Pages

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Wrong Number

Wrong NumberWrong Number by Rachelle Christensen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Aubree Stewart is ready to turn in her Realtor's license for diapers and bottles, but the life change she gets isn't at all what she was planning on. One wrong number changes Aubree's life, and she finds herself running for her life.

This was a very creative story. The characters were great, and the suspense was well done. I also enjoyed the references to places I've been as Aubree was on the run.

I learned about the author, Rachelle J. Christensen, and this book when I entered a giveaway for Not My Type by Melanie Jacobson. Miracle of miracles, I WON the giveaway. So, entering the giveaway turned out to be a double bonus.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Miles to Go

Miles to Go (Walk, #2)Miles to Go by Richard Paul Evans

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Miles to Go is the second book in The Walk Series. The series is Alan Christofferson's journey (on foot) from Seattle to Key West, Florida, as a way to deal with his life after his wife died and his life fell apart.

I really enjoyed The Walk and had high expectations for this book.

I liked it, especially the new characters that were introduced. I was a little disappointed that Alan's journey didn't make more progress (distance-wise). His experiences were touching even though the telling was a little slow.

But, I would recommend it. It was a very fast read, and I will definitely read other books in the series when they come out.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Book Cover Model

The cover model for When the Soul Mends (that I posted about earlier today) looks so familiar to me. Does anyone else see the resemblance to Katherine Heigl?

When the Soul Mends

When the Soul Mends: A Novel (Sisters of the Quilt, #3)When the Soul Mends: A Novel by Cindy Woodsmall

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book three in the Sisters of the Quilt series had a pretty satisfying ending to Hannah's journey.

I liked how she met some great friends (and estranged family) along the way, and was able to have support in figuring out what was best for her.

I was a little thrown by how one of the characters seemed to change so much in this book, although it was probably supposed to be a change in perception.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

When the Morning Comes

When the Morning Comes (Sisters of the Quilt, book #2)When the Morning Comes by Cindy Woodsmall

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've been able to get in a lot of reading lately, some of which has been the second books in a series. And, sadly, the second books in all my recent reading have been a bit of a let down.

When the Morning Comes was a bit slow. Big events were happening in Hannah's life, but the progress in the overall story wasn't as much as I'd hoped for.

I did enjoy the new characters though, and was interested enough to read the third and final book in the series.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Variant Giveaway

Donna over at Weaving a Tale or Two is giving away two copies of Robison Wells' latest novel, Variant.


I've heard great things about this book (and my library still doesn't have a copy-so disappointing), so I'm very excited for this giveaway. Head on over to Donna's blog if you want a chance to win.

When the Heart Cries

When the Heart Cries (Sisters of the Quilt, #1)When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hannah is a 17-year-old Old Order Amish girl who has fallen in love with a Mennonite. Following her heart could mean being shunned by her family and leaving everything she's ever known. But, she becomes victim to a terrible crime, and everything (including her new love) is put in jeopardy.

I've read several novels about Amish people. Their culture is fascinating, even though many author's don't really put it in a very positive light (with their main characters wanting to leave the faith).

I'm interested to read the rest of this series to see where Hannah's decisions take her.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Crossed

CrossedCrossed by Ally Condie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was so excited a few months ago when I heard that Crossed was being released at the beginning of November. I LOVED Matched and was very antsy to get my hands on a copy of the sequel.

Here is the book description found on Amazon:

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.


Crossed didn't meet my high expectations, but it's hard to put my finger on what exactly let me down. It must have something to do with what seemed to be lack of progress. Don't get me wrong, some major things happen, but I guess I wanted more. There was also some relationship confusion which made Cassia's strong, determined character seem wishy-washy.

My sister is borrowing the copy I read, and I can't wait to talk to her about what she thought.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Silence

Silence (Hush, Hush, #3)Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My very thoughtful librarian put this book on hold for me thinking I'd asked when they were going to get a copy of Silence. I wasn't actually the person who asked for it, but I figured I'd give it a try even though I hadn't read the other books in the series.

Diving into book three of a series, I was a little worried that I'd be really confused. But, I felt like Silence could almost be a stand alone book (if it weren't for the whole not ending part).

The main character, Nora, wakes up in a cemetery and can't remember anything that has happened for the last five months. This was helpful to me, seeing as I didn't know anything about the past five months either.

Nora struggles to figure out what she can't remember, and it's very apparent that those closest to her aren't telling her everything they know.

Nora's forgotten past involves interaction with fallen angels and Nephilim. I never did figure out if either group is supposed to be good though (they were mostly portrayed as evil).

I was drawn into the story quickly, and for the most part, I enjoyed it. I don't have a burning desire to read the first two books in this series, but if I come across any of them when I don't have something else to read, I'll probably give them a try.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Mary Emma & Company

Mary Emma and CompanyMary Emma and Company by Ralph Moody
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My bookmobile librarian recommended this book to me. I was happy to see that it would help me reach my non-fiction goal for the year. I've mentioned it before, but I'll admit once again that I struggle with non-fiction. It makes me think of textbooks, and I don't recall any textbooks that I enjoyed reading.

But, Mary Emma and Company did not read like a textbook. It is part of Ralph Moody's autobiographical works. When I first started the book, I kept wondering if it was really fiction, because it read like a novel.

This period of Ralph's life was very interesting. Almost two years his father died, his mother and his five siblings moved from their home in Colorado to Medford, Massachusetts. This was in 1912, and life during that time was very interesting to read about. Ralph's mom and his older sister, Grace, decided they'd support the family laundering fine garments. Ralph worked at a grocery store and his income ($1.50/week) went to help support the family.

His family was very close and very strong. They all did their part to help and were hard workers.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Grave Secrets

Grave SecretsGrave Secrets by Marlene Austin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

All Bethany has ever wanted is the love and approval of her grandmother, the woman who raised her after her parents died. She is distraught when she hears that her grandmother passed away, and confused that her inheritance from the wealthy woman is a run down cottage in a secluded area in Maine.

Bethany finds some joy in fixing up the cottage, and researching the history of the first woman who lived there for a book she wants to write. But, her world turns up-side-down again with increasing "accidents" and threatening messages.

At times the story moved a little slowly for me. I imagined crossing out paragraphs that didn't seem to help move the story along. But, the mystery was intriguing, so I kept reading.

This isn't a book I'd read a second time, but it was ok.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Free is Not All It's Cracked Up to Be

I recently saw a post on Deal Seeking Mom that listed free Kindle books. I don't have a Kindle, but I do have Kindle for Mac that allows me to read eBooks on my iMac or my husband's iPod. I've liked books by a couple of the authors, so I decided to download all of them.

It's not uncommon for free items to be free because they're not worth much. So, I didn't have really high expectations for my free books. However, the first two books I read (Maid to Match and While We're Far Apart) were really enjoyable.

Then I started reading Sold to the Highest Bidder. I wanted to like it, but there was a lot of swearing right off. The story line also seemed very similar to the movie "Sweet Home Alabama". I actually enjoyed that movie, but I had hoped for a new story to catch my attention. Back to the archives it went.

Next I read The Girl in the Lighthouse. A young girl and her parents start a new job at a lighthouse in post Civil War Maine. Lillian's parents have always kept the family secluded, but this new position allows her to be near another family, and she finds a lot of happiness with her family and new friends. I was enjoying the book fairly well, and then things just went downhill. The link above lists the many crazy things about this book, but it is enough to say that it isn't worth reading.

I typically don't know how to take book or movie reviews from strangers since everyone's tastes are so different. But, glancing at the reviews for either of these books probably would have been helpful.

I really hope I have better luck with my other freebies. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for.