True Grit - Charles Portis

Oh Melissa Mc, if only you didn't have your own book blog.  *Sigh*  I shall have to content myself with crying into my pillow...and the occasional guest review.  Thank you so much for sending us this one!

Summary:  Mattie Ross is just 14 years old when a coward going by the name of Tom Chaney shoots her father down in Fort Smith, Arkansas, robbing him of his life, his horse, and $150 in cash. Accompained by the one-eyed Rooster Cogburn -- the meanest available US Marshall -- Mattie leaves home to avenge her father's death and to pursue his killer into Indian Territory.  (Summary and Image from amazon.com)

Melissa's Review:  Mattie Ross, a 14 year old dynamo, is out to exact vengeance on one Tom Chaney, a former work hand for her family. Tom has killed her father, and whether she has help or not, she is determined to bring Tom back to Forth Smith and Judge “Hanging” Parker for justice.

Mattie is able to secure for $100 the assistance of a one-eyed Marshall, Rooster Cogburn. Thus they begin their quest into Indian Territory for the renegade Chaney.

Mattie Ross has become my new favorite adolescent heroine – she’s Scout Finch, but rides a horse and carries a revolver. She shoots, squirms, saves herself from snakes and survives to tell her tale.

The other characters are equally as colorful: Rooster is a former felon, turned law-man with a proclivity to drink. Even though I didn’t see the original movie, John Wayne’s image was superimposed on my brain throughout the novel and it was a PERFECT image. The two also meet up with LeBoeuf, a Texas Ranger who is also on the trail of the menacing Chaney. A somewhat bumbling figure, LeBoeuf adds enough variety to their trifecta to make it interesting.

The prose in this book is stark and sharp – and surprisingly funny! I read it in the car on our way to Tulsa, and through ALL the major towns mentioned in the story: Dardanelle, Fort Smith, Fort Gibson Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), and I laughed out loud at many of the passages. Mattie when describing her opinion of men said, “Men will live like Billy goats if they are let alone.” True Mattie, so very true.

I couldn’t help comparing this book to Lonesome Dove since I read them so closely to each other. Honestly, I could see where McMurtry could have been “influenced” by Charles Portis’ work. In fact, I was expecting Gus and Call to meet up with Rooster, Mattie and LeBoeuf at any of the many outposts where they stopped. But I was amazed at what Portis was able to accomplish in a sparse 200+ pages compared to what McMurtry was able to drag on for 900 pages.

In short, I loved this book.

And Mr. Portis lives a few blocks from my house – you think if I go camp out on his porch he would sign a book for me?!

Her Rating:  5 Stars
 
For the sensitive reader:  Mild descriptions of gun shot wounds, gun fighting and SNAKES!
 
Sum it up:  Good guys, bad guys, and a spunky heroine -- even if you don't read Westerns, this is a MUST!

I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith

_____________________

This review comes to us from the Tristi Pinkston, published author (see here and here), freelance editor, and blogger extraordinaire.  She is also a Cubmaster, chocolate-lover, and a Pisces.  While impressive, these aren't the reason that I love Tristi.  I love Tristi because she is supremely sarcastic. You might not believe this, but I think she might be more sarcastic than me. *Gasp* I know, right?!

Want to see more of Tristi?  Visit her blog or website.
_____________________


Summary and Review:  Every so often, I will read a book that hits me so close to dead center that I feel as though the author somehow knew me and had found a way to reach out and grab me and pull me in to their world, and keep me from ever wanting to leave. “I Capture the Castle” by Dodie Smith was exactly this kind of book for me. I forget how I learned about it for the first time—I think I saw it recommended on a book blog, I put it on my to-read list, and happened upon it in the regular course of things. Now I wish I’d read it much, much sooner … so don’t delay, like I did.

The premise: The book is set in England in the 1930s. Cassandra Mortmain is a seventeen-year-old girl who lives with her older sister, Rose, her younger brother (whose name really isn’t important), her eccentric step-mother, Topaz, and her father, a brilliant man who authored one novel but has been unable to write anything else. In an attempt to find his muse again, he takes out a lease on a crumbling old castle, thinking the surroundings will do him good, but his well has run dry, and his family starts selling furniture so they can continue to eat.

Cassandra is our first-person narrator, who tells us the story by the aid of journal entries. Smith does an amazing job of creating this character beautifully in our heads. I felt sucked in from the first paragraph. In fact, I have that first paragraph on a book bag my husband bought me: “I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. That is, my feet are in it. The rest of me is on the draining board.” She tells the history of the family, shows us who the family members are, and then launches into the main story.

Two young men have moved into the neighborhood, and Rose, who is determined to have a better life, decides that if she were to marry Simon, the older son, she could save the family from their utter poverty. She sets out to win his heart, enlisting Cassandra’s help. Cassandra is only too eager to see her sister happy, and to help her father out of his morbid depression, but she soon develops feelings for Simon herself. Her loyalty to her sister keeps her from saying anything, and why would he want her, anyway? Rose is the beautiful one, the talented one, while Cassandra is just a girl, and a tomboy at that.

We follow the two girls as they plot and scheme to win Simon over to Rose’s cause, and then we see them make realizations about themselves and about their lives that are truly breathtaking. The ending was unexpected, yet beautiful. I would not have seen it end any other way, even though I feel as if I left a piece of my heart inside the pages.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Sum It Up: Breathtaking coming-of-age novel that will live in your mind long after you’ve closed the covers.

Raising the Perfect Child through Guilt and Manipulation - Elizabeth Beckwith

This guest review comes from my sweet cousin, Kalea Christman, mother of two under two and therefore wholly qualified to write her own parenting guide. 

Summary: Raising the Perfect Child Through Guilt and Manipulation is not one of those traditional, all-too-earnest parenting guides that, for generations, have sucked all the fun out of child rearing. The foundation of Elizabeth Beckwith's Guilt and Manipulation family philosophy is simple: We do things a certain way, and everyone else is an @**#&!$.   Is that something you should put on a bumper sticker and slap on your minivan? Of course not—that would be trashy. But in the privacy of your own home, you can employ the essential components of Guilt and Manipulation to mold the little runts ruthlessly yet effectively into children you won't be embarrassed to admit are yours. (Summary and cover from amazon.com - Image from usedbooks.co.nz ).

My Review:  I originally wanted to read the book based on its title. But as we all know, you can't judge a book by it's cover. What I thought would be a fun parenting book turned out to be a spoof on parenting books.

