Here's what I read in January:
When Mountains Move by Julie Cantrell ~ I really enjoyed this sequel to Into the Free. Great characters, great story. It does deal with some heavy themes, but it was a much happier book than the first one.
Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown ~ I had high expectations for this book, but for some reason I just couldn't love it. Some of it was laugh out loud funny. The characters are well drawn, and the writing is beautiful. Ultimately, I think I just have issues with pirates as "good" guys.*
Cloak of the Light by Chuck Black ~ I reviewed this book here.
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry ~ This is book two in The Giver series. It isn't nearly as good as the first one (which is amazing), but it's not bad either. A slower read, but I think it's setting up the next book.
Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell ~ This was a really cute romance about two rival candy makers. Great book for Valentines's Day since it's about love and candy.
Pilgrimage by Lynn Austin ~ This book by my favorite author is part devotional and part travel memoir. The writing is beautiful, and I really related to the struggles Mrs. Austin was dealing with at the time of her journey to the Holy Land. I read this book slowly through out the month. It was a great start to my year.
* This book is not published by a Christian publisher and may contain some objectionable material.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Friday, January 17, 2014
Book Review: Cloak of Light by Chuck Black
Cloak of Light is a speculative fiction adventure that deals with spiritual warfare. I would describe it as Spiderman meets This Present Darkness. Drew Carter is the protagonist who has obtained some pretty strange "super powers" after a lab accident with his friend Ben. His new abilities include heightened hearing and the ability to see what is going on in the spiritual realm. Drew can now see the battle fought by angels and demons that goes on around us mere mortals all the time. He is a little freaked out by it.
The characters in Cloak of Light are interesting and mysterious. Drew is pretty well fleshed out, and so is his love interest, Sydney. Interestingly enough, Sydney is the only Christian in the story so far. Drew and his friend Ben are not believers. Drew is a very moral young man. He is always fighting for the underdog. He gets these morals from the adults in his life. His deceased father, his mother, and his mentor Jake have a good influence over him.
The plot of the story was just okay for me. This book is definitely written for a YA audience. I think it will appeal more to them than it did to me. There is lots of action and fight scenes. I think I would have enjoyed it if more of the plot was revealed. I felt like the story kind of stayed in place so more could be revealed in the next book.
Overall this was a fun book, and a good set up for the next book in the series. I think it will especially appeal to a younger male audience. I would recommend it to fans of speculative fiction and Frank Peretti's books.
I received this book for free for the purpose of review.
The characters in Cloak of Light are interesting and mysterious. Drew is pretty well fleshed out, and so is his love interest, Sydney. Interestingly enough, Sydney is the only Christian in the story so far. Drew and his friend Ben are not believers. Drew is a very moral young man. He is always fighting for the underdog. He gets these morals from the adults in his life. His deceased father, his mother, and his mentor Jake have a good influence over him.
The plot of the story was just okay for me. This book is definitely written for a YA audience. I think it will appeal more to them than it did to me. There is lots of action and fight scenes. I think I would have enjoyed it if more of the plot was revealed. I felt like the story kind of stayed in place so more could be revealed in the next book.
Overall this was a fun book, and a good set up for the next book in the series. I think it will especially appeal to a younger male audience. I would recommend it to fans of speculative fiction and Frank Peretti's books.
I received this book for free for the purpose of review.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Twitterature ~ January 2014
Here are some short reviews of what I've been reading lately:
When Mountains Move by Julie Cantrell
I really enjoyed this sequel to Into the Free. This is the story of Bump and Millie's marriage and move to Colorado. In this book, they have to deal with all the pain Millie went through before. Both of these books deal with heavy themes of abuse and forgiveness. They are both beautifully written. Very recommended.
Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown
This was an interesting twist on the tale of Scheherazade. A female pirate kidnaps a chef and forces him to cook for her (every woman's dream). The chef struggles to find ingredients to use, but eventually he prevails and impresses the Captain. I mostly enjoyed this story, but I found the middle to be a bit long.
Pilgrimage by Lynn Austin
Lovely book about the author's trip to Israel. It's very devotional in style. I'm right in the middle of it right now. I don't want to rush it.
Emma by Jane Austen
This is my Classic read for the winter. I'm loving it so far.
