The Falcon and the Sparrow

The Falcon and the Sparrow by M.L. Tyndall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

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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Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Unbroken, perfectly titled. But I think forgiveness should have been in the book title too.

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.

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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Forsaken Dreams (Escape to Paradise #1)

Forsaken Dreams by M.L. Tyndall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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!

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.

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.

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.

I am so very excited to read more in this series and see what lies ahead in Brazil!



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The Restitution

The Restitution by M.L. Tyndall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

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.

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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Surrender the Dawn (Surrender to Destiny #3)

Surrender the Dawn by M.L. Tyndall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

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.

This was so, so good. Can't wait to read every single book she publishes!



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Surrender the Night (Surrender to Destiny, #2)

Surrender the Night by M.L. Tyndall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another fantastic book by MaryLu Tyndall. The very first book of hers I read was the first book in this series, Surrender the Heart. 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.

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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Central Park Rendezvous

Central Park Rendezvous by Ronie Kendig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

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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Winter of the World (The Century Trilogy #2)

Winter of the World by Ken Follett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Not quite as gripping as the first in the series, but still amazing!

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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Redeeming Love

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What an amazing book. It was sad, it was beautiful, it was haunting, it was lovely. It was powerful !

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.

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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Fall of Giants (Century Trilogy #1)

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Holy cow. By far the best book I have ever read and I hear it’s not his best!! I am hooked on this guys writing. It's a 985 page, hard back book...very heave to carry around.

The main characters are from Wales, Russia, Germany, and The United States of America. They come from different classes in life, from always hungry thieves to overindulgent earls. Most of their paths cross at some point or another, either before World War 1 starts or during the war itself. Each person is very passionate about the war whether for or against it. In common they all have a fear of what the war will bring them, or worse, take away from them.

The main characters are fictional but they interact with real historical figures, like Woodrow Wilson, Josef Lenin, and Winston Churchill to name a few. The author explains at the end of the book that the interaction may have been fictional, but what the real historical figures said was in fact something they actually did speak or write about.

I can see how this book could anger some people. I don't know whether the book was biased in any way, I will admit I am not as well informed about worldly topics such as World War 1. But the author seemed to have a stereotype for each of the character's home country. Like Russians as alcoholics, thieves, and communists. Germans as hard headed louts, English as pompous aristocrats, and Americans as self ascribed domineering world police. I think there is a bit of truth to each of the descriptions, but there are truly a lot of well intentioned people in the book too.

I learned so much from this book. What I mean is that I found myself putting the book down and looking up more information on my iPad about World War 1. I had no idea what started WW1. I had no idea that Germany and Austria-Hungary were diminished to mere blips on the map after the peace treaty. I feel a bit ashamed that I knew so little about it, but I do know a lot more now. The very basics at least.

His next book, Winter of the World, takes place with the children of the main characters of this book. It sounds like the lead up to World War II. I really look forward to reading it but I need a light reading break in between. It's a huge book; my little wrists need a break!


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My Favorite Books in 2012...

I read some really, really good books this year. Out of the past four years I've been on Goodreads, I have rated more five star books this year than any other. I read four less books in 2012 than in 2011, but only 62 pages less. I was going to pick five of my favorite books this year, but once I started listing them, I came up with seven that I just had to pick!

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson was by far the best romance I have read, maybe ever. I loved it because it was sweet, it was clean, it was proper, and was so romantic. I could easily read this book again which I never do! Here is my full review here.

The word that comes to mind when I think of The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani, is epic. That is probably the wrong us of the word , but it was such an amazing, thrilling, perfectly written book. Starting from the early 1900's in Italy to mid-century America, it was an incredible journey of a couples life. While I think the cover is pretty, I don't think it fits the book well. Anyway, here is my full review.

Night Road by Kristin Hannah. I still get goosebumps thinking of this story. It is haunting, it is sad, it is about the most heartsick I have ever felt reading a book. I think it is so moving because it could happen to you. Being the child or the parent, it's a worst nightmare. I loved her writing and I couldn't have suggested anything different about this story if I tried. It is perfection. Full review here.

Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristina McMorris is another bit of a history lesson on Japanese Internment camps in the United States. This is the second novel I've read about this huge blemish on the United States past. I shall never be tired of hearing of it though. It amazes me and this book was told with beautiful and powerful writing. Review here.

Divergent by Veronica Roth was the first book in the Divergent series. I have read the second book but didn't like it as much. I found this dystopian themed book to be fascinating and creative. These books are all the rage now, but this one stood out the most to me. Very cool book. Full review can be found here.

I just love MaryLu Tyndall. I have had a few personal words with her via email, she is a cool and as genuine as they come. Veil of Pearls was simply amazing. I love reading early American history, especially her swashbuckling sea adventures. While this book didn't take to sea as much as her others, it was no less amazing. Tackling slavery can be tricky, but she mastered this with perfect insertions of Christianity and romance. Here is my full review. (Oops, it appears I forgot to post this review when I wrote in on Goodreads in November. On here it has a 2013 posting.)

