Book Review- The 5th Horseman

I finished this James Patterson book a week or so ago. I really love his books! His writing style is great for me because he writes short chapters, and I have this thing where I can't stop reading a book in the middle of a chapter. I have to finish the chapter before I can quit. I know I have issues! Anyway this book did not disappoint, it was full of twists and turns and really bad guys and bad ass women! Fun read! I am a hard core Women's Murder Club fan, and it makes me wish I would have watched the tv show!

Shopaholic and Baby- Book Review

Whenever I read a book that takes me a really long time I like to follow it with one I know I can read quickly! Enter Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella. This book is part of the Shopaholic series and also the series the recent movie is based off of. I always enjoy these books because they are so funny! This was vintage Becky Brandon nee' Bloomwood. Funny, clever, and even a bit touching believe it or not! I really it enjoyed it, it was a quick read, it is not Pultizer Prize winning stuff but it was entertaining which is just what I needed. 

Book Review~ A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

I finally finished this book, don't know why it took so long. Either I have been busier than normal or this was just one of those books that took longer to finish. This was the first book I have read by John Irving although he has written several. This book is the book the movie Simon Birch was based on, I loved the movie BTW, but if you like your book and movie to follow closely then you will be disappointed with this one. It really is almost like two different stories with the exact same characters.

Now on to my review, while I was reading this book I wasn't liking it not sure if was writing style or what. Mr. Irving is BIG on description which for the most part I don't disagree with, but this at times was a little too much for my taste. That being said after finishing the book, I loved it, even all the description because in the end you get the reason it all had to be in there. Irving is a gifted storyteller with excellent characters. He is funny and witty to point I laughed out loud in several instances, but he is touching and intelligent in all the right places.  This book touches on faith, predestination, childhood, lasting and touching friendships, what makes a real family, and every thing in between. I am so glad I stuck it out, it ended up being a joy! 

T is for Trespass

I read this awhile back and didn't get a review up, mainly because I didn't have much to say. It is vintage Sue Grafton, and it wasn't that it wasn't a good book, it was honestly one of her better ones. At this point though I am kinda like been there done that! Anyway if you love Sue Grafton, which I do, this one will not disappoint.

Book Review-Dewey-The Small Town Library Cat that Touched the World

I so was not going to read this book. I got it in a box of a bunch of other books that I won on a drawing from goodreads.com. So I have had this book forever and it just sat there staring at me from the nightstand, literally staring cause there is a cute picture of Dewey the Cat on the front. We have been iced in for the last few days which makes for lots of reading time for me. I was also out of points on my Book Mooch account and I noticed that this book was on several wishlists, so I knew I could get a quick point out of it. I picked it up yesterday and let me tell you (this coming from a non aninimal person) was such a well-written, heart warming, touching, and endearing read. I so enjoyed it tears (yes there were tears) and all start to finish.

The book is about a cat named Dewey that was abandoned in the drop box of the library in the small town of Spencer, Iowa. The cat was rescued by the head libririan there and adopted not just by the library but by the whole town. While this book was about Dewey it was about so much more, he was the common thread woven throughout the story,but it was also about small town life and family and the bonds we all make not just with the people in our life but with the animals as well. The book will make you laugh, reminicse, and most likely cry but so worth the read.It was adorable.

Book Review- Midwives

I just finished this book by Chris Bohjalian, I wanted to read it since I saw the movie on Lifetime. This book was a really good read, a great courtroom thriller with a significant family dynamic as well. It had believable characters that you really pull for. The book centers around a midwife who endures a horrific home birth, the book is about the repercussions of the decesions she makes during that delivery and how those decesions affect not only her but her whole family. I really enjoyed the author's writing style and plan to check out some of the other books he has written.

Book Review- Tha Last Lecture

Okay first a warning about this book it is a 5 hankie book, unless you are completely cold hearted and devoid of emotion this book will make you cry. It will also make you reflect, appreciate what you have, take a long look at your life, and laugh out LOUD over and over again.

This book was written by Randy Pausch who was a computer science professor at Carnegie Melon University. They had a lecture series at the university that they called the Last Lecture, which professors were asked what knowledge they would impart to their students if they were giving their LAST lecture. The thing is for Randy Pausch it would be his last lecture as he had recently found out the he had terminal pancreatic cancer. I was so moved by this book. I laughed, I cried, and I laughed some more. The man was a born story teller and you see that in the book. I was moved by his courage, his love for his wife and three small children, plus he was pretty smart guy. I loved reading about all of the childhood dreams he was able to accomplish and even the ones that didn't quite turn out the way he expected.

In one part of the book he wrote about the scene from the Natural, where the ball player battered and wounded steps up to plate and knocks one out of the park. I couldn't help but find a striking similarity between him and Pausch, there he stood a defeated man, he knew what his destination was and that it was quickly approaching, and yet he faced it head on with dignity, heart, selflessness, and most importantly humor. Quite frankly Mr. Pausch you hit one out of the park!

Even if you don't read the book you can watch the lecture www.thelastlecture.com

Book Review-Eclipse

This is the 3rd book in the Twilight series and it was so much better than the last one. I love the whole love triangle going on and find myself wondering who Bella is going to pick. This and the first one are still in a toss up for my fave. It was just suspenseful enough not to be too overwhelming. I should be starting Breaking Dawn soon. I am taking a small break from Twilight to read some other things I had piling up.

