Book Review: Last Light Over Carolina

Just finished reading Mary Alice Monroe's book, Last Light Over Carolina.  I picked this book up last month on a sale table in Borders.  The back cover blurb caught my eye.  I picked it up.  And I couldn't put it down.  For those of you who only read Christian fiction, this book may not be one for you.  I must say, though, I found it refreshing to read a "secular fiction book" that is not filled with horrible language and remains mostly wholesome.  Even more than wholesome, I loved how REAL the characters in this book became for me!

Monroe takes the reader on a trip to McClellanville, South Carolina.  This small coastal town once was a thriving port for fishermen and shrimpers.  The story focuses on Carolina Morrison and her husband, Bud, a shrimp boat owner and captain.  As we learn about how the shrimp industry was thriving, we also learn about the Morrison's marriage which had seen better days.

The story takes place in one day with plenty of flashbacks (spanning 30 years) to help us get a picture of how life used to be for the Morrisons and the citizens of the town.  These flashbacks also take us through the ups and downs of married life as Bud and Carolina remember stories and vignettes from the past.  Perhaps the strongest thread for me, though, is the persistent belief that "love is a light that never dies" and that everyone deserves a second chance.

I also love how Monroe weaves a hint of the spiritual struggles that often take place in our hearts and minds (despite our belief system) as we navigate marriage, love, and family.  One of my favorite parts is when Bud realizes that the question we all must ask ourselves is "Was I loved, and did I love in return?"  along with the most important lesson in life:  "Love has the power to forgive."

I was pleasantly surprised at how many personal connections I felt when I read this book!  I felt as if Carolina and I could have easily sat down over a cup of coffee (or, in my case, Diet Coke) and enjoyed a full day of conversation comparing notes on loving and family and perseverance.  Monroe does a great job developing all of the characters and reminding us of the important life lessons we all must learn at some point in time.  I love that!

Book Review: Choosing to SEE

I still remember the night of May 21, 2008 when we saw a breaking news report about a child of Steven Curtis Chapman being in critical condition after an accident at the family's home.  The next morning, our local Christian station further reported and talked about the tragedy that had taken place in this family.  The Chapman's youngest adopted daughter, Maria, had been hit by a car driven by one of her brothers in the driveway of their Tennessee home.

I was heartbroken for this family as the station DJ's continued to share the story from their perspective.  Then, they traveled to Tennessee for the funeral of this little girl.  And I found myself grieving even more for them yet moved at how many ways they acknowledged the hope that was theirs in Christ especially in the midst of tragedy.

Now and then more reports would run on the news stations.  Some months later I even saw the entire family appear on Larry King Live and recount their journey with much humility and faith.  I remember watching portions of that clip and hearing how each of the older kids and adults were healing from the tragedy.  I thought, "Wow!  I wonder what my response would be in the same situation?"

One of the neat glimpses of God that the Chapman's got was the day after the accident after pleading with God to "show us something tangible so we can know Maria's with You!  Let us SEE you in this!"  Shortly after this prayer, they were retracing Maria's steps around the house and her Dad found a piece of notebook paper with a picture of a six-petaled flower with a stem and two leaves.  One petal was colored in blue (her favorite color).  The center was orange.  And written on the other side of the paper, next to a picture of a butterfly, Maria had written the word SEE (a word she'd not written before).  The family believes this picture was like Maria speaking to them from heaven saying "SEE?  Can you SEE?  Everything is going to be all right.  I am here with Jesus.  I am fine.  Heaven is real, the gospel is true, you just have to SEE!"

Nearly two and a half years following the loss of Maria, Mary Beth has written their story.  She doesn't just recount this one tragic, yet ashes to beauty chapter, of their lives. She starts at the beginning of her marriage to Steven.  Through her back story you get to know that Mary Beth is as much a "normal" woman with ups, downs, highs, lows, plans, and dreams as any of the rest of us.  I loved this as it allowed me to connect on so many levels.

Mary Beth begins by sharing just how polar opposite she and Steven are....and I thought, "Oh sister, I hear you!"  They married young (though younger than DH and me).  They didn't have two nickels to rub together early in their marriage.  They had their children young (and somewhat close together).  Her two boys are similar in age span to my two.  And even later in life, their adoption stories, though different than the one we are having right now, still strike similar cords.

Over and over again in her story, she says that her family has been entrusted to be stewards of this story.  I thought that was an interesting perspective on the pain that befalls all of us at one time or another.  It's important for us to be stewards, take what is evil and redeem it for good.  In fact, I LOVED learning that there is a "Part B" to the "SEE" message in Maria's little drawing.  I don't want to share it here because I don't want to spoil it for you.  Suffice it to say that again and again the Chapmans have been allowed to SEE just how God is using their story--Maria's story--to change the world.

Whether you are an SCC fan or not and/or have experienced grief or not, this story is one that deserves a place in the "to-be-read" pile.  For me, it became a "to-be-devoured" as I finished in two days.  It truly is, as the book jacket suggests, "A Journey of Struggle and Hope".  I'm so glad Mary Beth Chapman invited us along on her journey!

Book Review: Redeeming Love

My first book of 2011 was a GREAT ONE!  Redeeming Love is an amazing retelling of the book of Hosea from the Bible written by Francine Rivers.  I purchased it a while back and it's been in the middle of a huge "to-be-read" pile.  DS 2 read it and  when he did, I moved it higher in my pile.  And I am SO GLAD it did!  I was riveted from page one!

Rivers resets the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea in California's gold country in the 1800's.  Her character's are named Michael and Angel.  Angel is a prostitute who is haunted by her past.  Her life was filled with betrayal after betrayal.  She was sold into prostitution by the age of 8 and is filled with hatred for life in general, but most especially for the men who used her.  

Then her life changes drastically.  She meets Michael Hosea who is called to marry her and to love her with unconditional love, which she totally rejects. Michael is so in tune with God's will and he pursues and eventually marries Angel.   He gives her love that she has never known before despite her vehement resistance and constant rejection.  