Head on over to Modern Mrs. Darcy to check out more Twitterature reviews!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
My Favorite Books of 2013
Here are my favorite reads of the year:
Unglued ~ Lysa TerKeurst
Stardust ~ Carla Stewart
A Corpse at St. Andrews Chapel ~ Mel Starr
Sparkly Green Earrings ~ Melanie Shankle
Saving Sailor ~ Rene Riva
Let's Go Straight to Bethehem ~ Ray Pritchard
The Remedy for Regret ~ Susan Meissner
The Sacred Ordinary ~ Leigh McLeroy
Anomaly ~ Krista Mcgee
The Shadow Lamp ~ Stephen Lawhead
Fifteen Minutes ~ Karen Kingsbury
Afloat ~ Erin Healy
Gone to Ground ~ Brandilyn Collins
A Cast of Stones ~ Patrick W. Carr
Monday, November 4, 2013
October Wrap Up
I had a pretty good reading month in October. I read eight books total. So here's the run down of my reading activities.
Stardust by Carla Stewart ~ I think this one might be my favorite of the month, and Carla Stewart is shaping up to be a new favorite author for me. I love her characters. This story is a bout a young woman who finds out her husband is leaving her for another woman. Just after he leaves, he drowns. Then she ends up inheriting an old motel from a distant relative, and her life just keeps getting crazier. Good stuff!
Southern Fried Sushi by Jennifer Rogers Spinola ~ I enjoyed this chick lit about a woman who seems to have everything. Then, in one stupid mistake, loses it all. She finds herself stuck in the deep south where she learns what happiness and fulfillment (and good food) really are.
Caveat Emptor by Ruth Downie ~ I was disappointed in the fourth installment of this historical mystery series. I have enjoyed the others I have read, but I really struggled to get into this one. I will probably read the next one when I can get a hold of it though.
Return To Me by Lynn Austin ~ I was really looking forward to this one. It is the first in a new series about the rebuilding of the temple. I will admit that it was a little on the longish side, and I really wanted to throttle one of the characters. But it is still excellent historical fiction. There is so much detail, and things really pick up in the second half. I ended up being really satisfied with the story and I am looking forward to the next installment.
Into the Free by Julie Cantrell ~ I will warn you right now, this book is hard to read. It is beautifully written, but the things this girl goes through are just heart wrenching. I can't really say I enjoyed it, but I'm glad I read it if that makes sense. There is a sequel that I plan on reading eventually. I hope it's happier.
Burning Sky by Lori Benton ~ This was probably my least favorite book this month. It was just okay for me. I did a review here.
Divergent by Veronica Roth ~ This book was a lot of fun. I didn't really know a lot about it before reading it. It is YA dystopian. Society has divided themselves into "factions". When a child turns 16 they must decide if they will stay with their family's faction or chose another one and leave their loved ones behind. The main character has discovered she can fit into several factions. She is Divergent, and this is bad. If the wrong people find out, she'll be killed. Of course there is a love story. And a sequel. It wasn't as good as Hunger Games, but what is?
The Shadow Lamp by Stephen Lawhead ~ This is the fourth book in the Bright Empires series and I think this is my favorite so far. The last book comes out next fall. I hate waiting.
Those are my October reads. I have some good stuff lined of for November, so stay tuned. What have you been reading lately?
Stardust by Carla Stewart ~ I think this one might be my favorite of the month, and Carla Stewart is shaping up to be a new favorite author for me. I love her characters. This story is a bout a young woman who finds out her husband is leaving her for another woman. Just after he leaves, he drowns. Then she ends up inheriting an old motel from a distant relative, and her life just keeps getting crazier. Good stuff!
Southern Fried Sushi by Jennifer Rogers Spinola ~ I enjoyed this chick lit about a woman who seems to have everything. Then, in one stupid mistake, loses it all. She finds herself stuck in the deep south where she learns what happiness and fulfillment (and good food) really are.
Caveat Emptor by Ruth Downie ~ I was disappointed in the fourth installment of this historical mystery series. I have enjoyed the others I have read, but I really struggled to get into this one. I will probably read the next one when I can get a hold of it though.
Return To Me by Lynn Austin ~ I was really looking forward to this one. It is the first in a new series about the rebuilding of the temple. I will admit that it was a little on the longish side, and I really wanted to throttle one of the characters. But it is still excellent historical fiction. There is so much detail, and things really pick up in the second half. I ended up being really satisfied with the story and I am looking forward to the next installment.
Into the Free by Julie Cantrell ~ I will warn you right now, this book is hard to read. It is beautifully written, but the things this girl goes through are just heart wrenching. I can't really say I enjoyed it, but I'm glad I read it if that makes sense. There is a sequel that I plan on reading eventually. I hope it's happier.
Burning Sky by Lori Benton ~ This was probably my least favorite book this month. It was just okay for me. I did a review here.
