heart of ice review

I received Heart of Ice by Lis Wiehl and April Henry from Booksneeze.  This is a Triple Threat Novel.  Triple Threat Novels are books by Lis Wiehl about Nicole (FBI agent), Cassidy (Crime reporter), and Allison (prosecutor), a group of women who went to high school together and now solve crime.  Kinda like Nancy Drew and her two side kicks, only older and racier.  This particular novel is about Elizabeth, a sociopath, and her adventures before she gets caught by the Triple Threat.  The three are looking for a killer and have no idea that the killer (Elizabeth) is right under their noses.  Three heads are better than one, or so they say, and when they unite, Elizabeth, well you'll have to read it for yourself.
Lately I have been reading these "christian crime novels" and might I say I really like them.  Pretty much crime is crime and so it makes these novels not much different from your run-of-the-mill crime novels.  However, there is a bit of Christianity thrown in to keep you on your toes.  A little something extra.  You should defintely give the genre a try.  Even the non-Christian will enjoy a different approach from the whodunnits of the literary world.

the corruptible review

I received The Corruptible, by Mark Mynheir, from www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks .  This is book is a Ray Quinn Mystery series.  The book follows Ray Quinn, an alcoholic private detective who walks with a cane and his sidekick Crevis.  The have been hired by a powerful company to find damaging stolen information.  During the search the thief in question comes up murdered throwing a wrench in the whole case. 
This book is part of a series; and tho I haven't read any other Quinn books, it wasn't necessary to have read any others to follow The Corruptible.  There were several references to incidents in past books, but enough background info was given that I could still follow.  Actually it made me want to read more the series.  Quinn is hilarious, intelligent, and a bit of a smart ass.  He also has a lot of "issues" and a dark streak.  I loved this guy and will probably be reading more of him.

got hope?

just came back from iowa last night.  that is one long, boring trip.  if you are thinking of going and don't have a medical issue that needs to be solved at Iowa University, skip the trip.  On the other hand, if you know a little girl who is 8 and has basilar invagination then by all means, see the country.  We went originally to sit with the family during her 12 hour surgery, but God intervened and she was finished when we got there almost 5 hours early.  That makes everything, surgery and recovery so much better.  Like her dad says, "thank you Good Sir Above".  Medically she is doing great, but trauma and anxiety levels are through the roof.  Trauma is a very powerful thing.  It can change everything. 
I was a little apprehensive about going at first.  Everytime I read her (mom's) blog I have flashbacks.  Sometimes they are flashes, sometimes they almost knock me down.  At 7:15 when she was due for surgery, I thought "now she is handing over her child".  It still almost kills me.  I can not only remember handing over mine (three times) I can feel it.  I am scared, terrified actually.  That is the worst thing anyone can ever do.  Hand over that child knowing they are more than likely going to die.  Luckily both kids beat the statistics, but I didn't know that at the time.  I felt sick after leaving the hospital the day of the Iowa girl's surgery.  I couldn't seem to shake it.  Next day was much better.  For me anyway.  Iowa girl is still in pain and still has a long road. Her parents.  Long road too.  I wish I could say that my personal hospital traumas made me stronger and better, but not really.  I am broken.  One little flash of memory and I am a mess.   I think the Iowa trip actually did me good.  I can read the updates and feel comfortable.  I mean, I certainly wish she wasn't in pain, I wish her neck had magically healed itself, I wish a lot of things, but I think of it as her and not me.  Which is where my attention should be.  On HER healing.  Because she is the one who needs it.  I can pray for her with all that I have with nothing else in my mind. 

