did.

Ok my review of this book: Everyone should be required to read it. Everyone. I think that it shows a fair and accurate picture of our country and what we have done to our food. The cheapest food has such a high cost environmentally. There is no way I am going to be able to eloquently explain how this book made me feel or how eye-opening it was to read. I just think people need to read it and to understand what is in their food and exactly where it comes from.

Will it complicate your eating habits? Probably.
Is it worth it to know what's in your food and if it will make you sick or fat? Yes. 100%.

Just go read it.

The Shack - A Review

http://www.theshackbook.com.

 <---- Read the back cover for synopsis.

















This is one of those books that I feel like I need to make a point to read once a year or so. This is the 2nd time I have read this book and it is just an amazing story that I got even more out of the 2nd time around. In my opinion, the author does a great job answering really difficult theological and spiritual questions in a way I almost understand. This book is by no means a "light read", even if the story moves along quickly. I think this is a really heavy book - tackling issues about The Trinity, forgiveness, God as a father, Holy Spirit, judgment, loss, abuse, and the list goes on...
I will admit, there were a couple things that were odd to me - like the author's choice of personifying God as a heavy African-American woman who loves to cook... but I can look past that and really appreciate what the author was doing with this story. I adore the character of Mack. He seems like such a real person and asks honest, straightforward questions of God (i.e. "Why couldn't you stop this suffering... etc). Mack struggles with his faith and in a very dark time in his life, God brings him to "the shack" and has a talk with him. I want this to be a non-fiction book, like Heaven is For Real, because my heart yearns for the possibility that something like that could really happen to someone. I would definitely recommend this book, but just be warned, it is not a fluffy, brain-candy kind of book, but leans more on the side of soul-food.

Heaven is For Real - a book review

Go to this website to learn more about the book

I had heard some of the buzz about this little book and on a whim decided that I would read it. I don’t have enough adjectives in my vocabulary to describe how wonderful I thought this book was, especially the little boy.

The book is told by the father’s point of view and chronicles over a very dark period of time for his family, culminating in the near-death of his 3 year old son. While the little boy, Colton, is being operated on, he claims to have visited Heaven, for 3 minutes. His account of his journey to Heaven, meeting with Jesus and other relatives he could have never known, comes out over a period of years. His parents were very cautious in discussing this with him and did not want to lead him on with their questions. Colton describes Heaven in such detail, noting things that align with Scripture, that he never could have known. Last time I checked, they don’t teach Revelation in Sunday School….

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

To Christians: This can be a tool to start up conversations about Christ and it can give you a renewal of faith. I know it did for me. The message of love and having Christ in your heart that is spoken from a 3 year old voice is so powerful. It reminded me how strong the faith of a child is and how we should all strive for a more child-like faith.

For non-believers – this book might just change your mind. I know you would be skeptical of the idea that a child would go to Heaven and may even think it is all made up, but I really hope that this little boy can touch your heart and show you the love of Christ.

2 for 1: A book review and a book rant

You get a two-fer here! I am going to sum up The Year of Living Biblically very quickly and then launch into a spoiler-filled rant about State of Wonder. Just fair warning folks…

The Year of Living Biblically is about my quest to live the ultimate biblical life. To follow every single rule in the Bible – as literally as possible (from the author’s website)

I kind of think that everyone should read this book, but especially if you are a Christian. It is funny, touching, educational, and (for me at least) convicting. This man - with no faith to speak of  - launches into a year-long commitment to follow the Bible verbatim. It was amazing to read. I love his humor and really enjoyed taking the journey with AJ as he lived out his year. It also made me look at myself as a Christian and all of the Biblical rules I break every day (i.e. Love you neighbor as yourself – I don’t even know my neighbor’s names) and how I should work harder to really live out my faith. It was great – go read it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometimes being on the vanguard of scientific progress thrusts you into the teeth of danger. For Minnesota pharmaceutical researcher Dr. Marina Singh, that means being sent into the remotest region of the Amazon jungle to track down her former mentor. Finding Dr. Annick Swenson promises to be perilous: The last scientist assigned to find her has disappeared too. What follows is the most ambitious novel yet by Bel Canto author Ann Patchett as its adventure story opens into a penetrating study of personalities, loyalties, and ethics. (From GoodReads)


*Grumble*
WARNING: LOTS OF SPOILERS. If you have ANY interest in reading this book (which I wouldn’t highly recommend) don’t read my review. I am going to give away the ending! (Mostly because that is the part I HATED)
Ok- this book starts out incredibly promising. A pharmaceutical researcher working in the Amazon jungle is being checked up on by her company. The man they send to check on her, Anders, dies. So then they send Marina, a long-time work-partner of Anders, to find out what exactly happened to him. The book follows Marina’s journey to Brazil and then into the depth of the Amazon. It explores the strange dynamic between Marina and her former mentor (Swenson – the original researcher) as Marina looks for answers about what happened to Anders.
Swenson is researching a fertility drug by studying an indigenous tribe who are able to bear children well into their 70s. Swenson decides to test the drug on herself and inseminates herself at age 73, in the middle of the Amazon jungle (obviously one of the ethical issues noted in the above summary). This part of the book was disturbing to me because of the flippancy in the attitude of Swenson regarding her miraculous pregnancy. To her, it is simply a science experiment. It’s a cold, callous attitude and one that upsets me more at this point in my life, when I have close friends and family who would want nothing more than to conceive and birth a healthy child.

