Three Great Books!

Maid to Match - Deeanne Gist

Deeanne Gist is another Christian writer.  This is the second book of hers that I have read. Deep in the Heart of Trouble was the first.  It was a book club book.  She writes books that have strong willed female leads, and they are usually pushing the limits in society.  Maid to Match is about a maid in a grand estate.  Anyone who has watched Downton Abby will be able to picture her life.  Her greatest dream was to become a ladies maid, and it looks like that may happen.  However a man enters the scene, which does not follow the predetermined plan!  It was a fabulous book, and another clean one as well, which I am appreciating more and more.

Mrs. Mike - Benedict and Nancy Freedman

This is a fabulous book. It was recommended by a friend. It was originally published in 1947.  It takes place in Canada in the late 1800's.  Katherine (Mrs. Mike) goes to the Canadian territory to live with her uncle to make breathing with her pleurisy easier.  She is sixteen, and the only white woman there. She meets Mike, a Mountie, and hates him at first.  However, that changes and they marry.  The story follows them through Canada and its vast wilderness.  It is a beautiful story of how love grows and strengthens, of leaving your world behind and cleaving to your spouse, and of getting through hardships.

 Love on the Line - Deeanne Gist

The third book by Deeanne Gist!  This one again is a strong willed woman who is a telephone operator, which was not common at the time.  She lives in a small town.  Luke is an undercover Texas Ranger, trying to capture and infamous train robber.  Their relationship is fun to watch blossom, and makes for a great read as well!

Another Catch Up!

Several books read since I last posted.  Again some Lori Copeland books.  She writes good clean romances.  One more from my friend Annette Anthony. Two mysteries, that where just o.k.. But my favorite was a Jodi Picoult book that she wrote with her teenage daughter!

Hope- Lori Copeland

The Island of Heavenly Daze
Lori Copeland

Beneath the Aspens
Annette Anthony

The Perfect Poison
Amanda Quick

Between the Lines
Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite writers, but she usually rights about hard situations, and uses lots of language I would prefer not to read.  However this book she wrote as a youth fiction with her daughter, and it is a fun book.   Imagine the characters in the books come to life inside the book when you close it.  Then imagine if somehow you are able to talk with one!  It's fun, it's a romance, and it deals a little with teen drama.  If you have girls who want a happily ever after, and the prince from their favorite book, this is a fun read!

Arranged - Christine McKenzie

This book was one I was excited to read.  It is about a modern day girl who stumbles on a company that does arranged marriages. She has failed so far at romance, so she decides to take a chance.  The set up and the idea were intriguing to me, but the book was not good.  Horrible language, drinking, sex.  No wonder she had no luck, she was not a very good person!  I read it to the end, and liked the way it ended, sort of.  I hope that it was not a true reflection on the "real world."  I am glad I live "out of the world."

The Winds and the Waves - Dean Hughes

Dean Hughes is one of my favorite LDS authors.  I loved his Children of the Promise series.  This is a new series.  This book follows some converts from England to Nauvoo in the 1800's, and some present day members who are in Nauvoo.  The two main families are related to each other, so it is fun to watch the first family start out in Nauvoo, and the second family discover their roots there.  Dean Hughes is an excellent story teller, and presents these stories beautifully.  The early saints went through so much!  Their testimonies were so strong!  I am so grateful for their examples and their strength.  I can't wait for the next book!

June - Lori Copeland

Another mail order bride book from this christian romance writer.  June is Faith's younger sister.  This tells her story of moving to Seattle to meet her husband to be.  He works with a famous evangelist, and June is excited to be a preachers wife and serve the Lord like her daddy.  Of course things don't turn out as expected.  This is another fun, sappy, clean romance.  It is a lot cheesy, but still a good read!

Playing Catch Up

So I have been reading a lot, but not updating this blog.  I blame it on school being out and having to share the computer with my daughters!  So this post will catch me up on the last few books I have read.

Room - Emma Donoghue
This is a remarkable book.  A young woman kidnapped, and locked in a shed.  She gives birth to a boy, and raises him in "Room."  Room is his whole world.  He does not know that life exists outside.  He does not know he is a captive.  It is an amazing look at survival, a mothers love, and society.  I would recommend this to anyone.

Edenbrooke- Julianne Donaldson
This is a fun, clean romance.  Set in England, Jane Austinish, great book for young women.  Twin sisters that are very different, one looking for love, one looking for marriage and status.  There are fun twists and turns, and it is all very appropriate!

The Lucky One - Nicholas Sparks
Typical Nicholas Sparks.  If you like his books, you will like this book.  I liked it, but I wish they didn't always sleep together so quickly in his books!  This was good story, I am excited to see the movie, although I have heard it is not the greatest.

