Book Reviews for You

Emma ~ Jane Austen

2011-10-28T22:37:00.000-05:00

Emma fancies herself a matchmaker and a good one at that. Vowing never to marry she finds enjoyment in finding "matches" for her acquaintances. But when match after match ends in heartache, she begins to reconsider her matchmaking abilities. And when her resolution to never marry gets put to the test and she begins to see that the only man she could ever marry is quite possibly in love with someone else, her world threatens to fall apart.

***

Being a huge fan of Jane Austen I loved this book! I'd seen several versions of movies, so I knew what was going to happen. But, of course no movie can fully capture a book, so there were a few surprises for me!
Find it! Read it! Love it!

Finding God's Path Through Your Trials ~ Elizabeth George

2011-10-28T22:27:00.000-05:00

When faced with trials it's sometimes hard to stay focused on God and to know where and how to go.

Elizabeth George does not claim to have all the answers, nor does she have the "few steps to complete happiness", but she does have the Bible, which she so wonderfully leads us through to show us how God intends for us to deal with our trials. But not to just deal with them but get through them and get through them in a God honoring way which makes us more like Christ.

Sundays At Tiffany's ~ James Patterson

2011-10-28T22:17:00.000-05:00

Ever have an imaginary friend? Jane did, his name was Michael. They were the best of friends. He was really her only friend and then one day he had to leave her. Jane was devastated and crushed. But years later a grown-up Jane is wondering if you are really supposed to see your imaginary friend when you're 20 or 30 years old and if you're really supposed to fall in love with them?

***

I thought this was a sweet story. There was an adult scene which need to be left out. It was a quick, easy read, but would I read it again? Probably not.

Golden Hours: Hymns and Songs of the Christian Life ~ Elizabeth Prentiss

2011-07-21T21:03:00.002-05:00

Trials, sorrow, death, hurt and hard times are what seemed to fill Elizabeth Prentiss life. Yet, rather then become bitter and hard she let God mold and shape her into such a wonderful, Godly, inspiring woman. She is one of my heroes and a dear friend. Only one touched by such grief and shown such grace and mercy can pen such wonderful encouraging words as she has. This little book is the door to her heart through poems and hymns. But not just to her heart, as you read you begin to realize, she knows what you've been going through, too. Many tears were shed as I read this, many prayers and many quiet, thoughtful moments. Really, find this book! You will not fail to be encouraged spiritually from it! It has become a new favorite of mine.

Beauty ~ Robin McKinley

2011-07-21T20:54:00.001-05:00

An enchanted castle, a beast, a rose and a young girl; forced to choose between her family and living with a beast, Beauty chooses the beast. But why the forced decision? Why the need to have her there, locked in a dark castle that is filled with unseen people and things? Why her?

Beauty, as you may have guessed, is a retelling of the well known tale "Beauty and the Beast". I received this book as a gift and am so thankful I did! I'd never heard of McKinley and I'm sad I hadn't! I was drawn into her writing almost instantly. She writes very well and I love her almost-old-English style of writing! The way she describes things is simply wonderful! A little different spin on the story than what Disney had us all believing in the movie, but I wouldn't change it! I liked it much better than the cartoon movie I grew up with. Find it, read it, love it! Who says fairy tales are only for children?

Taste and See ~ John Piper

2011-07-21T20:41:00.002-05:00

This book is the expanded edition of the "Godward Life II" devotional. The subtitle is "Savoring the Supremacy of God in All of Life." Piper does well in keeping his focus on Christ and I have enjoyed reading many books by him. I did greatly enjoy reading this one as well. Although I would not agree with every thing Piper says, as a whole I would readily recommend this book. There are a total of 140 "devotionals" in this book, each about 2 to 2 and a half pages long. It is a very easy, quick read. Yet, in spite of the "quickness" of the devotionals this book does not fail to convict and challenge. If you find it, pick it up!

Seaside Letters ~ Denise Hunter

2011-02-19T18:36:00.000-06:00

Sebrina is a kind, sweet waitress at a small town cafe. Everybody knows her at the cafe and loves her. Sabrina has fallen in love with Tucker, who comes to the cafe every morning. Tucker seems oblivious to Sabrina but Sabrina has a secret. She has been e-mailing Tucker (without revealing who she really is) and she has made him fall in love with her. Tucker is so in love with this girl that he's been e-mailing that he "hires" Sabrina to help him find this "mystery" girl. Little does Sabrina know, however, that Tucker is keeping secrets of his own. And from out of nowhere we learn of Sabrina's past and why she's afraid to tell Tucker that the girl he's e-mailing is actually her.

I just loved this book. I loved Denise Hunter's style of writing. It had me from the first paragraph. It is a love story, so if you're not interested in reading loves stories, I'd steer clear of this one. But, as I've said, I just thoroughly enjoyed it!

Extreme Devotion ~ Voice of the Marytrs

2011-02-19T18:15:00.000-06:00

A daily devotional book for one year, this book has one story or quote a day to remind us that people are suffering for Christ. Not just suffering as we think of suffering (not enough money, people don't like us, we live so far from family and friends) but hard extreme suffering: death, beatings, starvation, watching loved ones and family members being tortured. This book is a real eye-opener and also a reminder for us to pray for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who do truly suffer for Christ's name.

Wind in The Willows ~ Kenneth Grahame

2011-02-19T18:06:00.001-06:00

We are first introduced to Mole. A sweet, kind, caring animal who has started his spring cleaning. Feeling an itch to know what's above and outside of his home he digs up, up and up until he reaches the surface. We then are introduced to Rat, another kindred spirit who befriends Mole. After a while we learn of Mr. Badger and Toad. Many adventures are recorded about Mole and Ratty. Such wonderful friends. But as the story continues we learn of Toad. What a careless, reckless and thoughtless animal he is. He gets himself into a heap of trouble far away from his dear Toad Hall. Will he find his way home again? Is there any hope for such a wayward Toad? And the big climax at the end has you wondering if four such friends can save a house from hundreds of pesky weasels.

This book took me a little while to get through. It doesn't, necessarily, grab your attention and carry it all the way through. It's a delightful read and an enjoyable relaxing book. It was a bit rough in spots. Grahame can get a little carried away with descriptions and such and it is written in an older English style. But enjoyable and fun, just the same.

Sense and Sensibility ~ Jane Austen

2011-02-12T16:52:00.000-06:00

Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are two penniless sisters who encounter trials in life and love. They weather the storm of those trials though, and they emerge as mature and fulfilled women.
~~~
I recently reread this novel, and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the first time I read it 15 years ago. One thing that really struck me this time through was how cruel and selfish so many of the characters acted. John and Fanny Dashwood are extremely conceited and careless of others’ feelings; it makes the reader cringe. But it makes the Dashwood sisters’ triumphs that much more celebratory. You want them to have a happy ending so badly, and when it materializes for both sisters you can’t help but rejoice. Another thing I like about this novel is that amidst the bad characters are truly selfless people--people who conduct their lives with dignity and integrity--and those characters have happy endings too.

The story ends joyfully. What else can you ask for? :)

Pride and Prejudice ~ Jane Austen

2011-02-12T16:47:00.000-06:00

We’re all familiar with this famous love story between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. But since I have never written a review on it, and I just reread the story over Christmas, I decided now was a great time to post my thoughts. :)

I like this book immensely. Ms. Austen does a great job of developing the characters personalities; you feel that you are embodying Elizabeth as you read her thoughts. Austen does not describe the characters’ physical characteristics though. I suppose she wanted us readers to determine for ourselves whether Elizabeth was a brunette or a redhead; whether Mr. Bingley had a beard, etc.

The book is long, as is most classic literature, but it is worth persevering to the end when the two main characters finally come together. Personally after having read it so much I pay most attention to the dialogue, which is really the highlight of this book. There are several areas though where it would have been beneficial if Austen had told us who was speaking. I had to reread parts of the conversation so I could decipher who said what.

Another aspect of this story that I truly love is all the letters. Darcy’s letter of defense written to Lizzie is a pivotal point in the novel. Giving the reader important information via a letter makes the book feel more intimate.

I would encourage everyone to read this novel just once. It really is worth all the hype surrounding it.

And Then There Were None ~ Agatha Christie

2011-02-12T16:41:00.000-06:00

In this short mystery story ten strangers are brought to an island and left there for the weekend without any contact with the adjoining town. One by one the strangers die, and the culprit seems to be enjoying themselves. The island is searched by the remaining people, but they discover there is no one else on the island but themselves. Who is the master in charge of this dangerous game?
~~~
This book was a fast-read. And it is also entertaining; you want to keep reading so you can find out who the killer is. And there was a surprise ending. Overall a decent book.