I love how Rivers shows that it's often multiple people's life examples that bring about changes in our own.  Michael and Angel meet some very special friends and family members who enter their lives and take key roles in ministering to Angel and helping her see that there is good in the world. I also love that she makes it very clear that healing is a process and very rarely happens overnight.  It is primarily Michael's unfailing and powerful agape love that reaches into her stone cold heart and life over and over again, that finally breaks through to her.  

The reviews of this book are simply amazing:  

Singer/Songwriter Amy Grant said:  “….the truth that ran through that story (Redeeming Love), absolutely took me to my knees. And I was a changed person when I finished reading that book.”  from an interview with Ted Koppel, ABC News 

Patsy Clairmont calls it "Spellbinding"  

Liz Curtis Higgs says it's the "Most powerful work of fiction you will ever read."  

I agree!  I found myself thinking about my own "skeletons"...of course, none are as painful as those Angel dealt with, still we all have them.  And again and again I found myself remembering that NOTHING absolutely NOTHING can separate us from God's love.  And most importantly not ONE PERSON is unredeemable!  

The story was easy to read and hard to put down!  And honestly, I found myself wanting to read "part II"!  I was happy, yet cautious, when I found out that this book is being made into a movie.  I have yet to go to a movie of a book I've loved and been satisfied.  Still, I'm glad because this is a story that is as relevant today as ever!

Book Review: Firstborn Series

OK it took me three years, but I finally picked up part II of the Baxter Family Drama series by Karen Kingsbury. Three years ago, I read her Redemption series during the summer.  I reviewed the first here and the others here  At the end of these first five books I mentioned that I was a bit "tired of the Baxters" and wanted to take a break.  I never dreamed my break would last so long, but it did.  I have now finished the second five book series entitled "Firstborn" where Kingsbury digs deeper into the Baxter family and their relationships.


In the first book, Fame, we find Hollywood star Dayne Matthews who made a huge discovery at the end of the Redemption series.  This book delves further into the Baxter family, but primarily focuses on his developing relationship with Bloomington, Indiana's Katy Hart.  Katy directs the Christian Kids Theater in their town and is offered a part in Dayne's upcoming film.

The book sets up the next four books as the reader learns that Dayne was adopted by a missionary couple and grew up in a boarding school overseas.  His adoptive parents lost their lives in a plane crash in Indonesia when Dayne was only eighteen.  This loss causes Dayne to question God and his Christian faith.  Katy establishes herself as a true friend who is unwavering in her faith even as she faces fame.

While she considers the opportunities Dayne and his agent want to give her, she quickly retreats to her quiet life when she is attacked by a rabid knife-wielding fan of Dayne's.  This seems to be just the reality check Katy needed as she reminds herself that the world Dayne lives in and hers are two very different places.

The second book in the series is Forgiven.  Dayne Matthews finds himself further questioning his faith in this book.  He even dabbles in other religions, namely Kabbalah.  Katy believes that her life has intersected with Dayne's only to convince him that he needs to give his life to God.

Dayne knows that he is the firstborn son of John and Elizabeth (now deceased) Baxter, but does not want to impose his life of fame upon the family.  He knows that a public life means that you could find yourself in the latest gossip magazine and/or chased by the paparazzi.

Back in Bloomington, Katy is forced to help the kids of the CKT deal with a sudden loss of two members.

It's obvious that Dayne and Katy are falling for each other, but both feel they will never be able to have a relationship since they come from such different worlds.

In the third book of the Firstborn series, John Baxter is in a desperate search to locate the son he and his deceased wife gave up before they married.  His daughter, Ashley, knows that she has another brother and continues to urge her Dad to find him at all costs.

I do love how the wisdom of Elizabeth Baxter still lives on through letters she wrote during their early marriage and child-rearing years.  Kingsbury does a nice job weaving Elizabeth's faith and love of family throughout the series.

Dayne Matthews is still trying to deal with the absence of his adoptive parents during his formative years.  He lives life in Hollywood at full throttle for a while and finds himself facing the possibility of being a parent with a fellow actress.  The actress drastically alters the future and Dayne is once again at a crossroads trying to come to grips with faith and God amidst tragedy.  Katy and an old friend from boarding school, help Dayne rediscover his faith.

Katy Hart finds herself back in Los Angeles as she has to testify at the trial of the fan who almost killed her.  She is once again hunted by the paparazzi as they go to great lengths to figure out who Dayne Matthew's "mystery woman" is.

Ashley Baxter continues to push the search for her brother.  She is adamant that the rest of her siblings deserve to know his identity and story.  Her father, John, who has developed a relationship with his first-born son is still keeping his identity a secret from her.

In this book, Dayne makes a life-changing decision as he is forced to decide what is really the most important thing in life.  Katy finds herself more in love with Dayne and further questioning just why their paths have crossed.

The final book in the Firstborn Series finds Dayne and Katy ready to take the next step in their relationship.  While Katy happily prepares for their future in Indiana and Dayne further develops his faith in LA, the rest of the Baxters each come to grips with their newly found brother differently.

Each family member is forced to deal with the fame of their brother via the gossip magazines and the paparazzi.  The most affected seems to be Luke, the only other Baxter son.  This book revisits Luke and Reagan, his wife a bit as they go through a rough patch in their young marriage.

It is also wrought with tragedy.  Dayne and Katy find themselves in the fight of a lifetime.  Ultimately, the Baxter family pulls together in a beautiful picture of service to help Dayne and Katie take the most important step in their relationship.

Admittedly, I found myself skimming some of the pages of books 2 - 4 in this series.  There are times that Kingsbury repeats the storyline and I would think, "Yes, I know!"  But I know that this is as much for the reader who may start in the middle rather than having the entire backstory on the Baxters, Dayne and Katy.

I even found myself thinking, once again, that I would not continue with the next series "Sunrise" quite yet.  I found myself quite tired of the paparazzi storyline.  Although, I can imagine that it is quite real for many people we would call "stars".   I like most of the storyline and find myself wishing the Baxters were my neighbors, too.  But I get tired of reading about them after a while.

Upon reading book 5, though, and having so many unanswered questions, I went right out and got book 1 of the Sunrise series!  I don't know how far I'll read in the series.  I'm going to go on a book-by-book basis.

