"The Memory Jar" by Tricia Goyer is the story of an Amish girl, Sarah, living in a small community in Montana. Sarah is a little weird (according to Amish ways) and has been living in a deep grief for her life-long best friend, Patty, who had died two years before. Her neck of the woods is near a popular hunting grounds; where she meets Jathan, who is kind of a wimp. He feels trapped to do whatever anybody tells him to do. He agrees to whatever his parents, brothers, society in general ask of him. I never really liked him, which makes it hard to get into the love story part. I was always rooting for Sarah's independence. Patty and Sarah did have this tradition that I just loved. The memory jars. They would keep little momentos of special moments in jars. Such a good idea.
As far as the book goes, it is well written, Sarah is a likable character, the Patty-Sarah storyline, is great. Really takes me back. But, I don't like Jathan, and the whole Amish line is very predictable. The characters are more "Amish" than human. Wish it could have been told in a more personal manner. I received this e-book for free from www.edelweiss.abovethetreeline.com.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
this scarlet cord review
"This Scarlet Cord" by Joan Wolf is a fictional account of the love story of Rahab from the book of Joshuah from the Old Testament. To say this is from the Old Testament would be a large exaggeration. There are a lot of liberties taken with this story. It is well researched as to the time period and it is historically acurate that I can tell, but to say it is biblical would be false. It is a fictional piece that is biblically inspired. Rahab is a prostitute living in Jericho during the time when Joshuah conquers Jericho with the Jewish army. Rahab hides the spies and later marries one. In this book, Rahab is a farmer's daughter who is visiting Jericho and comes across the spies. Though not true, it is an interesting story. Especially for women. The way women are portrayed during this time is heartbreaking at best. Rahab's father is in Jericho in order to "sell" her to the highest bidder for marriage. Marriage, slavery, very thin line. I received this book for free from www.booksneeze.com.
Monday, October 1, 2012
well, september ended
September ended and the boys of fall are kicking it up. All football all the time! I read 8 books. Four were real, three were digital, and one was audio. Here goes the list:
The Wrong Man- David Ellis
Wildflowers in Winter- Kate Ganshert
Blue Straggler- Kathy Lynn Harris
Johnny's War- Jim Braly
The Red Queen- Philippa Gregory
Nothing to Loose- Lee Child
The Red Tent- Anita Diament
The Day the Flowers Died- Ami Blackwelder
Philippa Gregory is a new-to-me writer that I enjoyed. That was my audio book and the reader was amazing. I loved to listed to it. I checked out another Gregory book read by the same reader to listen to next. I will be reading more of her. Johnny's War was the best of the month. Really good.
The Wrong Man- David Ellis
Wildflowers in Winter- Kate Ganshert
Blue Straggler- Kathy Lynn Harris
Johnny's War- Jim Braly
The Red Queen- Philippa Gregory
Nothing to Loose- Lee Child
The Red Tent- Anita Diament
The Day the Flowers Died- Ami Blackwelder
Philippa Gregory is a new-to-me writer that I enjoyed. That was my audio book and the reader was amazing. I loved to listed to it. I checked out another Gregory book read by the same reader to listen to next. I will be reading more of her. Johnny's War was the best of the month. Really good.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
what would you do?
What would you do if you lived in Germany in the 1930's? Would you leave the only home you ever knew? Would stay and fight for a change? Would you keep your head down and hope for the best? Rebecca and Eli are a Christian/Jewish couple who have to make this decision. "The Day the Flowers Died" by Ami Blackwelder in an e-book I received for free from www.librarything.com. Blackwelder starts the book with Rebecca and Eli meeting, dating and falling in love, in regular traditional fashion. Eli is Jewish and Rebecca is Catholic. Neither is a die-hard practicer in their faith. It's more like their parents are religious and they celebrate the holidays. To start off with their religious difference make little or no difference. But as Blackwelder plays out social and political control of the Nazi party and its growth, it comes to matter more and more.