The Fault in our Stars was very hard to read. It was such a mixed bag of literature and a mixed bag of emotions. Some describe this book as far fetched claiming the two main characters, teenagers with cancer, talk way above their maturity level. I noticed that too, but I didn't care. It was a great book with a great story and take note: have tissues handy. Full review here.

NOTE: These books weren't all published in 2012, I simply just read them in 2012. My favorite books that I read. That's all it is!

Here are the honorable mentions, all very, very good, all of these were five star books to me as well:

Veil of Pearls

Veil of Pearls by M.L. Tyndall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been wanting to read this for so long and it was worth the wait. This was an excellent book! Taking place in 1800's Charleston, SC, it had a lot to do with slavery. A hard subject to tackle but Ms. Tyndall handled and delivered it with grace.

As with most, if not all, of her books, many lessons were learned and souls were changed by accepting the Lord as their savior. Of course there was an incredibly sweet romance plot that I think may be one of my favorites. It was a hard one to read, thinking about how the southern culture existed before slavery was abolished, but like I said, she did a great job with this book!

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The Doctor's Lady

The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and was tickled to read this book was loosely based on the travels of the the Whitman's, a married missionary couple heading west in 1836. The route they took would later become the Oregon Trail. The historical portrayal was very interesting but the authors fictional spin was great!

My first Jody Hedlund book...but not the last.

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The Secret Keeper

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Awesome.

How can I describe this book?? There was so much to it. I was gripped by every word from start to finish. I took my time reading it so I wouldn't miss anything, no skimming whatsoever! I had to flit around in the book and reread parts as the story, the history, the characters, as all the puzzle pieces started to come together. There were a lot of oooohhh! and ah-ha! moments.

Kate Morton is a master story-teller. It's a maze of events spanning from 1928 Australia to 2011 England. It's how friends, children, lovers, and acquaintances lives are affected from the horror of the World War II blitz on England. There is tragedy, there is love, there is confusion, betrayal, and mystery. And of course, secrets that were never meant to be told.

I had the puzzle pieces more or less put together before the big revelation but still, it was in no less of a great and pleasing surprise. It was funny, as I realized what might have happened, I had to put the book down...I had goosebumps! Soooo good!



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The Reliance

The Reliance by M.L. Tyndall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, just another fantastic MaryLu Tyndall read! Her books are so exciting and deal with Christ in such a realistic way. This book points out that even as Christians, we can fall from our ways but we can always be forgiven when we repent and truly mean it. God is wonderful and will forgive us our transgressions. Amazing.

Captain Edmund Merrick and his wife, Charlisse are quickly separated in this book when the town they are visiting is raided by pirates. Edmund thinks his wife has died in an explosion and is completely devastated. He blames God and turns from Him and starts to turn to his old sinful ways from before he accepted Christ. But God isn't so easily willing to let Edmund turn Him away.

Meanwhile, Charlisse must face that fact that her husband may never find her since he believes her dead. She is in fact imprisoned on a pirate ship along with Lady Isabel Ashton. The two become quick friends in their struggles and make a plan to escape the evil clutches of Captain Carlton. Captain Carlton is infatuated with Isabel and provides her many comforts but he cannot seem to win her affections.

When Charlisse and Isabel are able to escape, they face a reality that life may not be the same as when they were first kidnapped. Charlisse dresses up as a pirate to head into town where she thinks her husband may be. She see's what she thinks is her husband’s deviant new ways and tells herself she no longer needs him. While she is witnessing this in town and bears the heart break, Isabel is once again kidnapped by Captain Carlton. After discovering her friend is missing, Charlisse takes command of her husband’s ship with the help of some of her husband’s loyal friends, who are disappointed to see him turn away from his good ways, and embarks on a mission to rescue her new friend again.

Once Edmund discovers his ship missing, he is determined to find his so-called loyal friends and try to figure out how and why a tiny new pirate could take over his ship. It isn't until he comes upon the ship that he discovers who this new pirate is and why this pirate gives him such a steely look of hatred that makes his stomach do flips. Could it be.......

I'll leave it at that. Very good book!!

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Edenbrooke

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. It positively just may be the best historical romance I have ever read. It was such a charming and captivating romance. The book only took place over a week so it was very intimate and delved into lovely conversations and passionate gazes.

The scene with the lesson of a love letter, wow , my cheeks were burning reading that portion. I think it may have been the most romantic thing I have ever read. The whole book is proper and virtuous, so sweet, THE SWEETEST, book I have ever read.

It contained your usual historical romance characters, the dashing hero, the modest and beautiful heroine, a villain, and several other great supporting roles. But this book was better than your average historical romance, it just was, can't really put into enough words why. All I can say is that if you like historical romance, this one is sure to grab your attention from start to finish!



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(This is definitely going to be a contender for a top pick for 2012!)