The Alchemist ~ Paulo Coelho

2011-02-12T16:37:00.000-06:00

This book follows the adventure of a young Spanish shepherd. He is on a quest to fulfill his “personal journey” to the Egyptian pyramids. Once there he hopes to find a treasure, thus his purpose in life will be realized.
~~~
If the above summary left you confused you aren’t alone. I read this whole book without really understanding the plot or the point in general that the author was trying to make. Basically, it’s a book filled with new age mysticism blended with Jewish and Muslim ideas. The author makes the statement that everyone has a “personal journey” that they’re on, and if they recognize what that journey is then all of creation will work together to help them achieve it. But along with that the author writes, “Where your treasure is there your heart will be.“ Sound familiar? As a Christian I found myself thinking often, “No. That’s wrong”, or “Well, that tiny tidbit is accurate”, etc. I could see many people being lead astray by the ideas in this book. Avoid it.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ~Jules Verne

2011-02-12T16:33:00.000-06:00

It is the year 1866. Captain Nemo has shunned life on land and opted for a continual life at sea aboard his amazing submarine the Nautilus. Unfortunately he takes on board 3 prisoners, and they join him for almost a year under the ocean; observing the strange and fanciful flora and fauna that exist under the waves.

~~~

Jules Verne must not have employed an editor. This book was basically a glorified science book. Two-thirds of the story consisted of Verne describing the various fish and plants he thought existed in the oceans of the world. The other one-third was actual story-line. The story itself was alright. It’s written from the point-of-view of one of the captured prisoners, and obviously adventures do take place aboard the Nautilus. But those adventures are written in a manner that makes them less thrilling than they could have been in more capable hands.

I had two versions of this story: and abridged edition and the original full-length text. If you are at all interested in this book I would highly recommend reading the abridged version as it sticks with the story itself and doesn’t include the majority of the sea-life descriptions.

The Woman in White ~ Wilkie Collins

2010-10-25T16:00:00.000-05:00

(The copy of this book that I read was published over 90 years ago, so it had no cover art. Instead I used a painting from the novel.)