The beginning starts off in a play-by-play style, making it hard to get into, but then Blackwater starts to hit her stride. She gives reasoning on how and why Nazis and Hitler came to power and how easy it was with a government that is evenly balanced and at a stand still with a weak president. Sound familiar? Once she got going Blackwelder became a marvelous writer who hooked the reader. The best part was that it didn't cover the usual Nazi/Jew story and tell of life in the camps. It is about the build up of the power and the attempts to get out of the country. The sensitive will need tissues at the end. Just to warn ya.
The beginning starts off in a play-by-play style, making it hard to get into, but then Blackwater starts to hit her stride. She gives reasoning on how and why Nazis and Hitler came to power and how easy it was with a government that is evenly balanced and at a stand still with a weak president. Sound familiar? Once she got going Blackwelder became a marvelous writer who hooked the reader. The best part was that it didn't cover the usual Nazi/Jew story and tell of life in the camps. It is about the build up of the power and the attempts to get out of the country. The sensitive will need tissues at the end. Just to warn ya.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
johnny's war review
This is one of the best books I've ever read. And I've read a lot of books. Jim Braly makes John Cutter, the main character in "Johnny's War" seem so real, I was surprised that he wasn't. I actually looked to see if the author was an Iraq vet and expected the novel to be semi-autobiographic. It's not at all. Jim Braly is a newspaper writer. Now he is a superb novelist.
The novel is told in three parts. The first being Cutter's time in Iraq, 2006, as a private in the American army. He is new to the desert. He is niave and soaking it all in like a sponge. His buddies and leaders are tremendously developed in character. The second tells his time in recovery from extensive wounds. He travels from Iraq to Germany and on to Walter Reed. The author holds nothing back when writing on the injuries Cutter sustanes. His nurse is a hoot. The third tells of his AWOL/vacation across America. He hits the sights with his army buddy and learns to care for himself. He also learns what he can and cannot handle with his new life. And for some reason he doesn't want to see Kansas. (but it's so exciting) The research of army life is detailed and descriptive. The characters seem so real that the reader will take each disappointment and achievement personally. It is hilarious, it is thought provoking, sad, AMAZING. I was hooked instantly. I received this e-book for free from www.librarything.com.
The novel is told in three parts. The first being Cutter's time in Iraq, 2006, as a private in the American army. He is new to the desert. He is niave and soaking it all in like a sponge. His buddies and leaders are tremendously developed in character. The second tells his time in recovery from extensive wounds. He travels from Iraq to Germany and on to Walter Reed. The author holds nothing back when writing on the injuries Cutter sustanes. His nurse is a hoot. The third tells of his AWOL/vacation across America. He hits the sights with his army buddy and learns to care for himself. He also learns what he can and cannot handle with his new life. And for some reason he doesn't want to see Kansas. (but it's so exciting) The research of army life is detailed and descriptive. The characters seem so real that the reader will take each disappointment and achievement personally. It is hilarious, it is thought provoking, sad, AMAZING. I was hooked instantly. I received this e-book for free from www.librarything.com.
Friday, September 14, 2012
in the heart of texas is a rocky mountain high
"Blue Straggler" by Kathy Lynn Harris is a novel about a Texas girl who goes to Colorado to find information about her grandmother and winds up finding it about herself. Imagine Jennifer Weiner writing a book about Chelsea Handler. It is funny, odd, adventurous, and makes you want to travel. It starts off with Bailey in Texas with her wacko family and her screwball friends. After a couple of drunken binges and a one night stand, Bailey finds a picture of her great grandmother, whom no one will talk about. Annie, the grandmother, left her family and went to Colorado. She then proceeded to marry over 5 times. Bailey is on the search. When arriving in the small town in Colorado, she proceeds to have more drunken binges and one night stands, thus, she comes to face the fact that she understands a little more about Annie then she first expected. She then meets Adam, your traditional sensitive mountain man. She starts a new life. Then Texas comes calling and a decision must be made. This is a quick read, but enjoyable. Would recommend it for women. I received this book for free from www.librarything.com.
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