Heiress by Susan May Warren

I really, really like this author.  This book is a departure from her normal genre.  Her other series that I love is a modern day detective series.  Daughters of Fortune is a historical fiction series with a bit of mystery thrown in.  Heiress, the first book in the series, was a quick read but very enjoyable.  I had to resist the urge to download the next book in the series!

Here is the rundown:

It is set in the late 1800s and the early 1900s.  The Price family is a part of the ultra rich in New York City.  Mr. Price is the publisher of The Chronicle.  Mrs. Price yearns to make an advantageous match for her oldest daughter in order to save the family fortune.

Esme the oldest daughter fancies herself a writer but the culture of this time period will not allow her to write.  She desires nothing more than to turn her back on what is expected of her.  Jinx the younger daughter cannot wait to be launched into society and live in the dream world of riches.  Her father, however, will not allow her to marry or "come out" until Esme is married.

Both girls make choices to achieve their dreams only to find that perhaps it was not really what they had hoped for.  Each girl realizes by the books end that what they really wanted and worked for all their lives was empty and vain.

Susan May Warren did a fabulous job of writing a great story with some twists and turns that I did not see coming.  I highly recommend it.

Happy Reading! J

The Body Departed by J. R. Rain

This is a book about a ghost.  

Here is the premise.  James, the ghost, is killed in his sleep.  He is shot multiple times.  James watched it all from above.  He knows what his killer looks like but he doesn’t know who it is.  James is now stuck in his apartment building.  He can’t seem to “cross over”.

Then there is Pauline, a medium who lives in the apartment building.  She can hear James and sometimes even see him.  It is Pauline who helps him figure out how to cross over.  It even appears at certain spots in the story that she loves James.

Ghosts apparently lose the memories of their real life.  James is beginning to forget events and people. He is bothered by this.  Then one day he reads an article about an elderly music teacher who is murdered.  James knows this lady and the church where she was murdered. There are no clues as to who did it.  James believes that solving her murder is his key to crossing over.

The only problem is that as an earth bound spirit he can’t leave his apartment building.  This is where Pauline comes in handy.  She is able to help him get to the Catholic Church where the murder took place.

I won’t give away the rest of the story.  I will say it was a good story.  There is a part in the story where James speaks with Christ.  Christ then explains how the afterlife works.  As a Christian I had some issues with this part of the story.  It is obviously fiction and not meant to be taken as truth.

This is not a Christian book and there is some unnecessary language in parts of the book.

Did I like it?  I will say that I have read better but it wasn’t so bad that I didn’t want finish it.  So, I guess I must have liked it at least a little. 

Happy Reading! J

Believe in Me: A Teen Mom's Story by Judith Dickerman-Nelson

This is a true story about Judith who finds herself deeply in love with her 17 year old boyfriend Kevin.  After a summer of dating, Kevin heads off to prep-school and Judith finds herself pregnant in her senior year of high school.

Judith tells this story through the eyes of a scared teenager trying to do the right thing.  The story basically takes place from the few months before she is pregnant until the baby is just over a year old.  Most of the chapters are short put packed with great story.

I read this book quickly because I found myself drawn into her story.  I was rooting for her to do the right thing and in doing so get what she desired most.  I had a hard time putting the story down.

Happy Reading! J

The Bronze and the Brimstone by Lory Kaufman

This was a book that would be categorized as a young adult book.  This would be another departure from what I usually read.  That is the beauty of free books from Amazon.  I can easily take advantage of unknown authors without being out any money if the book is really bad.  I also don’t feel bad not reading the book because I didn’t spend any money on it.  J

If you have a Kindle and would like to know how I get my free books, let me know.  I would be happy to share.

Now about The Bronze and the Brimstone.

The book is set in the 14^th century.  The main characters are 3 time traveling teenagers from the 24^th century.  This is actually the 2^nd book in the series but you do not need to have read the first to follow it.  I didn’t read book one and had no troubles.

The main character Hansom is being sought after by the man who is the head of Verona.  This man believes that Hansom is a savant because he has brought the idea of a cannon and gun powder into the 14^th century.  Hansom can share these ideas because he has an artificial intelligence that guides he and his 2 friends.  