The author considers herself conservative and says that she gets uncomfortable if anybody brings up the subject of sex. I found that inconsistent with the fact that there is at least one swear word per page (including the “F” word in one story), that she explicitly describes what Las Vegas Show girls do to each other onstage, and brings up sexual topics throughout the whole thing.

It did, however, have a few redeeming qualities. There were times that it was laugh-out-loud funny. It also had some gems of parenting advice, like:

• Don't tell your kids that if they don't turn off the TV, you'll through it out the window, unless you really intend on doing it. She harped on consistency, which is crucial in parenting.
• Explain to your kids that the reason why they need to hold your hand when crossing the street is because if they don't, they could get hit by a car and die. So many parents sugarcoat the severity of certain consequences instead of being honest.
• Make your home into a comfortable haven with good food and team-building activities so that it's a place they want to be.

I've read other reviews on it and it seems as though there are two takes on it. Either you love it, or you wanted to love it, but hated it.

My Rating: 2 stars

Sum it up: A sarcastic spoof on parenting books with some good advice sprinkled here and there.

Moon Over Manifest - Clare Vanderpool

This guest review comes to us from Melissa M. over a Gerbera Daisy Diaries.  She sends us some real gems from time to time and we always love to have her!

Summary:  Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.

Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.”

Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest’s history is full of colorful and shadowy characters—and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest’s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town.

Powerful in its simplicity and rich in historical detail, Clare Vanderpool’s debut is a gripping story of loss and redemption.  (Summary from goodreads.com - Image from http://www.clarevanderpool.com/)

My Review:  Abilene Tucker is riding the rails, quite literally, into the town of Manifest, Kansas.

She’s been shipped by her father to spend the summer with Shady Howard– and man she has never met, but is trusted by her father to care for her during the summer.

There she meets up with Lettie and Ruthanne, who become her companions on a quest to determine the meaning behind a box of mementos discovered under the floorboard of her room: a map, a cork, a fishhook, a sliver dollar, a fancy key, and a tiny wooden baby doll.

Thus Abilene begins a summertime odyssey to learn the secrets of her past and of the city of Manifest.

No mincing words --  I adored this book.

Author, Clare Vanderpool, has created a vintage story that bridges two time periods – that of WWI and the Depression, with a cast of captivating & quirky characters (everything from bootleggers, and miners, to a gypsy and a nun!) and a main character, Abilene, who will run away with your heart.

I was completely transformed back in time – I felt like I was walking in stride with Abilene. Every clue she uncovered and every story she heard was as if I was learning it with her. It was also particularly endearing because much like Manifest, my ancestors were a part of a small town Manifest-like community – that this book could easily been about their lives.

The only thing I that I regret, was taking far too long to finish (so many obligations this week). This is a book that needs to be read in a day or two to fully embrace the richness of the narrative.

This was absolutely deserving of the Newbery Medal Award this year…and so far, my favorite book of 2011.

My Rating: 5 Stars - Love, love love LOVED it!

Sum it up:  A well deserved award winner that will appeal to both child and parent alike.For a clip from the author, please check out this related video:

The 19th Wife - David Ebershoff

And now, an LDS perspective on a controversial novel.  My thanks to Clare James, a friend, fellow bibliophile, and well-read woman, for consenting to give this guest review.

___________________

Summary:  Faith, I tell them, is a mystery, elusive to many, and never easy to explain.

Sweeping and lyrical, spellbinding and unforgettable, David Ebershoff’s The 19thWife combines epic historical fiction with a modern murder mystery to create a brilliant novel of literary suspense.

It is 1875, and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Expelled and an outcast, Ann Eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in the United States. A rich account of a family’s polygamous history is revealed, including how a young woman became a plural wife.

Soon after Ann Eliza’s story begins, a second exquisite narrative unfolds–a tale of murder involving a polygamist family in present-day Utah. Jordan Scott, a young man who was thrown out of his fundamentalist sect years earlier, must reenter the world that cast him aside in order to discover the truth behind his father’s death.

And as Ann Eliza’s narrative intertwines with that of Jordan’s search, readers are pulled deeper into the mysteries of love and faith. (Summary and Image from http://www.ebershoff.com/ )

________________________________________

Hey fellow readers, my name is Clare James. I’m a reading addict, literally ripping my hands off books to take care of my family. I’m not a writing addict, so be kind. 

My Review:  Two stories over a century apart weave the horrifying tale of polygamy’s oppression. As one ostracized modern-day boy faces his past to absolve his accused mother from murder, he discovers Ann Eliza’s legacy. Ann Eliza, born into firm believers of polygamy, becomes the face of polygamy’s abolition. She chronicles the invisibility women feel, yet the brain-shaping way leaders keep them in place. Deeply insightful is the author’s description of Brigham Young’s hidden thoughts as he deals with Ann Eliza’s betrayal of faith. The standpoint that she unknowingly saved the LDS church’s existence is new to me, and worth the read to get context for that viewpoint.

For the LDS reader, myself included, this book proposes some challenges. Written as historical fiction, I am of the opinion that it is more history than fiction. I believe Ebershoff nails several truths concerning the fluidity of history and the inability to know people’s hearts. Obviously the LDS religion today does not tolerate polygamy. The LDS are actually the faction, the sect that broke off from the original church beliefs.

The brilliance of this book is the continuous whirlwind exploration of the power of faith. Faith is intangible yet more forceful than the threat of death, because it affects what we believe exists after this life. When polygamy is all one knows, and the promise of eternal happiness is given, people today still believe that’s enough and live it with faith.

My Rating:  3.5 stars. This book sucked me in, but I couldn’t quite bump it to 4 stars for several reasons. The author’s historical fiction creation was unique but he simply took facts and reworded them. I got bugged by thinking to myself, “Are these actual documents?” For a fictional book, it was written too much like fact.

For the sensitive reader: Also the sensitive reader may want to avoid this book based on repetitive offensive expletives and several vulgar scenes. Not a personal fan of such language, I will admit it portrays the anger and inability of abused children to express emotion.

Sum it up: The 19th Wife delves into this buried lifestyle, sharing polygamy’s history and current conditions in a readable, train-wreck fascination way.

_________________________________________

Also reviewed by Jeannette Katzir, an author and guest reviewer.  Since her review posted in November, I have received a few emails about why a blog made of primarily LDS reviewers would choose to review a book that may or may not be an accurate representation of church beliefs or church history.  The short answer is that I decided a long time ago not to dictate what books our reviewers or guest reviewers chose to read.  However, in an effort to give a more well-rounded perspective, I asked one of my well-read LDS friends to give her opinion of the book.

