tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53990058377082690792024-03-12T21:01:16.121-07:00Here On My Shelf:JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-41345410101964956432014-01-02T20:43:00.000-08:002014-01-02T20:43:34.790-08:00The Charm School<a href="httpsA://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10002685-the-charm-school" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Charm School" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1369156754m/10002685.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10002685-the-charm-school">The Charm School</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1238.Nelson_DeMille">Nelson DeMille</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/793524518">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Great book, very suspenseful and full of unsuspecting twists and turns. It was brutal, sad, and unbelievable. Of course it was fictional, but wow, sure was realistic sounding.<br><br>I love the narration of Scott Brick but I found myself not liking the main female character and I think it was because of the way he portrayed her voice. I kind of felt like routing against her sometimes.<br><br>Nelson DeMille continues to amaze me with his writing and thought process. Crazy guy but he sure knows how to stretch the could-be-truth of the human psyche and conspiracy theories.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-46746767545506542962014-01-02T20:40:00.002-08:002014-01-02T20:40:27.169-08:00Been a Long TimeClearly I haven't kept up with this blog for a long time. With a crazy, busy, tragic, sad summer, I couldn't focus on this. I have a new job and things are starting out great in 2014. I am crazy blessed and even though last year was like Friday the 13th nearly all year, I wouldn't have changed a thing. I truly grew from all the hardships, especially in my relationship with Christ.
Hopefully I can get back on track with posting my reviews again for 2014!JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-29081866364567138892013-08-05T09:19:00.000-07:002013-08-05T09:19:03.126-07:00The Falcon and the Sparrow<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3222619-the-falcon-and-the-sparrow" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Falcon and the Sparrow" border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347251183m/3222619.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3222619-the-falcon-and-the-sparrow">The Falcon and the Sparrow</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/308455.M_L_Tyndall">M.L. Tyndall</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/253341637">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Loved it! Mary Lu Tyndall writes books the way I like them. Darn near perfection in my mind. I read this book in a single day it was that good.<br /><br />Again, cheesy book cover but she has no control over that one, so no fault there Mary Lu! Glad they are improving her covers these days.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-17826576423122030992013-07-12T11:46:00.002-07:002013-07-12T11:46:58.805-07:00Anna and the French Kiss<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6936382-anna-and-the-french-kiss" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss, #1)" border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1358271931m/6936382.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6936382-anna-and-the-french-kiss">Anna and the French Kiss</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3095893.Stephanie_Perkins">Stephanie Perkins</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/413738388">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I didn't realize this was YA, but once you got past the quirky little teenage talk of some characters, it was really a very darling book. It was fun to read and a real page turner. A nice light read.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-87554250970533202012013-07-08T11:03:00.002-07:002013-07-08T11:03:41.948-07:00Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8664353-unbroken" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327861115m/8664353.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8664353-unbroken">Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/30913.Laura_Hillenbrand">Laura Hillenbrand</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/118224568">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Unbroken, perfectly titled. But I think forgiveness should have been in the book title too.<br /><br />I found this book to be the most eye opening book reading experience ever. It's so hard to try to imagine the horrors the Pacific theater POW's experience yet alone read it. You can't make this stuff up. It's so, so sad that I found myself getting a little down. But I was pleasantly surprised by the end that that is where I ended up in tears. I think I was just too shocked for tears before the end.<br /><br />I'm so glad I finally read this book. I've wanted to since it came out. I think everyone should read this book to obtain a great understanding of the WWII POW experience. They and other war veterans deserve more respect than our government has given them. WAY more.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-54748026444392644182013-07-02T15:38:00.002-07:002013-07-02T15:41:35.153-07:00Forsaken Dreams (Escape to Paradise #1)<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15823841-forsaken-dreams" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Forsaken Dreams (Escape to Paradise, #1)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348412759m/15823841.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15823841-forsaken-dreams">Forsaken Dreams</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/308455.M_L_Tyndall">M.L. Tyndall</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/542720498">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I really liked this book though it seemed a little different than her other books. I liked all of the characters, even down to the "bad guy" who was just straight CREEPY! <br /><br />This book really was about escaping. These war-exhausted southerners are ready to leave their roots in the south after the civil war. They seek to start a new colony in Brazil where they can start fresh and away from the Union.<br /><br />Ms. Tyndall is a talented author (my favorite) but this book really shows her growth I think. It's beautifully written, it was seamless to me. <br /><br />As always, I love her journey into faith for the characters, though the journey for each of them was not quite as powerful as I have read in some of her other books. But that did not take away from it at all.<br /><br />I am so very excited to read more in this series and see what lies ahead in Brazil!<br /><br />
