I would like to take this moment to express my pure joy and satisfaction in owning a Kindle. My parents generously gave me this reader's treasure as an early birthday gift and I take it everywhere. You never know when you might have a moment to read or play a game (yes, you can even play games on it!). And, as I've mentioned before, there are so many free books available on amazon.com. I've saved hundreds of dollars on books. Yes, you can check out books for free at the library. But...can you easily carry said books around conveniently? At my fingertips I have over a hundred books available, along with 5 games, and two translations of the Bible in a nifty little package. Have I sold you? : ) I'll stop with my Kindle ad and move on to some of the books I was able to read on vacation. I'll be honest, people. I know I'm trying to be unbiased about my book reviews, but each review reflects my own personal taste in some way. I'll try to describe the plot and then say what I thought...and you can decide if it's the type of book you would like. All of the books mentioned I got for free off of amazon.com.
The Homecoming: A Novel by Dan Walsh
This is the story of Shawn, a World War II hero who has recently lost his wife in a tragic car accident. He has a young son who needs him, but because of his obligations to the military in the midst of the war, he is unable to be with his son as much as he would like. He is also dealing with the emotions that are still raw after his wife's passing. Katherine Townsend is a social worker who is trying to help Shawn's
son and make sure he is doing ok since his mom's passing and living with his grandfather. When Katherine loses her job, Shawn hires her to be a nanny for his son while he is away serving in the military. We see each of these characters endure the hardships of war in various ways of the course of a few years. Will Shawn be able to overcome his grief? Will Katherine remain a nanny or pursue love?
son and make sure he is doing ok since his mom's passing and living with his grandfather. When Katherine loses her job, Shawn hires her to be a nanny for his son while he is away serving in the military. We see each of these characters endure the hardships of war in various ways of the course of a few years. Will Shawn be able to overcome his grief? Will Katherine remain a nanny or pursue love?I thought this was an interesting story as it talked about different aspects of WWII. There were times when I wished that Shawn would act on some of his feelings instead of push them down. I liked the relationships between Katherine, Shawn's father, and Shawn's son. History has always been a favorite subject of mine, and reading about a time in history that I'd like to know more about was interesting to me. I personally like a little more of a love story...more expression of feelings...than this book had. But overall, I liked the ending and I finished the story satisfied!
Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot
Sarah Dobbs is traveling out west to meet her fiance. What is unique about this is that they've never met. Sarah answered an ad in the paper and began exchanging letters, what she calles her "paper roses", with her future husband. Through those letters, she fell in love. As she waits with her young sister for him to pick her up, a strange
r rides up to fetch her. Instead of Austin, his brother, Clay, is there. At that moment, Sarah learns that her fiance has just been killed. Clay offers her a temporary place to stay, but he is not eager to have a woman in his life. He is consumed with grief at the loss of his own wife and child, his brother, and a father who is helpless due to a stroke. He has to run the family ranch even though his love is for medicine.
Sarah Dobbs is traveling out west to meet her fiance. What is unique about this is that they've never met. Sarah answered an ad in the paper and began exchanging letters, what she calles her "paper roses", with her future husband. Through those letters, she fell in love. As she waits with her young sister for him to pick her up, a strange
r rides up to fetch her. Instead of Austin, his brother, Clay, is there. At that moment, Sarah learns that her fiance has just been killed. Clay offers her a temporary place to stay, but he is not eager to have a woman in his life. He is consumed with grief at the loss of his own wife and child, his brother, and a father who is helpless due to a stroke. He has to run the family ranch even though his love is for medicine.I love stories set in the west. When I started reading Paper Roses, I thought the story line was great. Both of the characters have so many issues: physical, emotional, and psychological. It definitely creates a lot of tension in the story and makes you want to read more. I liked it. I liked seeing the two of them work through their issues and begin to experience love and freedom. My only issue with this story is that towards the end, it got a little crazy. You have to read the book to know what I mean, but there was an unexpected twist that made me feel like...ok, I can accept that, but it does seem a little out there! lol I know that's vague, but I don't like to give away an ending! If you like western Christian fiction, you'll probably enjoy this one.