Definitely Not Mr. Darcy - Karen Doorenbos
I love books that play on Jane Austin books.  This was just ok though.  There was to much mention of "unmentionable" body parts, and the desire to use these parts!  The story took some interesting turns, but not worth the rest!

Faith - Lori Copeland
This is another "mail order bride" book.  I seem to be drawn to them.  This one was a very good, fun, clean read.  Faith goes to Texas to marry Nicholas Shepherd,  She encounters a very moody man, and much moodier mother in law to be.  Fate keeps interfering with the actual ceremony.  Was she wrong to come?  Would he ever actually talk to her and let her in his life?  What should she do with this ornery woman!  This was a fun book!  Good for teens and moms!

Bittersweet - Annette Anthony

Warning... I grew up with the author of this book.  She was my best friends little sister, and I am sure a twerp, but I may be a little biased on this review!
I know people who have written books.  I know people who have written books well!  This was a fun book.  It is a romance.  It takes place in Denver, Colorado in its early stages.  It is a mystery, there is a murder.  It is not a perfect book, but I loved it!  I hope everyone I know will read it and enjoy it as well!

Mistwood - Leah Cypess

This was my May book club book.  It was good, not my favorite.  I read the first 1/3 in two weeks, and the rest in 3 days!  Once I got into it, it caught me.  This story deals with kingdoms at war, shape shifters, mystical stuff.  It had an interesting premise, but didn't follow through well.

Wonder Struck - Brian Selznick

I loved "The Invention of Hugo Cabaret," written by this same author.  I really liked this one as well.  It didn't capture my attention and hold on to it like "Hugo," but it was still fun.  I absolutely love the artwork in these books.  In the first book, the artwork told the story with the words as well.  In this book, there are two stories.  One in words, one in pictures, and they come together in the end.  Fun books for older elementary age kids, and adult kids!

Pride and Popularity - Jenni James

Another fun easy read.  I really like these books from Jenni James.  I have been recommending them to my girls friends.  They are good books, clean books, and I think very relatable books.  In this book, Chloe is irritated by the "popular" boy that everyone is in love with.  She thinks he is rude, conceited, and spoiled.  He won't leave her alone though, she assumes because she doesn't fall at his feet.  This book teaches about judging wrongly, listening to gossip,  and trusting our own feelings.  I love this book.  Can't waited for Persuaded to come out!

Enduring Light - Carla Kelly

Great book.  I read the first in this series, Borrowed Light, last year. It is one of my favorite books.  LDS girl, borrowing her parents testimony most of her life, ventures out to the wilds of Wyoming.  She is forced to learn for herself, decide who she is and what she believes.  It is a heart warming story of faith and of course romance.  City girl leaves home to become the cook on a ranch in Wyoming.  A ranch where no females have had an influence in a long time.  Cowboy with a broken heart needs a cook, doesn't realize he needs love. In this second book, the testimony is there, but the struggles are just beginning.  You feel like Julia and Paul are your friends.  You cheer for them, cry with them, sometimes want to yell at them.  It is a good, clean romance, that leaves you wanting to go visit the Double Tipi Ranch!

The Widower's Wife - Prudence Bice

This was a good book.  Not great.  I had a hard time with the way it was written,  You would hear one persons side of the story, and then go back and hear it from the other persons side.  It didn't flow well for me.  The story, however, was good.  I young single woman, who has had her heart broken, answers an ad for a mail order wife.  The man is a widower, with three young children.  He is not looking for love, he fully loved his wife, he is looking for someone to love his children and help them.  Of course, he expects and unattractive woman to answer his ad, and she expects him to be an older man.  When they meet, they are immediately attracted to each other physically.  The story sweetly unfolds as she does become a mother to his children, and they get to know and care for one another.  I will read more from this author, but I hope her technique changes a little.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick

I loved this book!  The story is simple, but engaging.  The pictures are amazing!  It is a book of over 400 pages, and you can read it in a day,  Over 200 of those pages are pictures, and they pull you in and take you into the story.  I am excited to see the movie now!  Hugo is an orphan who lives in a train station and keeps all the clocks working.  He has many secrets and meets a young girl who helps him discover more! I love the way this book was put together.  It just made me happy to hold it in my hands!