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-57637699250176210292013-06-10T13:06:00.002-07:002013-06-10T13:06:59.484-07:00Fly Away<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16044981-fly-away" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Fly Away" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355338978m/16044981.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16044981-fly-away">Fly Away</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/54493.Kristin_Hannah">Kristin Hannah</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/585669183">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I'll call this a 3.75 rating. :)<br /><br />I do not recall much about <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1472878.Firefly_Lane" title="Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah">Firefly Lane</a> except that I liked it. I'd almost like to reread it to see how the characters early days were as I'm drawing a complete blank.<br /><br />Kristin Hannah can either blow my mind or I can feel a little disappointed. This one was a little disappointing only because it is not a writing method that I love. It switches points of views so much, and the same character can be first or third person. It was easy to follow but I simply don't favor this method.<br /><br />That being said, it was still a great story. It was incredibly sad and very moving as are most of her books. The character development in this book was major and I really enjoyed seeing each of the characters grow and move on from tragedy at their own pace.<br /><br />I love Kristin Hannah's story telling. She is a master and I will eagerly await each and every book she writes! They are all SO different, you never know what you are going to get.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-77857375007607425322013-05-28T09:49:00.002-07:002013-05-28T09:50:04.392-07:00The Restitution<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/712408.The_Restitution" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Restitution" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1177545966m/712408.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/712408.The_Restitution">The Restitution</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/308455.M_L_Tyndall">M.L. Tyndall</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/194064088">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I forgot to mark that I finished this book, I've been so busy I haven't picked up a book other than the Bible in a few weeks.<br /><br />I don't remember all the detail of this book but I know I loved every second of this pirating adventure written by MaryLu Tyndall. I think there is only one book I have left of hers to read and then I can say I've read every one. By far, she is my favorite author. <br /><br />Her amazing ability to combine real life emotions, battles, adventure, and Christianity into one fantastic book makes her undeniably talented. I look forward to keep reading her books as she publishes them!
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-46274085119631600392013-05-02T12:39:00.002-07:002013-05-02T12:39:31.859-07:00Highlander Most Wanted (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs #2)<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13457423-highlander-most-wanted" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Highlander Most Wanted (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs, #2)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339473081m/13457423.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13457423-highlander-most-wanted">Highlander Most Wanted</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24978.Maya_Banks">Maya Banks</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/564463881">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I liked this one, but not as much as the first. It's a sad story of an abused woman who is rescued by a handsome Scot. It was sweet and intense like the first book, but didn't quite have "it", whatever "it" is. Good read though.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-72980548404666436082013-05-02T12:35:00.001-07:002013-05-02T12:35:26.386-07:00Surrender the Dawn (Surrender to Destiny #3)<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10082033-surrender-the-dawn" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Surrender the Dawn (Surrender to Destiny #3)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328743301m/10082033.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10082033-surrender-the-dawn">Surrender the Dawn</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/308455.M_L_Tyndall">M.L. Tyndall</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/253341687">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I will never tire of reading her books. I cannot say enough how fun, adventurous, and romantic they are! The spirituality of these books make them that much better. Books you can totally feel good about reading.<br /><br />This was the final book in this series and it wrapped up nicely. All of the books are loosely connected and this and the book preceding it are definitely tied together during a particular event.<br /><br />This was so, so good. Can't wait to read every single book she publishes!<br /><br />
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-56798420209316895062013-04-22T07:59:00.000-07:002013-04-22T08:01:16.754-07:00The Madman's Daughter<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12291438-the-madman-s-daughter" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Madman's Daughter (The Madman's Daughter, #1)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1354155885m/12291438.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12291438-the-madman-s-daughter">The Madman's Daughter</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5108399.Megan_Shepherd">Megan Shepherd</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/428296004">1 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I should start off saying the low rating is my own fault! I'm not sure why, but I did not read what this book was about. I saw it was a "mover & shaker" so I put a hold on it at the library. NOTE TO SELF: Read the summary of the book first! This book was a gothic, science fiction horror yet it was labeled young adult. I wouldn't want my teen-aged kids to read this.