For Such a Time

For Such a Time by Kate Breslin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The bible story of Esther saving her people retold in a new way....Hadassah, a beautiful Jewish woman who looks Aryan, has been saved from immediate death by a high-ranking SS Kommandant to be stationed at Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia. Hadassah, who goes by the fake identity of Stella Muller, will be the Kommandant's new secretary at the transit camp. According to her Uncle Morty, who she finds at the camp barely alive, Hadassah will somehow save her people. But how can she do that when death dogs her every step?

Difficult to read of the suffering of many but beautifully written to align with the bible story of Esther and Mordecai...

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Keep Quiet

Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How far would you go to protect your child? How does the domino effect of lying affect the relationship with your spouse..your child..your job...

Jake Buckman, an accountant, is trying to rebuild a crumbling relationship with his 6'5" teenage son and high school basketball star, Ryan. After picking Ryan up from movie, Jake allows him to drive home a quiet, back road after 11pm, even though Ryan's learner's permit does not allow it. But, the unthinkable happens and in a heartbeat Jake makes a decision that will take the heat off Ryan but will mentally tear the family apart. It's crushing to read the thoughts and turmoil of what they face as each lie steamrolls, creating even more pain in its wake.....

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A Simple Christmas Wish

A Simple Christmas Wish by Melody Carlson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When the unthinkable happens, city girl Rachel Milligan must take her adorable seven-year-old niece to live with her Amish relatives in Ohio. But, Rachel can't bear to leave Holly with her new family who won't allow Holly to bring her toys and doll into their home. Fortunately a snow storm keeps her stranded at the Miller's farm, much to Holly's delight. Can Rachel turn away, leave the little girl, and head back to Chicago and her city ways?

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Trains and Lovers by Alexander McCall Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Working in a library for years I've checked in and out many of Alexander McCall Smith's series, never once reading them myself, although I knew they were beloved by many. So when I came across this little novel on our new shelf the cover and title drew me in along with my love of compartmentalized British trains. I had no idea that AMS could delve inside the human brain and remember all the little chatty details of our life. What a discovery! Trains and Lovers is the story of four ordinary people on a train journey from Edinburgh, Scotland to London, England. All but one have a story to share about love - lost love, first love, love without trust, and parental love. The fourth ponders on his fellow passenger's tales but keeps his own story to himself.

A very enjoyable quick read, gentle and witty, for followers of McCall Smith and people like me who are just discovering him. Favorite quotes: .. the story of four people, all strangers to one another, who met on that train, and of how love touched their lives in very different ways. Love is nothing out of the ordinary, even if we think it is; even if we idealise it, celebrate it in poetry, sentimentalise it in coy valentines. Love happens to just about everyone; it is like measles or the diseases of childhood; it is as predictable as the losing of milk teeth, or the breaking of a boy's voice. It may visit us at any time, in our youth but also when we are much older and believe we are beyond its reach; but we are not. It has been described as a toothache, a madness, a divine intoxication, metaphors that reflect the disturbing effect it has on our lives. It may bring surprise, joy, despair and occasionally perfect happiness. But for each person who is made happy by love, there will be many for whom it turns out to be cause for regret . . . The heart has more than its fair share of ghosts, and these ghosts may be love, in any of its many forms. There are many ways of falling off the high moral ground you’ve carefully built up for yourself. Moral ground is like that – slippery at the edges.

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Stealing the Preacher

Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Crockett Archer wants to preach and is on his way to interview for exactly that position when the train he is on is hijacked by masked bandits. When he finds that the only thing they are looking for is a preacher, Crockett lies but is soon found out, hands bound, and put astride a horse. The bandit's head honcho leads them through the woods and to a small ranch where his daughter, Joanna awaits, astounded to see that her father has brought her birthday wish and present - Preacher Crockett! Archer, however, is determined to get to his interview, even late, and to his dismay the small town church has already hired the other candidate. Sensing that someone larger than he is choosing his path, Crockett heads back to the bandit's ranch and Joanna's answer to prayer.