Hansom has convinced the head of Verona that he can be the next emperor if he only follows the plans that Hansom is sharing.  In the end Hansom’s desire to make himself important to this man causes a great deal of trouble.

Hansom has fallen in love with the daughter of his master.  The master has taken the 3 teens in (this happens in the first book) and taught them to be lens makers because Hansom has introduced them to corrective lenses.  The head of Verona, however, wishes for Hansom to marry his beautiful daughter and form an alliance. 

Now, because the main characters are teenagers they tend to behave as teenagers from any century would.  This causes all sorts of conflict throughout the story.  The author also uses it to connect with you the reader.

I did enjoy the way the book ended.  At about chapter 19 I could not figure out how the author was going to wrap it up with a neat little bow.  Then he did it and left me asking for more.  I love it when that happens in a book. J

I enjoyed the book and was a little bummed to discover that the next book in the series has not been released yet.  If you enjoy a bit a time travel, young love and teenage angst then this is the book for you.

Happy Reading.

Sing and Claim (Novels of Colorado Series) by Lisa T. Bergren

I have finished the series.  I really like it J 

In Sing, the 2^nd book in the series, Moria and Nic are chasing their demons.  The book opens with Moira on the stage in Paris singing.  She soon discovers that her manager has emptied her bank accounts and she must now fend for herself.  She sets sail for America hoping to find a place in the American opera in New York.  She meets up with 2 men who will be a part of the rest of her story.  Her only desire is to feel appreciated and loved for who she is.

We find Nic in South America fighting.  He is kidnapped by a ship’s captain as payment for a lost fight.  Nic, who is still trying to find himself, does not enjoy his trip aboard the ship and decides to head for his sister Odessa in Colorado as soon as he gets off the ship. It doesn't seem to matter what happens he can't control his temper and he is not sure if wants to.

Odessa has a sweet baby boy but things at the Circle M are not doing well.  She and Bryce soon discover how much they really love each other.  They must also make some hard choices for their family.

In Claim, the last book in the series Moira has come to terms with her life in Colorado. Finding solace in the peace and quiet and her new found relationship with Christ.  Odessa and Bryce are on a more even keel and are excited to have Moira with them.

Nic is the last wanderer to return home.  He meets a young boy named Everett and his father Peter.  Peter asks Nic to partner with him at his gold mine.  Things turn desperate when Peter is killed on his way back to the mine.  Nic is left to decide if he wants the mine and the responsibility of this young boy. Can he set aside his wander lust and anger issues?  Cue the cute neighbor, horrible neighboring mine owners and a mine collapse and you have the makings of this final book.

All in all this was a good series.  If you are a lover of Christian fiction then I think you will enjoy these books.  Lisa T. Bergren does a good job of connecting you with the main characters of these books.  I read them all in about 5 days mostly because I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen.  I found myself cheering for them and cringing when they made choices you knew were going to end badly.

Happy Reading! J

Breathe: A Novel of Colorado by Lisa T. Bergren

I fell for Amazon’s trick of making the first book in a series free in the hopes that you will get hooked and then purchase the rest of the series.  Well, I read it and was hooked and have now purchased the next 2 books in the series J

This is really your typical Christian Historical Fiction and I liked it.  I don’t usually like them but this one I did.  The author does a great job of presenting Christ without preaching or going overboard.  I appreciated that as she kept the Christ parts relevant to the story.

There are 3 siblings in this series.  Breathe centered around Odessa who is suffering from consumption.  Odessa, her sister, Moira, and her brother Dominic open the book on a train headed for Colorado.  They are chasing the cure for Odessa’s consumption.

Odessa is the sweet older sister.  Moira is the carefree baby sister and Dominic (Nic) is the brother who has been given the job of taking his sisters safely to Colorado.  The problem is that Odessa is the only one in the family who seems happy about this trip.  Moira would rather be on stage singing and Nic would rather be doing anything except living under his father’s directions.  Once there, Nic and Moira have been tasked with opening a book store to sell the books from their father’s publishing house back east.  A job neither of them is looking forward to.

It is the old west so there must be a sheriff.  Is he a good guy or a bad guy?  Then there are the outlaws who are after the mine that has been left to Odessa by a fellow consumptive who has died.  Add in the rich man who runs the town and everyone in it and you have all the makings of a western novel.