My other HUGE issue with this book is the relationship between Marina and Anders. They have worked together for more than 7 years. He is happily married and has three children. She is involved with another older man. Turns out, he wandered off into the jungle in a fever-induced delirium and is actually alive. Marina has to rescue him from a hostile tribe in the jungle and then when they make it back to their camp they sleep together… and I think you know what I mean by sleep… WHY? I felt like it ruined the whole story. Throughout his fever and delirium Anders is writing letters to his wife. He is telling her he dreams of her, he sees her in the jungle, and that it is bearable to have the fevers because he sees her. Then, when Marina rescues him, he tells her that he never imagined it would be her, but always thought it would be Karen (his wife) that would come for him. So WHY? WHY? WHY? Did they have to cross that line? It just left a very bad taste in my mouth and I felt like took away from the rest of the story. It would have been so tragic anyway, but then they did that…. Huge, huge disappointment, in what could have been an excellent book.


Any good (or bad) reads in your book life lately?

The Art of Racing in the Rain – Book Review

“In Mongolia, when a dog dies, he is buried high in the hills so people cannot walk on his grave. The dog's master whispers into the dog's ear his wishes that the dog will return as a man in his next life. Then his tail is cut off and put beneath his head, and a piece of meat or fat is placed in his mouth to sustain his soul on its journey; before he is reincarnated, the dog's soul is freed to travel the land, to run across the high desert plains for as long as it would like.



I learned that from a program on the National Geographic channel, so I believe it is true. Not all dogs return as men, they say; only those who are ready.

 I am ready.”




Last night, my dear husband, found me crying like a baby and holding on tightly to our dear pups in our bed as I finished the 2nd to last chapter of this book.

It is a good book that can bring me to tears – and not just once. It isn’t hopeless though, for all of you out there thinking there is no way you would read such a depressing book. There is a very uplifting story woven in this book and the end leaves you with hope.

I really enjoy reading books in which the narrator is a dog. There are so many times that I look into my own pup’s eyes and see so much humanity there. It is nearly impossible not to believe that they have some stream of consciousness in their little puppy brains. And, who is more capable of unconditional love than your dog? Anyway, I always enjoy dog books. The last one I read was A Dog’s Purpose, which also had me in tears, multiple times. There is just something completely heartwarming about reading about the world through the eyes of a dog.

Enzo, a loveable mutt, tells the story of his master’s life with smatterings of race cars and driving tips. I felt like this was definitely a guy-ish book, since I have absolutely zero interest in racing. Enzo does deliver philosophical messages throughout his racing knowledge, which made those parts easier to read for me. While those parts were a little dry, I was completely caught up in the story of Denny and Eve and Zoe and their life. It was such a true to life plot and I felt their pain (and their joy) as acutely as Enzo did. It was wonderful.

An easy read, a completely, utterly lovable narrator, and a heart-wrenching, but heartwarming story woven in and told with love. Thank you, Miss AlliFerg for the recommendation. I am so glad I read this book.

What's not to love?

 
*Gasp* I just learned that a movie of this book is supposed to be coming out next year with Patrick Dempsy as Denny. Oh, I hope it is good.

3-for-1 Book Reviews

Now, you all know I had high hopes of posting a fabulous review of Cutting for Stone BEFORE we left on our anniversary weekend getaway... yeah that happened. :) I have actually chewed through 2 more books and am working on a 3rd since I finished Cutting for Stone. I love summer for reading - all of my shows are in re-run mode so I am not wasting any time sitting in front of my computer... well except for right now... and have been enjoying the warmer weather and reading away. So, instead of one long review on Cutting for Stone, you are getting 3 mini reviews on my most recent reads!

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon at a mission hospital in Addis Ababa. Orphaned by their mother’s death in childbirth and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. Yet it will be love, not politics—their passion for the same woman—that will tear them apart and force Marion, fresh out of medical school, to flee his homeland. He makes his way to America, finding refuge in his work as an intern at an underfunded, overcrowded New York City hospital. When the past catches up to him—nearly destroying him—Marion must entrust his life to the two men he thought he trusted least in the world: the surgeon father who abandoned him and the brother who betrayed him.

