The Wake of Forgiveness

The Wake of Forgiveness by Bruce Machart was a hard book for me to get through. I found the main character to be very harsh and unyielding, and the story was very difficult for me to follow. When I read the introduction, this book really appealed to me because I am a fan of historical fiction. This book really didn't do it for me, it was too sad and depressing.

Grade-D-

A copy of this book was given to me electronically by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

New haircut!

I got up the nerve to do something different with my hair. Boy is it different! I really love my new do!

Love on a Dime

The novel "Love on a Dime" by Cara Lynn James is about a woman that is secretly a novelist who writes dime novels about romance. She does this in secret because her well to do family would disapprove. Along the way she has feeling for an old flame, is proposed to by a new flame and faces blackmail regarding her career as a writer.

I really enjoyed this book. The lead character is very compassionate and serves her community in a shelter for woman even though her family doesn't entirely approve. She has to make several tough choices, and these events help draw the reader in as she works through these issues. Her friends in the novel are also interesting characters in that they help her to see what is going on in her love life when she begins thinking solely with her head.

The character of her old flame is also a big part of the book, and he is very interesting to follow as well. He is a poor boy that makes his fortune, and in the story he begins to see that money is not everything he thought it was.

I would recommend this book because it is a good solid story. It does have references to God throughout, but isn't overly religious.

Grade- B

A complimentary copy of this book was given to me for review from Thomas Nelson publishing.

Sleepy babies

Ah, how sweet. My little munchkins do sometimes settle down enough to catch on film. Most often they are running so fast I cannot capture them!

Chickens!

This is actually two sets of photos, one from several weeks ago and one set from yesterday. These chickens are growing so fast! Even when I am with them all the time, I still see that they are huge! I love how the one picture show all the fatties eating at the feeders and the soon to be laying hens are scratching on the ground!

My little photographer, Eli!

Eli got a camera for his 5th birthday. It was actually a nice camera, a definite upgrade from his kid's toy camera he had. When Josh's family was here to visit, Eli borrowed Uncle Joel's camera and ended up taking some good photos. So I figured I would encourage that skill. So here it is, Eli's best photos, Early 2010 edition.

Juliet

"Juliet" by Anne Fortier is a wonderful novel that re-tells the story of Romeo and Juliet with a twist. The story is about modern day Julie Jacobs who finds herself in Siena, Italy in the middle of an ancient family mystery. She finds her given name is Giulietta and she is related to the Juliet of the famous story. We follow both her story, and the ancient story that happened in real life before Shakespeare told the story we know.

I personally enjoy historical fiction, so this book was meant for me. It was a riveting tale set in both long ago times and modern times as well. There are quite a few twists in the plot that keep the reader going back for more. Julie is an interesting character that is brave and curious. She is put in many interesting positions and has to find her way out of several predicaments.

Anne Fortier is a great storyteller, and I will certainly read any forthcoming books by her!

Grade-A

I was provided a copy of this book to review by the publisher.

Hailey's War

"Hailey's War" by Jodi Compton was a surprising book to me. It is the story of Hailey Cain, a West Point washout seems to have something to prove. She has family in the music business and friends in LA gangs, and finds herself protecting a pregnant Mexican teenager. She is smart and savvy, but tends to find herself in tight spots frequently.

This book was one that I couldn't put down. It was a wonderful story told by a great storyteller. The characters have a certain depth that I don't find in many books. I really connected with all the characters, and was ultimately rooting for the home team by the end of the story.

It is a book that has plenty of twists in it, but I wouldn't qualify it as a thriller. That didn't make it any less of a good read in my eyes. I would certainly give this book a try!

Grade-A

I was provided a review copy of this book from the publisher.