Save the Date - Jenny B. Jones

The last book I read by Jenny B. Jones (Just Between You and Me) had me, like my ten year old self, huddling with a flashlight and hoping no one would notice. And while this time it was an iPad and I was hoping my husband wouldn't notice, it felt the same to be so engrossed in a good book that I couldn't put it down. Reading Save the Date felt the same. I could NOT put it down.

Lucy needs money. Alex has money. Alex needs popularity for his election, and Lucy seems to provide it when she's near him. Let the mayhem begin. While I was a little put off by Clare and her continued presence, by the end of the book I was rooting for her and her hilarious companion.

Funny, heartwarming, and engaging...everything I hope for in Christian chick lit. I laughed aloud more times than I can remember and, at the end of it all, I really appreciated the deeper themes of trusting and abiding. Way to go, Jenny B. Jones. And, most impressive, she is a teacher! AMAZING! I can barely manage sleeping and eating, not to mention just thinking about thinking about maybe writing a chapter or a sentence. Or thinking about writing a blog post/book review for this book that I loved reading OVER two weeks ago. :)

Thank you to Thomas Nelson BookSneeze for providing a complimentary review copy of Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones. I really enjoyed it and, although I was not asked to write a good review, I can't say enough about how much I loved this book.

I miss reading.

Winter break is a wonderful time. I can't even express how much I enjoy reading whenever I want.

January 3rd was a difficult day. It wasn't that I didn't want to be back to work and with my wonderful students. That wasn't it at all. It was the horrible realization that the next time I will get to read for pleasure is February 25 when I have a week off for a family reunion. Yikes. That's far away.

Finding Our Way Again - Brian McLaren & Phyllis Tickle

I've enjoyed other books by Brian McLaren (A New Kind of Christian in particular) and was excited to see a new book by him. I've always liked his writing style and the stories he tells. Phyllis Tickle, leader in the emerging church, is a youtube favorite of mine. Her words are hard to hear sometimes, but they are always truth that is completely necessary.

So, with that masterful combo, I was excited to read Finding Our Way Again. And I was impressed. I did not necessarily agree with everything I read, but I was pleased to learn new things and be challenged in ways I never am challenged in: the "lost" spiritual disciplines. My husband is all about spiritual disciplines and so he really enjoyed reading this book too. This book will be a good read for you if you are interested in growing in your relationship with God in unique ways.

I received this book free from the Thomas Nelson Publishers "Booksneeze" book review program. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

The Truth of the Matter - Andrew Klavan

Wow. I waited anxiously for this book after reading the second in the series, The Only Road Home. When I first saw that The Truth of the Matter by Andrew Klavan was up for review on BookSneeze, I practically squealed with joy. I really enjoyed the second book and was curious as to the truth of what really had happened to poor Charlie West. He awoke one day to find himself wanted for the murder of his best friend, on the run from a terrorist group he had once been a member of, and confused as to who the good guys were.

The Truth of the Matter begins and ends with suspense and the middle of the book is fraught with it. I read this book quickly, gobbling up the mystery and intrigue of Charlie's life. I was pleased to find out more about what had happened to Charlie and to get some answers! Finally!

Klavan writes suspense so well. While some of the plot devices seemed somewhat ridiculous (Milton 2?), this was a great read. My only issue was that I was not expecting another cliffhanger!!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing this lovely reading to me for free. This is my honest opinion about the book.

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball - Donita K. Paul

Meh. I really do not like cheesy Christmas books. While there were definitely entertaining parts to Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul, I was less than impressed with the story. I understand that Christmas books are a serious market and that many people do enjoy them. There is something magical about Christmas, and I totally get that. Unfortunately, this novella (a very quick read - only took me an hour or two) seemed to be just a little too cheesy for me. The love story between Cora and Simon seemed to be just a little bit too contrived. I was thankful that Sandy, Simon's younger sister with Downs Syndrome, was kindly portrayed. Beyond the ridiculous ending, there were a few funny scenes and some interesting moments. It was, for a light, cheesy read, just fine.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group read and review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

fear

A few months back during the summer, I received a free book from Thomas Nelson Publishing. It was a book by one of my favorite authors, Lisa Samson, and I was amazed at the power in its pages. I read it quickly, something I typically do with all books, and hadn't thought too much about it until recently. Last week, my husband was at work for two days one with a late shift, the next with an early shift. Since we live quite a distance from his work, it made sense that he should sleep there. During the evening while he was gone, I really enjoyed the alone time. I had dinner with a good friend (leftovers -- so I didn't even have to cook!), and after she left I wrote some more of my thesis, graded some papers, tried to bring myself to read a book that was just so hard to focus on, ate cookies and popcorn, and sang along to some of my favorite music. As it started getting dark, I closed the curtains and holed myself in, trying not to think about the darkness outside. I finally forced myself into bed far later than usual, and laid in fear for quite some time.

While I was laying there awake with my heart pounding and fear filling me, I thought of the book by Lisa Samson, Resurrection in May. I was scared, while alone in my home in Pleasantville, USA with locked doors (and even a garbage can hidden behind the door so I'd know if someone was breaking in) and windows. I said "Jesus" aloud to remind myself of the power of his name, then began to thank him. The fear I have is ridiculous. The likelihood of something "bad" happening to me was tiny.

All over the world, people live in honest fear. They are fearful of militias waiting outside their door in Darfur, of imprisonment if their government disagrees with something they say in China. They fear attacks on their lives in Mogadishu, attacks by people who are terrorizing a city to regain political control.

Our world is a place of fear, but it doesn't have to be. I know I can say this and it might not mean much because of the situation I am in: the city I live in, in the country I call home. But I believe that the paralyzing fear that I often feel can be and will be overcome by God, my God, the one who faithfully carries me (us/all) through all things.

Where Hearts Are Free - Golden Keyes Parsons

Typically, I read a book in one sitting (thank you, Mrs. Mico-Smith, for teaching the first grade “early birds” to speed read!), even if it isn’t of great interest to me. Unfortunately, Where Hearts are Free by Golden Keyes Parsons took me just over three weeks to finish. I got through about half of the book in my first sitting; after that, I don’t entirely know what it was, but I just couldn’t bear to make myself sit down and read it. I would start, then have to stop after about five minutes when I got to the end of a chapter and couldn’t push myself to go on to the next one. I found myself frustrated with the characters and their ridiculous actions, with the inevitable plot twists that I seemed to figure out pages ahead of their occurrences, with the horrid suitor who was all bad.

Bridget Barrington, the protagonist, only becomes somewhat likeable at the end of the narrative; until then, she is portrayed as either selfish, strong willed, or weak. Unfortunately, her character wavers between the three, never fully settling on one personality. Contrary to the author’s supposed intentions, this seems to make her an unrealistic, weak character. Also, there were a few storylines that were abandoned midway.

While I would say that Where Hearts Are Free was entertaining, I thought it had great potential that it did not live up to. Thank you, though, to Thomas Nelson who provided this review copy to me free of charge. My opinions are my own.