Walter Hartright is a teacher of drawing. He takes a position in a private household, instructing two sisters. On the eve of his departure to begin his new job, Walter happens to meet a strange woman on the road; a woman clad in all white. Her eerie behavior makes an impression on Mr. Hartright, and he decides to help her. After they part ways Walter learns the woman has escaped from an asylum, and he aided her escape! Thinking that was the last time he would ever see her, Walter begins his teaching position. Low and behold one of his students bears a remarkable resemblance to the mysterious Woman in White. Unknowingly the Woman in White will dictate the rest of Walter’s future.
~~~~
I have high praise for this book. From the beginning of the tale I was drawn into the story. One aspect I enjoyed was how the narrative switched from person to person, looping all the characters together. It began with Walter, and then when Walter left the scene the story was taken up by someone else. Thus the character development was well done. This story is a gothic mystery, and the mystery side was certainly emphasized. I couldn’t put the book down because I wanted to know what would happen. The story is a long one, though. But if you don’t mind lengthy books (and you enjoy 19th century literature) then I would definitely recommend reading The Woman in White.

Dear John ~ Nicholas Sparks

2010-08-06T20:27:00.000-05:00

The book starts (prologue) in the year 2006. It's first person, from the perspective of John. He explains that he's sitting on a hill waiting for Savannah to walk out of her house, so he can see her.

He gives a little background before chapter one begins and we're flown back six years earlier.

The story is about how John and Savannah fall in love at first sight. John is in the army and he's on his two week leave before he has to return to Germany. In the two weeks spent together both John and Savannah know they want to spend the rest of their lives together.

John goes back to Germany and he and Savannah write and call each other frequently. Neither of them could even guess that 9/11 would happen. The tragedy that no one saw coming will now test and pull their love. Will their love survey the distance and the stress of war?

***

Personally, I'd never read anything by Sparks before. I'd heard that this movie was supposed to be good and I need a book to read so I thought I'd try it. I wasn't impressed. The story line was catching, yes, but I didn't like the way it ended, and obviously Sparks' theology is at best sketchy. There were a couple swear words and an adults scene (not a graphic, detailed one but it was there none the less).

I don't necessarily recommend this book.

The Jungle ~ Upton Sinclair

2010-08-06T20:11:00.001-05:00

If you’re a little frightened by the cover of this book you’re not alone. It took me several seconds to realize what the red “thing” was: a piece of meat. But that’s what this story centralizes on--the Chicago meat-packing district in the early 20th century.

Throughout the book we follow the life of Jurgis and his family. They are immigrants to the U.S., coming here in pursuit of that ever elusive American Dream. Looking for work in NY, they are urged to travel inland to Chicago and find jobs at the huge slaughter houses. Jurgis takes this advice, and soon he and his family are caught in the trap of slaving away for the giant companies who do nothing but work them all to their literal deaths. And the reader gets to read about the corruption within the business and the swindling that most of the immigrants fell prey to as well. The story highlights one misery after another that Jurgis endures until finally the tale turns into a political advertisement for Socialism.

This famous novel brought about laws and changes to the way our food was handled in the U.S. Some of the things that were done to consumable food would turn your stomach. I have a very difficult time reading and watching human misery stories, and this book was full of it! It seemed like an endless trial for poor Jurgis, and sadly, his dealings were true to life of what many people who worked in that industry experienced. That made it all the more difficult to read. I was determined to finish the book, but I would never read it again. It’s one of those tomes that you read once and that stays with you for awhile afterwards. Not sure if I’d recommend reading it or not.

Cranford ~ Elizabeth Gaskell

2010-08-06T20:05:00.001-05:00

Elizabeth Gaskell’s book is about a little town called Cranford. The village is filled to overflowing with old women and very little men (so it would seem). The ladies know everyone and all their business, and we learn about each and every one of the gossipy gals through the writings of one of Cranford’s former frequent visitors: Mary Smith. As Mary ages she finds it her to duty to recall and record some of the more memorable events that took place in Cranford because the world around the town is changing, and the way of life the older women enjoy is no longer relevant. But she doesn’t want others to forget her beloved friends.

I watched the BBC miniseries of this book this summer, and it moved me to tears--ones of joy and sorrow. I was so enthralled with the story-line and the characters that I was saddened when I came to the last episode. I knew then that I had to read the book as I was convinced that it would be every bit as good as the film version.

Unfortunately I was disappointed. Yes, the book contained many of the colorful antics of the inhabitants of Cranford, but the central story-line that I so enjoyed in the movie version--that of Sophie and the young Doctor--were not included in the novel. I felt slightly unfulfilled after I finished reading. Read the book for sure as the writing is very good, and the little stories are humorous and touching. But afterwards be sure to watch the BBC production.

The Adventures of Jack Lime ~ James Leck

2010-08-06T19:59:00.001-05:00

The title character Jack Lime is a high school student at Iona High. He is new to the school having moved from Los Angeles. Wanting to be noticed by his fellow classmates Jack tries his hand at private investigation. Voilá! A new-age Sherlock Holmes is born. Jack’s antics get him into trouble and often bruised, but he always solves his case.

This junior fiction novel pays homage to 1940s film noir detective stories. I loved the classic PI language: “a dame walked into my life”, “I should quit the business”, etc. It had me laughing out loud! James Leck writes the book as several of Lime’s cases compiled into one novel. Each mini story was enjoyable and left me hoping that this debut novel won’t be Leck’s last. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something light-hearted, quick, and purely for entertainment.

Christy ~ Catherine Marshall

2010-06-29T17:09:00.000-05:00

Christy, a young, ambitious, passionate girl, is sitting at a meeting where a missionary is describing a new school he has opened and is calling for a volunteer teacher. The speech grabs Christy and she jumps at the opportunity. Everything happens so fast and before she knows it she's on a train headed to the Cutter Gap missionary school.

But when she arrives things are much more primitive then she ever expected and she questions her choice.

Is she cut out to be here, in the wilderness mountains? Can she really teach these children? Can she survive without the comforts of the home she knew?

As she begins to settle in she comes in contact with two very different men. One makes her angry and feel like a child ... yet something interesting about him draws her. One she falls in love with ... or so she thinks so.

Can she stay and teach? Can she love this man? Will she turn and run?

This book was very well written. Marshall is a very good writer and I loved how she describes things! Yet, this book didn't "grab" me until about half way through. It was fun to read, but there wasn't anything that really made me feel like "I just have to find out what happens" until, as I've mentioned, about halfway through. But maybe it was just me. Although after I got to that point where I "just had to know" it was very interesting and attention grabbing. And, just from my point of view, it ended just like I wanted. :)

There were times in the book where I felt like each chapter was just a different story about the same people. Sometimes she referred back to things she talked about in the earlier chapters, but not often, until, again, about halfway through.

I do recommend this book. Be wary though, there are some parts that could have been left out. They are not terrible, but questionable.

The Pursuit of Holiness ~ Jerry Bridges

2010-06-29T16:53:00.000-05:00

"Be holy, for I am holy," commands God to His people. But holiness is something that is often missing in the Christian's daily life. According to Jerry Bridges, that's because we're not exactly sure what our part in holiness is. In this book, Bridges helps us see clearly just what we should rely on God to do - and what we should accept responsibility for ourselves.

This was the second time I've read this book and it was so helpful both times. Very convicting yet extremely helpful at the same time, as I already mentioned. Bridges is very easy to understand and his writing flows very smoothly. I highly recommend this book.

A Study in Scarlet ~ Arthur Conan Doyle

2010-06-29T16:44:00.000-05:00

This is the first story in the series of writings starring the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. In his tale Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduces the reader to Mr. Holmes and his crime-solving companion Dr. Watson. The good doctor has returned to London after a stint in Afghanistan, having served for the military. While on his tour of duty he is injured, and now he is in back in the U.K. to recover. Watson lives on a fixed income and yet he needs a place to live. A friend introduces him to an acquaintance who is in a similar predicament: Sherlock Holmes. The two men become roommates, and it doesn’t take long for Dr. Watson to notice Mr. Holmes’s eccentricities and his unbelievable skill of deduction. Watson accompanies Sherlock on a case aiding Scotland Yard. A murder has been committed, but there is no sign of the killer. In the end the crime is solved by Mr. Holmes, of course, much to the amazement of Watson and Scotland Yard. Thus Holmes begins his lucrative detective practice. The rest, as they say, is history. J

***

I LOVED this story! I thought it was so fantastic that I couldn’t stop reading it. From the very moment the reader is introduced to the character Sherlock Holmes you just HAVE to keep reading about him and his peculiarities. The manner is which the author writes him is just amazing and draws you in. I was baffled as to how Holmes found “his man”, but then Arthur Conan Doyle takes the reader back and explains it all, and his explanation kind of added a twist to the narrative. No wonder readers 100 years ago were clamoring for more stories featuring the unique character. My only minor complaint is that Doyle uses many words that modern readers (well, at least me) might not be familiar with. Recommended.

Shutter Island ~ Dennis Lehane

2010-04-26T20:41:00.000-05:00

My brother read this book, and he asked me to read it, too, so he could have someone to talk about it with. I had seen the previews for the movie, and thus I knew that this was a thriller and/or scary book. Normally I don’t read books in that genre. Okay, I NEVER read books in that genre or watch movies either. But I figured I’d give it a try for my brother’s sake.

***

U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels has been assigned a mission to locate a missing woman at Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane on Shutter Island. He and his partner Chuck soon learn that things are not what they seem at the hospital. During their investigation more questions arise than are answered. On top of that a hurricane is raging around them. Will Teddy and Chuck discover the secrets regarding the island and its hospital? Will they ever leave??

*****

Surprisingly I kind of enjoyed this book. It certainly held my interest. There was also a plot twist at the end of the story. Unfortunately there was some bad language. And since the hospital housed criminally insane people there were some disturbing scenes. Would I recommend this book? Probably not. Will I read a novel from this genre again? Probably not.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ~ Washington Irving

2010-04-26T20:38:00.000-05:00

Ichabod Crane is a school teacher who enjoys telling and listening to ghost stories. And the part of New England where he resides, Sleepy Hollow, is filled with tales of spooks and specters and most famous of all: a headless man who rides on a horse at night.

Ichabod tries to court the most sought after beauty in the county: Katrina Van Tassel. Ms. Van Tassel is warm to Ichabod’s feelings, but she is also being wooed by “Brom Bones” Van Brunt, Ichabod’s rival.

Both Crane and Van Brunt are invited to a party given by Katrina’s father. Many scary stories are told the night of the autumn festival, and Ichabod was rather skittish when he left the Van Tassel farm. Not long into his journey home he finds that he is being pursued by the notorious Headless Horseman himself! Ichabod is so frightened by his late-night encounter with an actual ghost that he leaves Sleepy Hollow, never to return.

*****

Because of this book’s history, and the fact that it is so famous, I was expecting a long story filled with adventure and intrigue. You can imagine my surprise then when I discovered that Mr. Irving’s well-known tale is a short story! Its lack of pages though was no indication of its plethora of words. Washington Irving used so many archaic terms that I had to have a Post-It note and pencil next to me at all times so I could write down all the unknown words I found to look up later. And his style of writing is out-of-date which made it difficult to read. I would only suggest reading this story so you can say, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow? Oh, yes. I’ve read it.” You’re probably better off just watching the movie.

Rebecca ~ Daphne Du Maurier

2010-04-26T20:35:00.000-05:00

This story follows the life of a young female attendant to a wealthy matron. The young lady and her employer are vacationing in Italy when they meet a famous Englishman, Max de Winter. Two weeks later Max and the young woman are married, and he brings his new bride back to England to his stately home, Manderley. But all is not blissful for the newly married couple as the new Mrs. de Winter soon discovers that life at Manderley is haunted by the shadow of Max’s first wife, Rebecca. The mystery of Rebecca’s death grows throughout the summer. Finally, all of Mrs. de winter’s questions are answered through a series of startling events.

This famous 1938 gothic novel completely surprised me (in a good way). I was puzzled by the story right up until the very end. But I enjoyed reading this book because it had such a fantastic twist, and Daphne Du Maurier is an excellent descriptive writer; the reader can easily picture everything that is happening. One other thing that was unique about this tale is that you never find out what the new Mrs. de Winter’s first name is. She is only called by her surname. This was an interesting novel for adults.

P.S. I Love You ~ Cecelia Ahern

2010-04-22T22:42:00.000-05:00

I started reading this book and got to the third chapter, I believe, but I couldn't finish it. There was so much swearing that it was hard to over-look. I know the story is sweet and I was interested to see how Cecelia actually wrote the book but I couldn't read it. I don't recommend this book for that reason, since I didn't get too far into it, I obviously don't know much about the rest of the book and cannot rate it on the rest of the contents.

Catcher in the Rye ~ J. D. Salinger

2010-02-26T20:01:00.002-06:00

Maybe you are like me in that you have heard of this novel, but you've never read it. It's fame has also piqued your interest. Well, that is how I decided I was going to read this book. And that is also how I found out that this book is not worth reading. :)

Here's the gist: the novel chronicles a weekend in the life of prep school attendee Holden Caulfield. He has been kicked out of another school, but he doesn't want to go home to his soon-to-be disappointed parents. Instead he spends the weekend in New York City. There isn't a real strong plot to the story. It is told in the first person point of view, and the entire book is basically just Holden giving you his thoughts on life. He has been committed to a mental institution because he has had a nervous breakdown, and it seems that he has been instructed to write down the events that led to his breakdown.

This novel is filled with very frank observations regarding people, and Salinger uses a lot of coarse language. A lot. I understand that he was trying to convey a strong character, and when you read the book it does come across that Holden would speak that way. But it was beyond excessive. Also, because Holden is only sixteen, and the novel is written in a manner that Holden himself is telling the story, there is a lot of repetition of words and phrases.

I will give Salinger credit in that he certainly makes the reader believe that a 16 year-old is telling a story rather than a 25 year-old writer. But the bad language makes this book one to be avoided.

Pauline's Passion and Punishment ~ Louisa May Alcott

2010-02-26T19:57:00.005-06:00

Synopsis: The title character, Pauline, has been wronged in love, and she uses her womanly wiles to seek revenge against the offending man. With a hunger that is almost demonic, Pauline stops at nothing to make the man atone for what he has done to her.