<br /><br />Again, not the authors fault, she is a storyteller and I'm sure a good one, I just didn't like this story. I did not like thinking of the grotesque images of animals cut apart to create half human/half animal aberrations. It felt wrong, wrong, wrong to read, just so unnatural and disturbing. It totally grossed me out and honestly I skipped the third quarter of the book and read the last quarter. I was fine with the ending and really didn't give two thoughts to the cliffhanger. It was over for me.<br /><br />I also did not realize this was a series, DUH, of course it was. Is there any young adult books that aren't series these days? (I find that incredibly annoying.) Needless to say, I will not continue with this series. It simply is not a genre that interests me in the least.<br /><br />Again, my own fault and I'm sorry if this offends anyone, especially the author, but I gave my honest personal perception of a story I never should have started in the first place.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-88411233781055000542013-04-15T11:21:00.002-07:002013-04-15T11:21:36.323-07:00Surrender the Night (Surrender to Destiny, #2)<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8546516-surrender-the-night" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Surrender the Night (Surrender to Destiny, # 2)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1278921675m/8546516.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8546516-surrender-the-night">Surrender the Night</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/308455.M_L_Tyndall">M.L. Tyndall</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/186415931">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Another fantastic book by MaryLu Tyndall. The very first book of hers I read was the first book in this series, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7685245.Surrender_the_Heart" title="Surrender the Heart by M.L. Tyndall">Surrender the Heart</a>. Unfortunately, The county library didn't have the rest of the series so I nearly forgot there was more. Yes, I could have bought the book but I contacted the library to see if they could purchase the final two books to complete the series and they did! Now other readers in the area can be blessed to read the complete Surrender to Destiny series.<br /><br />Her books are fantastic. She sure knows how to write an excellent historic, faith based, romance. While this book was not a sea faring adventures like so many others, there was a strong connection to the water once again. I loved the quick interaction with Dolly Madison, the first lady at the time. Great stuff.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-17204900846320184002013-04-08T11:56:00.002-07:002013-04-08T11:56:48.796-07:00Between Sisters<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217432.Between_Sisters" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Between Sisters" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320487668m/217432.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217432.Between_Sisters">Between Sisters</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/54493.Kristin_Hannah">Kristin Hannah</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/416555679">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Ahh, Ms. Hannah, you've pulled at my heart strings yet again. Her books always are an emotional read, tears and laughter every time! <br /><br />Two sisters who had a tough up bringing and drifted apart struggle to connect when life brings them back together many years into their adult life. Meghan is an emotionally detached divorce lawyer who sees the worst of the worst in life and it skews her thoughts on marriage. Claire just wants to be loved and finds a man whom she quickly decides is the one and wants to marry now! Meghan wants to be there for her sister but struggles to keep her jaded view on marriage to herself. Meghan finds something in a mysterious man in town to whom she feels a connection and it scares her to death. Running away seems the easiest thing to do rather than get hurt like she has seen happen so many others so many times before. <br /><br />Tragedy strikes one of the sisters and they realize that they need to confront their past, forgive, and catch up on the years of sisterly love they missed out on. To learn that past hurts cannot continue to define who you thought you were. Love and forgiving others and especially yourself is the main theme in this book. <br /><br />
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-63995316212673944532013-04-04T07:23:00.003-07:002013-04-04T07:23:56.086-07:00The Cinderella Deal<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7622362-the-cinderella-deal" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Cinderella Deal" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1265081207m/7622362.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7622362-the-cinderella-deal">The Cinderella Deal</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19005.Jennifer_Crusie">Jennifer Crusie</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70606226">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
This was so cute! Yes, this fake marriage story line has been told before, but I really, really liked this one. I've said so many times before that I'm not a huge contemporary romance fan, but every once in a while a cute, sweet, little gem pops up and I can appreciate the genre again.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-54176636983553039382013-04-03T07:23:00.002-07:002013-04-03T07:23:53.389-07:00Vision in White (Bride Quartet, #1)<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5598113-vision-in-white" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Vision in White (Bride Quartet, #1)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1316972164m/5598113.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5598113-vision-in-white">Vision in White</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/625.Nora_Roberts">Nora Roberts</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/86672833">2 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Cheeeeeese. That has a double meaning. The main character in this book is a slightly neurotic wedding photographer who is also emotionally abused and manipulated by her <strong>
<em>extremely</em>