All My Friends Are Dead - Avery Monsen & Jory John

Today's review comes from my delinquent brother, Matthew Irving.   He fights fires seasonally, takes amazing pictures, and travels the world for the sole purpose of making me exceedingly jealous.  He's very good at all of it.   However, when he contacted me the other day about a book that he wanted to review, I was hesitant.  I mean, I've read his blog and so my conscience forced me to give him a few guidelines. 1) Punctuate and capitalize.  2) Do not use any form of the word "effing".  If any of our readers gravitate toward the sporadically punctuated, intentionally un-capitalized, effing-laden prose, then feel free to head on over to Matt's Blog of Negativity where sarcasm reigns supreme, snickering is second-nature, and you can read his thoughts on such diverse topics as Sarah Palin's new reality show, Sun chips, and sperm shoes, just to name a few. 

___________________________________________

Summary:  If you're a dinosaur, all of your friends are dead. If you're a pirate, all of your friends have scurvy. If you're a tree, all of your friends are end tables. Each page of this laugh-out-loud illustrated humor book showcases the downside of being everything from a clown to a cassette tape to a zombie. Cute and dark all at once, this hilarious children's book for adults teaches valuable lessons about life while exploring each cartoon character's unique grievance and wide-eyed predicament. From the sock whose only friends have gone missing to the houseplant whose friends are being slowly killed by irresponsible plant owners (like you), All My Friends Are Dead presents a delightful primer for laughing at the inevitable.  (Summary and Image from borders.com)

My Review: All My Friends are Dead is a pseudo-children's book that is incredibly difficult to summarize, but apparently Borders (see above) did a pretty good job of it. Unfortunately, I'm a busy man (not really) and I'm sure the person who summarized the book spent hours wracking their brain in order to come up with it (they probably didn't). This awesome book is a book about life, death and other things dying, but its overlying aim is to make you laugh, more than anything. What makes it so funny is its blatant sarcasm, as well as its illustrations. For some reason, they hit the funny nerve right where it needs to be hit. It uses the illustrations in order to create an atmosphere of awkward pauses. It is very much my type of sarcasm and the awkward pauses are priceless.

All My Friends Are Dead is definitely a book worth owning and a steal at $10.00, but if you're too cheap or you have different priorities, like children, driving to the library to rent it would be a worthwhile trip.  On that note, it's $10.00!  Don't eat at McDonald's for lunch -- buy the book instead.  Or sell plasma.  Do what you have to in order to get your mitts on this book. Here's another book review that probably does a better job of describing it, or you can visit the book website where you can read the first few pages of the book.  Hopefully, you'll see why it's nearly impossible to describe.
 
My Rating:  I'd give it 5 Stars, but know that my sense of humor is probably a little morbid, so maybe a 4.5 for "normal" people.
 
Sum it up: If you love sarcastic humor and awkward pauses as well as a few dozen excellently illustrated characters, you'll love this book. Because it's so short, it can be used as a coffee table book and I'd encourage it. If everyone in the world could read this book once, it would make my day.
 
PS.  To read what Matt really thinks of this book, click here.

Lucky 73 - Aldona Sendzikas

This review comes to us from Curt Oja, a man I know quite well (as we've been hitched for about 10 years now).  As a WWII aficionado, he is far more qualified to review a book like this than I will ever be (and ever so good looking).

__________________

Summary: Today the USS Pampanito (SS-383) is a tourist destination. During WWII the submarine earned six battle stars. She sank six Japanese ships, damaged four others, and rescued seventy-three British and Australian prisoners of war from the South China Sea. This astonishing rescue happened three days after the wolf pack to which Pampanito was assigned, spotted and attacked a Japanese convoy near Hainan. Unfortunately, two of the ships in this convoy that were sunk in the attack were carrying more than 2,000 Allied POWs.

The chain of events that led to this rescue is truly amazing. Captured in 1942, forced to spend fifteen months constructing the Burma-Thai Railroad (later made famous by The Bridge on the River Kwai), then loaded onto floating concentration camps—“hellships,” as they were called—the prisoners were in the wrong place at the wrong time when Pampanito and her wolf pack attacked the Japanese convoy. Returning to the coordinates a few days later, the crew was astonished to discover survivors in the water, and rescued as many as the submarine could carry.

The rescue of these men is celebrated by the number 73 embroidered on Pampanito’s battle flag. Perhaps even more remarkable than this unlikely rescue is the fact that the submarine’s officers and crew thought, before delivering these men to an army hospital in Saipan, to ask them to record their thoughts and experiences while the events were still fresh in their minds. These extraordinary documents lay forgotten and unseen for years until Aldona Sendzikas, while working as curator for Pampanito, discovered these fascinating first person accounts of both the POWs and the submariners who rescued them. Realizing this was a story that needed to be shared with a broader audience, she embarked upon an odyssey to document the events surrounding the rescue and to interview the living survivors. Lucky 73 reveals one of the most incredible tales of the Pacific war—primarily in the words of the men who lived it.  (Summary from book - Image from eurospanbookstore.com - Book given free for review)

My Review: Lucky 73 is the story of a little known and all but forgotten event during World War II. It details one of the great tragedies of the war, and shows the compassion and perseverance of the human spirit in some of the most difficult circumstances. Aldona Sendzikas relied heavily on memoirs, journals, personal accounts and military records to bring this story to life. Told from the perspectives of the submarine crew that accidentally sent so many Allied prisoners into the water, and from the accounts of many of the survivors who were fortunate to be rescued, this book gives a detailed account of the experiences of many of the survivors and crew, illustrating how the events changed their lives.

There are many harrowing accounts of selflessness and courage throughout this book. It was heartwarming to hear the accounts of the sailors jumping into the water to tow exhausted, oil covered prisoners back to the safety of the submarine-- of the sailors giving up their bunks and a captain filling his sub well beyond its capacity. It was difficult, at times, to read of the travesties inflicted on the prisoners by the Japanese, and to read of their torture and deprivations while imprisoned by the Japanese Empire. The greatest horror was in knowing that over a thousand other prisoners were not rescued and perished in the South China Sea, and that their loved ones back at home never knew their fate.

This book was very captivating and drew me in immediately. Any history fan will become quickly absorbed in the stories and accounts it contains. Sedzikas brings in essential elements and writes the book so the reader can get a sense of order and the individuals involved. Although I would consider this an easy and quick read, the story is something that I will not soon forget.