Divergent by Veronica Roth ~ This book was a lot of fun. I didn't really know a lot about it before reading it. It is YA dystopian. Society has divided themselves into "factions". When a child turns 16 they must decide if they will stay with their family's faction or chose another one and leave their loved ones behind. The main character has discovered she can fit into several factions. She is Divergent, and this is bad. If the wrong people find out, she'll be killed. Of course there is a love story. And a sequel. It wasn't as good as Hunger Games, but what is?
The Shadow Lamp by Stephen Lawhead ~ This is the fourth book in the Bright Empires series and I think this is my favorite so far. The last book comes out next fall. I hate waiting.
Those are my October reads. I have some good stuff lined of for November, so stay tuned. What have you been reading lately?
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Book Review: Burning Sky by Lori Benton
Willa Obenchain is returning home after twelve years of captivity among the Mohawk Indians. Instead of finding her family, she find her childhood home abandoned, and her childhood friend a bitter and resentful enemy determined to take her family's home. Her parents have disappeared and, because they were believed to be British sympathizers, their land will be going up for auction. Willa is determined to save her land and clear her parents name. And she is determined to do it all on her own.
I enjoyed this Historical fiction set in the aftermath of the American Revolution. It was well researched, and the writing was beautiful. I had a lot of sympathy for Willa. She is finally able to come home and she is met with suspicion and anger. She endured many hardships, and is a very somber character. I do wish more time had been given to the time she spent with the Indians. I didn't feel like there was much more than highlights about that part of her life.
While I liked the characters and the writing, I felt like the story got long in the middle. I had trouble staying interested. It picked up toward the end though, and had a good finish. I will definitely read other books by this author in the future. I would recommend this book to female readers who enjoy character driven stories in an historical setting.
I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah for the purpose of review.
I enjoyed this Historical fiction set in the aftermath of the American Revolution. It was well researched, and the writing was beautiful. I had a lot of sympathy for Willa. She is finally able to come home and she is met with suspicion and anger. She endured many hardships, and is a very somber character. I do wish more time had been given to the time she spent with the Indians. I didn't feel like there was much more than highlights about that part of her life.
While I liked the characters and the writing, I felt like the story got long in the middle. I had trouble staying interested. It picked up toward the end though, and had a good finish. I will definitely read other books by this author in the future. I would recommend this book to female readers who enjoy character driven stories in an historical setting.
I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah for the purpose of review.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Recent Aquisitions
I have been getting lots of books in the mail lately. Makes me happy. Here are some of my most recent "purchases".
Angel Eyes ~ This is a YA supernatural series that I got for Elin. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I got Angel eyes from a private seller on Amazon for less than $4. I used a gift card I earned on Swag Bucks to pay for it.
Unrivaled ~ Siri Mitchell's latest release. The copy I received looks brand new.
Afloat ~ This one looks kinda creepy and fun.
Before the Dawn and Sweet September ~ These are the first 2 books in the Home to Heather Creek series. I thought they looked like sweet, heart warming reads.
Broken Wings ~ This is book 2 in the Angel Eyes series that I got for Elin. Not for me, mind you. I'm sure Elin will enjoy it.
All God's Children ~ WW2 era fiction I won in a Goodreads giveaway.
That's eleven books, and I spent about $30 on them. Not too bad. What books have you purchased lately?
Bookstore/Amazon Finds:
Return To Me ~ Ok, this one I actually spent real money on. I was in Books A Million and there it was. It wasn't supposed to be released for a few days. I had my discount card and some money burning a hole in my pocket. Lynn Austin's books are always keepers for me anyway.Angel Eyes ~ This is a YA supernatural series that I got for Elin. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I got Angel eyes from a private seller on Amazon for less than $4. I used a gift card I earned on Swag Bucks to pay for it.
Paperback Swap (books cost 1 credit, basically the price of postage):
Sweet Dreams ~ This is Carla Stewart's newest book. It has a beautiful cover.Unrivaled ~ Siri Mitchell's latest release. The copy I received looks brand new.
Afloat ~ This one looks kinda creepy and fun.
Before the Dawn and Sweet September ~ These are the first 2 books in the Home to Heather Creek series. I thought they looked like sweet, heart warming reads.
Broken Wings ~ This is book 2 in the Angel Eyes series that I got for Elin. Not for me, mind you. I'm sure Elin will enjoy it.
Books to Review (these are freebies):
Burning Sky ~ I will be reading this one soon and posting a review at Blogging for Books.All God's Children ~ WW2 era fiction I won in a Goodreads giveaway.
That's eleven books, and I spent about $30 on them. Not too bad. What books have you purchased lately?
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