~~~~
After reading A Long Fatal Love Chase I vowed that I had to find more of Alcott’s lesser known thrillers. I was intrigued by that book because it was such a stark contrast to Little Women and its subsequent novels, and the ending was very surprising.

I hunted around and found the massive book Louisa May Alcott Unmasked: Collected Thrillers at my local library. I was specifically looking for the short story Pauline’s Passion and Punishment. And it IS a short story: only 30 pages long. But don’t let its lack of length make you think it was brief in plot development. I found this tale to be unusual, and I don‘t mean that as a bad thing. It was an expected story of love and revenge. I thought I had the ending figured out, but Alcott surprised me once again.

I will definitely be reading more of these suspenseful stories. Alcott is truly a versatile writer.

Atonement ~ Ian McEwan

2010-02-26T19:50:00.006-06:00

Robbie and Cecilia grew up together in a manner house in England. He being the son of one of the servants and she the privileged daughter of his mother’s employer. And as usually happens in stories the two fall in love, despite their circumstances in life. But fate decreed that the two lovers should not be together, and Robbie is falsely accused of a crime the very night he professes his love. Robbie is sent to prison for several years, and after his release he joins the military to help fight the second World War. Cecilia joins the war effort as well, as a nurse. They meet up with one another before Robbie leaves for France, and they vow that they will be together when he comes back. But both will become victims to the war, and their love will be unrequited.

~~~~~

I watched this movie a year ago, and I was so moved by the story that after it ended I sat staring at the television while the tears flowed down my face. I watched the DVD extras and discovered that the movie was based upon a book of the same title. Naturally I put the novel on my “must read” list.

Well…it’s NOT a must read. I couldn’t even finish this book. It was excessively wordy and descriptive. McEwan gives the reader so much back-story, and it was just unnecessary information. I tend to like to skip ahead to the dialogue, but there was very little conversation during the first seven chapters. I put the book down to take a break from it, and even two weeks later I dreaded the thought of picking it back up again so much that I decided not to. I already knew the entire plot so what was the point?

This was one of those rare instances where the movie was better than the book. Skip it.

Monday Morning Faith ~ Lori Copeland

2010-02-20T17:55:00.003-06:00

40-year-old Johanna is comfortable with the life she's built for herself. A librarian who lives at home to take care of her aging parents. The only thing that bothers her, an aunt who thinks Johanna should be married and makes her opinion known.
But when "Tom Selleck" appears and steals her heart, she's beginning to think maybe her life has turned around and she's not sure if she likes it.
The only thing "wrong" with "Tom Selleck" is that he's headed to Papua New Guinea to be a missionary Dr.
Johanna tries to convince herself she's not in love with him. But when he asks her to go with him, she knows she does actually love him.
Rather shocked and unsure, she finds herself on her way to Papua New Guinea, even though she's 100% sure God's will for her life is not to be a missionary.
Life there, for three weeks, is so totally different from everything she's ever known, reassuring her (or so she thinks) that God's will for her isn't for missions and she starts to question why she's there. She is so far from her comfort zone.
Struggle after struggle tests her faith and when an unexpected tragedy strikes, she knows what she must do ... even if it means "Tom Selleck" is not for her?
Can she really trust and follow the God these missionaries love so dear?
This is another one I enjoyed. Maybe not as much as "A Mile in My Flip-Flops" but it was a good read. There were a couple parts in this one that had me giggling, as well.
I recommend this one, too.

Stranded in Paradise ~ Lori Copeland

2010-02-20T17:47:00.003-06:00

Is it possible for almost everything that could go wrong to actually go wrong? It is if you're Tess Nelson.
Tess is a successful, in control of her life business woman.
But when things start to crumble and things she can't control happen, she panics.
She decides she needs a break and flies to Hawaii.
But problem after problem is piled onto her stressful life.
Then to top it off, a handsome, kind of annoying man, also on vacation in Hawaii, keeps crossing her path.
Event after event pushes them together and she keeps seeing that this man has something she does not, a true reliance on God.
When a hurricane that is headed straight for the island throws them together again, she realizes just how strong his faith is and the peace and joy God brings.
Can she truly give up control of her life and trust this God to take control?
I enjoyed this book. Copeland did a good job of keeping the story interesting and exciting. I would recommend this book.

A Mile in My Flip-Flops ~ Melody Carlson

2010-02-20T17:36:00.002-06:00

Gretchen, abandoned a few weeks before her wedding by her fiancée, is depressed, gaining wight, eating ice cream to her heart's delight and learning everything about house remodeling and construction ... or that is, everything that one can learn from watching reality T.V. 24/7 in her cramped little apartment with her over sized dog who loves to eat expensive shoes.
Deciding something has got to change, she decides she's going to buy a house, fix it up and sell it. A house flip! Just like on T.V.!
Everything goes great ... at least, that is, until the loan goes through on the house and she starts to work.
Maybe things aren't as easy as they look on the T.V.. Her father, a retired contractor, helps in anyway he can, but things happen and he calls a buddy of his to help out.
Gretchen isn't sure about her father's friend but the deadline on the house is inching closer and she seems to have no other option.
Can she finish the house in time and overcome the ache and pain in her heart at her failed "happily ever after"?
There was one scene that could have been left, but over all I just loved this book! I liked the way Carlson wrote in this one. I thought it was sweet, but also funny. Several times it had me laughing right out loud.
I recommend this book.

The Atonement Child ~ Francine Rivers

2010-02-20T17:21:00.004-06:00

One dark evening, as Dinah is walking back to college from work, her mind and heart are thanking God for His goodness to her. A child of God, she praises Him for saving her. For giving her wonderful parents and a godly, amazing fiancée.
Her life seems perfect, until that night she's raped and to her greater horror, she becomes pregnant.
Will she have the abortion her family and friends are pressing her to have? Does God care about her any more?
This well written book is full of surprises in the form of secret after secret that are revealed in the characters.
This book is overly descriptive in some parts, but nothing tragic.
I was getting frustrated with the character's "faith" in the beginning and middle of the book, but was relieved and happy with how they all end up responding to God in the end.
I enjoyed this book the first time I read it and also this time through as well. Definitely a book for adults, however.

My Utmost for His Highest ~ Oswald Chambers

2010-02-20T17:12:00.003-06:00

A devotional for one year, this book is a quick read each day. Although Oswald is sometimes hard to understand with how He writes, most of the time he's fairly easy to understand.
I will say, although I learned quite a bit from him, there are many things that I disagree with him on.
But over all it was a good book.
I would recommend reading this book, as long as you are careful to not swallow everything he says without knowing what the Bible says.

Elizabeth Prentiss 'More Love to Thee' ~ Sharon James

2010-02-20T17:02:00.005-06:00

Reading "Stepping Heavenward" made me a fan of Elizabeth Prentiss. So when this biography of Elizabeth Prentiss, by Sharon James, was given to me, I was excited to get started.
It was well written and very educational. The one thing that kind of was interesting to me was that James was not afraid of showing a few points where Elizabeth missed the mark. She showed that Elizabeth was, in fact, human.
Reading about Elizabeth was hard, as sorrow upon sorrow seemed to be heaped upon her, but also very encouraging because James made sure to point out Elizabeth's unending, strong trust in Jesus.
Quoiting many things from Elizabeth, James gently shows us the heart of Mrs. Prentiss. I highly recommend this book.

Eight Cousins ~ Louisa May Alcott

2010-02-20T16:48:00.004-06:00

Orphaned as a young girl, Rose goes to live on the "Aunt Hill," the hill endearingly called so by those in the area. Her six aunts live on this hill, each with their own family. Each, also, have their own ideas of how to raise her and as she has no parents, and her guardian uncle is on his way back from across the seas, she is subject to obey them.
But soon, Dr. Alec, her guardian uncle, comes and blows her aunts ideas out of the water.
Adjusting to the new care instructions underway she also is trying to figure out how she, an only child, feels about her 7 rambunctious boy cousins.
I really enjoyed this book. I was quite taken with all the characters. I wholly recommend it to any one. I think a young child could even understand it, if it was read to them. It's just a sweet story.

A Christmas Carol ~ Charles Dickens

2010-01-12T16:30:00.002-06:00

I’m sure most of us are familiar with the story of Ebenezer Scrooge: the miserly, selfish old fellow who doesn't care about mankind except if they aid in his business of making money. As to his feelings towards Christmas? Well, “Bah. Humbug!” he eloquently declares when his nephew mentions the holiday. Because of his faulty attitude towards others, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts: the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Together they will take him on a journey through events from his life and present to him what kind of death awaits him if he continues on his current course. Ebenezer cannot help but be horrified by what he sees, and he learns a moral that alters him, and his enjoyment of Christmas, forever.
~~~
Let me state for the record that I am NOT a Dickens fan. I have read several of his novels (albeit a few were the Reader’s Digest Condensed Versions), and I haven’t found one that I enjoyed…until now. From the very first paragraphs I found I liked the story. I can only describe Dickens’ writing in this book as easy and cheerful. Even the more morbid parts were still beautifully described. Maybe it was because the book was so short that I found the story so easy and engaging; one could read this book in a few hours. And what I liked best about the book was that it ended happily, but the reader didn’t have to endure chapters upon chapters of depressing events in the main character’s life like in Dickens’ other novels. If you’ve ever thought of reading this popular Christmas story I would encourage you to do so.