</strong> neurotic mother, and is kept company by her mousy new boyfriend. I didn't care much for her or her cavity sweet boyfriend. This book was not my cup of tea. These are the types of books that make me hate contemporary romances. I like conversations in a book, but this was too much. No prose, no purpose on my shelf.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-40983265418178224062013-03-25T11:40:00.002-07:002013-03-25T11:40:48.123-07:00Love's Reckoning (The Ballantyne Legacy #1)<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13115556-love-s-reckoning" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Love's Reckoning (The Ballantyne Legacy, #1)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333242124m/13115556.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13115556-love-s-reckoning">Love's Reckoning</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2986307.Laura_Frantz">Laura Frantz</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/539892676">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Honestly I struggled with this book a little bit in the beginning. I just couldn't connect with the language or the story, I have no idea why. However a quarter of the way through the book I was hooked except for one little thing...<br /><br />I have a family member struggling with a past and when something heart breaking happened in this book that reminded me of this person, it hit me really hard and I had to let the book sit for a while. It disturbed me and made me so sad and ask, "why did this have to be in the book? Why does such evil have to happen to people?" I'm not sure I felt the book dealt with it well, but it was the late 1700's and those things were not discussed. <br /><br />I am glad I picked the book back up and was able to finish reading what ended up being a gloriously happy ending.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-4009318207372021032013-03-18T09:28:00.002-07:002013-03-18T09:28:55.043-07:00Never Seduce a Scot<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13360101-never-seduce-a-scot" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Never Seduce a Scot (The Montgomerys and Armstrongs, #1)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328116176m/13360101.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13360101-never-seduce-a-scot">Never Seduce a Scot</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24978.Maya_Banks">Maya Banks</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/563703503">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Good and enjoyable read. Title doesn't match the book though. The title might lead one to believe its your typical cheesy romance, but it's not. I was pleasantly surprised by it's plot and look forward to reading more by this author.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-59319647214544947652013-03-18T09:27:00.000-07:002013-03-18T09:27:20.195-07:00Blue Moon Promise<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11942636-blue-moon-promise" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Blue Moon Promise" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327922648m/11942636.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11942636-blue-moon-promise">Blue Moon Promise</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/33227.Colleen_Coble">Colleen Coble</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/555876122">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Sweet Christian romance read. Maybe more like 3.5 stars but it's a good, clean read so I'll give it 4 stars.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-46658113961960887982013-03-12T10:34:00.003-07:002013-03-12T10:34:51.698-07:00To Whisper Her Name<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13569493-to-whisper-her-name" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="To Whisper Her Name (A Belle Meade Plantation Novel)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333165029m/13569493.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13569493-to-whisper-her-name">To Whisper Her Name</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/322733.Tamera_Alexander">Tamera Alexander</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/539891588">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Really sweet, endearing Christian love story set in post civil-war Tennessee. I felt the first quarter of the book was boring but it picked up from there and was a very enjoyable read.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-56808000347797647812013-03-12T10:30:00.001-07:002013-03-12T10:35:17.203-07:00A Week to Be WickedAbandoned. Was about half way through it. I just couldn't read this. It was okay, thin plot, very cheesy. I had a horrible time sleeping last night thinking about the evils of life and decided I would give up this book for some sleep. I didn't get the sleep as I had wished, but I will follow through on my vow to stop reading it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11738128-a-week-to-be-wicked" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="A Week to Be Wicked (Spindle Cove, #2)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1321335382m/11738128.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11738128-a-week-to-be-wicked">A Week to Be Wicked</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2752928.Tessa_Dare">Tessa Dare</a><br/>
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-84117052188774217342013-03-05T09:05:00.000-08:002013-03-05T09:05:29.001-08:00Central Park Rendezvous<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16078715-central-park-rendezvous" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Central Park Rendezvous" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349878570m/16078715.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16078715-central-park-rendezvous">Central Park Rendezvous</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3039394.Ronie_Kendig">Ronie Kendig</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/542721348">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Easily the best four-author book I've ever read. The stories were of four generations of the Wolfe family, each written by an incredibly talented Christian fiction author. Each of the men and women were a part of a war, from the war in Afghanistan to the Civil War. All of the stories are tied together by a coin which is inscribed with "Love Never Fails". There is more meaning to the saying than just romance, it also speaks of God's love never failing too.<br /><br />MaryLu Tyndall is the author for the Civil War story and she is one of my favorite authors, but this book has led me to discover the wonderful talent of the other authors as well. I'm looking forward to reading other works by these lovely ladies!