The Shoemakers Wife

The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

FAAAAAAN-tastic!

There was so much to this book and spanned so much time, it was a journey I will not soon forget! Lovely, lovely story.

This beautiful tale starts in the early 1900's in the gorgeous and airy Alps of Italy. Two children, Enza and Ciro, are living a few miles apart but don't meet until a tragic event brings them together ever so briefly at 15 years old. Before this new found crush can come to fruition, Ciro is sent to America to avoid a work camp as an unfair punishment for something he witnessed in a Catholic church. Enza, who did not know why Ciro left or where he went, heads to America too to help her family earn money to build a home back in Italy.

Through a series of chance run-ins in New York City, Enza and Ciro are never in the right place to make a go of the feelings they have for one another. It isn't until what seems the worst time for them to come together that Ciro steps up and risks his heart to claim her heart as his. Is Enza willing to give up the glamour of New York and The Met? Is she willing to risk an unknown life with this great man who claimed her heart so many years ago on the mountain?

Family tragedy, a near death sea voyage, a war, these two struggle through good times and bad to find what love really is.

I found myself reading this entire book with an Italian accent in my head. Ha ha! The writing was so beautiful and descriptive and I had no problems whatsoever picturing the mountains, The Met, and all the characters clearly in my mind.

An absolutely amazing, brilliant, heartwarming love story that will surely become a classic.


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The Fault In Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wouldn't call my review a spoiler, but it is such that once you start reading this book, you may catch wind of what I refer to below and figure it out. If you elect to read this book and want to be blissfully ignorant of it's content, then read no more. BUT! Feel free to come back after you're done. :)

Holy crap. Oh my gosh. My emotions were going haywire reading this book. I think anyone reading this review must know by now that it's sad. Incredibly sad. I should have seen it coming but I didn't therefore on a Friday night as I finished the book laying in bed, I had to change my pillow case because I cried so much. Thank heavens my husband was working so he didn't have to see what a blubbering fool I was. To offset that sadness there was humor unlike anything I've read before. The ease these kids felt in giving each other crap about cancer was eerily refreshing knowing that they were being eaten from the inside out. If only everyone could have a sense of humor like this!

I don't like to read reviews before I read a book. I'm so glad I didn't with this book especially. I like to be surprised for most of the books I read and this book did not fail in the "SURPRISE" department.

I loved the banter between Hazel and Augustus. Yes, I had my dictionary app at the ready because they use long wordy words but it only added that much more to the story. They were two kids who have gone through hell, lost a part of their lives, and had to rely on their parents and other cancer kids to mentally survive.

The emotional highs and lows did not cease until the end of the story. It took a hold of my emotions and wouldn't let go and I'm still struggling to free myself. But I loved it. I absolutely loved this book.

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Dream Lake (Friday Harbor #3)

Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think this was my favorite of the series. At first the whole different point of view from the ghost threw me off and I wasn't sure I was going to like it. The first book in the Friday Harbor series didn't have any magic/fantasy/paranormal subject matter to it, but the second and third did. Normally adding that kind of element to a series is a turn off, but somehow LK makes it work! I got used to the paranormal element and ended up thinking it was a perfect addition to the book.

I'm not so sure about the fourth book now. Dang, if it weren't Lisa Kleypas I might look the other way when it's released, but I know I can't. I'll have to read it! Just not sure how into witches and spells I'm going to be. I was pleasantly surprised with Dream Lake though...

LK went from historical fiction to contemporary, is she leading us to believe she's going to go full on paranormal soon? Like vampires and werewolves next? I kind of hope not.

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Night Road

Night Road by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The best book I've ever read.

I have never felt such an array of emotions reading a book. It was so incredibly powerful, so touching, so incredibly harrowing. It reached some of the deepest rooted fears a mother could have have yet gives you hope. Any mother who reads this book would have to be touched by this story. Why? Because it could happen. It really could happen.

I read someone's review who said they couldn't put it down. Yes, I struggled to put it down, but I also struggled to pick it back up. Not because it was bad, it was fantastic , but I needed to be in the right frame of mind and I needed to be alone. I finally was able to finish it last night and once I started the last quarter of the book, there was no way in hell I could put it back down. I had to finish it and to find closure to the story.

I could write a synopsis of the book but it would end up being an essay and I would spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet. I could write a whole book about this book! I feel like I need therapy now! Okay, not really, but I'm not likely to ever forgot this book. It's something that I will think about as my currently 7 and 12 year old children go through their teen years.

I told a friend, if this wasn't a Kristin Hannah novel, I wouldn't have faith in the outcome. But I absolutely love Kristin Hannah and she did not fail her readers. She wrote the most thought provoking novel a mother could write. I imagine she must have shed some tears herself writing this book.

Bravo Kristin Hannah. You are amazing and so incredibly talented beyond any measure I could compare you to. I don't know how you compose these amazing novels over and over but please do not stop!

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