Arch Enemy (Looking Glass Wars Series #3) ~ Frank Beddor

2010-01-12T16:21:00.003-06:00

This is the third and final book in The Looking Glass Wars Series. What’s that you say? You’ve never heard of them? Well then let me give you a synopsis: Remember the book Alice in Wonderland? Young Alice Liddell has a fantastic dream about falling into a world where rabbits can talk but can’t keep adequate time, odd men wearing hats perpetually have tea, and queens are vile women who try to have their disobedient subjects murdered at every turn. Great story.

Now, take that fantasy world that Alice imagines, and pretend for a moment that it is a real place called Wonderland. Alyss Heart is a princess and is the next in line to the throne. But her mother’s reign is cut short due to a coup by Alyss’s aunt, Redd Heart. Redd wants to rule Wonderland, and she will use her gifted imagination and her lethal army of Card Soldiers to achieve her dream. First on Redd’s agenda: kill Alyss Heart. Accompanied by her bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, and through the protection of an army of Chessmen, Alyss escapes Wonderland through a magical portal of mirrors. She ends up in our world, in London, where she must live for the next decade of her life. But all the while Alyss retains a hope that she will one day return to her home world and claim the throne that is rightfully hers.
~~~
This series is decent overall. The books are geared towards young adults so they are relatively easy to read, but they are interesting enough to enthrall older readers as well. I really like the premise of the book--Wonderland being a real place, etc. It was fun to read how Beddor borrowed characters and ideas from Lewis Carroll’s books and tweaked them for this series. I enjoyed books one and two, and I was looking forward to this final novel and the conclusion to the whole story. I was disappointed though. Book three wasn’t as good as the other two, and it seemed rushed; as if the author didn’t put as much effort into the writing. In trying to tie up all the loose ends from the previous novels Beddor jumped around a lot, and he included events that just didn’t seem to fit with the previous books. But I liked the series as a whole, and I would recommend them to teen and adult readers who enjoy the fantasy genre.

Captain Wentworth's Diary ~ Amanda Grange

2009-12-25T17:40:00.005-06:00

As a lover of Jane Austen, anything really, that pertains to her takes my notice. But especially with Persuasion. Persuasion was the first Jane Austen novel I read and it is (out of the ones I've read so far by Austen) my favorite. So when I saw that this book was supposed to be "Persuasion" from Captain Wentworth's perspective I was pretty excited.

It starts out in the year 1806, when Wentworth (at the time a Commander, not Captain yet) and Anne meet for the first time. Persuasion, by Austen, begins in the year 1814 ... I believe. As Grange writes the first part of the book (almost half), she is going by her own imagination. So, really, if anyone were to write a book about what they thought Wentworth was like based on imagination you would come up with, perhaps, a different description from each person. That said, I pictured him different from what Grange did.

Over all, the book was well written. After the first part of the book (the 1806 part) when you're in the year 1814, the events closely follow Persuasion. It was fun to see how Grange thought Wentworth would respond. In some parts I thought the same as Grange as to how Wentworth was thinking and sometimes I imagined Wentwoth responding differently. But since Austen did not write this book, we really don't know how she originally pictured Wentworth.

The book was interesting and rather fun. Would I read it again? Maybe not, but that's just my personal preference. I thought it was a good book. There was nothing bad in Grange's writing. It just isn't the kind of book that really grabs my attention to read over and over.

So, all that said. I'll leave it up to you if you want to read it. I guess I would recommend it, just for fun.

Sarah’s Key ~ Tatiana de Rosnay

2009-10-26T11:21:00.002-05:00

Rather than write my own synopsis of this story I decided to use the summary from the publisher:

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.
Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

I couldn’t have said that better myself.

This book had a compelling story to tell. During WWII Jews were not only targeted in Poland and Germany, but while France was under military occupation Jews were persecuted there as well. The Vel’ d’Hiv roundup involved the capture of many Jewish children who were ultimately sent off to Auschwitz. I personally dislike reading about the Holocaust because what happened to the Jews was just awful, and it makes it all the more difficult because it’s not just a story; it actually happened. But this book was wonderfully written, and having never heard of the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup I was interested in the story-line. The author weaves the narrative between the past and the present; a sure method to capture her reader’s interest. The only part of this book that I didn’t care for was Julia Jarmond’s marriage falls apart as a result of her interest in Sarah’s life. I would have liked to have seen her marriage survive. And if I remember correctly there were a couple of swear words; seems like you can’t read a recently published novel without finding those in there. Recommended.

The Shadow of the Wind ~ Carlos Ruiz Zafón

2009-10-26T11:12:00.004-05:00

Ten-year-old Daniel Sempere has received his greatest treasure: His father has taken him to one of Barcelona’s well-kept secret locations: the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Daniel is allowed to choose one book for himself, to keep for the rest of his life. He selects The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. From its opening paragraph the book entrances Daniel. Armed with his now favorite novel, Daniel vows to discover all he can about Julian Carax and obtain more of his books.

Daniel soon learns though that Julian Carax’s life is shrouded in mystery. And his writings have disappeared; someone has methodically collected all of Carax’s works and burned them. But Daniel is undaunted. Accompanied by his friend, Fermín Romero de Torres, they embark on a journey of exploration into Carax’s life, and this quest will leave its shadow on Daniel’s own personal history.

This novel for adults was excellent! From the moment I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. It is chock full of mystery and intrigue. The characters are interesting, and their stories are woven together. As Daniel was playing detective I found myself anxious for his discoveries as well. The author does use some coarse language, but thankfully it wasn’t a lot. And the characters that curse you would expect them to speak like that so I guess it’s understandable, although not necessary. Also there were some imprudent moments between Daniel and his girlfriend. I guess when your characters are unredeemed sinners you have to expect them to act like their natures. But other than those two points I really enjoyed the story.

The Inheritance ~ Louisa May Alcott

2009-09-18T19:59:00.004-05:00

As a little orphaned, lonely child Edith Avelon was adopted by a wealthy, caring family, the Hamiltons. She's grown up in this family and loves them like her own family and they love her back ... all that is but cousin Ida. Lady Ida envies Edith's grace, beauty, charm, and the love and attention people give her. Edith is very shy and humble and knows not why Ida hates her so. Edith's only wish in life is to be loved and wanted.

One day a Lord Percy comes to visit the Hamiltons and is quite taken with Edith ... much to Lady Ida's distress. She vows to make Edith's life miserable and to attract and steal the love and attention which Lord Percy seems to bestow upon Edith.
So much does Lady Ida hate Edith that she is willing to lie and steal and cheat to ruin and upset Edith's happy life.

But, even more to the ruin of Lady Ida, but to the joy of everyone else, Edith's past is discovered and the shocking truth is what no one would have guessed.

I smiled through this whole book! I loved it. It kind of has a Cinderella feel to it! Alcott wrote it when she was seventeen and it shows. It is clearly a written by a teenager. Not at all suspenseful like "A Long Fatal Love Chase".
As I said, I loved this book, it was a quick, easy read and I highly recommend it.

Magic Tree House Series ~ Mary Pope Osborne

2009-09-18T19:55:00.002-05:00

Siblings Jack and Annie have discovered a tree house in a forest in their hometown of Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. Being children, they have to explore the structure. The tree house is filled with books on every subject imaginable, and a spoken wish to travel to one of the places pictured is supernaturally granted. Surprise: The tree house is magical!

The first few books in the series have Jack and Annie trying to discover who owns the tree house and how the dwelling is magical, and going on adventures in the meantime. Each book takes them to a different place and period in history: from exploring pyramids in ancient Egypt to crossing moats with medieval knights in Europe to escaping ninjas in China. As Jack and Annie go on their adventures they get into scrapes that always cause them to have to consult with the book that corresponds with where and when they are, so the reader learns facts as they are enjoying a fictional story.

I’ve been reading the series to my daughters, and the stories captivate them. My 5 year-old especially likes them. She asks every night if we can read Magic Tree House. The books are only 10 chapters long and are illustrated so young listeners and readers will stay interested. I have been in disagreement, though, with some of the facts contained in the books. The first book, Dinosaurs Before Dark, used information like “50 million years ago..”, etc. so I had to tweak what I read to them. Other than that I suggest reading them.

