For Such a Time by Kate Breslin

For Such a Time by Kate Breslin
Copyright 2014
Bethany House - Historical Fiction/WWII - Inspirational/Christian elements
Source: Bethany House via TLC Tours

Updated on 5/4/14.  Update is below the section entitled "My thoughts, so far."

This one is an "oops" post.  For Such a Time is over 400 pages long and this hasn't been a good reading week because of the changing weather (a day of running back and forth between safe room and TV as tornadoes hit all around us and 3 days of migraines -- ugh). 

So, I'll just tell you a little about the book and what I think, at this point.

Brief synopsis:

Stella was on the verge of being shot by a firing squad when a stranger saved her from certain death. Held prisoner in a small room after her rescue, she is still unable to eat. Her time in Dachau concentration camp has made her weak and unable to stomach much of anything. But, then an SS man takes her to his home next to Theresienstadt in Czechoslavakia and makes sure she gains strength so that she can work as his secretary.

Theresienstadt is where Stella's uncle Morty now resides. And, with a Red Cross inspection imminent, new prisoners are going to be imported, the sickly and thin ones taken to Auschwitz, where they'll undoubtedly be marched straight to the gas chambers.  Can Stella, whose real name is Hadassah,  convince her boss, the Kommandant, to help her save her people?

My thoughts, so far:

I'm currently on page 153.  At the beginning of the book, I liked the dialogue and the writing, in general, but thought some of the set-up sounded iffy. I was concerned it was going to be a book that ended up irritating but by about page 120 I had changed my mind. This is definitely a well thought-out book. There is, at this point, only one plot point that I have difficulty buying and I'm no longer dwelling on it because I'm enjoying the reading so much.

The author makes it clear, via the scriptures at the head of each chapter and the name Hadassah (which was the Biblical Esther's Jewish name), that the story is patterned after the story of Esther in the Bible, one of my personal favorites, and I'm eager to see where the author takes this story.  I'll let you know when I finish.

Update! ---------------------------

I finished reading For Such a Time, late last night. Toward the end, there's a great deal of action but I don't want to give away what happens so I'll just say I enjoyed the faster-paced portions toward the end, for the most part, but found that there were moments I thought, "Could that really have happened?" or was disappointed that the author recycled a bit of action by having a different character do the same exact thing another had done mere pages before. But, in general, I really enjoyed the book.  I couldn't decide what rating to give For Such a Time so I slept on it and I'm thinking it falls somewhere between good and very good but I enjoyed it enough that I'm giving it a 4/5. Although For Such a Time is Kate Breslin's first publication, I'd be willing to bet she has at least 4 or 5 other manuscripts in a drawer, somewhere. It doesn't read like a beginner's writing.

The problems I had with the book are mostly minor. But, I will say that I agreed with a reviewer at Goodreads who said the verses from Esther at the head of each chapter, the fact that Stella's real name was Hadassah and Uncle Morty was Mordecai, etc., ended up being more distracting than helpful or necessary. The story bears similarities to Esther but it isn't the same; it can't be. So, being hit on the head with the Esther parallels was a touch annoying. And, the romance didn't work for me entirely, especially passionate kisses at inappropriate moments, when I can't imagine I'd be able to even think about romance if I was in those characters' shoes.

I didn't find the book preachy -- since it's a Bethany House book and they publish Christian/Inspirational fiction, I expected the Christian references and anticipated some sort of big conversion to happen to the Jewish character. There was no conversion, which was a tremendous relief because it wouldn't have been plausible in this particular story.  

Recommended - An enjoyable WWII story that parallels the Biblical tale of Esther, I found the conclusion satisfying, the romance a little heavy-handed, the setting well drawn. In general, I enjoyed the reading but would have liked it better if it had been a little less wordy so while I recommend the book and think it's one of the better Christian WWII novels I've read in recent years, it does have its flaws. They weren't enough to stop my enjoyment but occasionally I did find myself questioning the plausibility, here or there.

End update ------------------------

Of course, because it's Friday, a cat photo is obligatory:

This photo was taken in Isabel's new favorite sleeping spot inside a clothing cabinet. In the evening I open one door and let her jump in. She'll climb into the dark side and settle down, happy to have a dark place to settle that's reasonably near me. You can tell I had to open the door that's normally closed to snap her photo by that, "You're disturbing my calm," look.  

©2014 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen

The first time I was tempted to read a Julie Klassen book it was the Cornish setting that caught my eye.  This time, it was the author's name.  I loved that first book, The Tutor's Daughter, so much that I only gave the storyline of The Dancing Master passing notice, thinking I'd happily read anything by Julie Klassen.

The Dancing Master, though, is dramatically different in form from The Tutor's Daughter -- the former a slow-paced, somewhat predictable romance whose weight is on relationships moreso than action and the latter a plot-heavy, adventurous romance.  In The Dancing Master, Alec Valcourt has moved to a small village in Devonshire with his mother and sister.  Formerly a London dance and fencing master (I had no idea the two went together, although it certainly makes sense when you think about the fact that both involve precise movements), the London business has failed, his father is gone, and the family has been forced to live with a subdued uncle of average means.

Julia Midwinter has grown up privileged but her angry and distant father left her feeling unloved and desirous of escape.  Her widowed mother has secrets and worries that make her appear overbearing and cold.  Oddly, her mother has at some point forbidden dancing in the town. Nobody will tell Julia the reason, although she knows both her aunt and uncle died long ago. And, the villagers comply with the elder Mrs. Midwinter's wishes to avoid losing her business as it's her wealth that keeps most of the village employed.