Sidenote: I read this book while on business in Hawaii and had the opportunity to visit the USS Bowfin in Pearl Harbor (a similar model as the USS Pampanito). After touring the submarine, and standing in the forward torpedo room, I found it unfathomable that 73 rescued prisoners were held in such cramped conditions when the normal crew for an entire WWII submarine was 70 to 80 sailors and about ten officers.

My Rating: 4 Stars    For the sensitive reader: Be prepared for horrific descriptions of the deprivations inflicted on the Allied POWs.

Sum it up: A great read for any history buff, or anyone who is interested in WWII.

The 19th Wife - David Ebershoff

This review comes to us from the lovely Jeannette Katzir, author of Broken Birds, The Story of My Momila, a memoir about the enduring effects of war.  As she writes about  her parent's harrowing experiences during the Holocaust to her own personal battles, she exposes the maladies of heart and mind, that those broken by war inevitably and unintentionally pass down to the generations that follow.  Read our review here.  Thanks, Jeannette, for your review!

You can also read another review from one of our LDS (Mormon) guest reviewers.
__________________________

Summary:  Faith, I tell them, is a mystery, elusive to many, and never easy to explain.

Sweeping and lyrical, spellbinding and unforgettable, David Ebershoff’s The 19th Wife combines epic historical fiction with a modern murder mystery to create a brilliant novel of literary suspense.

It is 1875, and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Expelled and an outcast, Ann Eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in the United States. A rich account of a family’s polygamous history is revealed, including how a young woman became a plural wife.

Soon after Ann Eliza’s story begins, a second exquisite narrative unfolds–a tale of murder involving a polygamist family in present-day Utah. Jordan Scott, a young man who was thrown out of his fundamentalist sect years earlier, must reenter the world that cast him aside in order to discover the truth behind his father’s death.

And as Ann Eliza’s narrative intertwines with that of Jordan’s search, readers are pulled deeper into the mysteries of love and faith.  (Summary and Image from http://www.ebershoff.com/ )

My Review:  The 19th Wife, by David Ebershoff, is a book about multiple marriages, a faction of Mormonism and murder. I have to admit that the idea of one man with many wives has always caused me reason to wonder WHY? Sure, it's great for the man, but what about the women?

The 19th Wife escorts you into this world. The murder is a vehicle that takes you through the book. The murder, which is being pinned on the 19th Wife, and the reintroduction of a THROWN AWAY son is a very quiet, back story. The main plot, the thrust of the story, and the reason I could not put it down, is because of the Mormonism.

The book explains the creation and evolution of Mormonism. It explained the premise behind one man/many women. I understand that mainstream Mormons do not practice this marriage arrangement, but as a fan of the television show; Big Love, I found the book fascinating.

My Rating: 4 stars.

Sum it up: I would say it is an intriguing book, well written and very interesting, and the story behind the murder is great also.

One in a Million : Journey to Your Promised Land - Priscilla Shirer

_______________________

This review comes to us today from the unbelievably amazing Sabin Hogue.  If you know her, you love her and if you don't, you are missing out!  Sabin is one of the most giving, caring, spiritually-centered people that I know and I have learned so much from her selfless example and close personal relationship with our Father in Heaven.  Oh, and she also hates it when people pick their nose.  Like, honk-at-them-while-they-dig-for-gold-at-a-stoplight hates it.  So don't do it.  Because she might be watching.
________________________

Summary:  What if life on Monday was as powerful as church on Sunday? 

When you meet someone who lives, eats, and breathes Christian faith, you want what they've got more than anything--their seamless intimacy with God, their prayer power, their spiritual stamina, their passionate sense of expectation, the kind that doesn't shrink into despair at the first sign of setback.

But how badly do you want it? Enough to toss anything from your life that keeps you from being 100 percent His?  Enough to allow God's Spirit to bring radical spiritual change that might just scare you right out of your comfort zone?  Enough to wait on God long and hard and invite whatever He requires to get you ready for what's next?

That's how one-in-a-millions do it.

When approximately two million adult pilgrims of ancient Israel left behind their slavery in Egypt, wandering in the wilderness for an entire generation, only two made it safely to the Promised Land.  That's One in a Million who were brave enough to put abundant life to work no matter where they were, no matter how easy it became to just blend in and be average.

And the next one-in-a-million could be you--the minute you decide you've had your fill of halfway faith, the moment you realize that a week is a long time to put off what God has promised you can put on: the deep, daily experience of His ever-abiding presence. 

Get over being average.  Break out of the box.  Don't just want it.  Live it.  Today and everyday.  (Summary from amazon.com - Image from www.bhpublishinggroup.com )

My Review:  Have you ever wondered if there was more to your spiritual walk than what you have? Have you ever wondered if you were created for greater things? Have you ever wondered what God's original design for you was? Then I have an amazing book for you.

In One in a Million you will discover God's purpose for your life is Abundant Living. Just as the Israelites were His chosen people, so are you as a follower of Christ. One in a Million parallels our current day faith walks with the hardships of the Israelites on their Exodus. God never said it would be easy, He just promised it would be worth every step of the way!

My husband and I dreamt of having more children and then one day the heavenly whispering of a Father to His child began, "Do you trust Me?"and "Are you willing to submit to My will even if your dream isn't part of it?" Over and over again I heard these questions asked of me, and over and over again I responded with anger and fear, "If You love me so much WHERE IS MY BABY???" Hot tears streamed down my face most days. Indignation that He wasn't "fair" clouded my view. I was so close to the situation I couldn't see straight, I couldn't hear, or perhaps I wasn't willing to listen.

I knew this was a time to test my faith. My friend brought me her copy of One in a Million just at the right time. A time the Lord knew my heart would listen. A time when He knew I would need it most.

I choose Him. I choose His perfect Will, perfect knowledge, perfect guidance, perfect love, and perfect desire to create me into His perfect image. It will be a journey, with great highs and great lows, but He will be there with us the entire way. Be bold, step out on faith, and open the pages of One in a Million to a whole new life of ABUNDANCE!

My Rating: 5 Stars

Sum it up: In One in a Million you will discover God's purpose for your life is Abundant Living. Just as the Israelites were His chosen people, so are you as a follower of Christ. One in a Million parallels our current day faith walks with the hardships of the Israelites on their Exodus. God never said it would be easy, He just promised it would be worth every step of the way!

__________________________________________

Sound good?!  Click here for TWO chances to win your very own copy!

