Hitting the Books

My Soul to Keep (Dylan Foster Series #3)

Melanie Wells

Publisher Summary: As nasty as I knew Peter Terry to be, I never expected him to start kidnapping kids. Much less a sweet, funny little boy with nothing to protect him but a few knock-kneed women, two rabbits, and a staple gun…

It’s psychology professor Dylan Foster’s favorite day of the academic year–graduation day. A day of pomp, circumstance, and celebration. And after all the mortar boards are thrown, Dylan and some of her best friends will gather around a strawberry cake to celebrate Christine Zocci’s sixth birthday. But the joyful summer afternoon goes south when a little boy is snatched from a neighborhood park, setting off a chain of events that seem to lead exactly nowhere.

Police are baffled, but Christine’s eerie connection with the kidnapped child sends Dylan on a chilling investigation of her own. Is the pasty, elusive stranger Peter Terry to blame? Exploding light bulbs, the deadly buzz of a Texas rattlesnake, and the vivid, disturbing dreams of a little girl are just pieces in a long trail of tantalizing clues leading Dylan in her dogged search for the truth.

HTB Review:

(Only two months late on this review. Sigh. See here for an explanation.)

So…I did like the book, despite not being a big fan of thrillers. It’s not one that I would re-read, or go buy for all my friends, but it was a good evening-in-the-tub read.

Good Points

1. Ms. Wells is a funny writer. Some of her descriptions are a real hoot and a holler.(yet again)
2. The author did a good job of filling in important background information without pulling an “As You Know, Bob.”
3. The action is a steady clip (up until the last few chapters when it suddenly hit breakneck speed and whammed in the ending out of nowhere).
4. The characters are sympathetic, and (for the most part) nicely round. I did like Dylan.

Not-So-Good Points

1. As usual, I did not realize this was book 3 in a series. Which meant I probably missed quite a bit. It also meant that I didn’t know this was a supernatural thriller, which I tend to avoid even more than regular thrillers.
2. Okay, if Dylan is supposed to be a Christian, she’s got quite a bit of growing to do, ‘cuz she certainly doesn’t think or act or speak like one.
3. And again, the ankh as a protective symbol just doesn’t work if this is supposed to be Christian-based.
4. The wrap-up comes far too quick, and almost out of nowhere.
5. As a mom, I really, really don’t like stories about child-snatching. Especially not ones with supernatural villains.

Grades (until I can come up with a better rating system)

• Characters: B
• Plot: C
• Flow of Story: C
• Writing Style: A
• Enjoyable: C+

Overall: C+

The Next Level–A Parable of Finding Your Place in Life

David Gregory

Publisher Summary: Business degree in hand, Logan enters the immense Universal Systems building and is hired as an organizational analyst – a trouble-shooter. His job: evaluate the company’s five divisions, each on a separate level and each operating on startlingly unique principles. Which set of principles is successful? Why is most of the company’s profit generated by one tiny division? What is real profit, anyway? And who is the enigmatic executive that Logan ends up reporting to?

Logan engages in a life-changing pursuit for The Next Level—a fascinating parable that will help readers answer some of life’s most perplexing, vital questions. Joining Logan in evaluating each level’s approach, readers will be inspired to consider the big picture of their own life from an entirely different perspective – one that holds the key to life’s ultimate purpose. No matter where you are now, get ready to embark on your own passionate pursuit of The Next Level.

Author Bio: David Gregory is the author of the best-selling books Dinner with a Perfect Stranger and A Day with a Perfect Stranger, and coauthor of two nonfiction books. After a ten-year business career, he returned to school to study religion and communications, earning graduate degrees from The University of North Texas and Dallas Theological Seminary. A native Texan, David now lives in Oregon devotes himself to writing full time.

So, I did take the time to read the book, and it’s a good book. I guess. Not the kind I would usually read, so I can’t say if it’s a really good one or not. And that’s about all I can say about it, especially since I don’t have the time (nor brainpower) to do the really deep thinking necessary to come up with a better review. My apologies.

When the Morning Comes (Sisters of the Quilt, Book 2)

Cindy Woodsmall

Synopsis (from publisher):

Her relationship with former fiancé Paul Waddell in tatters, Hannah Lapp has fled her home in hopes of finding refuge with another Amish outcast, her shunned Aunt Zabeth in Ohio. Hampered by limited education and hiding her true identity, Hannah struggles to understand the confusing world of the Englischers and embrace unfamiliar freedoms, but a deepening friendship with the handsome Martin Palmer renews her courage to face the future.