All in all I find Kingsbury's writing easy to read and enjoyable. I like the way she writes Christians as "real people" with "real issues" most of the time. If you haven't reacquainted yourself with Bloomington, the Baxters, or Kingsbury's books, then you might want to give these a try!

Book Review: Mennonite in a Little Black Dress

{Note: To those who limit yourselves to only Christian fiction and/or nonfiction, this book may not be one you'd like to read.}

I have finished reading this little gem of a memoir that I picked up on a recent run through Target. The title caught my eye and the back cover blurb sealed the fate of the book to end up in my cart headed to the checkout line!

The back cover blurb reads:

Not long after Rhoda Janzen turned forty, her world turned upside down. It was bad enough that her husband of fifteen years left her for Bob, a guy he met on Gay.com, but that same week a car accident left her injured. Needing a place to rest and pick up the pieces of her life, Rhoda packed her bags, crossed the country, and returned to her quirky Mennonite family's home, where she was welcomed back with open arms and offbeat advice. (Rhoda's good-natured mother suggested she get over her heartbreak by dating her first cousin—he owned a tractor, see.)

Written with wry humor and huge personality—and tackling faith, love, family, and aging—Mennonite in a Little Black Dress is an immensely moving memoir of healing, certain to touch anyone who has ever had to look homeward in order to move ahead.

As I have shared in many of my book reviews, memoir is one of my favorite genres. I am drawn to it for some unknown reason. In this case, I could also add that I have an odd fascination with the Amish community and am thus also interested in hearing about the "break-off" group, the Mennonites. Jantzen notes that the Amish broke away from the Mennonites because they were too liberal. She writes, "A liberal Mennonite is an oxymoron if there ever was one."

The back cover is only a slightly pulled back curtain of the humor and truth that is found throughout this book. Here are some of my favorites:

Jantzen shares a bit about carrying lunch boxes to Elementary School filled with "Shame-Based Foods" (a phrase coined by she and her younger sister, Hannah). I'll not go into each of them, suffice it to say that Borscht is one, however. I laughed out loud, though when Rhoda writes about long-suffering complaints about her lunchpail. She notes that most children had Aquaman or Underdog on their pails. She secretly wished that a "Josie and the Pussycats lunchbox could have rescued her from the pit of uncoolness." She continues: "I figured that Josie and the Pussycats would magically make up for knee-length homemade skirts or the blonde tails braided with neurotic precision, like Heidi on crack." Instead Jantzen had to carry a navy vinyl bag with a long strap, which she asserts was a diaper bag. She claims this experience explains her interest in Prada today!

Throughout the book Jantzen shares her Mother with the reader. The New York Times Book Reviewer notes that Jantzen's mother, Mary, welcomes her divorced, broken-boned, nonreligious, academic daughter back with open arms, without judgment, castigation or undue coddling. She sings endless songs, each odder and funnier than the last, fills a freezer with mini-jars of strawberry jam to take to the elderly and suggests calmly, in line one day at Circuit City, that Janzen should marry her cousin Waldemar, who it happens is also a professor. (“Wally is my first cousin,” Janzen reminds her. “That’s both incestuous and illegal.” The women then engage in a conversation about the relative merits of marrying a pothead versus a man with a tractor.)" This is a lady I would love to meet. Shoot I'd love to taste some of her homemade jelly (in the little jars)!

I loved her response when Rhoda asked her Mother about whether she thinks it odd that her sons seem more conservative than she and Jantzen's father. Her Mom replies: "Oh, they'll mellow over time. When you're young, faith is often a matter of rules. When you should do and shouldn't do, that kind of thing. but as you get older, you realize that faith is really a matter of relationship--with God, with the people around you, with the members of your community." And to that, this reader would shout a hearty "AMEN!"

This book is by no means a "faith-based" memoir. It does not hint of Jantzen's glorious return to the faith of her father/mother. Jantzen even applied for seminary at one point in her academic career. Instead it's a gentle story of love and acceptance for her journey. She's raw. She's honest. I like that.

I love Jantzen's recollection of a phone conversation with her friend Alba shortly after her OCD husband left her. She was returning a bottle of olive oil to its place in the kitchen and had to replace it with the front facing sideways. She found herself reaching over to straighten the bottle and make it match the other bottles near it. She writes, "Personally, I didn't care whether the front of the bottle was ninety degrees skewed. It was Nick who would have cared. And Nick wasn't there. I experimentally turned the bottle sideways again, to see how it felt to defy my husband's rage for order. Then I stared at the sideways bottle in brief but silent agitation." This is when she realizes that "Fifteen years [of marriage] cannot be rotated a quarter-turn to the left, just like that."

This book is well worth the time to read it. I have to be honest, though, Jantzen uses a rich vocabulary that occasionally gave me pause. In fact, while writing this review my husband came out to see if I was "looking up word meanings." I had reported to him earlier that I felt as though there were times I needed a dictionary by my side to really read and comprehend. Despite stretching my vocabulary, this book is beautifully written, very funny, and simply enjoyable from cover to cover!

Book Review: Laughing in the Dark

Almost one month ago, I went with my friends to hear Chonda Pierce. Chonda is a Christian comedian who has shared her story in many different venues over the year. She is currently working on a project in LA where they will be putting her material on regular TV. She can make you laugh one minute and cry your eyes out the next.

While there, I was moved to pick up her book, Laughing in the Dark which recounts her breakdown and battle with depression.

I was reading along page to page thinking how cool it is that Chonda has overcome so much "junk" and that she's forward enough to share her story with others, when I was nailed between the eyes with a part that made me squirm. Really squirm.

Chonda is writing about seeing a psychiatrist to revisit her meds. She is literally in the middle of the entire diagnosis and treatment period when this happens. The doctor starts to ask her about her work schedule. Chonda tells him that she's off work right now, but mentions that she just finished an 85-city tour (in 8 months) with Women of Faith. And that she is helping care for her Mother who had just suffered a broken back. And that she is finishing up a book. And a DVD. And...and...and.