With This Ring - Amanda Quick

I went into this book hesitantly.  It was for the book club I am part of.  Instead of everyone reading the same book, the host picked an author and had us choose a book that she had written.  The genre is romance novels, and I worry about the sleaze factor.  This book was very good!  There were a couple of detailed scenes that I could have done without, but it wasn't too bad.  The story revolves around some "rings" that are rumored to exsist, but no one knows for sure.  Beatrice, the heroine, is convinced that her uncle found them, and was murdered for it.  He is suppose to provide an inheritance for her cousin, so that she will have a chance of marrying well.  His death, and the discovery that he lost all his money, leads Beatrice to Leo.  Leo is a widower, who lives alone and likes it that way.  He is known as the "madmonk" on Moncrest.  He is an expert in antiquities, which is why Beatrice seeks him out.  The try to discover if the rings are real, if her uncle found them, and who the murderer was.  All of this while, of course, fighting their attraction to one another.  It had humor, mystery, and romance. I will definately try another of her books.

Compass of God - David G Woolley

I have loved reading this series. It makes me think of the Book of Mormon as a real story, which it is!  It is just reading it this way helps me picture it a little more.  However, with each book, I have gotten less impressed.  I think it would help if there wasn't "years" between each book, I think it was like four years since the last one was published.  Also, he has to create a way to get fictional people into historical situations.  I totally understand that, Gerald Lund did it beautifully with The Work and the Glory series. I have had issues in some of the past books in this series with his choices, but he does make sure you know what is real and what is not in the end notes.  This book went to far, in my opinion.  The book is well worth reading, and others have given it better reviews.  It just didn't feel right to me, especially in the ending. (I don't want to spoil it for those who might read this).  That said, he does nothing to change the truths in the Book of Mormon, and this would be a difficult undertaking.  I am hoping for of what caught me in the first books, in his coming additions.  So, would I recommend it?  Definately!  If you haven't read the others, read them first, you will have the advantage of reading them all together.

Northanger Alibi - Jessie James

Loved this book!  I read it in one day!  I so want my thirteen year old to read this!  This is a fun youth fiction.  It is a modern day story, loosely based on Northanger Abby.  It is clean, cleaver and fun. She pokes fun of all the girls (& women) who wanted to go find an Edward in Seattle after reading Twilight.  However, you can  tell she is really poking fun at herself.  The story shows that, even though we can get caught up in fantasies, real life is full of enough adventure and  works out to be what we need, not perfect, but what we need.  The book worked out a little too perfectly, but that didn't bother me.  It is a light, easy read, that will make you smile!

Passage on the Titanic - Anita Stansfield

I have read a lot of Anita Stansfield books, and she is a favorite of mine.  Her books are a lot alike, but they are a good escape for me.  I was very excited about this particular book, the Titanic story fascinates me.  This story follows Irene, a member of the LDS Church, who goes to London to train in midwifery.  She meets Ella, who has a series of bad things happen to her.  Ella ends up in the hospital where Irene works, and their friendships begins.  They both end up on the Titanic.  Irene's is a real person, and her story is real, Ella is fictional.  Irene dies, and Ella has to deal with the grief of losing a friend, and seeing so many people die.  Ella meets Jonathon, who is one of the rescuers on the ship Carpathia. Their relationship and the difficulty of dealing with their trials is the rest of the story.  It was predictable, but I still loved it.  Anita Stansfield rights books that I can read in two days, and make me feel good.  If you want a book with lots of details on the ship and the disaster, this is not that book.  If you want a book that deals with working through the shock of disasters, overcoming trials, and of course a good love story then this is your book!

Dakota Home- Debbie Macomber

So, this is the sequel to Dakota Born.  It was o.k..  I was interested in how it would all work out, but I don't think I will read the third.  I like the characters, I like the plot, but it did play out well.  There was lots of drama, and then "poof." it was all better and they went to bed together.  Reading the synopsis of the third book, it is going to be the same, and it isn't characters that I am that interested in.  I still may try some of her other books, some of her newer ones, but I have to many books on my "to read" list to waste on #3 of this series.

Dakota Born - Debbie Macomber

This is my first book from this author.  I enjoyed it.  It is a romance novel, and it isn't one based on my value system.  However, I have read much, much worse.  The story was good however, and made me respect farmers much more.  They work so hard, and love what they do so much, and the return is not great.  I  admire the "love for the land," and the will power they have to stay when things look impossible.  I am grateful that my life is much easier than that, but there are aspects of their lives that I do envy.  The work ethic, the small town "good" feelings and pulling together as a community.  I don't think we experience that in the city so much.

This is a trilogy, and I am now reading the second book.  It is very much the same as the first.  They are quick, easy reads. I would recommend them, but not to my girls!

Midnight in Austenland - Shannon Hale

I have already said that I love Shannon Hale.  I realized today that I have read almost all of her books.  This is very different from her youth fiction books, and that is where her talent and imagination shine.  However, I do enjoy her Austenland books as well.  This is her second one.  She writes these books for Jane Austen fans.  I have not read any Jane Austen books all the way through, but I have watched the movies and love them.