There is a predictable plot to this story but it was a quick read. (it took me less than a day)  I enjoyed the simplicity of it and am looking forward to finding out what happens next in the family story. 

Happy Reading!

Barefoot: A Novel by Elin Hilderbrand

This was a chick novel from the first word and I loved it. J

It is the story of 3 women spending the summer on Nantucket.  Each of the 3 women is trying to escape something back home.  Vicki has lung cancer and hopes that the chemo and sand on Nantucket will bring healing.  Brenda is having some legal troubles as well as some romantic ones.  Melanie is pregnant but hasn’t told her husband because he is having an affair.

In steps Josh, a 21 year old Nantucket native.  The women need a babysitter for Vicki’s 2 young boys.  Josh needs to escape his job at the airport.  He is a budding writer and senses he will find a story with these 3 women.  Josh seems to rescue each of these women over the summer while finding that any good story comes at a price.

Of course, what happens over the summer is what one would expect in any good chick novel.  There is a little tension, a little romance,lots of places to shed tears and a satisfying ending.

This was a quick read but left me feeling good at the end.  This book is not a Christian book and has some language and romantic scenes.

Blue by Lou Aronica

Blue by Lou Aronica

Loved this book!

Chris Astor is a divorced dad who loves his daughter passionately but feels like he is losing her since the divorce.

Becky Astor is a 14 year old girl who loves her parents but can’t figure out what her dad wants from her.  She is also experiencing some health issues that remind her of the cancer she had as a young girl and she is scared!

Miea is the queen of Tamarisk the imaginary world created by Becky and Chris to help Becky through her cancer.  Tamarisk is in danger of becoming extinct.

These 3 people have to come together in order to help Becky face the toughest challenge of her young life and to save Tamarisk.

This book probably fits into the fantasy genre.  I don’t usually enjoy this type of book but I loved this one.  Lou Aronica poignantly shows the emotions of a father fighting for his daughter, a young girl who desperately wants to live and a queen who wishes to save her kingdom.  I had a hard time putting this one down!

Quick read – great for the beach J

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

This is historical fiction set in the time of King Henry VIII.  I don’t know much about this time period so it was fun to read. 

There are 3 main characters in this story.  Each chapter is written in first person from one of the 3 characters. 

Jane Boleyn – Sister-in-law to Anne Boleyn the now dead queen.  She serves as a maid in waiting to the new queen of England.  She works for her uncle gathering information about the queen.  Her goal is to keep the Boleyn inheritance.

Katherine Howard – 14 years old at the beginning of the book is young, greedy and ditzy.  Her hope for her life is to gain money, men and an inheritance.  She also desires above all else to be loved and admired by all.  She is thrilled to be called to serve the new queen.

Anne of Cleaves – Abused by her brother, ignored by her family and on her way to be the new queen of England.  She wants only to be a good queen and serve the people of England.

These 3 characters get caught up in the madness of King Henry VIII.  Some days they wonder if they will make it out alive.

Book Pros:

1. The chapters are short.  Each chapter is written first person from one of the main characters.  No chapter is longer than 5 or 6 pages.  This makes it easy to pick it up when time is short.

2. This author also had a way of leaving you hanging sometimes at the end of a chapter.  It made me want to skip ahead to that characters next chapter to see what would happen.

3. The author does a great job of character development.  By the time the book was done I really had connected with each of the main characters.

4. There is a good amount of dialogue.  Sometimes historical fiction tends to go into too much detail for me.  This author had a good balance.

Book Cons:

1. It is a very long book, 558 pages.

2. Detail can get overwhelming in some chapters.  I know I said there was a good amount of dialogue but occasionally the details of the countryside, people’s clothes or how a person was feeling got a bit much for me.

3. The author does use some historical vocabulary that I was not familiar with.  This did make some parts hard to figures out.  Usually after a few paragraphs the meaning became clear.

Overall I really enjoyed this book.  I learned from the info at the end of the book that this author has other books about King Henry VII’s wives.  

All For One by Ryne Douglas Pearson

One amazing teacher, 5 great kids, and 1 dead bully.  The question is – Who did it?