Meanwhile, Hannah’s absence and the distressing events that led to her disappearance create turmoil among her loved ones in Owl’s Perch, Pennsylvania. Her father stubbornly refuses to search for her or to acknowledge increasing signs of instability in daughter Sarah, who suffers secret guilt over her sister’s ruined reputation. Fiancé Paul Waddell is wracked with regret over his betrayal of Hannah’s trust and is concerned with her whereabouts. He befriends Hannah’s remaining allies—brother Luke, best friend Mary, and loyal Matthew Esh—trying to convince them to help search for his love.

First off let me apologize for not putting up as thorough a review as I usually do. This has been an absolutely mad month with NaNoWriMo, and my brain is likely to be pudding for a few weeks yet.

That being said, this is a pretty good book. I read it in a single evening while on a mini-vacation (very mini–one night) in Colonial Williamsburg) because I was interested enough to not want to put it down. The sections that take place in Owl’s Perch drag a bit, especially those with Matthew and Elle, and Sarah’s instability does not ring especially true. Faye is another stock character, but other than those small items the plot moves fairly quickly and the characters are well-drawn.

The only other thing that bothered me about the story was the ease with which Hannah adapted to an Englischer lifestyle. In the course of 2 1/2 years she tosses 18 years of habit and training out the window to do such things as learn to drive a car, wear her hair down, sing with a band, and kiss a man in public. Highly unlikely, but as I am used to reading fantasy it didn’t pull me out of the story all that much.

I was also a bit annoyed that the book ended on a semi-cliff hanger. I don’t like loose ends, and I really don’t like having to wait months (or, heaven forbid, years–Robert Jordan is still on my bad people list because of that, though he’s approaching decades) to find out what happens in the next book.

Other than these nit-picky details, I enjoyed the book. I’ll pass it on to my mother, and then probably to some of the ladies of my bible study group, who I’ve discovered have similar tastes in books (this came out totally by accident, and by the end of the lesson we’d started swapping books and authors).

You know, I need to come up with a rating system if I am going to continue this reviewing business. Stars are so over-done, as are thumbs up/thumbs down and school grades. I need something…something wild. But my brain is too fried to come up with anything right now. Any suggestions?

I know! A contest! I have a free copy (not my used copy either) of When the Morning Comes that I will send to whomever gives me the best rating system. How does that sound?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Let Them Eat Cake

Sandra Byrd

SUMMARY (as given by the publisher):

Lexi Stuart is at a critical crossroads. She’s done with college but still living at home, ready to launch a career but unable to find a job, and solidly stalled between boyfriends.

When a lighthearted conversation in French with the manager of her favorite bakery turns into a job offer, Lexi accepts. But the actual glamour is minimal: the pay is less than generous, her co-workers are skeptical, her bank account remains vertically-challenged, and her parents are perpetually disappointed. Her only comfort comes from the flirtatious baker—but even may not be who he seems to be!

So when a handsome young executive dashes into the bakery to pick up his high profile company’s special order for an important meeting—an order Lexi has flubbed— she loses her compulsion to please. “What am I going to do?” he shouts. “Let them eat cake!” she fires back with equal passion and a nod to Marie Antoinette. And then, something inside Lexi clicks. Laissez la révolution commencer! Let the revolution begin! Instead of trying to fulfill everyone else’s expectations for her life, Lexi embarks on an adventure in trusting God with her future—très bon!

Lexi – and Let Them Eat Cake- will entertain readers with wit and great fun, but also explore the universal coming-of-age themes of separating from one’s family of origin, establishing self-esteem, and making healthy choices.

Okay, so knowing myself and my reading habits, I shouldn’t have liked this book.

• As I stated in my last review, I don’t like the first person (except Madeline Brent’s novels–for some reason, those are different)


• I’m not into the whole “chick lit”/Bridget Jones’ Diary-type book. I’m also not big on present-day settings (I used to tell people that anything after 1945 was “after my time”)


• The book doesn’t have a really-o truly-o Happily Ever After.


• Although I am a Christian, I often cringe when reading Christian romances because:
  

1. They tend to cram the Gospel down the reader’s throat (which is a sure way to make most people dig in their heels or run away screaming)


2. Nine times out of ten, they’re terribly, terribly cheesy.

That being said, I will admit quite loudly that I really, really enjoyed Let Them Eat Cake. I read it in one delightful evening of eating cookies whilst soaking in the tub (a nice cheap Mom escape).

I’ll try to answer my own biases.

• Lexi is written so naturally that I had no issues whatsoever with the first person point of view. I actually think the book wouldn’t have worked near as well if written in the third person.


• True, it’s set in the present day. But I have so been there, that whole situation of out of college, with a degree I couldn’t find a job with, living at home, no bank account, and the only dates I had were the pitted and boxed kind. Even down to the Meat Market singles group at church. Sigh. Reading Lexi’s thoughts so often felt like I was reading my own diary.