1984 ~ George Orwell

2009-09-18T19:44:00.003-05:00

After a worldwide nuclear war in the 1950s, three different major powers have come to control the earth. These three groups have deduced that the best way to manage their acquired peoples are to be constantly at war with each other and to control every part of their citizens’ lives. Homes, jobs, clothing, food choices; all of it is restricted. Every person’s movements and actions throughout the day is watched and dictated by the authority in power. In every room, in every building, and even in the rural areas are two-way T.V. screens and microphones. You are never alone. The government suppresses and falsifies all the media to report only information that positively reflects that government; ensuring their longevity. And if you even THINK contrary thoughts about the governing body you will be tortured and killed.

Fast forward to the year 1984. Winston Smith lives in this established, negative society, and he is naturally unhappy. He works for the government in the UK, known as Big Brother, and Winston visibly sees the corruption and lies that Big Brother spews forth. Each person is taught from a young age to blindly love Big Brother and support it. Winston doesn’t. He knows that there must be others out there who feel as he does. But to be guilty of “thought crime” is lethal, and all around him are hidden “thought police” whose job is to find people like Winston and imprison them or erase their very existence. Winston is living on borrowed time.

Overall I liked this book. It was different than anything I had ever read. It was heavy in politics, which I personally didn’t mind, but it required the reader to really pay close attention to the details in the story. Negative comments: the two main characters were immoral people, and unfortunately the author describes their sinful actions. While doing research on the book I was surprised to learn that many high schools include 1984 among their required reading. I don’t feel it’s appropriate for teenagers at all, but I can understand why it’s used: the “negative utopia” that Orwell has created causes the reader to mull and compare our current society to his. But there is adult content in the book, and I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who isn’t a discerning grown-up.

The Two Towers (Part two of 'The Lord of The Rings') ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

2009-09-18T19:32:00.003-05:00

The Two Towers continues the story began in The Fellowship of the Ring. At the close of that book we find that the Fellowship has failed. Frodo and his servant Sam secretly departed to take the perilous journey to Mordor alone; leaving the other members of their party to travel to Gondor to aid in the impending war. Frodo and Sam are tracked, though, by the creature Gollum, who is ever searching for the One Ring himself. He becomes their guide through the Shadowed Lands around Mordor. Gollum is possessed by the Ring, and his every action cannot be trusted. He leads them to a trap which results in Frodo being poisoned by a fell spider and captured by Orcs, and Sam is left to complete the deadly errand of destroying the Ring himself AND rescuing Frodo, somehow. What will be the fate of the Ring?

The other party members are ambushed by Orcs during Frodo and Sam’s disappearance. Merry and Pippin are taken captive by the Orcs, who have been instructed to bring their prisoners back to Saruman--the White Wizard who is now in league with Sauron. Boromir dies during the attack, and Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas follow the Orcs across the plains of Rohan with the intent of rescuing Merry and Pippin. The two Hobbits escape their captors and providentially meet Treebeard the Ent, who summons an Ent army to bring down Saruman. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas meet the Riders of Rohan and Gandalf (!!!)--who has returned from death to aid in the upcoming war. A great battle takes place between Saruman’s Orc army and the men of Rohan along with Gandalf and what’s left of the Fellowship. Saruman is defeated, but Sauron is about to begin HIS war; the war to end all other wars.

This is my favorite book of the trilogy. The first half of the book is exciting and fast paced. The story of the attempted rescue of Merry and Pippin, the attack on Helm’s Deep, and the destruction of Isengard are all sequences that I enjoyed reading. Frodo, Sam, and Gollum’s journey can get tedious, but it still kept me interested. This book also introduces two of my favorite characters: Éomer and Faramir. Faramir especially has an ethereal quality about him that makes him seem lordly, and with Tolkien's mastery of dialogue the characters really come alive. It should be noted that Tolkien has a slightly archaic writing style which is somewhat challenging to read. And, as with the first book, I had to look up several words in the dictionary. But if you can adjust to his style and verbiage I think you will find the story intriguing. I am looking forward to finishing the tale in The Return of the King.

A Long Fatal Love Chase ~ Louisa May Alcott

2009-09-10T20:01:00.003-05:00

This very exciting novel starts with Rosamond Vivian desperately wanting freedom from her solitary life with her Grandfather. But, little does she know that the stranger who appears in the doorway, Phillip Tempest, is about to grant her that freedom, only to make her wish for freedom from different chains. Many things happen to her and she discovers things from Tempest's past that drive her away from Tempest, but "He stalked her every step --- for she had become his obsession ..."

I honestly wasn't sure about this book at is first. The back advertised it as a book "considered "too sensational" to be published in the author's lifetime." I waited, as I read, for the parts considered "too sensational" but could not find any. I greatly enjoyed this book, it was very captivating and I couldn't wait to read more and find out how it ended. Alcott (best known for her "Little Women" novel) had a way of throwing things in that I never would have expected to happen and I honestly was expecting something unexpected to happen until the last line of the book, when at last I knew nothing else could surprise me. I had a few ideas of how I thought the book maybe could end, but I was guessing until the end ... which doesn't always happen with me, there are many books I've read that I know what's going to happen before I read it, but I could not do that with this book. She does write in an older English style so there were a few times where I had to re-read a sentence or paragraph to get the flow of thought, but if I can do it, so can you.

I recommend this book to anyone look for an exciting, captivating, thrilling, keep-you-guessing kind of book.

The Turtle Catcher ~ Nicole Helget

2009-09-10T17:12:00.003-05:00

Liesel Richter was born with an abnormality. In our modern society filled with medical advances her problem would have been easily remedied shortly after birth. But growing up in the early 1900s in rural New Germany, Minnesota, Liesel is forced to conceal a secret shame for the rest of her life. She never leaves the farm, and is content with taking care of her brothers. Her only consolation is the lifelong friendship she shares with the “slow” boy from down the road: Lester Sutter.

The Turtle Catcher chronicles Leisel’s life and that of her family. The reader learns a great deal of Minnesota history from the time of the Dakota Conflict to the period after World War One. We also get a glimpse into the mentality that surely abounded among a community of German-Americans, conflicted between their loyalties to their homeland and extended families back in Germany and their new homes here in America.

I hated this book. Hated with a capital H. The book opens with a murder/suicide, and if you think it surely must be more uplifting after that grisly beginning you would be incorrect. The entire Richter family is confronted with depressing trials and tragedies that encompass the entire book. One would be led to believe that a German immigrant’s life is one of solitary unhappiness. After viewing Leisel’s deformity, Maggie, Leisel’s mother, is pronounced to love her “hard”. In other words she didn’t show love at all but rather neglect for the poor helpless child. Not only that, but the book was lewd in several parts. It contained very mature adult themes and content. The author does have an intriguing writing style, but I would not recommend this book to anyone to read. Christian readers beware.

Through the Looking Glass ~ Lewis Carroll

2009-08-20T19:13:00.005-05:00

After finishing Alice's Adventure in Wonderland, I was a little saddened when I found that some of the parts that I loved in the Alice in Wonderland movie, were not in Alice's Adventure in Wonderland. However, after finishing Through the Looking Glass I was delighted to find that some of the characters I was looking for were actually written about in Through the Looking Glass (the talking flowers, for example). I think the movie just takes both books and combines them, which is understandable. But, instead of writing a whole review about this book, I will just link you back to Alice's Adventure in Wonderland, because my thoughts are the same for this book as they were for that one. I thought it was good and a great read!

The Fellowship of the Ring (Part One of ‘The Lord of the Rings’) ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

2009-08-11T21:36:00.004-05:00

As I sat down to write a review of this book I felt almost foolish because, let’s face it, most people know what this book is about because they have either seen the movie or at least heard about it since it’s such a huge cult classic. I myself have seen the movies so many times with my husband that we have started a friendly Quote War to determine who knows the dialogue better. But as is true with most movies based upon books the book itself differs from the movie and is usually in fact BETTER than the film version. That general knowledge holds true here.