Bring in the Kiddie Catcher from the closest big city who thinks he knows who did it.  He just has to get close enough to the suspects to get one of them to talk and spill the beans.

The problem – things aren’t what they seem.  It starts to look even worse when one of the suspects turns up dead.

Mrs. Austin is sure her students didn’t kill the class bully but she can’t prove it.  The Kiddie Catcher is sure that the students are hiding a secret and he works hard to get to the truth.

Who killed the bully?  You must read this book to find out!

Being an avid reader I often figure "it" out fairly quickly into the book.  However, this one kept me guessing for longer and then ended in a way I never expected.  I highly recommend it.

This is not a Christian book.  There is some language throughout the book.

After the Leaves Fall - Nicole Baart

Loved this book!  It is, however, a tear jerker.  So, if you don’t like stories that make you cry – steer clear! 

Julia, the main character, starts the book at about age 9 and when the books ends she is only 19.  She lives through her share of heartache, grief and poor decisions.  Her father and grandmother have taught her about God but she can’t believe that a loving God would have allowed the things that have happened to her.  She pulls herself up and decides to be the captain of her own destiny.

The best part of this story is that you can see a little bit of any teenage girl in her emotions, decisions and conversations.  I saw a little bit of me as this story unfolded.  I really connected with this character and was sad when the book ended.  In fact, although the ending was perfect, I found myself going “WHAAAATTTT!” because I wanted to know more of Julia's story.

So, what is the book about?  It is about Julia who loses her mother, her father, her best friend and her college career and at the end of it all finds God.  

Genre – Faith Based Fiction

Summer Reading - Asenath by Anna Patricio

Upon checking my Kindle account I discovered that I had about I have about 450 books on my device.  That seems a bit over the top to me J  So, I decided to do three things:  organize the books I have alphabetically, stop obtaining books, begin with A and read through as many as I could this summer.  That’s what I did!  After I alphabetized them (actually the app did that) I looked through the As and Bs and chose the ones that I really wanted to read.  When I have read those I will move on to the next letter.

Now, as I blog about them this summer you should see that the titles will appear in ABC order.  I am determined to stick to this plan, but we will see how disciplined I will be at not obtaining new books or skipping ahead in the alphabet.

Here is the first of the books on my summer reading list!

Asenath by Anna Patricio

This book is the story of  Asenath who married Joseph in the Bible.  Little is said in Scripture about this woman so Anna Patricio, the author,  took the liberty to create her story.

The story begins when Asenath is a young child in her fishing village on the Nile. Life changes quickly when Asenath is kidnapped by raiders who hate Egypt.

Life is not easy but Asenath eventually winds up in a major Egyptian town in a home where she meets Joseph.  At this point in the story you will begin to recognize some of the story from the Biblical account of Joseph.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book.  Each played a significant part in shaping Asentath.  It was a short book and part of me really wished that the author had developed portions of the story a little more.

Asenath is a quick read but I couldn’t put it down.  So far this is my favorite book of the summer J

Michal's Window

This post is about the book Michal's Window by Rachelle Ayala

                Ok, so this book falls into the Christian Fiction genre.  There is scripture quoted in every chapter.  It is the story of King David and his first wife Michal.  However, it also reads like a harlequin romance novel with some steamy love scenes in it.  Would I put it in the Christian Fiction category?  Probably, with an asterisk.   So, did I like the book?  Not sure! 

                I liked the story line.  I enjoy Biblical fiction.  After I finish one I like to go back to scripture and see how it compares.  Scripture does not give us much information about Michal so much of this book is the work of the author’s imagination.  The story line is great.  The way she plays Michal like a sex starved woman was a bit of a turn off.

                Michal meets and falls in love the handsome shepherd boy David.  David, who plays the harp to calm King Saul, falls in love with Michal.  It seems that David will do anything to have Michal.

                King David is written as a weak man, who can’t make up his mind about anything except the fact that he loves his wife Michal.  History tells us that David had many wives.  This book has each wife but none of them can hold a candle to Michal in character or beauty.

                The author also places 2 other men in Michal’s life and she can’t decide if she loves them or the now King David.  All 3 men have multiple love scenes with Michal.  Michal seems to best like the one she happens to be with in that chapter.  I just had a hard time getting my head around all the sex.