Also, click here to read Living My Life on Purpose with One in a Million (Part One)  (Part Two) (Part Three) (Part Four)

Five Quarters of the Orange - Joanne Harris

This review is written by Anne Bennion, a good friend of mine, who is constantly juggling a house full of boys, an often overwhelming church calling, play groups, practices, and lessons and still finds time to send us a review now and then.  Way to go, Anne!  You are amazing!

Summary:  In her bestselling and critically acclaimed novel Chocolat, Joanne Harris told a lush story of the conflicts between pleasure and repression. Now she delivers her most complex and sophisticated work yet, an unforgettable tale of mothers and daughters, of the past and the present, of resisting and succumbing – an extraordinary work of fiction limned with darkness and fierce joy.

When Framboise Simon returns to a small village on the banks of the Loire, the locals do not recognize her as the daughter of the infamous woman they hold responsible for a tragedy during the German occupation years ago. But the past and present are inextricably entwined, particularly in a scrapbook of recipes and memories that Framboise has inherited from her mother. And soon Framboise will realize that the journal also contains the key to the tragedy that indelibly marked that summer of her ninth year… (Summary from back of book - Image from joanneharris.co.uk)

My Review: The title of this book intrigued me, that and being written by the author of Chocolat. I didn’t know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. The book takes place in the little village of Les Laveuses, France during the Occupation and then in that same village 40 years later. The story is told in a series of flashbacks intermixed with the current life of the main character. I loved the flashbacks and also was just as captivated by the things happening in the present. Right away, the main character Framboise caught my attention. She was smart, cunning, and had such an interesting relationship with her mother. Framboise’s mother was a war widow. She ran an orchard to support her three children and suffered from debilitating migraines. (I feel her pain – ugh migraines!) She was not a loving mother and showed little affection for her children, however, most of her time and effort was used in supporting and strengthening her children. Throughout the book, I hated and loved Framboise’s mother. I was amazed at the depth of feeling that Framboise had for her mother – and it wasn’t always good feelings. She purposely found a way to trigger her mother’s migraines so that she could go out and do the things she wanted to during the day.

Framboise was nine years old during most of the flashbacks. I sometimes felt that the feelings Framboise was explaining were a bit intense for a nine year old, namely falling in love with a German soldier. She talked about not being able to breathe without him, feeling the hot spot on her hand where she touched his shoulder, etc. All these feelings seemed a bit too mature – and I am mostly basing that off of my own nine-year-old experiences, sure I had crushes but nothing that intense.

I couldn’t put this book down. Once I had been introduced to the characters and their lives, I was hooked. I needed to know if Framboise ever actually caught the giant Pike that was the curse of the Loire River by her home. I needed to know if Paul ever found out what his friends were really doing. I had to find out what the horrible crime was that Framboise’s mother committed. The story is well developed and the author does a great job of keeping the story moving, even with all of the flashbacks. Although there wasn’t as much food references as I would have liked, food served as a major theme throughout the story. I sometimes wished I could taste what Framboise cooked up at her restaurant or smell the food that her mother cooked for dinner. I was pleased the Framboise didn’t change when times got hard – she remained smart, determined, sometimes rigid – all of the things that she despised in her mother, which led to Framboise’s ultimate realization that she had turned into her mother despite all of her effort not to.

I was slightly disappointed when I found out the crime that was the dark secret in this book. I was expecting something far worse. I did wish that I spoke fluent French and German to help translate the random phrases that were thrown into conversations.

My Rating: 3.9 Stars ( I couldn’t quite give it a 4 because of all of the f words.)  For the sensitive reader, there is language throughout the book but the big kicker is the last 50 pages, which has lots of the f word. There is also one scene of child rape.

Sum it up: A great story of love and hate, discovering who you really are, and overcoming secrets.

Adam - Ted Dekker

This review comes to us from Larissa over at Pearls and Pumps where you will find adorable photographs and the most gorgeous jewelry.  She is a stay at home mom of a busy 20 month old and an even busier 8 month old chocolate lab and enjoys photography and reading whenever she has the chance--which, she says, isn't near often enough! She loves going out to dinner and to the movies with her husband and would do that every night, if she had an unlimited budget.  (Me too, Larissa!)  We're so excited she decided to guest post for us!

Summary:  Sixteen young women are dead, each injected with a mysterious illness on the night of a new moon and left in various underground basements or caverns. The murderer leaves no clues, except for one scrawled-in-red trademark, "Eve."

Special Agent Daniel Clark has devoted his life to tracking and finding serial killers and Eve is proving an especially difficult case. Difficult, that is, until Clark and his colleagues find Eve's latest victim still alive. In a race to save the girl's life and potentially discover the killer's identity, Daniel finds himself in danger. A run-in with Eve leaves Daniel clinically dead for twenty minutes, only to survive but remembers nothing of the incident.

As Daniel attempts to recall the details before his attack, the killer strikes again, this time much closer home to all he holds dear. Daniel takes his obsession to a dangerous new level. Soon enough he finds himself in a world where blurred lines between life and death leave him fighting for his very life.  (Summary from back cover - Image from teddekker.com)

My Review: I really love the Ted Dekker books I've read, so I had high hopes for this book. And like all the other Dekker books, I was sucked in immediately. Daniel Clark is a seasoned FBI agent on the case of a serial killer called, "Eve." Eve has killed sixteen women by exposing them to a deadly disease each new moon. Daniel is obsessed with the case with has caused a divorce between himself and his wife. As Clark and his new partner get closer and learn more about Eve, things aren't what they seem.

I was extremely happy with the beginning of this book. And it wasn't until I was about 2/3 of the way through that I started doubting how much I was going to enjoy the ending. Things started getting just a little too weird for me.

One thing I really appreciate about Dekker's books, is that because he is a Christian author, there isn't any language, sex or much descriptive gore. That wasn't completely the case with this book. There was a brief moment of what I would call "strong language" and there was a lot of crude name calling. There wasn't any sex and the gore wasn't terrible, but the book was dark and there were times that I was pretty scared (Hey! It was the middle of the night, okay?! Or 9 o'clock at least!).

Bottom-line: I wouldn't suggest this to a sensitive reader, but for the most part it was a pretty good read.

My Rating: 3.75 Stars (I took a point off for the strange ending, and I just couldn't give it a 4 because of the language from a Christian author!)

Sum it up: An intriguing and thrilling book with a strange ending. I don't think I'll read this twice, but I did enjoy it (mostly) while it lasted.

Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel

This review comes to us from Melissa McCurdy over at Gerbera Daisy Diaries. She's unbelievably well-read and occasionally graces our blog with her presence (and her reviews). We love having her!