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And Then I Found You: A Novel

And Then I Found You: A Novel by Patti Callahan Henry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Katie hasn't loved another man since she kissed Jack Adams in the moonlight by the May River - at the time she was only 13. Fast forward to Kate, now 35 and trendy boutique owner, who panics when she discovers she will soon to be proposed to by her very patient boyfriend, Rowan Irving. But, Rowan doesn't know the secret that Kate has hidden since she was 22 - only her, Jack, and her family are aware of the deep, drowning sorrow that Kate carries. How can Kate move ahead with her life when her heart is set in the past...


Beautiful writing..

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Step of Faith

A Step of Faith by Richard Paul Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book four in the Walk series by Richard Paul Evans finds our character Alan Christoffersen, who was walking from the state of Washington to Florida, flying back to a medical center near his father’s home in Los Angeles for surgery on his recently found brain tumor. Fortunately, the tumor is found to be benign, and after spending weeks recuperating and against his father’s wishes, Alan flies back to St. Louis to continue his journey – meeting interesting and engaging people along the route. Walking provides an outlet for his jumbled, tortured thoughts and as he approaches the Florida state line, Alan realizes that he is ready to live and love again. But, he has to hold onto hope when a message is left on his cell reporting an emergency at home.

As Alan says, “For now Key West must wait. For the third time since I began, my walk has been delayed. In the beginning, I had considered these stops on my journey as interruptions - but I’m coming to understand that perhaps these detours are my journey. No matter how much I, or the rest of humanity wishes otherwise, life is not lived in smooth downhill expressways, but in the obscure, perilous trails and rocky back roads of life where we stumble and feel our way through the fog of the unknown. Life is not a sprint. It was never meant to be. It is just one step of faith after another.”


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The Way Home

The Way Home by Katherine Spencer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Katherine Spencer's Angel Island series are gentle reads - and companions to her Cape Light series. In this book Claire North, the inn's cook and Liza's right hand woman, takes a more prominent role. Jamie Carter, twenty and out of work, veers back into her life and Claire remembers the once little boy she almost adopted many years ago. Can Claire help Jamie set upon the right path or will Jamie once again stray and return to his old life back in Boston? At the same time Avery Bishop is excited about opening her new cafe, The Peregrine, on the busier side of the island. Avery finds out that her only competition is the Lazy Tuna, a happening, crazy burger joint that the island's visitors flock to in droves. How can her culinary expertise and fancy dishes compare to fish and chips?

A relaxing, inspirational read...and as Reverend Ben says, “…when people are trying to change their lives for the better, the road to becoming whole isn’t always a straight one. People tend to fall off the path now and then, or take wrong turns. Especially if they’ve been damaged, they can’t always make all the right choices.”

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Amandine

Amandine by Marlena De Blasi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tiny Almadine, born with a defective heart and a defective royal family, is left at a French convent in 1931. Also left with her is a large sum of money to ensure the silence of those who take care of Almadine. Solange is chosen to care for the infant and the entire Carmelite convent falls for the adorable Almandine, all except for Mater Paul. As Almadine grows older, more astute and more healthy, she enters the convent school but is shunned by her peers, until she wins them over by embarrassing Mater Paul. However when Almadine is almost murdered, Solange decides to leave the so called safety of the convent and take her to her own family home across war torn France. New friends called resistantes, enemies, and danger meet them at every point along the way.

A book full of sadness, hope, history, and the fragility of life...








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News from Heaven

News from Heaven: The Bakerton Stories by Jennifer Haigh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

News from Heaven returns to the once booming, coal mining town of Bakerton, PA and steps back into the lives of family members Haigh had written about in the Baker Towers. (an exceptional read)As with other small declining towns across America, Bakerton has yet to reinvent itself - the young are leaving or dreaming of leaving, the older unemployed are trying to hang on by the skin of their teeth, and the retired, those that aren't ill, are glad they made it this far but wondering what it would have been like if they left. Ten short stories are compiled into one book, all interrelated to each other - Haigh once again captures the allure and spirit of home and family, amidst depression and loss.