spring break '11

Remember when spring breaks went something like this "I went to Padre Island ........." Yeah, well those days are over.  This year the kids and I did an assortment of activities.  Some fun and others...well, not so fun.  It started Friday when my bouncing baby boy turned 13.  He is officially a teenager with size 10 shoes and a deeper voice.  Had a little party with the fam and he got what he wanted.  money.  Saturday and Sunday M & A went to their dad's and P came over here so I had 2 kids and we did nuthin.  Not a thing.  P went home Sun and me and S went to the zoo Monday afternoon.  Saw a baby hippo, cutest thang!  Tuesday M & A came home and we all went to the dentist.  Isn't that what everyone saves their Spring Break for?  All good, but me.  It seems that silver fillings will break your teeth over time.  F-bomb, I suppose that will cost  a fortune.  I also moved into my new office over spring break, made another run to the dentist, this time in TOPEKA AT 8 AM!!!!!!  Jeez that's early.  The kids had friends come and go along with going over to others some.  Saturday night went to see Rango.  Not a kid movie really.  About half way through you could hear all these little kids go "Is it almost over yet?"  M loved it though.  So it's a high school cartoon.  Today we went all the way to Wichita and went to the Museum of World Treasures.  So Cool!  A must see!  Dinosaurs, mummies, shrunkens heads, a large portion of the Berlin Wall, the scarecrow's rake.  The kids loved it, I loved it.  The Big Man was kinda in a mood, so I have no idea how he felt about it, but he didn't bitch so I guess he's ok with it.  Not a bad Spring Break, just no 'party on, Garth.'  Gonna go to bed now.  Exhausted!

the Shape of Mercy review

Recently I read the Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner.  I really like Meissner a lot.  She is such a wondferful writer.  I love the way her books go back and forth between the past and present telling the story connecting the characters, and creating a parallel storyline.  This is the second Meissner book I have received from waterbrookmultnomah.com and I will definitly be reading more by her. Her characters are genuine and I care about them. I care as if they were real people.  This is an awesome read. 
  Shape of Mercy is a parallel story about  Mercy, a young woman in Salem during the witch trials and  Lauren, a college student in present day hired to translate Mercy's diary, and Abigail, an elderly woman who owns the diary.  The book goes back and forth telling the story of Mercy, an accused "witch" in Salem through excerpts of the diary and Lauren, discovering who she really is while reading the diary and getting to know Abigail.  The book starts with Lauren going against what is expected of her from her extremely wealthy parents by going to a state school and taking a job.  The job is to work for Abigail translating the diary as well as putting in into digital format.  She grows throughout the story and comes to a realization through lessons learned from both Abigail and Mercy that to judge someone by their cover and to judge someone by who they truly are still makes her someone else's judge.  Will be reading more of Meissner and that is a promise.

who is my shelter?

I received "Who is my Shelter?" by Neta Jackson from Booksneeze.com.  Shelter is the 4th book in the  House of Hope series, which is a spin-off series of the Yada Yada Prayer Group books.  The main character of the series is Gabby Fairbanks, a niave and wealthy woman from Virginia who moves with her "old money" husband to Chicago.  Her husband starts a business there, while she starts to work for a homeless shelter as an activity director.  In the first book her husband takes the children back to Virginia without telling her and kicks Gabby and her mother out of the house, putting them in said homeless shelter.  This fourth book is about Gabby and Philip, her husband, and her choices.  Gabby has also, during this series, been putting together the House of Hope.  A type of half-way house for homeless single moms and their children.  This book covers the bringing up of that home. 
My opinion......well for starters I'd like to say that I am totally in love with the Yada Yada Prayer Group series.  It does top the House of Hope series by far and I couldn't wait to get the next one.  The House of Hope series is good.  Really good.  Just not as good.  The problem is that I don't like Gabby very much.  She's kinda spoiled and sometimes I just can't figure out how she keeps on living.  But as the series grows, so does Gabby.  This is the best book of the series.  She has come into her own.  She also has some tough choices to make in this book; ones that I know I wouldn't want to have to make.  Well worth the read.

lady in waiting book review

Now this is a good book.  A really good book. Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner  follows two Janes and tells two different stories that tie together because of a ring.  The first Jane is in modern day Manhattan.  She is an antique dealer with pushy parents and a husband who has left her to "find himself".  She has allowed everyone to make all of her decisions for her throughout her life.    The second Jane is from the 1550's England.  She is of noble birth, with pushy parents and her husband will be chosen for what he can provide for her parents.  She has had all her decisions made for her throughout her life as well, tho not entirely willingly.  The ring is originally owned by the 1550 Jane and tells the story of how she got the ring and what happened to her.  The ring is bought by the Manhattan Jane and tells the story of what she will do with her wayward husband and the rest of her life.  Both women decide to make their own decisions and deal with the consiquences.
This is one of those books that you don't want to go to bed at night because that means you will have to stop reading.  It is well written, it is not far fetched.  Tho fiction it is a work of "what if".  This book will make you reconcider antiques and the story behind them. This book was free to me from Waterbrookmultnomah.com.