Chonda's question back to the doctor was: "Do you think I'm bipolar?" He went on to explain that she needed to strike balance especially with the "mania of her job and the reality of normal life." Balance.

Her counselor also addressed the need for balance. She told Chonda that part of her treatment is to spend about three hours a day doing nothing. Nothing. Nada. Not an email. Not a crossword puzzle. Not TV. Not cleaning. Not a phone call. Nothing.

Both the doctor and the counselor knew that Chonda needed to realize that her worth is not dependent who she is/what she does and/or the approval of those around her. I actually found myself squirming while I read this. Not that I think I am as busy as Chonda Pierce. I'm not. But I definitely wrestle with balance and those moments of sheer exhaustion. And honestly, sometimes I'm not sure I could go three minutes doing nothing--much less three hours!

I read on as Chonda peeled back the layers of her own life for her readers. I know she still struggles with the puzzle that is her life. But she also recognizes that God, himself, is the "master puzzler". And Chonda is choosing to trust him for every step she takes.

Whether you've ever dealt with depression or not, this book is a great read. Chonda's story is one of survival and victory. Hers is one of finding light in the darkness. It's one of healing. And hope. Even if you squirm while reading it...it's worth it!

Book Review: All Over but the Shoutin'

I finished. Finally. This book I started reading during a cold February visit with my son to our local skate park is finally over for me.

I don't know why it has taken this long to finish. It is, after all, my favorite genre: memoir. It is well-written. It even has the underdog makes good storyline that draws me to it. It's not the words, the writing, it's me I suppose. Life happens at times in waves that are quite consuming. Such has been my life these past months. Something had to give. Generally, when that happens, it's the reader that has to go.

Slowly, I've been able to pick it back up and make my way through Rick Bragg's autobiography, "All Over but the Shoutin'". Bragg, a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter for The New York Times weaves a story that is rich and well-told. It is his story. And it is beautiful.

Bragg was raised in deep south Alabama during the 60's and 70's. He and his brothers (one older and one younger) are raised by a single Mother after their alcoholic father left them, again. This woman went without new clothes, food, and even teeth. She worked the cotton fields and ironed and folded laundry all day so that her children wouldn't be raised on nothing. She gave all she had and then some to help provide for her boys.

One reviewer writes:

"All Over But the Shoutin’ is a book that, on every page, reminds you of someone you know and love—or at the very least, somebody you heard about at the dinner table. Rick Bragg may be telling the story of his momma and his brothers and his daddy and his grandmother, but it’s a story you’ll swear you have heard before. It’s just that Rick Bragg tells it so much better...

Over his career, Bragg has written about sports for his local newspaper, first-hand accounts of the Susan Smith trial, and war stories from Haiti, to name a few. Interwoven into a mosaic of world news, Op Ed pieces and true confessions is his family’s personal history. Rick Bragg’s people become yours, and All Over But the Shoutin’ becomes a book you don’t dare put down.

Bragg claims to have written this book for his mother and for all the other dirt-poor people whose stories won’t ever be written and might not be remembered. But I suspect those of us with roots in the South will read it and remember a grandmother like his who listened to fiddle music on the radio or a brother who rode a motorcycle barefooted and fast....

At the end of the book, when Bragg’s paid cash for a new house for his mother and remembered the times his grandmother comforted him in the dark of the night, you know All Over But the Shoutin’ is the kind of book you won’t soon forget. You’ll want to tell your friends about it and ask your grandmother for family stories.

Then you’ll wish you had Rick Bragg to write it all down."

As always, I was drawn to the "faith thread" that runs through Bragg's pages. He tells of the faith of his Mother, neighbors, and kinfolk. Bragg wrestles with it, though and makes no bones about it. He's tried to find it and latch on to it at several points in his formative years, yet he remains somewhat unsure about it. He describes the faith of his family:

...Faith is a part of my momma's life, and because my own struggle to understand, to believe, to accept, consumed so much of my childhood. that faith, that believe made the unbearable somehow bearable for her and the loneliness less. I am descended from a people who know there is a God with the same certainty that they know walking into a river will get them wet.

I was also moved by the stories of education (or non-education) in Bragg's memoir. It is very clear that the class system was alive and well in the halls of the schools the boys attended:

The principal and teachers, when they recognized who we were, where we ranked, told Sam [Rick's older brother] that he could sweep the narrow halls, clean the bathrooms and shovel coal into the school's furnace, to earn his free lunch. He took out the trash and burned it and unclogged the toilet. They never bothered to teach him to read very well; he learned that on his own. They never bothered to tell him about the world outside his narrow, limited one. They forgot to show him maps of the universe or share the secrets of history, biology. As other students behind the classroom doors read about empires, wars and kings, he waxed the gymnasium floor.

This breaks my "teacher heart". Especially when I think that this really would have been considered "modern education".

Although it took me months to finish, I suspect that for many this is a "can't-put-it-down" book. Many times in the first half I found myself almost chewing on Bragg's richly crafted sentences. I confess to wondering if he had to write some of it one sentence at a time to build in such rich language and visual images. No matter if he writes and rewrites or if it simply flows out of his pen with such eloquence, this story is a treat for the reader. In an odd sort of way, I'm glad I savored it.

Three Book Reviews:

My reading life went on a downward spiral in the second half of 2009. I finished a few books. I even have some read that I didn't review...but, for the most part, it stalled. I could give a thousand reasons why, but it wouldn't really matter. What does matter is that I totally miss getting "lost" in a book on a regular basis. My goal is to pick up my pace and actually start taking the time to do this more often.


I also miss writing my book reviews. I like recording what I read. It shows, in so many ways, who I am. I have now finished three books since January and decided to get back in the swing of things, I'd review them here.

First up is Nothing But Trouble by Susan May Warren. This is the first in a Christian Fiction series about PJ Sugar. She is a young woman who has spent ten years after high school graduation moving around the country hoping to avoid the disaster that she thinks defines her life.


When her sister calls and says that she needs her to come home for her wedding and honeymoon to watch her four-year-old nephew, PJ is reluctant. Still she comes to her sister's aid and is forced to face some of her past. First is her Mother, but the most difficult is her former high school sweetheart, Boone Buckham. Boone is now a police officer in their small town of Kellogg, Minnesota.