As with other readers, News from Heaven and Baker Towers, struck a chord with me - my once booming coal and ore mining town was a flurry with jobs locally and at nearby industrial plants that have now left for greener pastures. Our young people struggle to obtain work and earn a decent wage. At the middle of it all is family that bind us together...

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Summer Breeze

Summer Breeze by Nancy Thayer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Three women, with common quandaries, move to beautiful Dragonfly Lake, surrounded by woodland in the Berkshires. For Bella, it's just a move back home - it's where she grew up surrounded by family. Her Mom unfortunately fell from a ladder, breaking her leg, so Bella gave up her teaching job in Texas and hurried home to run her Mom's shop. Natalie is house-sitting for her aunt and hoping the quiet summer will help her return to the passion of painting. Morgan, a hazardous materials expert, and married to a brilliant young man climbing the ladder at Bio-Green Industries , at first is happy to stay home and care for their young son, Petey, only a year old. As the families get to know each other and connect on deeper levels, the summer moves on, old romances grow deeper and new love begins around the lovely old lake.

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Cowboy Christmas

Cowboy Christmas by Mary Connealy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Annette Talbot is a missionary back East with a voice like a songbird. When the low-life thieving Leveques take over the troupe, Annette is on the verge of being forced to singing bawdy songs and wearing clothing not fit for a lady. So Annette makes a run for her father's ranch in Wyoming - but it's been six years since she's even talked with her father. The Leveques know a money making scheme when they see one and off to Wyoming they follow - Claude Leveque wants his songbird and a card-dealing, gambling shack to boot.

Connealy's writing is a hoot, only two excerpts of many that make me giggle...

His beloved mother used guilt like she was pulling a Colt revolver. And the woman had become the fastest draw in Wyoming.

..."Ma was wounded and she's still very fragile and ailing. She needs peace and quiet.' Ruby Walker came charging out of some room upstairs. A door slammed hard and her feet thudded on the floor. She came down the stairs with the delicate finesse of a stampeding herd of longhorns skidded to a halt right beside beside Annette. Guard dog number two had arrived. And not looked wounded at all.


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The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


What an on the edge of your seat, dystopian page turner! I read this on my Kindle late at night and actually had a nightmare about it. My son woke me up wondering if I was trying to get away from someone!

Thomas can not remember the past, only his name. He is in a dark moving thing as it ascends. Above him doors seem to open and light comes flooding in, blinding his eyes. Other boys unknown to him, some younger, some older help him out and suddenly Thomas is surrounded and even more afraid. Where is he - what has happened to his memories? What is this place - the Glade - where walls move at "night" and terrifying things outside the walls, called Grievers, roam at will....

#2 The Scorch Trials
#3 The Death Cure





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A Wandering Heart

A Wandering Heart by Thomas Kinkade

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Book 3 in the series, An Angel Island Novel, is another sweet read by the team of Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer, where island folklore told of angels that helped a community of residents near death. Actress Charlotte Miller, who covers a world of past hurts with a beautiful smile, has come to the island to stay at the inn with a movie crew, all set to film her new and upcoming with co-star Nick Dempsey. When a rogue wave tumbles the troubled Charlotte into the ocean, it is fisherman Colin Doyle who jumps in and rescues her. As the two form a quick attachment, Charlotte knows that the attraction can not last and sadly breaks it off. Meanwhile, goat farmer and cheesemakers Audrey and Rob are having heartaches of their own - will they have to give up their beloved Gilroy Farm in order to move to Boston for fertility treatments....

The world lost a beloved artist on April 6 - the Painter of Light and author Kinkade passed away at his home.



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Christmas in Sugarcreek

Christmas in Sugarcreek: A Christmas Seasons of Sugarcreek Novel by Shelley Shepard Gray

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Ben Knox has only come back to Sugarcreek to sell his parents home and move on - at least that's what he keeps telling himself until he runs into Judith Graber. When Judith's father offers him a temporary position in the family store, Ben grabs it and finds himself working side by side with the lovely, responsible Judith everyday. Judith has everything that Ben ever wanted and never had - the important things like - a loving, big family, respect, honor, and a kindness that permeates to her very soul. Ben can't help falling in love with her, but realizes he has nothing to offer. Will Christmas work its many wonders on Ben and Judith?