• Yes, there’s no set-in-concrete HEA, but the story does end happily, and there’s the promise of a possible HEA in the future, so I wasn’t disappointed. An out-and-out HEA would have turned the story to Cheez-Whiz.


• Lexi’s Christianity is so much more realistic than I usually find in these books. She has her doubts, but they’re not OH SO DRAMATIC! She hears that still, small voice without it turning into some mountaintop experience. She tries to be a good witness, sometimes fails, but asks forgiveness, picks herself up, and keeps on going.


• And the cheese factor just wasn’t there.
  

What else to say? The humor was great. I especially liked Lexi’s modern version of casting lots. The pacing was not too fast, but fast enough. The secondary characters are well-defined; I could almost hear myself thinking, “Hey, that sounds just like so-and-so.” The story crosses generations well–I gave it to my mother to read, and she liked it too. I know enough about cooking to get most of those references, I’ve even lived in Washington state. About the only thing that got a bit on my nerves was all the French thrown around, but that’s probably because I’m not too interested in France.

So, to wrap this up, Let Them Eat Cake is a delightful mouthful of a book. Not too much, not too little, not sugary-sweet, and just the right amount of spice. I definitely recommend it .

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A Tendering in the Storm (Change and Cherish Historical Series #2)

Jane Kirkpatrick

SUMMARY (as given by the publisher): Based on a true story, this lyrical novel gives voice to a mother’s fears for her family and a woman’s search for her truest self.

Wondering if an angry God has abandoned her to the consequences of her willfulness, Emma must come to terms with her own vulnerability. As clouds of despair close in, she faces the difficult question of whether to continue in her own waning strength or to humble herself and accept help from the very people she once so eagerly left behind.

Well, there’s certainly plenty of storms, but not a whole lot of tender. When I was given this book to review (I did not pick it out on my own), I missed two important points.

First, this is the second book with Emma as the main character, which isn’t exactly clear from the blurb. That’s fine–the author does a fine job of filling in the background information, so the first book isn’t exactly necessary.

Second, it is based on a true story. That right there should have set off warning bells. However, somewhere I had gotten the idea in my head that this was a historical romance (don’t know where the idea came from, other than the fact I rarely read any other kind of historical fiction.), so I went ahead and dug in.

Two days later I slammed the book shut and promptly went to read something, anything, with a happy ending.

As I pointed out in my review of Paths of Exile, the problem with writing about real people is that you are constrained by facts (Facts? We don’t need no stinkin’ facts). Therefore, you cannot always have a nice romantic happily-ever-after. I like romance. I like happily-ever-afters. I don’t like being depressed by my books (or movies for that matter). Life’s depressing enough as it is.

Other problems with the book:

• First person point of view. I really dislike first person books. I know they’re supposed to be more immediate, to draw the reader deeper into the character’s mind and soul. All they tend to do is distract and irritate me.
• Emma Giesy. I didn’t like her. I never connected with her, rarely felt anything for her at all. Occasionally had a “wife’s/mother’s worst nightmare” moment of connection, but that was more for the situation rather than Emma herself. In fact, Emma never seemed to grow and mature as a woman. I certainly didn’t think she found “her truest self.” At the end it wasn’t so much that she “humble(d) herself and accept(ed) help” as she finally was forced in the only direction left open.
• The deal with Kiel. In the beginning, he’s painted as such a martinet. I had visions of a David Koresh/Jim Jones-type cult leader. Then, suddenly, he’s the good guy. The change almost came out of nowhere. Certainly took me by surprise.
• Flat, static characters.

To give her credit, Ms. Kirkpatrick’s writing is very good, nice and solid, with very vivid descriptions. I certainly can’t fault her research and knowledge of history. I’m sure lots of people really like her stories, considering she won the Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center and National Cowboy Hall of Fame. I’m sure those same people, those who like richly written, historically accurate, realistic and immensely depressing fiction are all over her books. But that ain’t me.

From my point of view, the plot stunk: girl has wonderful life, loses husband, marries an abusive man, almost loses her kids, and ends up in the tight-knit (and not in a good way) community she’d tried all her life to break away from. Oh joy. What a great story. Remind me to take my Wellbutrin before reading another book like that.

Ouch. So I guess I’ve been pretty rough on the book. But I don’t like books that make me cry, and I really, really, really don’t like depressing endings. That’s probably the bottom line. Not so much as a bad book as a bad book for me.

Ach je! They’ll probably never send me another book to review after seeing this one. But if they do, it had better have a happy ending.