Summary: England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years, and marry Anne Boleyn. The pope and most of Europe opposes him. The quest for the king’s freedom destroys his adviser, the brilliant Cardinal Wolsey, and leaves a power vacuum.

Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell is a wholly original man, a charmer and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people and a demon of energy: he is also a consummate politician, hardened by his personal losses, implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph?

In inimitable style, Hilary Mantel presents a picture of a half-made society on the cusp of change, where individuals fight or embrace their fate with passion and courage. With a vast array of characters, overflowing with incident, the novel re-creates an era when the personal and political are separated by a hairbreadth, where success brings unlimited power but a single failure means death. (Summary from publisher - Image from amazon.com )

My Review: Henry VIII needs an heir – he needs Katherine of Aragon out and wants Anne Boleyn in. It’s up to Thomas Cromwell to figure out how to make it happen.

Thus begins the tumult of the English reformation.

Reams of paper have been devoted to this historical time period (including the recently popular, The Other Boleyn Girl). I have not read much of it other than what was required in high school and college. But Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, makes this chaotic and violent event, modern and fresh.

She has brought to life characters lost to history books. Thomas Cromwell could walk off the page and become a modern day lobbyist or presidential advisor. Henry and Anne could be the precursor to Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (or any other dysfunctional reality TV couple). He could also be a distant caricature of Elvis – a man of immense talent and judgment, but loses himself in gluttony and the influence of his advisors and the lust for a woman.

The brilliance of Mantel’s book is her dialogue. Never have I read a book where the dialogue was so rich, authentic, shrewd and, ultimately, witty. She has created living, breathing, individuals who seem as modern as the news in today’s paper. I would reach the end of a sentence or paragraph and often gasp, “Wow.” I’m convinced she created a time machine where she transported herself back to Henry VIII’s court and was a scribe to these individuals private conversations.

The downfall to this book is the immense character list. I guess every mother in the 16th century was fond of the name THOMAS (there were at least 10 in Wolf Hall) . It proved complicated to keep them all straight. The majority of the time, she used the personal pronoun, HE, to refer exclusively to Thomas Cromwell. But even that was hard to follow. Additionally, the Suffolks , Norfolks, Richmonds – any number of suffixes added to a name was difficult to place. This book tops out at 530 pages, so it’s not a weekend/beach read. It took me the entire month of May to finish it. But I should be thankful, I’ve learned the European copy is 650 pages!

My Rating: 4 stars. For the sensitive reader: There is some foul language (including the F bomb), but it is few and far between. Oh, and the occasional heretic burning at the stake!

Sum it up: Ultimately, this was an historically rich, cerebral, and engaging book, for Anglophile and novice alike.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle

Our guest contributor today is the world's most awesome six-year-old -- my daughter, Kaisa! I just love her to pieces! Yesterday she asked me why I spent so much time reading (Ouch). I told her that I liked reading just as much as she liked Taylor Swift (which is a LOT) and we talked about this blog. She seemed interested and said that she wanted to be part of the "book club" too. In the interest of clarity (and spelling) I asked her some questions about the book she chose and tried to type her answers exactly as she said them. (Summary from Kaisa - Image from wolfeyebrows.wordpress.com)

Kaisa's Summary: Well, the book was about a hungry caterpillar who turned into a butterfly.

Kaisa's Review:

Why did you pick this book?
Because we're learning about caterpillars and butterflies at my school.

What do you like about this book?
I like it when the book has these flippy pages on it.
I like the drawings.

What do you like about the drawings?
He uses toilet paper* and sometimes paints over it.

Really, where did you learn that?
It’s an Eric Carle book! Well, Mrs Brennan told me about it.

What else do you like?
I like it because he eats some good things and some treats.

If you were a caterpillar which of those things would you eat?
Chocolate cake and maybe pickles and a lollipop and maybe a watermelon and sausage.

I like how the butterfly is painted and that is what I like about the book.

Is there anything you don’t like about the book?
Well, he actually, this is funny and I like it, he makes a mistake in the book. He wrote a “cocoon” instead of a chrysalises.

It's not a cocoon?
Yeah, it's not a cocoon. Moths make cocoons and butterflies make chrysalides or chrysalids or chrysalis.

Oh.

That’s all I know.

Her Rating: 5 Stars

Sum it up: I really really like it!

*She means "tissue" paper.

You Can't AFFORD to Break Up - Stacey Nelkin & Paul Schienberg, Ph.D.

This review was co-written by my wife, Becca Nighting, a secretary and freelance advisor. Nobody should have to suffer through this book alone.

Summary: The tough economic times can affect even the most stable relationships. Breaking up isn't the only answer; it can be rough both emotionally and financially. But by taking stock of your relationship with your partner and a little work, you can stay together and be happy. In this self-help book, actress Stacey Nelkin and therapist Paul Schienberg collaborate to offer ideas to help you jump-start your love life.

Filled with relevant real-life illustrations and stories, You Can't AFFORD to Break Up offers insightful and thought-provoking tips for saving relationships. ... Geared toward couples in all stages of a relationship, You Can't AFFORD to Break Up encourages you to be proactive and use your imagination to be sexy and have fun. You can't afford to break up; save your relationship and save money. All you need is an empty wallet and a dirty mind. (Summary from book - image from www.iuniverse.com. We received this book for review.)

Our Review: Now that the sweet romantic glow of Valentine's is past, you may be facing the harsh realities of a relationship plagued by financial trouble. Perhaps you might find You Can't AFFORD to Break Up in a bookstore, and wonder, "Could this book help me salvage my relationship?" To help you answer this question, we have put together a brief questionnaire in the spirit of the book itself. Pencils ready?

1. Do you believe that Cosmo-style questionnaires can reveal deep insights into "Almost Everything That Matters"?


2. Do you believe that a night of great sex can solve any and all relationship problems, from crushes on the barista to unemployment-related depression?


3. Do you believe that actresses know how to save your marriage because "no one knows about love and sex better than the folks in Hollywood"?


4. Does drinking beer "take you back to the good ol' lustful days of high school"?


5. Does your short attention span keep you from noticing inconsistencies, contradictions, and poor logic?


6. Does your idea of an empty wallet involve cash for sex toys, hotel rooms, dance classes, "soft, sensuous, sexy sheets," and new outfits every few months?


7. Do you find that mocking your partner's sexual abilities tends to get them in the mood for love?

We won't patronize you by offering to interpret your answers--you've probably got the picture. This book impressed us with its ability to turn deep, complex issues into folksy soundbites. Our favorite parts were the case studies, which seemed like they were taken from rejected soap opera scripts. They would probably be more useful than the fluffily incoherent advice in helping a stressed relationship, because they at least are good for a laugh.