A sweet little Amish Christmas novel, with several stories within the main story.....



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Out of Control

Out of Control by Mary Connealy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I don't know how Mary Connealy does it - but her books always make me giggle. The thoughts and dialog between the main characters are quite witty.



Rafe Kinkade has everything under control, especially since that fateful day when he and his two brothers were lost and hurt in the deep cave that runs under his Colorado ranch. When he forces himself to return to scene to make peace with his guilt, he hears screams echoing out of the hole and ends up saving a feisty, young woman named Julia Gilliland who had been looking for fossils. The story continues with Rafe and his brother Ethan returning Julia to her rundown cabin and family, hidden on the mountain. As Rafe and Julia spar with each other, you can see the sparks begin to ignite and more caving happening in their future.



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A Christmas Homecoming

A Christmas Homecoming: A Novel by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I relish Anne Perry's small Christmas novels - this being her ninth release. Her characters always include some of our favorites from her larger novels and I certainly feel like I've stepped back into Victorian times and feel the cold bleakness of winter in Whitby, York.

Caroline and her husband, Joshua, and his acting troupe arrive at the mansion of their benefactor barely ahead of the Christmas snowstorm that locks them down for days. Also arriving on the doorstep in the middle of the terrible storm is a pale, handsome man who strangely resembles one of the characters, Dracula, of the play adapted from Bram Stoker's new novel, that Joshua's group is to practice and perform. When this same man is found dead days later, from a sharpened broomstick driven through his heart, all who inhabit the snow-stormed manor are fearing for their lives. Can Caroline, playing amateur detective, put the clues together and solve the mystery?





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Home to Woefield

Home to Woefield: A Novel by Susan Juby

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Prudence, quirky city gal, remains super positive when she finds out her late uncle has left her a scrub farm up in Canada. Dreams of beautiful,organic vegetables and clean compost fill her thoughts. Somehow, Prudence sees past the aging derelict of a house, rock filled fields, and the one sheep, only half shaven. With a name like Woefield Farm, it's an uphill battle. She also finds the good in grouchy Earl, her late uncle's banjo playing, cynical foreman and the young neighbor, heavy metal and gossip blogger Seth, who moves in after his mother and new boyfriend kick him out. When 11 year old, too serious Sara and her Poultry Club prize-winning chickens are looking for attention and a home, Woefield Farm takes on another boarder.

Hilarious thoughts and actions take place! Language can be pretty crude and explicit in places.



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A Heart Divided

Heart Divided, A: Heart of the Rockies #1 by Kathleen Morgan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


There's a blood feud between the Caldwells and the Wainwrights over land in the Rockies - land bet and lost in a card game many years ago. Sarah, daughter of the Caldwells and Cord, son of the Wainwrights finally meet in a not so good, painful situation when Cord returns home to help take care of the family ranch and the feud worsens. When Cord puts Sarah under house arrest, anger and revenge turn into interest and attraction. As more and more cattle go missing on the Wainwright farm, more blood is shed and forgiveness seems very remote. How can Cord and Sarah's love remain true and faithful, while all the while their families plot to separate the two?






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The Emperor of Nihon-Ja

The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


One of my all time favs - The Ranger's Apprentice series crosses almost all ages - juvenile, teen, and adult readers. Again, my 15 year old and I fought over who was going to read it first. Hehehhh, I won! A nice, hefty size, the 10th and last book in the series finishes the story off nicely with several of our favorite characters getting together. Horace is visiting the land of Nihon-Ja, where he and the Emperor develop a close friendship. When the Emperor becomes threatened, Horace extends his stay and promises to protect his mentor - even at the risk of losing his life. Old and fast friends, Rangers Will & Halt, Diplomat Alyss, and Princess Evelyn and a boatload of Scandians travel across the many miles to assist their friend. Lots of exciting military battles and humor liven things up.



Can't wait until movies are made from the Ranger's Apprentice series.



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