Book Review- Grace

One of my most favorite authors is Richard Paul Evans, he usually puts out a book every year at Christmas time. This year's book is called Grace. It is a 5 hankie book! It is about a young girl who is a runaway and the relationship she develops with the young boy who agrees to hide her. I really enjoyed this one, but like I said keep the Kleenex handy, it is a tear jerker! It was also a very quick read, I started it this morning and finished it a bit ago.

Book Review- New Moon

Finally finished the 2nd book in the Twilight series New Moon. This one took me forever to finish. It was not nearly as good as the first one, but hang on through the beginning because it does get better at the end. FINALLY! LOL I am trying to get all of them finished before the movie release. Bruce is listening to them on his IPOD, so he said he would take me to the movie as he felt it would be a mutally agreeable choice. We have this ongoing battle of movie choices. LOL I have the third book Eclipse, that I will be starting soon. I hope it doesn't start as slow as this last one did, if it does I don't know if I can hang in there!

Book Review-Twilight

Yea, so I caved to public opinion and finally read this. I am so glad I did because it was really good. I enjoyed it much more than what I thought I would. I really liked the characters, it had a good plot, and I love that there are sequels! I am already reading the 2nd one. It is geared to young adults and is very much written that way, but still very enjoyable. Plus there is a movie coming out in November,and I am one of those that has to read the book before I see that movie, so I am way ahead of the game on this one. Also the main character Edward is being played by the hottie who was Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter movies, extra points there! Anyway just sharing, it was a fun read not life changing or anything, but a good waste of time!

The Shack-William P. Young

I bought this one back in the summer, and it was one of those books that I kept putting off in favor of something or another. I finally picked it back up a couple of weeks ago, and I am so glad I did. This book is a wonderful portrait of how a relationship with God would be without the interruptions of the world.

The premise of the book is this, Mack who has lost his youngest daughter Missy in a horrific event, think every parent's worst nightmare, and is now dealing with all the repercussions an event like this will bring. One snowy afternoon receives a noet in his mailbox presumably from God. Telling him that he will be at the shack (the place of Missy's death) this weekend if he would like to join him. Mack decides to take the chance to return to the Shack and what results is story of relationships, forgiveness, and resolution. It is to me a very allegorical tale, but the relationship that it portrays between Mack and God, Mack and Jesus, and Mack and the Holy Spirit will really cause you to take pause and look at your own relationship with them. It is a different perspective on what that relationship would be like.

Now, while there were things that theologically I did not agree with, the message is still a beautiful one. This book is a work of fiction it is not meant to be read as doctrine, it is just one man's perspective on what a relationship with God could look like. There were many parts of this book that I had to go back and reread, many parts that caused me tears, and many parts that made me say I never looked at or considered it in that way. I think this a book that everyone should read. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book.

"Living unloved is like clipping a bird's wings and removing its ability to fly. Not something I want for you. Mack, pain has a way of clipping our wings and keeping us from being able to fly. And if left unresolved for very long, you can almost forget that you were ever created to fly in the first place." -PAPA

Book Review- Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I will admit I was totally prepared to not like this book. The topic really didn't interest me, or so I thought, but this book is wonderful and I will would recommend it to anyone! Okay back to the topic this story was centered around a depression era traveling circus. They traveled by train which was a pretty neat plot line as well, and it was a love story, and I LOVE a love story, especially a good love story. I say it was a love story but not in the traditional sense, I mean it was in the traditional sense, but there is also other love stories that shine through in this book. (That sentence doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but I hope you get the gist, hence the reason I am not an author!) This author really did her homework and the historic details and antedotes she added to the story especially those that were somewhat factual really added to her telling of the story. The thing that I loved most is that I thought that I had it figured out and I was wrong, and in this case I loved that I was wrong! It has a really neat twist, that I didn't see coming. Anyway great book, great writing, fairly quick read, and it made me cry, and in my estimation that is is a sign of a great book!

Book Reviews!

Yes, plural reviews because since my last one I have read count them 2 more books. I read the next two books that I had in the Love Comes Softly series, called Love's Enduring Promise, and Love's Long Journey. Both were really good, not a hard read in fact neither of them took me more than 2 days give or take. Both made me cry so if you don't like a book that makes you cry these aren't for you. I love the message of faith that both had and they were really uplifting. Think Little House on the Prairie for adult women. Anyway if you would like to read a good Christian series of books give these a peep! I will be picking up the next ones as soon as I can.

Another Book Review

I told you I was a fast reader when I want to be, LOL! Anyway after finally finishing A Million Little Pieces, I started my next book. I read Love Comes Softly by Jeanette Oke, it is the first in a series of hers about the Davis family. There is also a series of movies on the Hallmark channel. I loved this book, it is a beautiful story of love, adversity, family, pioneer life, and faith. It was just heartwarming especially after my last reading choice. I have wanted to read the series for awhile because I love the movies, but the book was so much better than the movie and the movie is wonderful. The book had some plot differences that really added to the story. Anyway wonderful read, there is a Christian message but not an overtly preachy one. I have already started the 2nd book in the series, so I will let you know how it is!