Surrender the Heart by MaryLu Tyndall
Surr
ender the Heart begins with Marianne, a plain girl who needs to marry well to be able to support her mother and sister. Her mother is ill and her father has passed away, squandering the family's riches. To keep up appearances, Marianne's family has tried to conceal their dwindling resources. Much to Marianne's dismay, her mother has made arrangements for her to be engaged to Mr. Noah Brenin. Marianne and Noah grew up teasing and tormenting each other. Now that they are older, Noah is fulfilling the family's wish to be a successful merchant, even as a young America continues to battle with England. He has no desire to take a wife, especially not the uppity Marianne. He appears at their engagement party only to humiliate Marianne by leaving early, in hopes that it will give her an excuse to call off the marriage. He didn't count on Marianne following him to his ship to confront him. When she slips onboard and bumps her head in a room below deck, the adventure begins.
Surr
ender the Heart begins with Marianne, a plain girl who needs to marry well to be able to support her mother and sister. Her mother is ill and her father has passed away, squandering the family's riches. To keep up appearances, Marianne's family has tried to conceal their dwindling resources. Much to Marianne's dismay, her mother has made arrangements for her to be engaged to Mr. Noah Brenin. Marianne and Noah grew up teasing and tormenting each other. Now that they are older, Noah is fulfilling the family's wish to be a successful merchant, even as a young America continues to battle with England. He has no desire to take a wife, especially not the uppity Marianne. He appears at their engagement party only to humiliate Marianne by leaving early, in hopes that it will give her an excuse to call off the marriage. He didn't count on Marianne following him to his ship to confront him. When she slips onboard and bumps her head in a room below deck, the adventure begins.This was one of my FAVORITE books! I absolutely loved it! There was action, adventure, tension, and romance. I had a hard time putting it down. I loved the fact that Marianne's character was so relateable. She wasn't a ravishing beauty...she was plain, "plump", and yet many times seen as beautiful. Noah has a good heart deep down and as the story goes on we're able to see his loyalty and bravery. There were several twists to the story that made it exciting. I would definitely recommend it!
Her Best Catch by Lindi Peterson
Allison
Doll is a 29 year old single girl living in Georgia. The story is contemporary, told in first person, so we're able to see what's going on from Allison's perspective. Allison lives with her mother and grandmother. All three women are seeking companionship in different ways. Allison seems satisfied with the single life, hanging out with friends and going on the occassional date. She is good at her job and has seen some success. But when Ashton Boyd, former player for the Atlanta Braves, starts coming to her singles Sunday School class, life takes a turn.
Allison
Doll is a 29 year old single girl living in Georgia. The story is contemporary, told in first person, so we're able to see what's going on from Allison's perspective. Allison lives with her mother and grandmother. All three women are seeking companionship in different ways. Allison seems satisfied with the single life, hanging out with friends and going on the occassional date. She is good at her job and has seen some success. But when Ashton Boyd, former player for the Atlanta Braves, starts coming to her singles Sunday School class, life takes a turn.This was my second favorite book!! I loved this one, too! Let me just say, it is hilarious! (At least to me it was...I love that sarcastic and sometimes dry humor) Allison is someone I could totally relate to. I loved that the story was set in Georgia, too. I knew a lot of the places she talked about and felt like she could be a friend of mine. There were several times when I giggled out loud. I couldn't stop myself! If your in the mood for a light-hearted, funny romance (from a Christian perspective), I would definitely recommend it!
Some of the others I read (nap time is coming to a close, so I've got to hurry this post up):
Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang
This Fine Life: A Novel by Eva Marie Everson
I started The Swan House by Elizabeth Musser (It was kind of a downer for me, so I didn't finish it)
This Fine Life: A Novel by Eva Marie Everson
I started The Swan House by Elizabeth Musser (It was kind of a downer for me, so I didn't finish it)
Hope you enjoy! God bless and happy reading!
Stacey
2 comments:
you must finish the swan house, georgia girl! it is such a great read!!! i actually just got to eat at the swan house yesterday. :) (no condemnation if you just can't get into it--i understand. just friendly harassment!)
Ok, Amy, you've inspired me! : ) I think at the time I just couldn't get into it...but I know there's definite potential. That would be neat, too, to actually see the Swan House! I don't think I realized that it was a real place! Neat!
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