Our Rating: 1 star. Caution: This book is likely to be offensive to anyone who dislikes the word "fondle," who doesn't think of themselves as having a dirty mind, or whose relationship has more depth than a TV sitcom marriage.

Sum it up: Cliched, haphazard pop-psychology relationship advice desperately trying to gain relevance by capitalizing on the current recession.

The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance : A Memoir - Elna Baker

This review comes to us from guest contributor, Melissa Mc., over at Gerbera Daisy Diaries. Melissa Mc (aka Gerbera Daisy Mom) is a mother of 3; wife of 1; daughter, sister, friend, aunt; lover of football, politics, food, travel, walking, theatre and all things literary. She’s without talent in most normal Mormon activities – she doesn’t paint, sew, craft, scrapbook or quilt. She can be found in front of the TV during every March Madness college basketball tournament and on every Saturday during college football season. Her youngest was born with a congenital heart defect and had open heart surgery at 5 weeks. She knows more about Children’s Hospitals than she ever wanted too. And when she grows up, she wants to be the first female commissioner of the NFL.

Summary: It's lonely being a Mormon in New York City. So once again, Elna Baker attends the New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance-a virgin in a room full of virgins doing the Macarena. Her Queen Bee costume, which involves a black funnel stuck to her butt for a stinger, isn't attracting the attention she'd anticipated. So once again, Elna is alone at the punch bowl, stocking up on generic Oreos, exactly where you'd expect to find a single Mormon who's also a Big Girl. But loneliness is nothing compared to what happens when she loses eighty pounds. . . . and falls in love with an atheist.The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance is the memoir of a girl who distresses her family when she chooses NYU over BYU. A girl who's cultivating an oxymoronic identity as a bold, educated, modern, funny, proper, abstinent, religious stand-up comic, equal parts wholesome and hot. As Elna test-drives her identity, she finds herself in the strangest scenarios including selling creepy, overpriced dolls to petulant children at FAO Schwarz and dressing a head wound with a maxi pad while on a date. (summary from amazon.com - image from goodreads.com)

My review: For anyone who has experienced an LDS (Latter-day Saint) church dance, they are on the spectrum of the cheesiest thing you have ever participated in to the most magical experience of your life (however, I’ve only experienced the former and I really don’t think the latter exists). Elna Baker uses the reality of church dances as the framework for her memoir, The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance. This infamous dance is now probably the single most popular activity in all the church!

As a LDS member who has chosen NYU over BYU, Elna tries to balance two worlds: One of devout Latter-day Saint member, the other of artistic, educated, attractive young woman. Throughout the memoir we are given intimate access to Elna’s struggles: her struggles with weight, her struggles with faith, her struggles with morality and her struggles with employment. Along the ride we meet her atheist boyfriend and love of her life, “Matt,” her member boyfriend and almost fiancé, “Hayes,” and “Warren Beatty” with whom she almost has a one night stand.

Elna is an extremely talented writer. Her personal vignettes are tragic and hysterical all at the same time. She is an unexpected missionary – discussing sometimes difficult church doctrine with ease and straightforwardness and recognizes the “elephant in the room” when talking about doctrine that may seem weird to others. She is truly brave by allowing so many millions to read about her moral trespasses. I probably shouldn’t air my dirty laundry in a book review – but at times, this was a very painful book to read – I had similar experiences as a single adult (and sometimes inactive) member of the church. It was often a difficult process. I wish I could recreate my single years in such a humorous and redemptive fashion!

Thank you Elna, for sharing your life, knowledge, maturation and discoveries with us. And thank you for giving me back my reading mojo!

My Rating: 4 stars. Language and mild sexual situations.

A warning for the reader: Elna is very descriptive when describing her “flings.” She doesn’t mince words and doesn’t sugar coat her internal battles. Nor does she shy away from language that some might find inappropriate – especially for a member of the church. I, however, appreciated her candor and felt she was being true to herself. Others may not feel the same way.

Sum it up: Funny LDS woman and her search for balance and faith.

Sophie's Favorite Children's Books

This book list comes courtesy of Sophie Oja, a fabulous little girl I happen know (and love dearly). Since today is her birthday, I'm posting this in honor of her fiery little four-year-old spirit. I held up all our books and let her tell me if they went in the "favorites" stack or not. Then, after she went to bed I removed all the cheesy ones with Disney princesses on the cover (there were at least ten) and all the books I know she selected based solely on the cover (having never read them to her before). Here is what was left:


Sophie's Favorite Children's Books
Animal Families - DK Publishing
Are You Quite Polite? (silly dilly manners songs) - Alan Katz

The Bear's Toothache - David McPhail

The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room - Stan & Jan Berenstain

The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food - Stan & Jan Berenstain

The Biggest Sandwich Ever** - Rita Golden Gelman

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - Bill Martin, Jr.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs** - Judi Barrett

The Crayon Box That Talked** - Shane DeRolf

Curious George Goes Camping - Margret & H.A. Rey's
Dinosaur Roar** - Paul & Henrietta Stickland
Eight Animals on the Town** - Susan Middleton Elya
Gigi : God's Little Princess - Sheila Walsh
Going to Sleep on the Farm** - Wendy Cheyette Lewison
Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Suess
The Gruffalo** - Julia Donaldson
Horton Hatches the Egg - Dr. Suess
How The Grinch Stole Christmas! - Dr. Suess
I Love You, Stinky Face** - Lisa McCourt

If You Give a Pig a Pancake** - Laura Numeroff

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat** - Simms Taback
Lissy's Friends** - Grace Lin
Llama Llama Red Pajama** - Anna Dewdney
A Mud Pie for Mother - Scott Beck
My Body Series - Sally Hewitt
My Lucky Day - Keiko Kasza
My Two Hands, My Two Feet**- Rick Walton
Naughty Little Monkeys** - Jim Aylesworth
Noah's Ark - Laurence T. Lorimer
Officer Buckle and Gloria** - Peggy Rathman
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish** - Dr. Suess