This book takes us a second time to an estate where you become part of a Jane Austen type story.  You become a character for two weeks.  The book is silly, on purpose, and serious as well.  The main character, Charlotte, is going through some tough things in her real life.  She has money to spend and time to take a vacation.  She has found some relief from reading Jane Austen, so why not go to this place and experience it first hand.  There are crazy twist, a mystery, a murder, and of course romance.  Most of it is pretty predictable, especially if you read Austenland.  There was one big surprise though, and it was a very nice one at that.

I read this book while traveling to and from San Antonio, and found it delightful.  I am still a Shannon Hale fan!

Book of a Thousand Day's - Shannon Hale

 I love Shannon Hale, she is an amazing author. I loved her Goose Girl, Enna Burning, and River Secrets series.  I also loved Princess Academy.  Then of course there was Austenland. Great fun for Jane Austen fans!

My opinion of this book fluctuated as I read it.  I always liked it, but some parts I loved, and some parts were just o.k.. This book got complicated for me at times with all the different "gods" and "ancestors".

I loved the story though.  I loved "Dashti."  How many people in the world to day, make promises and really keep them?  She was a young woman who represented almost all the values that we teach our young women in church.

• Faith - she prayed all the time and believed in her "gods." 
• Divine Nature - This one she did not understand, feeling she was lower than her "Lady" because of being a mucker.
• Individual Worth- even though she didn't see her true potential, she did love who she was and knew she played an important part of society. 
• Knowledge - she was always learning and teaching herself. 
• Choice and Accountability- she understood choices and accountability very well.  Everything she did was done with great consideration. 
• Good Works- Her whole life was spent serving others and thinking of others first. 
• Integrity - She was always concerned with doing what was right and representing herself appropriately, and sometimes those things conflicted with each other. 
• Virtue -  I think she was an example of virtue in every way.  She did what she felt she was born to do.  She served her "Lady" dutifully, even when it meant going against her values, because her value of her oath to serve was so important.  She risked her own life for those she loved, as well as strangers.  She prayed throughout it all.  Prayed for strength, for forgiveness, for enlightenment, and for safety.  Most of those prayers were for her "lady."

I know comparing the values is a little bit of a stretch, but I feel that Dashti is a great character for young girls to read about and try to emulate.  There are not a lot of those type of characters in literature today.

Quick Catch Up

I want to review the books as I finish them, while they are fresh in my mind.  But I don't want to forget about the few I read in the last two months.  So, here goes:

• Wielder's Awakening- This book was written by someone who use to live in my neighborhood.  That is the only reason I read it.  It is not my "normal" kind of read.  That being said, I really liked it.  It deals with special powers, mythical type characters, but also very real people.  It really got pulled into it and I just started the second book. I am excited to see what happens next!

• Matched - I loved this book.  Society controls everything in Cassia's life and always had.  It is for her own good and she has never questioned it.  But that all changes after she is 'matched.'  I found the writing of this story so well done.  I stayed up many nights far too late, anxious for what was next!  I felt like I really knew the characters, Cassia, Xander, and Ky.  I was very excited to read book #2.

• Michael Vey-I have always been a fan of Richard Paul Evan's.  I was excited when this book came out.  I was interested to see this different style of book from Mr. Evans.  We were planning an assembly for our elementary school, featuring this book, so I wanted to be informed on the book as well.  Again, I loved the characters in this book, Michael and Ostin being such a unique pair.  I have always liked books where the less popular, not so normal people are the heroes.  This book did not disappoint. It is good, clean, suspenseful, and very appropriate for young readers.

• Crossed - The sequel to Matched.  It was not as good as Matched. I had heard lots of disappointed reviews.  However, I was very happy with it.  I think we learned a lot with Cassia.  She starts out so positive about what she wants, and then questions that as she travels this road she has chosen. We are left with a lot of questions, so we need the third book quick!

So Young, Brave, and Handsome - I read the first book by this author "Peace Like a River" the end of last year.  I loved that book. I loved the way it felt to read, the authors ease at telling the story.  This book is not a sequel, just his second book.  It didn't flow quite as well, but was every bit as enjoyable to read. Following these characters as they try to make sense of their pasts and decide what the future will be for them is a journey worth taking!

Like I said, these are brief, pretty vague reviews.  The details are quite as strong in my mind as right after reading, but I still wanted to account for each book I have read this year. 

Here I go!

I have decided to try to keep up a blog on all the books I read.   I love books, so what better to talk about, right!?!