Frodo Baggins is a Hobbit, a person half the size of a normal man, who lives in an underground home in Hobbiton in the fictional world of Middle-Earth; a place very similar in landscape to our world but different in its inhabitants of Elves, Dwarves, and Hobbits as well as Wizards and Men. Frodo has inherited a ring from his uncle, but not just an ordinary ring: a magic ring, and one that has a dark and deadly past. Through Frodo’s friendship with his friend the Wizard Gandalf, Frodo learns that his ring is in fact The One Ruling Ring of ages ago in which the Dark Lord Sauron forged to be a weapon of control over all the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth. In the 2^nd Age of their world, Sauron was defeated, and the ring was lost. But Sauron has come to power again, and he once more seeks to destroy all of Middle-Earth and enslave its peoples to his will. He only needs this One Ring to complete his plans. Frodo must destroy the Ring and thereby save Middle-Earth. But he cannot accomplish that task on his own. Help comes in the form of an alliance consisting of Frodo and three other Hobbits, a wizard, an elf, one dwarf, and two men. Together, this fellowship sets off to journey deep within Sauron’s domain, to the land of Mordor, to end forever the Lordship of Sauron.

This is the second time that I have read this book, and I enjoyed it more the second time than the first. Admittedly the beginning is slow; I found it easy to read for a second and then put it down because Frodo and his Hobbit friends were only traveling, and it was a little boring. But once the Hobbits reached the village of Bree and met Strider, things picked up considerably. I found myself engrossed in the poems and songs contained in the novel whereas the first time they left me somewhat puzzled. The book is full of the IMMENSE history of Middle-Earth that Tolkien had written, and it makes you want to learn more about the legends and people spoken of. And of course I was comparing the novel to the movie throughout my reading. In some places I would say the film version was enhanced to make it more exciting than what actually happens in the book. It’s also neat to read a line of dialogue and be able to actually picture the character saying it because you have seen/heard them say it in the film. Along with the book I have a collection of Tolkien’s maps which helped me in reading the book; you can visualize the Fellowship’s journey better with the aid of the maps. (Printable maps can also be found online.) I am now excited to continue the story in “The Two Towers”, part two of The Lord of the Rings.

The Crucible ~ Arthur Miller

2009-07-26T13:46:00.005-05:00

The Crucible is a play based upon actual historical facts and people from the Salem Witch Trials. ... I feel sorry for anyone who had to sit through the play when it was originally performed. ... The characters portrayed in the play are real people who were directly involved in the trials that took place in 1692 in Salem, MA although the events, actions, and personalities of the characters in the play are purely fictitious.

The story focuses on Abigail Williams, the niece of Reverend Samuel Parris, and Abigail’s friends whom we soon find out where all participating in some questionable behavior. The curtain opens upon Reverend Parris praying over his afflicted daughter, Betty. Various neighbors enter and exit the scene and pronounce the child to be possessed, much to the horror of Reverend Parris.

Whether Betty was truly ill or simply acting I never found out because I quit reading the story after 20 pages. The characters were so cruel and generally annoying that I couldn’t stand reading about them. I don’t know why Arthur Miller chose to make his historically Puritan characters out to be so malicious. Even though the book was only 140 pages long I did not want to finish the story. Had I been in the audience during the original 1953 Broadway production I would cringed the entire time.

Sarah, Plain and Tall ~ Ptricia MacLachlan

2009-07-13T19:59:00.002-05:00

Anna and Caleb live with their father out on the prairie. Their mother died while giving birth to Caleb. Their father puts an add in the paper for a bride. Sarah answers the add and comes to live with them on the prairie ... the story is familiar if you've seen the movie. I grew up loving this movie, it's one of my Mama's favorites. I think I also loved this movie because the siblings share the names of my older brother and me ... although I was happy to learn that in the book Anna is older then Caleb ... not the other way around as it was with me and my brother. *wink*

I just love this book, honestly I do. I'd never read it until just recently. It's a cozy, home-y, exciting, make you fall in love with all the characters kind of book. Read it, read it, read it!

This story is told by Anna, the oldest child who greatly misses her mother, but has to be strong (as the house chores all fall to her). Her little brother talks a lot and asks many things. He's a very curious child. Their father is strong, quite, reserved, and deeply misses his dead wife.

Sarah answers the add in the paper. She writes letters about herself to the family. She is, as she describes herself in a letter "strong and I work hard and I am willing to travel. But I am not mild mannered." She leaves out that she has a very strong will and is quite stubborn. She lives by and loves the sea but she says she was come to the prairie. She will come by train and will wear a yellow bonnet.

Sarah arrives, with her cat Seal. Many hardships await her as she becomes accustomed to the ways of the prairie ... death of farm animals, chickens for eating (not pets), no rain for months and months, no neighbors for miles and the hardest, no sea.

Anna doesn't want Sarah there because she's afraid she'll learn to love Sarah but Sarah will end up leaving because the prairie is too hard. Caleb loves her right away and is always looking for things that Sarah says that mean she'll stay.

In the end they all come to love her, but will she stay with them on the prairie or will she go back to her beloved, greatly missed sea?

Kenny and the Dragon ~ Tony DiTerlizzi

2009-07-13T19:14:00.006-05:00

In the land where rabbits raise sheep is where we find Kenny ... er ... Kenneth, but all his friends call him Kenny, so by all means ... we find Kenny.

Kenny isn't your ordinary rabbit, I mean, besides the fact that his father and mother raise sheep, and besides the fact that they walk and talk and also besides the fact that Kenny rides his bike to town to go to school every day, Kenny isn't your normal rabbit. He loves reading and learning and books, books, books. Most kids ... er ... rabbits in school don't like to read and learn, they go because their parents send them.

So, that's the world of Kenny the rabbit, he lives on a sheep farm with his father and mother and loves books.

One day, while mother rabbit is making supper, soup I believe, father rabbit rushes into the kitchen, scared to death and hyperventilating ... there's a dragon sleeping on top of the hill where they graze the sheep! He then proclaims they're moving without a moments hesitation before they get eaten. Mother rabbit says she's not leaving until Father tastes the soup to see what it needs and they've all had supper and the dishes are done. Father agrees and after eating supper, he calms down and says they aren't moving after all.

Kenny is wild with excitement, a real dragon! After supper and dishes and homework, he dons his "armor" (which consists of several pots and pans, a broom, a garbage can lid, etc.) and heads out to see the dragon. To his great surprise he and the dragon become best buds. Now he has but two friends. His other friend, in town, is an old badger who owns a book store (a fellow book lover that lends books to Kenny as often as Kenny needs them). The badger often entertains Kenny with tales of knights in shining armor, dragon slayers and the like.

Soon, in spite of how Kenny and his parents try to keep the dragon a secret, news spreads and the king (I don't remember where he's from, I think he just appears) calls upon a retired knight to slay the dragon and save the town. It's up to Kenny and his friends and family to save the dragon. Will they succeed?

I thought this book was wonderfully written. DiTerlizzi uses wonderful descriptions and writes well, I finished this book in under four hours! Although it's written for a younger age group I still enjoyed it. :) I recommend this book to those who have the slightest interest in finding out what happens to Kenny and the Dragon.

Meet Samantha & Samantha Learns a Lesson ~ Susan S. Adler (An American Girls Collection)

2009-07-13T11:54:00.005-05:00

This sweet series of books for young girls tells the story of Samantha, a wealthy orphan living in 1904. Samantha’s parents have died in a boating accident, and she lives with her grandmother in a stately Victorian home somewhere presumably in the New England area. (That’s my best guess anyways.) The reader follows Samantha’s every-day life growing up in America over a century ago. Samantha has house servants, she attends an academy solely for girls, and she befriends a young lady who is poor and works in a neighbor’s home.

Along with the ordinary adventures that a 9 year-old commonly finds themselves involved in we also get a glimpse into life in the U.S. and the drastic changes that were taking place during this period of industrialization. After the story is complete there is extra historical information pertaining to the time period complete with photographs of real people and items.