                So, would I recommend this book?  If you like a light read and don’t mind some love scenes then you will enjoy this book.  If you are looking for something of substance or great writing, then perhaps you will pass on this book. 

                Happy Reading! J

The Frog Prince and Sleeping Beauty

             No, these are not the fairy tales you remember from your childhood.  They are absolutely stories for the big girl who needs a good giggle.   These 2 books were FUNNY!  They were both quick, romantic comedies.  The Frog Prince was laugh out loud funny.  My husband asked me several times what I was laughing while I was reading these books.

            Let’s start with the Frog Prince.  It is a modern day fairy tale based on the Frog Prince.  The main character is Leigh.  She is a twenty something woman who feels socially awkward.  She plants her high heel into the foot of a handsome prince at her great aunt’s memorial.  Roman, the prince, decided he wants to get to know her better and proceeds to force his way into her life.  Leigh is reluctant because of her social awkwardness and the fact that he is a prince.

            The book takes place in several locations as Roman whisks Leigh all over the world.  Eventually the fairy tale must come to end and the main characters must make a choice.

            The second book, Sleeping Beauty, was a bit more serious but still had some funny parts.  The main character, Claire, has a condition where she passes out and then falls into a trance for several day or weeks at a time.  Thus the title!  She does not remember most of the time that she is out.  She meets a handsome doctor just before one of her episodes.  This doctor is supposed to be helping her figure out what is wrong with her but he excuses himself from her case just as the episode begins.

            While experiencing this episode, she meets up with the handsome doctor and the 2 fall in love.  Upon awakening she has no memory of the doctor or their blossoming relationship.  There are several side characters in this book that keep the story interesting.

            I have read my share of books and can usually figure out where a book is going.  I have to admit that there were several pieces of this book that I didn’t see coming.

            Elle Lothorien, the author, has done a great job of taking very well known fairy tales and putting a twist on them.  Just as a warning, these books do not fit into the Christian fiction category.  There is some questionable language.

            So, if you need a good beach read – these two books fit the bill perfectlyJ

The Lost Years - By Mary Higgins Clark

                Mary Higgins Clark is one of my top 5 fave authors.  I think I have read all of her books over the years.  The Lost Years does not disappoint.  Clark’s genre is thriller/suspense, and this book fits that description perfectly.

                Jonathon Lyons has found a manuscript believed to be a letter written by Christ just before His death to Joesph of Arimathea.  It was stolen from the Catholic Church in the 1500s.  The problem is that Jonathon Lyons has been murdered and the manuscript is missing, again.

                Now his wife, who has Alzheimer’s, is being charged with his murder.  She was found in the closet holding the murder weapon.  But there is also the young mistress who had knowledge of the manuscript and whose heart Jonathon had just broken.  It doesn’t stop there.  There is a whole cast of characters who had motive and opportunity.  Mariah, Jonathon’s only child, is the only one who is not a suspect and it is up to her to put the pieces together.

                Mary Higgins Clark is a master story teller and she keeps you guessing until the very end.  I changed my mind 3 times before she wrapped it up.

                This is a great spring time read!

Into The Free: A Novel by Julie Cantrell

So, it has been awhile since I wrote about a book that I have read.  Actually, I have read several but none that I thought worth writing about.  At last, over Spring Break, I came across one that I couldn’t put down.  J

Into the Free: A Novel by Julie Cantrell is a great read.  The main character begins the book as a small girl in rural Mississippi.   She lives in nothing more than a shack.  Her mother lives life in a constant state of depression and her father, a bull rider, is rarely home.  When he is home, he beats the life out of the mother.  The story takes place just before World War II.

The story follows Millie as she grows up in this very depressing family.  It seems, however, that despite all the yuck in her life, Millie believes that there is something better for her.   Each year, just after her birthday, the gypsies come to town for a few weeks.  Millie waits anxiously each year to secretly watch these wandering people.  It is her greatest wish to one day leave town with the gypsies.

Just after she turns 17, Millie is sure that life will change.  Millie isn’t wrong but things don’t go quite the way she imagines.  Julie Cantrell weaves a wonderful coming of age tale that leaves you wanting more.  This is a fairly new book and a sequel is promised at the end of the book. J

I read through this story in a day.  If you need a quick read that keeps you turning pages – Into the Free is for you.