PJ's plan to only stay a short time is put on hold when her best friend's husband is arrested for the murder of their former high school teacher. PJ springs into action and unearths some inner "private investigator"! Throughout this book is the important lesson that despite our flaws, we are all important and flawless to God.


I enjoyed this book and was thrilled to hear that book 2, Double Trouble, is now available! It was an enjoyable read with plenty of humor and suspense woven together.

My next read was the fourth book in the Sisters, Ink series by Rebecca Seitz. This is also a Christian Fiction series that centers around the Sinclair sisters, their husbands, and their Father and new Stepmother. These four sisters love scrapbooking together.



I won the first book back in March 2008. I was immediately drawn to the Sinclair sisters on many levels. Their Daddy is a preacher who lost his wife to cancer. They live in a small town in Tennessee (one of my favorite places). They are all adopted to the Sinclairs and are from four different ethnic backgrounds...yet they are bound to each other as only siblings can be.



Perfect Piece is the story of Meg, the sibling who is most like their Momma. Early in the story, Meg collapses with a brain tumor. Surgery removes the tumor, but what ensues is the recovery from this type of surgery. Meg, and the family, are forced to deal with severe dpression, mood swings, anger and bitterness. She goes from being a "glass half full" to a "glass half empty" girl. It's very hard for all of them to handle...most of all, Meg's husband Jamison. He misses the person with whom he fell in love.



As with the first three novels, this book also has a faith thread woven throughout. I love the fact that Seitz keeps it real and is not overbearing with it. These are everyday people struggling with everyday problems.

If you choose to pick up this series, I highly recommend reading it in order. The stories definitely build on each other. Honestly, I am going to miss this family! As I reached the final pages in this novel, I was a bit sad to see it end.


Finally, I veered away from Christian Fiction to read one of my favorite Secular Fiction writers, Nicholas Sparks. It's been a while since I've picked up any of Sparks' books. It's not because I don't thoroughly enjoy them, but because I know they will evoke some deep emotions while I am reading.

Since I never know whether he's going to have a happy or sad ending, I sometimes choose not to begin! I've been known to lay on my couch reading with tears streaming down my face. I don't always mind that, just have to be in the right mood for it!

The Choice is the love story of Travis Parker and Gabby Holland. It takes place in the small shore town of Beaufort, North Carolina. The story moves from the present, February 2007 where Parker is bringing flowers to his wife who "he has not spoken to". He quickly flashes back 11 years and recounts the story of how they met and fell in love. Here's a synopsis from Barnes and Noble:

Sometimes, we make choices we didn't choose to make. Travis Parker, for
example, wasn't looking for a relationship; from his perspective, his life was
pretty close to perfect. And new neighbor Gabby Holland wasn't exactly dating
material. This attractive redhead had a longtime steady boyfriend and treated
Travis like an unwanted guest. But the unexpected can reshape our lives,
shredding every well-laid plan into wedding confetti... Another masterfully
nuanced relationship novel from Nicholas Sparks.

I agree. The writer quickly brings us back to the present-day as Travis Parker is forced to answer the question, "How far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?" I am choosing to leave a more detailed review for this part of the book as I think it would just give away too much of the story. Finally, the epilogue does a nice job of bringing closure to this story.

I won't say I didn't go on the emotional roller coaster with this book. I found it hard to put down. There were moments where I was forced to think about my own ethical choices and wondered what choice I would make in Travis' situation. The truth is, I don't know. But, I DO know that in the end, it's LOVE that often helps us make our decisions!

There you have it...my first three completed books from 2010! I'm still thinking about strolling through some of the classics. I may hold that off till Summer...we'll see.

Tuesday Tid-bits

I know it's Tuesday, but we had yesterday off, so it feels like Monday to me. It was so beautiful outside yesterday, but I didn't really get OUT. I did, however, enjoy the sunshine streaming through my windows.

Here are a few of the thoughts rolling around my head:

--I found myself really thinking about the blessing of being in a marriage that has lasted so long. We talked a bit on Sunday about how long marriages are a reflection of God's love for people. I believe that. And when I really think that I am IN one of those long marriages, it blesses me.

--My DS 3 took a 29 mile bike ride yesterday. He is really enjoying exploring and discovering new places on his bike. And he's getting quite fit in the process. It's fun to watch him do new things.

--His first track meet is this week. He's pole vaulting again and working quite hard at it. I can't wait to go see it!

--I lost a notebook that has some very important paperwork for school. It has me a bit frustrated, but I'm hopeful I'll find it in the next few days. Otherwise, I'm going to have to "fess up" to someone here at school.

--Tonight is class 7 of our ten week foster/adoption class. I am not going to lie, I'll be quite glad when I can have my Tuesday nights back again!

--I am thinking seriously about making a commitment to read some of the "classics" (books) that I have never read. The problem is, I don't really want to add one more "to-do" to my list. Instead, I think I'll consider it a journey that I'm going to take...that way there's no deadline to meet.

Well, that's all from my head right now. Hope you're all having a wonderful week so far.

Book Review: Shelter Me

(Note: For those of you who choose to read Christian fiction, this book is a secular fiction book.)

I picked "shelter me" by Juliette Fay up while browsing for some light "end-of-summer" reading a few weeks ago. I think the cover is what first attracted me. It just screamed "warmth" and "read me" right at me! When I read the back cover blurb, I was further attracted by these words:
Four months after her husband's death, Janie LaMarche remains undone by grief and anger. Her mourning is disrupted, however, by the unexpected arrival of a builder with a contract to add a porch onto her house. Stunned, Janie realizes the porch was meant to be a surprise from her husband—now his last gift to her. ... As the porch takes shape, Janie discovers that the unknowable terrain of the future is best navigated with the help of others—even those we least expect to call on, much less learn to love.

The entire story is woven around this porch being built right in the middle of Janie's struggle to put her life back together. It is a beautiful story with raw emotion woven throughout. Janie seems to go through the steps that most grieving people do. She is at times angry and other times completely down. But she continues to try to make her way back to some sense of normalcy for herself and her children.

