book review

I was visiting my public library and they had a great idea – a “blind date with a book”. The books were wrapped in brown craft paper with a brief description. This is the one I chose.  You know what was really funny? I was nervous to open it. It’s silly but perhaps, like a blind date, the anticipation built and I didn’t want to be let down. I kept off opening it for so long that it became due before I got to read it. Want to know what book was wrapped inside this “Beautiful & Intense” description? “When

Photo Source: Huffington Post I was reading an interesting article that examines “What Kind of Book Reader Are You“. I must admit when I start a book, no matter how long it takes, I will read it to the end. I hold an English degree and took my studies based on my love of learning and my love of reading. I chose my course of study to support something that I enjoyed and as a result became a rather strong communicator both orally and written which was a delightful bonus. It was only within the last decade that I had

The House that Love Built by Beth Wiseman My rating: 4 of 5 stars THE HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT by Beth Wiseman This delightful story is about a widow and a divorced man who have given up on love. Their friendship, as they struggle move past their desire to move past painful love experiences, is refreshing. Brooke has an emotional time as she cares for her aging mother, wades through a burden of emotions as she deals with her father’s stepping out on her and her mother as a young girl as well as the mourning over her only love.

Waiting for Morning by Margaret BrownleyMy rating: 2 of 5 stars This book started off with a lot of promise. Set in the 1800s where women were fighting to get the vote and be taken seriously from men. Molly, our protagonist, is a determined young lady who is tasked to physically and financially care for her younger, disabled brother. Donny, Molly’s 14 year old brother, is very intelligent and frustrated with his inability to walk. His character was a bit fickle. He would determine to learn to better his physical self and then the next moment give up. Caleb is

Sneak by Evan AnglerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars This novel is about a futuristic society that is about to be amalgamated into one united state. At age thirteen everyone is eligible to Pledge and get the Mark. The Mark is optional. For those who choose to get it they are entitled to what they need to survive (food, school, medical care, etc.). The Unmarked are left to fend for themselves and are considered outcasts. Logan Langly is about to turn thirteen. He is suspicious of a government conspiracy for those who fail their test to get Marked. Where do

I don’t recall exactly where I got the idea to read this book but, although it is taking me a while to sift through it, I really am enjoying the message. Greg Mortenson is a mountain climber and while descending K2 in Pakistan he stumbles into an isolated village, falls in love with its people, and promises himself and the village leader that he will return to build them a school. One thing leads to another and, as time moves on, we learn of his home life in America (marriage, children, nursing career, etc.) and his life in Pakistan developing

Love, Charleston by Beth Webb HartMy rating: 2 of 5 starsSUMMARY (source: Booksneeze)An inspiring, heart-warming novel set in romantic Charleston, South Carolina. “Stay and wait.” Anne Brumley heard these words years ago in the bell tower at Saint Michael’s Church in Charleston. She’s certain they were from God and has been waiting for true love ever since. But her sister, Alicia, and their sister, Alicia, have their doubts. Could Anne have misunderstood His calling? Saint Michael’s new rector may be the answer to Anne’s prayers. Good-old-boy and widower Roy Summerall can’t believe he’s been called to pastor such an historical

Shiver by Maggie StiefvaterMy rating: 2 of 5 stars (It was okay) SUMMARY (Source)For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf–her wolf–is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to

Vampire Academy by Richelle MeadMy rating: 4 of 5 stars SUMMARY (Source)Two races of vampires walk our world. The Moroi are alive and wield elemental magical, while the Strigoi are undead and evil–feeding on the innocent to survive. Rose Hathaway–a half-vampire with poor impulse control–is training to be a bodyguard for a Moroi princess. Learning to decapitate and stake is hard enough, but Rose’s real danger may lie in an illicit romance with one of her instructors… MY THOUGHTSI liked that there were two types of vampires and their guardians (who are half-vampire, half-human). It added a new level to

YOU CAN BE EVERYTHING GOD WANTS YOU TO BE by Max LucadoMy rating: 3 of 5 stars The best quote for me was “you cannot be anything you want to be. But you can be everything God wants you to be” (page 39). The allusions Lucado uses are very easy to follow and make his message easy to understand. The book itself is smaller than an ordinary novel but I am enjoying how it fits into my hands, has thick pages to hold and even the pale blue ink marks along the edges of each page make it feel someone