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-77601679071889933052013-02-22T11:55:00.000-08:002013-02-22T11:55:50.309-08:00Winter of the World (The Century Trilogy #2)<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12959233-winter-of-the-world" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Winter of the World (The Century Trilogy #2)" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330023055m/12959233.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12959233-winter-of-the-world">Winter of the World</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3447.Ken_Follett">Ken Follett</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/476221617">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Not quite as gripping as the first in the series, but still amazing! <br /><br />This book is primarily about the children of the characters from the first book. This book felt more scientific and historic and a little less dramatic and was primarily about WWII. I still learned a lot, though I do not rely on it to be perfectly accurate! It's enough to quench my thirst for history.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-18589671866608776882013-02-22T11:24:00.001-08:002013-02-22T11:24:05.590-08:00Redeeming Love<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8120401-redeeming-love" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Redeeming Love" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328300861m/8120401.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8120401-redeeming-love">Redeeming Love</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6492.Francine_Rivers">Francine Rivers</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/539902447">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
What an amazing book. It was sad, it was beautiful, it was haunting, it was lovely. It was <strong>
<em>powerful</em>
</strong>!<br /><br />This brings love and forgiveness to a level that not many people would possibly consider these days. To be broken in so many ways, body and soul, unable to see that there is a higher power who can cleanse you entirely. To go through hell and think you cannot be loved and be told again and again that there is One who can cleanse you, love you, cherish you. Trying to find a purpose in life when all you have to do is believe. It may take time, it may be hard, but in the end, there will be peace.<br /><br />There were times I would get a little irritated with the dialogue, but it was minor. The ending was moving and brought me to tears. I even loved the authors note at the end. I was very happy to read that finding Christ for her was not a mountain top experience, but a journey.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-84092843704091765652013-02-18T07:22:00.002-08:002013-02-18T07:23:50.197-08:00Always You<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16301111-always-you" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Always You" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355145552m/16301111.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16301111-always-you">Always You</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5434809.Kirsty_Moseley">Kirsty Moseley</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/533420856">2 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I feel generous giving this book two stars, but if it had been properly edited by a publisher, it might have received a higher rating. <br /><br />Terribly overdramatic, poorly written, poorly researched story. I suppose every author starts with something and we live in a time of self published books, but this is the kind of junk that leaks into the ebook world and people haphazardly buy for $.99 and feel it was a waste. I know that's incredibly harsh, but I honestly think it could have been good if it had gone through the proper publishing channels. <br /><br />I just finished reading a phenomenal book, Winter of the World by Ken Follet. He's a Welsh author writing not only about his home country, but Germany, Russia, and the United States. The lesson here? An author really ought to do their homework if they truly want to be a respected author.
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JMBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18428824576263043012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5399005837708269079.post-58222664213701606152013-02-04T14:13:00.002-08:002013-02-04T14:13:47.845-08:00All The Way Home<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/672851.All_the_Way_Home" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="All the Way Home " border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1177005190m/672851.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/672851.All_the_Way_Home">All the Way Home</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/104527.Ann_Tatlock">Ann Tatlock</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/515409077">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Overall the story (stories) were decent. It felt like two books, almost like it could have been a series, but it was a two part book. The first half of the book took place with the two main characters as children living in southern California leading up to and during WWII. Sunny is a second generation Japanese American who has an incredibly loving and supportive family who feel they are as American as anyone else. Augie comes from a broken family and quickly comes to love Sunny's family when they quickly become best friends. <br /><br />World War II erupts and Sunny's family is forced to leave their lives behind to live in Japanese internment camps. Augie is devastated as she had become so much a part of Sunny's family, she even thinks of herself as Japanese at heart.<br /><br />Augie and Sunny's family lose contact and Auguie thinks they have abandoned her and is devastated by what she sees as betrayal.<br /><br />Fast forward twenty something years and Sunny, now Helen, finds Augie and invites her to her home to write a magazine article about anti-civil rights Mississippi. Augie is shocked to learn that the invitation to Mississippi is from her childhood best friend; there is a weird twist there I won't spoil.<br /><br />Augie is there to write a story about a school that prepares African Americans to register to vote. She meets a really great guy...blah blah blah, he turns out to be something completely different than she thought...blah, blah, blah...the KKK are everywhere, they are bad, horrible people. I do not mean to demean what happened there, it's disgusting, but the story dragged on too much for me to read every fine detail.<br /><br />The second part started out good, but then I just lost interest. It could have been shortened substantially. I skimmed over many pages just trying to get to the end quickly.<br /><br />Great basis for a story, just not as interesting as I think it could have been. And have I mentioned how much I HATE reading accents? It is one of the more annoying parts of this book.
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