Parts - Tedd Arnold

The Paper Bag Princess - Robert Munsch

Pinkalicious** - Victoria Kann & Elizabeth Kahn

Popcorn - Frank Asch

The Rainbow Fish - Marcus Pfister

Raindrop, PLOP!** - Wendy Cheyette Lewison

Skippyjon Jones - Judy Schachner
Snowmen at Christmas - Caralyn Buehner
Snowmen at Night** - Caralyn Buehner
Somewhere in the Ocean - Jennifer Ward
Take Me Out of the Bathtub and other silly dilly songs** - Alan Katz
There's a Nightmare in my Closet - Mercer Mayer
Tinkerbell: A Guide to Pixie Hollow** - Elle D. Risco
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs - Jon Scieszka
The Velveteen Rabbit (adapted for young readers) - Margery Williams
When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry... - Molly Bang
Where Did They Hide My Presents (silly dilly Christmas Songs) - Alan Katz
Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak
Where's Waldo - Martin Handford
Won't You Be My Kissaroo? - Joanne Ryder
Zinnia's Flower Garden - Monica Wellington

**Books we've read so much that we've both got them memorized.

The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. - Sandra Gulland

This review comes to us from Amy S, a native Floridian, former teacher, now stay-at-home mom to three. She loves reading, the ocean, Disney, Publix, traveling, adventure, all things French, food, date nights with her husband, and more READING. If you have time to stop at her blog between books, you can find her HERE.

Summary: In this first of three books inspired by the life of Josephine Bonaparte, Sandra Gulland has created a novel of immense and magical proportions. We meet Josephine in the exotic and lush Martinico, where an old island woman predicts that one day she will be queen. The journey from the remote village of her birth to the height of European elegance is long, but Josephine's fortune proves to be true. By way of fictionalized diary entries, we traverse her early years as she marries her one true love, bears his children, and is left betrayed, widowed, and penniless. It is Josephine's extraordinary charm, cunning, and will to survive that catapults her to the heart of society, where she meets Napoleon, who's destiny will prove to be irrevocably intertwined with hers. (summary from book jacket - image from amazon.com/uk)

My review: Before reading this book, I could probably sum up what I knew about Josephine Bonaparte in a pretty short sentence: She was married to Napoleon, and although he loved her fiercely, he divorced her for someone younger. The end. But one day, while browsing through a bookstore in Highlands, N.C. on my vacation, this book was highly recommended to me by the owner, and she had never proven wrong before. Her record still stands. This is a book that sucks you in quickly and keeps you interested until the end.

We meet Josephine as "Rose" in her extremely humble home on Martinique. She is sent to France at fifteen in order to save the family from financial ruin through an arranged marriage. With stars in her eyes she arrives in Paris, eager to marry her handsome beau and live happily ever after. The marraige is not what she hoped for. Her husband is almost never in Paris, as he chooses to live with his mistress. She is poorly educated and thrust into high society. Two children later, she believes she will live out her life alone while fighting for her children's financial future. Their lives are violently interrupted by the French Revolution, and her path is changed forever.

This is when the book becomes truly gripping. The book masterfully portrays the horrors of the Reign of Terror, and the mind-numbing fear and panic Rose feels as it finally reaches her door. She is arrested in the middle of the night and taken to the most horrific prison, leaving her children alone. The prison scenes are well-detailed and harrowing. We want to weep with her as family and friends we have grown to love go to the guillotine and she desperately tries to make arrangements for her children. She is literally saved from the same fate at the last possible moment.

In the last part of the book, Rose is left widowed and destitute. Through her quick-thinking and good luck, she is able to survive and care for her family. We see her involvement in the shaky new government, and her fateful meeting with Napoleon--a man who, in the beginning, she detests.

The author researched Josephine Bonaparte's life through her diaries and letters for a decade before writing this novel. It is told in diary form, and although I have been frustrated by that format in the past, it really worked for me here. We see Josephine grow through the book; the diary entries becoming better as she becomes more educated. I was happy to find it is the first in a trilogy; all of them are good. Compelling historical fiction; characters are well-drawn and this period of time engaging and detailed. The medical, social, and beauty/hygiene practices of the day were really fun to read about.

My rating: 5 Stars - I can't remember anything excessive in this book.

Sum it up: A wonderful portrait of Josephine Bonaparte. She's smart, witty, and a survivor. I found myself thinking about this book long after I finished.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This review comes to us from the lovely Anne Bennion, a stay at home mother of 4 wild boys who finds that reading is the easiest way to escape from all of the sports, guns, and super heroes that run rampant in her home. On a rainy day, you can most likely find her curled up with a historical fiction novel, a cup of hot cocoa, and a blanket. You can read another of her reviews here.

This book is also reviewed Mindy and Kari.

Summary: “I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.”

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’d never met, a native of Guernsey, the British island once occupied by the Nazis. He’d come across her name on the flyleaf of a secondhand volume by Charles Lamb. Perhaps she could tell him where he might find more books by this author.

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, she is drawn into the world of this man and his friends, all members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a unique book club formed in a unique, spur-of-the-moment way; as an alibi to protect its members from arrest by the Germans.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the Society’s charming, deeply human members, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Through their letters she learns about their island, their taste in books, and the powerful, transformative impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds there will change her forever. (Taken from the book flap)

My review: Who hasn’t felt anticipation while corresponding with someone via postal mail, a real handwritten letter, containing mistakes, touched by hands of someone who felt you special enough to take a moment to write to you? The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will make you want to forever put aside emails and texts and develop the lost long art of writing letters. Juliet, the main character in this book, is an author made famous by writing a weekly column about the war. She is desperately seeking something new to spark the writer’s block she is experiencing. Guernsey is that spark. Through letters from the most random people imaginable (and yet the most human and realistic), Juliet finds the need to set sail and discover something new. The thing that draws her: love of books. The letters they write are charming, full of truth, questions, flirtations, and the resilience of those who survived the occupation. I want to meet these people. Yes, I know these are fictional characters but who wouldn’t want to know the charming, determined Elizabeth who had the rare capacity to love, even a German soldier, or the quirky Isola who makes potions in her backyard and studies the bumps on someone’s head to determine their character.

I feel the need to add that the last 10 pages are not in letter format. They are things that the character Isola writes as she attempts to be a detective. There is a different feel to these pages, not a bad feel, just a little different. I was a bit sad that the big finale of the book wasn’t in letter format. I really wanted to hear direct from the characters mouths what was happening, not have it relayed to me by Isola. In the end, it does wrap everything up nicely so I can’t complain too much.

With that being said, I continually find myself drawn to this book, to sit down and read it in one day, to let myself believe that these fabulous people truly did exist. The Guernsey Islands are high on my list of foreign places to visit because I am quite sure that I will find traces of these characters somewhere on the island.

My rating: 5 Stars

To sum it up: A delightful book that will make you want to check your mailbox in hopes of finding a letter!