An unforgettable journey into one man’s remarkable life, and an epic story about the power, intimacy, and curious beauty of the work of healing others
 
That synopsis will probably end up being longer than my review. I could review this in three words actually: GO READ IT.
I LOVED this book. The characters are phenomenal, multi-dimensional, and relate-able. I felt like I was truly reading the story of someone's extraordinary life. I did get a little lost in some of the medical terminology at times, but I felt free to scan over it and didn't feel like I missed out on any of the story. My emotions were on a roller coaster through this book and I love a story that can evoke intense feelings from me. It was wonderful - really - go read it.
 

A mysterious stranger with a magic touch descends upon the small town of Antioch and the town is slowly divided by his seemingly supernatural presence in director Robby Henson's adaptation of Frank Peretti's best-selling novel. Despite the fact that he may have the power to heal, the charismatic stranger nevertheless radiates a strange aura of menace and malevolence. Some believe him to be the one true messiah, and others dismiss him as a false prophet sent to seduce the souls of the weak. When the events in the stranger's remote revival tent take a turn for the sinister, it's up to a fallen ex-minister to re-connect with his faith and reveal the suspicious stranger for what he really is.
 
Ah - Frank Peretti. I love this man's Christian fiction. I feel like his stories, even though they all follow a similar formula, really challenge me in my faith in different ways. This book was creepy, scary, and uplifting. I really enjoyed it. And, there is a DVD, which I just moved to the top spot on my Netflix list. It's probably going to be awful, but I enjoy seeing how books translate to the screen and I am excited to watch it.
 

A terrorist bombing. A rogue experiment. A community vanished. Who will save them now? In a series that blends the urgent action of the Left Behind books with the alluring weirdness of the television show Lost, this first book opens with a terrorist bombing that combines with a rogue underground experiment to rip a clovershaped section of the working-class city of Barcester loose from the world. Cut off from any hope of help, police sergeant Jason Logan fights to keep order and track the terrorist mastermind. But after a second bomb explodes, effectively sealing the displacement of the vanished area, he knows the nightmare is just beginning. As the mist from the bomb slowly clears, those inside the vanished community find themselves surrounded by a majestic wilderness that is both primitive and primal as the vanished community battles for survival against enemies they've always known and forces they've never imagined.


*Grumble* This was another Christian fiction book I picked up with high hopes. I would not have touched it if I had realized it was the beginning of a series, not because I wouldn't read them all, but because they aren't out yet. This is definitely a jr. high reading level and I flew through it. I have waaaaaaaay more questions than answers and I feel like I have read the first 1/3 of what would be a great novel. There was absolutely no resolution at all and this book cannot be a stand-alone. I was really irritated when I finished this book, mostly because I want to finish the story. There is some mysterious mist, a terrorist plot, no one responding, their town may be in another dimension? I was so confused. Wouldn't recommend this baby to anyone until they are all out

A Reliable Wife; A Review

 

He placed a notice in a Chicago paper, an advertisement for a “reliable wife.” She responded, saying that she was  “a simple, honest woman.” She was, of course, anything but honest, and the only simple thing about her was her single-minded determination to marry this man and then kill him, slowly and carefully, leaving herself a wealthy widow. What Catherine Land did not realize was that the enigmatic and lonely Ralph Truitt had a plan of his own.

I have mixed feelings about this book. First off, I feel like this synopsis is slightly misleading. Yes all of that happens, but I felt like the emphasis of the book was a lot more sexual than I expected. Ralph Truitt is caught up in guilt over his philandering youth and feels like his lust is a disease (you can go ahead and imagine the colorful images the author paints for us). Catherine Land is not a simple, honest woman, but rather a prostitute (more by necessity than choice) which leads to more lusty scenes. I just didn't expect that and am kind of disappointed by it, because I found it so distracting and off-putting.

Another blogger put it like this: What bothered me about the book was the crazed, hyper libidos and obsession with sex that filled needless pages of the book. The characters seemed more driven by their physical needs than emotional all the time. It really set a strange mood to the novel. I also found Catherine’s involvement with Antonio to be annoying, particularly her dependence on his approval. Antonio himself is a character that stayed stagnant throughout the entire novel and I really could have done without being introduced to a character such as his. 

(taken from: http://thenovelworld.com/2011/04/07/a-reliable-wife-review/) 

I could not have put it better myself. 

 

Other than that, there was a fantastic story underneath it. It was dark, mysterious and I was desperate to know what would happen.  I enjoyed Catherine's evolution throughout the story from a woman with no boundaries to someone who knows the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. Ralph went through his own transformation as well, overcoming so many negative things from his past. I was happy with the way it ended, but probably wouldn't recommend it to any sensitive readers.

Overall 3.5/5 - fantastic story, but I had to look past too much to get it.