Little does she know that the porch, and the porch builder, are going to be so pivotal to her restoration. She also receives help from some other unlikely places: her priest befriends her and helps her start to get in touch with her response to her circumstances, her busy-body Aunt Jude forces her to come work in a homeless shelter/soup kitchen and Janie finds herself receiving when she's giving to these needy people, and the person that drove the car that hit her husband also contributes to Janie's road to healing.

At one point, she ends up alone with Tug (the porch builder) and she's quite miffed that her family was part of the plot to send them out alone after Thanksgiving dinner. I love the way the author describes the moment they leave the family gathering:

Out on Route 27, Tug inhaled and heaved a great sigh. The sound of his relief pulled her out of herself and away from stewing about the humiliation she'd suffered. Or might have suffered. Maybe. "Anger is so easy," she realized. "It's being scared that's hard." And if she were to heave her own great big sigh of relief, she knew it would be fear she exhaled, not rage.

Another picture I love is when Janie finds herself talking with Malcolm, a homeless man from the shelter. He is withdrawn and despondent one day and Janie goes to speak with him. She finds out that he has lost his sister. Here's a snippet of their exchange:

"Oh Malcolm," said Janie. "I am so sorry."
He handed her the cigarette and she took another puff. "Yeah," he said, "All's I keep thinking is, 'Now what?' Isn't that stupidest thing? I can't figure out what to do next. Like there is something, but I just don't know what."

Janie nodded. She stared out across the parking lot. He smelled like booze and pee and smoke and the most incredibly rancid body odor. But she didn't even care. "Now what?" she thought. "What other question is there?"

Janie's character is real and raw. The author captures this emotion again and again throughout the story. Janie is also forced to deal with the concept of forgiveness. While journaling one night she notes:

The more I think about it....the more I'm not even sure I really know what forgiveness is. Is it some big cosmic do-over? Like no harm, no foul? But there was harm--big hairy, serious harm. Robby doesn't get a do-over, and neither do I or the kids. Things are broken now that can't be fixed. How come the other guy gets a Get Out of Jail Free card?

As I said, this book primarily shows a very human response to a horrible tragedy. While there are snippets of faith throughout the book, it's not central. Janie has quite the language sometimes. The love story also gets somewhat graphic at points--but no more so than a PG-13 movie might. I kind of like that.

Of course, the faith side of me is saddened that this element is mostly missing from Janie's life. Hers is more an obligatory attendance at her family's Catholic church. But that's real life for so many people.

I like the fact that Fay is able to tell a story that is warm and inviting and emotion-packed without going too far or too explicity for my reading enjoyment. I appreciate the way she seems to use the character to figure out her own thoughts and beliefs on love, justice, mercy, and forgiveness. I found the book enjoyable and one I'd pass along.

Book Review: Best Friends Forever

( Important Note: I know that many of you solely read Christian fiction. If that is the case for you, this book may not be appropriate for you to read.)

I wanted a "new read" when I was at the store last week. I don't know why.

I have PLENTY on my night stand to keep me busy for a while, but nothing there was calling my name. So, while browsing the book aisles at Target, this book jumped out at me. I don't know if it was the crisp clean cover. The fact that it's about a subject that I care about deeply. Or maybe it was some other hidden force that put the book in my hands.

Still, I'm glad it ended up in my cart and moved its way to the top of my "to be read" pile!

The book tells the story of Addie Downs and Valerie Adler. They were best friends from the time Valerie moved across the street from the Downs at the age of nine. As it is with life, however, they are swept apart as they age.

On the eve of their fifteen year class reunion, things change.

Valerie, a successful weather reporter from the local news station, shows up on Addie's doorstep. Valerie announces to Addie (who did not attend the class reunion), "Something horrible has happened and you're the only one who can help."

And the adventure begins. The book is a modern day fairy tale complete with a "Thelma and Louise" flavor! It is funny. It is raw at times. It deals with such real-life themes as: betrayal, loyalty, family history, and small-town life.

If it were a movie, it would definitely be PG-13. There are, at times, mature themes and situations in the pages. Typical high school issues like bullying, jealousy, cliques, and popularity are addressed. But so is date rape. I found it a fun read, though, as it primarily draws the rediscovery of a very special friendship that has never really died.

On a side note: I went to author Jennifer Weiner's website and LOVED her FAQ's as well as her hints for people who want to be writers. (Again, no faith-base here. Just raw real glimpses into a very cut-throat world.) It made me laugh out loud as I read it. In fact, I thought to myself: "I'd like to meet this woman." Lo and behold at the bottom of her very long list of FAQ's she responds to this very question in this way:

I haven’t written a novel, and I don’t have an idea
for one, but you seem really cool, so maybe we could get together and have coffee! I am not really cool. I am not cool at all. In person, I am incredibly boring. My conversational topics are almost entirely limited to reality television, and how I don’t like old people. I rarely manage to look even a tenth as good as I do in my author photo. My table manners are iffy. Many days I don’t even comb my hair, and when I’m not writing I’m usually pushing a stroller and have applesauce smeared somewhere on my person, so in the interests of not having you be disappointed by the real deal, I am going to respectfully decline. But thanks! And please come to one of my readings, where nine times out of ten my hair is combed

Book Review: Scrapping Plans

This is the third book in the Sisters, Ink series by Rebecca Seitz. Seitz writes about four sisters who enjoy scrapbooking together. I won the first book back in March 2008. I was immediately drawn to the Sinclair sisters on many levels. Their Daddy is a preacher who lost his wife to cancer. They live in a small town in Tennessee (one of my favorite places). They are all adopted to the Sinclairs and are from four different ethnic backgrounds...yet they are bound to each other as only siblings can be.

Each of the first three books has centered around one of the sisters. In book one, Tandy deals with her past as she is forced to reconnect with Clay Kelner (her high school sweetheart). The second book centers around Kendra who also deals with the past and betrayal in very real and powerful ways.