I have been reading these books to my daughters, ages 5 and 7, and they seem to like them. I find myself stopping in the middle of the story though and explaining “the way things were back then” as life without an automobile or even living in a house with 3 stories are foreign concepts to my girls. It is very helpful to have the extra information at the back of the book to refer to. I also enjoy the length of the books as they are usually only a half a dozen chapters which make them excellent for reading a few chapters a night before bed. I recommend them for young girls up to about age 12 although I remember reading them as a teenager as well. And I'm enjoying them again as an adult.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane ~ Katherine Howe

2009-07-13T11:42:00.005-05:00

In this engaging novel about the Salem Witch Trials, we follow Connie, a grad student at Harvard who specializes in American History, on a journey spanning the length of a summer in 1991. Connie is an only child, and her mother, Grace, asks Connie to move to Marblehead, Massachusetts (near Salem) to clean out Grace’s childhood home and prepare it to sell. Connie balks at this request as she is supposed to be preparing her graduate school dissertation, not spending her summer cleaning her dead grandmother’s house.

Once at the 17^th century home though, Connie makes a discovery in an old family Bible; a skeleton key was hidden in the pages, and tucked inside the key’s shaft is a piece of parchment bearing the words “Deliverance Dane”. Connie is instantly intrigued, and she makes it her sole objective to discover what or who is Deliverance Dane. This mission leads her back into the past as she unravels clues pertaining to her family history and details regarding a puzzling event in the history of our nation.

Flipping between the present and the past, this book kept me captivated from beginning to end. Overall I enjoyed reading the book, but I did have one major complaint: being a story about the Salem Witch Trials obviously there was a great deal of subject matter pertaining to magic. Normally this doesn’t bother me as I can read novels with that content for what they are: fictional stories. But this book bothered me as the characters who were practitioners of magic were also presented as being devout Puritan Christians. These women claimed they were doing “the will of God.” The author went so far as to write out some of the incantations, and the instructions involved saying the names of God and “reciting the Lord’s Prayer”. The Bible is very clear on this issue. Deuteronomy 18:10-12b states:

“There must never be found among you anyone who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire; anyone who practices divination, an omen reader, a soothsayer, a sorcerer, one who casts spells, one who conjures up spirits, a practitioner of the occult, or a necromancer. Whoever does these things is abhorrent to the LORD.”

It’s very obvious from that verse alone that magic is wrong. Yes, there are people today who do the very things in that list, but are they doing it along with the will of God? No. Books can be very misleading, and even fictional stories can tweak our minds to think, “Is that really true??” Because I wouldn’t want anyone to be confused on the issue of magic and God’s viewpoint on it I would not recommend this book to others.

Prairie Songs ~ Pam Conrad

2009-07-10T13:01:00.004-05:00

Set back in the "Soddy House" days of Nebraska, this book is told from young Louisa's point of view. It does well to show the hardships of the early settlers; such as gathering buffalo chips instead of wood for the fire, soddy houses instead of wood houses, not a neighbor for miles and nothing but miles and miles of open grass and not a tree insight. It also gives a glimpse of what winter would have been like as well. The book is about a Doctor and his wife who move to the "wilderness" of Nebraska from New York into a soddy near Liousa and her family. Liousa and her family do all they can to help the new couple feel at home. Part of the story is either you come to love the praire or completely hate it. I asked an eleven year old girl what she thought of the book and she said she liked it.

I, however, had a slightly different view. Sadly, Conrad (the authoress) has many of the characters use swear words to emphasize their point. The way the husband and wife treat each other is also another down point, as well as the father's attitude toward his children. But hard times did tend to make people a bit harder, so maybe I'm just being overly picky.

Another thing I thought that Conrad could have left out was a scene in which someone dies and she goes into some detail (a little much I thought) in describing the scene and how the dead person looked. Depending on what a child is accustomed to in their normal day to day life, a scene like that may not effect them at all, I just thought it was slightly over the top.

I, personally, am probably not going to read this book again, nor would I recommend it to any one. But, that's just my personal opinion.

Alice's Adventure in Wonderland ~ Lewis Carroll

2009-07-10T12:58:00.018-05:00

If you've ever seen Disney's movie of Alice in Wonderland then you have a rough idea of what this book is about. However, upon starting this book and getting aways into it I realized that the movie doesn't follow as closely to the book as it could have. There are, as Alice cried, `Curiouser and curiouser!' things in this book as you continue to read. I didn't, however, find anything unusually scary in the book, as I had in the movie (the queen of hearts always scared me in the movie, for she was always be-headed people and was always quite angry :) ). There are so many more explanations for things that happen in the book that the movie leaves out. In the end, you walk away quite settled and understanding most of what happened. It is quite the adventure! :)

I greatly enjoyed Lewis Carrolls humor and his many uses of puns and homonyms (words that sound alike but have different meanings). It was a very easy read for me and rather enjoyable. However, I do not think a younger child would understand a lot of what is going on, especially if it is being read aloud to them. For example: I started reading this book out loud to a couple of kids, and usually when I read a book and stop at the end of a chapter they beg for me to continue, but with this book, when we came to a stopping place they vanished from the room without a word about continuing. Carroll does tend to write part of a sentence and then add, in ( )'s some explanation and then continue his sentence, which can be quite confusing for a younger child, especially if they are not the one reading it. For example:

Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end! `I wonder how many miles I've fallen by this time?' she said aloud. `I must be getting somewhere near the centre of the earth. Let me see: that would be four thousand miles down, I think--' (for, you see, Alice had learnt several things of this sort in her lessons in the schoolroom, and though this was not a very good opportunity for showing off her knowledge, as there was no one to listen to her, still it was good practice to say it over) `--yes, that's about the right distance--but then I wonder what Latitude or Longitude I've got to?' (Alice had no idea what Latitude was, or Longitude either, but thought they were nice grand words to say.)

Presently she began again. `I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth! How funny it'll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downward! The Antipathies, I think--' (she was rather glad there was no one listening, this time, as it didn't sound at all the right word) `--but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know. Please, Ma'am, is this New Zealand or Australia?' (and she tried to curtsey as she spoke--fancy curtseying as you're falling through the air! Do you think you could manage it?) `And what an ignorant little girl she'll think me for asking! No, it'll never do to ask: perhaps I shall see it written up somewhere.'

Carroll also has an older style of writing and spelling, which may be slightly confusing to some.

So, all that to say, I liked the book, but I don't know that I would label it as a children's book so much as a young adult's book.

Old Yeller ~ Fred Gipson

2009-07-10T12:58:00.016-05:00

Who doesn't love a story about a boy and his dog? I'd seen a movie based on this book many times, it was a favorite movie, so I was very excited to actually read the book. Needless to say, I loved it!

Living in the Texas Hill Country, Travis, 14, is put in charge of his little brother, mother and family farm as his father goes off on a cattle drive. Shortly after his father leaves an old "yeller" dog comes to the farm. Travis wants nothing to do with the dog at first and wants to run him off the farm, but after Yeller saves the lives of Travis' family, Travis decides he's alright after all and grows to love the dog deeply. Many things happen in the father's absence such as bull fights, wolves, skunks, wild hogs and stubborn mules. Of course there's always the fields that need looking after, the harvest brought in, and the hunting to supply the meat. Without warning hydrophbia (rabies) starts to spread in the area around the farm. Animals die and the family is forced to deal with watching the animals die and then taking care of the corpses. After a wolf with hydrophiba tries to attack the family Travis is faced with a heart-rending decision that had me in tears.

The book is told through the eyes of Travis, but even though it's written from a boy's point of view there is no doubt that any girl would greatly enjoy it, too. I did. :)

I read this book aloud to a couple of younger children and they were always begging for more at the end of each chapter and I was right there with them, it was so captivating and exciting. We finished the book in less than two days. I highly recommend this book for anyone, not just the children. *wink*