The Queen by Steven James

                The Queen by Steven James is a thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end.  This is a must read.

                The Queen is the final book in the Patrick Bower series. There are 5 books altogether.   You could read this book without having read the previous books because Steven James does a good job of giving you enough background at the beginning of the book to understand the story.  If you have followed this series he wraps things up quite nicely but in a way that will surprise you.

                Patrick Bower, the main character, is an FBI geospatial profiler.  This profession is explained in the book.  Although in each book he solves a different crime, they are all related to his ultimate search for a serial killer.  The Queen is no different.  In this book, Patrick heads to Minnesota to work a crime scene that has to do with his search for Basque, the serial killer, and his accomplice.   While in Minnesota he is tasked to investigate the killing of a retired Navy officer’s wife and child.

                What ensues is 516 can’t wait to turn the page – pages.  I have always thought his books were written like episodes of CSI.  He has technical details of crime scenes and espionage but he also includes the human and personal element of the story.  Patrick Bowers is a step-father struggling to raise a teenage daughter.  He is also wading through a relationship with another FBI agent.  Both story elements are balanced with neither of them overtaking the plot line.  The author twists them altogether to keep you guessing about who the bad guy is until the last few pages.

                Should you read this book?  ABSOLUTELY!  If you are a lover of thriller and suspense, then this book is for you. 

Home: A Memoir of My Early Years By:Julie Andrews

I am excited to post about the book I just finished.  Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews.  I picked up this book on my Kindle mostly because I really like Julie Andrews and the work she has done.  The book chronicles her early life, thus the title.  It was a rather lengthy book but a fairly easy read.

The story begins with a telling of her great-grandparent, grandparents and then her parents.  Then it goes into her birth.  From there the story chronicles just about everything that happened to her that shaped her into the lady she is today.  Her life was not an easy one but at the same time she was surrounded by people who seemed to love and care for her.  Julie Andrews loved her family and that shines through the book.

Pros:
1.  She gives enough details to make the stories interesting but not to many that you lose interest or get bogged down.
2.  The details regarding her music are not too technical.  All of her early work was in vaudville and broadway.  In many instances she describes what she was singing or how she was singing using musical terms but she does a good job explaining it so that even a reader with no understanding of music could understand what she is talking about.
3.  She wrote honestly about the people in her life and made you see how each of those people influenced, loved, hurt and encouraged her.  She also wrote honestly about herself and how she felt.  She came across as a very humble lady.
4.  It was just a good story.  She picked the right stories to tell and did it with great flair.  It was a wonderful look into her life.


Cons:
1.  I was bummed that the book ended when it did.  It was obviously not meant to tell you everything but if you want a full telling of her life, this is not it.
2.  She often got off on rabbit trails in the middle of a story.  When she returned to the original story it was hard to figure out what she was talking about.
3.  Sometimes she jumped around in time.  This sometimes made it hard to follow the story line and keep the stories straight.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.  If you are a fan of Julie Andrews then I think you will enjoy this book.  Last I checked it was a freebie for your Kindle on Amazon but you would have to check it out to be sure.

I am sure I will get better at this review thing.  I hope you have enjoyed reading the review and perhaps have found a good book to read.

Hello! Do you love to read?

 I am starting a blog about books I love to read.  Why?  Because I love it when people share with me good books that they have read.  So, maybe someone will love hearing about the good books that I have enjoyed.

I have an ipad and book shelves full of books.  I really only read fiction.  I don't do self-help books or books that teach me something.  I just want books with plots that I can get lost in and characters that I can come to love or hate.  I like all sorts of fiction - mystery, thriller, romance, historical, fantasy.  I don't care if it is secular or faith based.  I just care that it is a good story!

I read to relax, unwind and forget about my day, or week, or month depending on what is going on.  Books are my escape.

I am a teacher and during school months I don't read as many books but I average probably 2 a month.  BUT during the summer months I read 2 or 3 a week.

Check back to see what I am reading.  I will try to be honest about the story and the author.  Leave me comments if you have a book or author you think I might like.