This book, Scrapping Plans, centers around Joy, the youngest and quietest of the Sinclair sisters. She is a perfectionist by all accounts. A woman who strives for and achieves Martha Stewart status in so many ways. However, Joy, who was adopted from China, has one burning desire: to be a mother.

This is the story of the very real struggle of infertility for a young couple. Joy feels overshadowed in many ways as the family plans for Kendra's wedding and deals with their father's new romance with Zelda. As with so many women, the struggle, does present itself in other ways. The sisters, as always, come together and support their sister--often through "scrapping nights" in their Mother's old scrapbooking studio (which sounds like a DREAM to me).

As with the other two books, there is a "faith thread" throughout the story. I love that it is not overbearing and so heavy that these ladies don't appear "real". The books are good little "escape reads" targeted toward women.

I'll be honest, though, I know people who struggled with infertility for YEARS. So, if that's a woman's struggle, I am not sure this is the book for her as it almost seems to resolve too easily. I can see where someone in those shoes might resent that. Seitz does remind the reader that most people DO struggle for years before (and even IF) they have a viable pregnancy.

Still, I enjoy this family! My understanding is that book 4 in this series will be published this month. I'll be watching for it!

Book Review: My Sister's Keeper

A few weeks ago, some friends from work were commenting that they'd read this book, My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult. Then I found out that it was a movie. I decided to add it to my summer reading list. For those of you who read primarily Christian fiction, this is not that kind of book. It is, however, a book that left me pondering the choices I would make, and reactions I would have, given the same situation.

I have never read any of Piccoult's work, but I've heard good things about it. She is quite a writer! Her use of simile and metaphor caused me to stop and think on more than one occasion.

This is the story of the Fitzgerald family. Brian and Sara have three children: Jesse, Kate, and Anna. Kate, who has leukemia, was diagnosed at the age of two. Anna was genetically conceived to be a donor match for her sister.

Now, at the age of 13, Anna has hired attorney Campbell Alexander to medically emancipate herself from her family. Campbell, though reluctant, takes on this case pro bono.

I love this description from the back cover: A provocative novel that raises some important ethical issues, My Sister's Keeper is the story of one family's struggle for survival at all human costs and a stunning moral parable for all time. It's true.

This book has an ending that will shock the reader! In fact, in an interview with Piccoult recorded in the back of my copy, she admits that her own twelve-year-old read the book. When he finished it, he was weeping on the couch. She said he wouldn't even talk to her for a while! When they finally did sit down to discuss it, he asked "Why? Why did it have to end like that?" Piccoult tells him this is not an easy book and has no easy answers.

Piccoult does an amazing job of getting inside each character's thoughts and feelings while facing a very difficult and grueling situation. Each one is faced with some serious soul-searching. And each one emerges different at the end of the book.

Very rarely do I say a book is a "must read"...and this is no different. I will say, though, that for me, this book just may be a "read it again" book!

Summer Time Reading Continues

To say my blogging has been slack would be a serious understatement! I've thought about deleting it all together. I've wondered what I should do with it. Try as I may, though, I cannot just "do away with it". I don't know where it will go in the future, so I will take it one day at a time. One blog post at a time.

I thought I'd start with what I know I love to talk about--and have neglected so much the first 6 months of this year--BOOKS! I have finished two books recently that I want to share:

The first is written in my favorite genre: memoir/biography. It is Michael J. Fox's Lucky Man. This book is his story. It begins in a Gainesville hotel during the shooting of a movie, with the story of the "twitching pinkie" where Michael first really remembers noticing something was "off" about his body. Then it rambles back into his childhood to explain to the reader from "whence he came".

Fox paints a great picture of his journey into show-biz and some of the lessons he's learned along the way. Then, he poignantly tells about his inner struggle and physical battle as he is learning to live with the dreaded Parkinson's disease.

I loved Fox when he was Alex P. Keaton on the show Family Ties. I have enjoyed his performances in several movies and always found him quite interesting. For that reason, even when the book made twists and turns that were hard for me to follow, I pressed on. And I'm glad I did. His story is a powerful one.

My second "summer read" is a fiction story by Karen White called The Memory of Water. This book is the fictional story of Marnie and Diana Maitland who experienced a childhood tragedy on the South Carolina shore. Here is a bit of the back cover:

On the night their mother drowns, sisters Marnie and Diana Maitland discover there is more than one kind of death. There is the death of innocence, of love, and of hope. Each sister harbors a secret about that night-secrets that will erode their lives as they grow into adulthood.

After ten years of silence between the sisters, Marnie is called back to the South Carolina Lowcountry by Diana's ex-husband, Quinn. His young son has returned from a sailing trip with his emotionally unstable mother, and he is refusing to speak. In order to help the traumatized boy, Marnie must reopen old wounds and bring the darkest memories of their past to the surface. And she must confront Diana, before they all go under.

The story is one of sorrow and loss. It gives great detail what it is like living with someone who has been diagnosed manic/depressive or bipolar. White paints a beautiful picture of love despite this cloud that surrounds this family. The book is written in first-person narrative from each of the four main character's perspectives. I love that. And the ending caught me totally by surprise!

Both of these books were enjoyable for me. While I wouldn't call them "must reads", I'd say they are "worth it" reads if you choose to do so. Now I'm off to find my next book and to read some of your blogs. I've got a lot of catching up to d!

A Confession and a Book Review

I've felt the guilt for months now.  Yesterday, my blogging friend Marilyn helped me realize it's time to come clean.  If you've read this blog for any time at all, then you know that I love to read and write book reviews to share with you.  For the past two years, my reading has been pretty consistent.  I reviewed 23 books in 2007 and 21 in 2008.  

I know some of you read much MORE than that.   I read quite a bit professionally in my line of work that I don't share here.  Still, my pleasure reading has fallen WAY down so far this year.  After finishing the Twilight series in December, it took me until NOW to finish a book!  I have t

hree more that I am in the midst of reading...with no idea when I'll get them finished.  

Anyway, at jury duty last week, I FINALLY completed my first book of the year, Finding Home by Jim Daly.  So, I say "better late than never" and thanks, Marilyn, for the swift kick in the rear!  

Jim Daly is currently the President of Focus on the Family ministries.  This book is HIS story.  Jim was born into a family that could have been the poster family for dysfunctional.  Here's a snippet of Publisher's Weekly's review:  

Daly's childhood family sorely needed focus: the last of five children born to aging alcoholics, young Jimmy experienced his father's abandonment, his stepfather's rages, his mother's death and several years with a gloriously insane foster family living next to their own personal garbage dump. He apparently avoided beatings and sexual abuse, though his chirpy coauthor rarely plumbs the depths of Daly's probable anguish. Rather than looking inward, the young adolescent developed a pragmatic philosophy of survival: "Keep your expectations low. That way you don't get hurt." 

And the list goes on.  He really had no faith background to speak of.  As a child, Jim lived in the projects with his single mother.  He witnessed a murder outside his bedroom window.   He was not permitted to visit his mother while she lay on her death bed due to his controlling stepfather.  Later, as a foster child, he was approached by an older foster brother with sexual intentions.  By God's grace, there was intervention for him in that situation.  

It almost seemed surreal when I read the book.  I kept asking myself, "HOW could one man experience so much heartache and despair, yet turn into the president of Focus?"  Jim does take the time to answer this question towards the end of his book.  Still, I think it's no less than a miracle.  With all of his experiences, statistics show he should be in prison or on the streets today.  It's evident, though, that God pursued Jim through all those years.  

This book should NEVER take anyone four months to read!  While reading, I was reminded again and again that every choice we make impacts someone else.  Some greater than others.  And, honestly, I found myself questioning some of the choices made by Jim's "family".  In some cases, like when they went to foster care, I wondered WHY?  He had an adult brother at that point. There were "nice family friends" in the suburbs that might have taken them in...or at least found better help for these kids.  Then, I wondered how many times I've had the chance to be someone's hope and yet turned my head.  

Jim's story is a great story of perseverance and hope.  It is in my favorite genre: biography.  And it reminds us that there are still people right in our own neighborhoods that need us to be avenues of hope and help in their time of need.  Most of all, though, it is a powerful picture that tells us our circumstances don't have to define the person we become.  That, ultimately, can and should be defined by God, our protector and creator who is there pursuing us with his grace even when we don't know or understand it.  I don't know a better (or more awesome) message than that!  

Book Review: Eclipse and Breaking Dawn

One thing I have enjoyed a great deal over the past two years is sharing my reading life with the blogging world. Today I spent a great deal of time going back and fixing broken pictures from my 2007 Reading List. I also finished reading book 4 in the Twilight Series. When I started trying to close out my 2008 Reading List, I noticed that I have not reviewed the last two books in this series. I suppose it's because I read them back to back in the midst of all the holiday hoopla. So, in order to take care of all "unfinished business" from 2008, here are my reviews:


Eclipse is the third book in Stephenie Meyer's now famous Twilight Series. It continues the story of Edward Cullen, the handsome, extraordinary vampire and Bella Swan, the human high school senior. In this portion of the series, Bella is once again torn between her love for Edward and deep friendship with Jacob.


It is clear with this book that you must have read the first two to understand. Meyer does not spend a lot of time with backstory in her narrative.


Again and again Bella is forced to confront her choice of whether or not to maintain her relationship with Edward (and eventually become a Vampire). She knows it means she will have to give up a great deal...and quite possibly Jacob's friendship as well.


I think one of my favorite parts is when the Vampires and the Werewolves actually work together to overcome a group of young vampires who are set on killing Bella. It's the love of this woman that helps the opposing sides come together as one and break "history" so-to-speak.

I found this book, like the first two, a page turner. It took me very little time to read and I was "hooked" from the first page. I have read several reviews and know that some people fault Meyer with too much teenage angst in the pages. Since that is har target audience, I think it's perfect. And, for me, it just seemed "real" in an odd sort of way.



There was no break in time from reading Eclipse to moving into Breaking Dawn for me. People kept telling me, "It's the best one yet." I did have a moment of "stuttering" at the beginning because I thought that the outcome might go totally against what I wanted to see.


Some other readers assured me that it has a "happy ending"...so I pressed on. And they were right. It had a great ending.


This book begins with the wedding of Edward and Bella (a condition of Edward's before Bella can become "changed"). But it also deals with the treaty between the Quilete werewolves and the Cullens. The treaty agrees that no other human will be "changed" or used as food, in Forks or La Push and they will co-exist in harmony.


The tension grows as Bella is figuring out how and when and IF to "change". Of course, Jacob, her ever-loyal werewolf best friend is there each step of the way (OK MOST steps of the way). This continues to paint the triangle that exists between these three (Bella, Edward, and Jacob). But, Jacob realizes that he loves Bella too much to cut all his ties with her.


In the end, it's true love that pushes past all the laws, and rules, and rituals, and histories to paint a new picture of this fantasy world. I loved reading these books and found them hard to put down. I am happy, however, to move to something else to start my 2009 Reading List.


Let's just say, like Bella and Edward and Jacob: "I'm Satisfied!"


{Note: As I was finishing book 3, my Assistant Principal called me and told me that her daughter (who's home on leave from college) was flying through the books over holiday break. They didn't want to go buy the other two, so she was hoping to borrow them. She borrowed book 3 two days ago and came and got book 4 today. She's not a "reader" per say...but has loved these books for her holiday break.}

Happy Reading, Everyone!

My 2008 Reading List

Total pages read in 2008: 7920


Eclipse and Breaking Dawn: Book Review


New Moon Book Review



The Abstinence Teacher: Book Review


Twilight: Book Review



Why I Jumped: Book Review




Pledged: The Secret Life Of Sororities: Book Review


Healing Promises: Book Review




Coming Unglued: Book Review



The Shack: Book Review



Sex God: Book Review



Flies on the Butter: Book Review


John Tesh Intelligence for Your Life: Book Review



If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: Book Review



One Thousand White Women: Book Review


Stolen Innocence: Book Review




Sisters Ink: Book Review



The Penny: Book Review



Elvis Takes a Backseat: Book Review



Schooled: Book Review


Quiet Strength: Book Review

My 2007 Reading List and Book Reviews