There's a lot more to the story.  Julia has a best friend whose oldest brother expects to marry Julia, eventually. They're friends and Julia adores his close family but there's no romance between the two. There are a couple of village bullies who wreak havoc. Alec needs a job and is hired by Mrs. Midwinter specifically so she can keep an eye on him but instead she ends up throwing Alec and Julia into each other's paths.  Someone from the past has returned to the village and is trying to keep his presence from being known. Julia is naturally drawn to Alec because he's a Londoner, handsome, and charming. And, Alec has a troublesome horse.

What happened to cause Julia's mother to enforce a dancing ban on the village? Why was Julia's father so horrid? What deep dark secrets does Mrs. Midwinter harbor? Will Alec find a way to end the ban on dancing so he can earn his keep? What caused his family to flee London? Who is the mysterious stranger from the village's past and why does everyone hate him?  And, will Alec ever be able to ride that horse?

While it sounds like there's an awful lot going on in the book, The Dancing Master is so subtle and quiet that it came off as dull, at first.  I was expecting action, adventure, plot!  About 1/3 of the way into the book, I decided to go read some Goodreads reviews to see what people who finished it had to say because nothing seemed to be happening. Many of Klassen's fans said it was weak by comparison with her other titles. I read some spoilers, though, and they didn't persuade me that the book was worth giving up.

In fact, instead of driving me away from the reading, knowing that the plot points were as weak as I suspected helped me to relax my expectations and enjoy the book for its characterization and interaction. I did think there was a belief-stretching parallel between two characters and the reasoning for this or that secret turned out to be flimsy, etc., but none of that mattered. When I viewed The Dancing Master as a book about relationships and interaction, it became enjoyable and I ended up loving it.

Recommended - A gentle, clean Regency romance that made me smile a lot. The plot points are rather weak and I won't go into detail about that, but once I became aware of its weaknesses, I was better able to enjoy its strengths - well-drawn characters, entertaining dialogue, a sweet romance, and a lovely examination of friendship, family and the power of love to both hurt and heal.

©2014 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Firefly Island by Lisa Wingate (DNF)

Firefly Island by Lisa Wingate
Copyright 2013
Bethany House - Contemporary Fiction
379 pp.  

The first time I opened up Firefly Island, it was late at night and I awakened in the morning without any memory whatsoever of what I'd read.  I figured that was just because I started reading when I was sleepy.  But, then it happened again.  I do most of my reading at bedtime and I had waited a few days before my second attempt.  In the morning . . . nothing.  I flipped back a few pages and couldn't remember who Daniel was.  Daniel is a key character.

At this point, I went to Amazon and Goodreads to see if it was just me.  Was I missing something or was this a book that was seriously not memorable?  Judging from the ratings at the time, it was just me. There were 62 five-star reviews at Amazon, 12 four-stars and 2 three-stars, nothing lower.  So, you must know up front that a lot of people really love this story.  It was because of the glowing reviews that I opted to go back to the beginning a third time.

The third time went better.  I sat on the deck and read during the daylight hours.  I got to know Daniel, Mallory and little Nick.  There is a whirlwind romance in which a career woman falls for a scientist, he's offered a job in a remote part of Texas by a man of questionable background, they quickly marry and drive to Texas.  On the way to their new home they nearly hit a deer, arrive to a house with no electricity and awaken to find the place needs a bit of work but little Nick is happy.  

As Mallory begins cleaning the house, she opens closets to find that critters are living in them; they scatter when she opens a door.  That, I'm afraid, was it for me.  Mallory was lamenting the things in the closet when I closed the book at page 83.  I tried very hard to keep going because I typically love Lisa Wingate's books, but it was too everyday for me.  Nothing of interest was happening.  There are hints of a mystery surrounding Daniel's employer, Jack West, whose wife and child disappeared and were never found many years ago, but that was not enough to intrigue me.  In fact, when Mallory nearly hit a deer on the way through Texas, I found myself wishing she had hit the deer so something would start happening.

Since I gave up, I've looked again at Goodreads and Amazon.  A few more 3-star reviews have popped up.  I have a feeling I would have given the book 3 stars if I'd held out.  I like Lisa Wingate's writing. 

Here's a favorite sentence:

He looked at me, the expression in his eyes almost pleading with me to breathe gently on the dream, cause it to spark rather than blow out.

I love that.  "Breathe gently on the dream."  That echoed in my head for a while.  There are more moments like that one, beautiful wording, wise reflections.  There just wasn't enough meat to the story in Firefly Island to hold me.

I'd recommend Firefly Island to people who like a relationship story better than a story that's plot-heavy. Firefly Island is a Bethany House book, so the heroine is Christian.  She saves herself for marriage (although she doesn't have to wait long) and occasionally ponders God or prays. There wasn't anything preachy in the book, in my opinion, by the point that I gave up.  But, talking to God in your head is no big deal to me.

I also must admit that I had a little trouble with the science aspect of this book.  Daniel was going to work for a man who wanted to produce "super crops" -- genetically modified, in other words.  GMOs have been implicated in the sudden die-offs of bees and in most of Europe people can avoid genetically modified products by looking on the labels of their foods. They're not labeled in the U.S. and they're not studied for their potential dangers here, either.  My husband has visited a lab where that kind of work is done in Europe.  So, I admit there was a bit of bias on my part. I thought the science was dubious.

My thanks to Litfuse Publicity for the review copy and to Christen Krumm for the extension when I wasn't able to finish reading Firefly Island in time for my tour date.


©2013 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Into the Free by Julie Cantrell and F2F Report

Into the Free by Julie Cantrell

Copyright 2012

David C. Cook - Historical fiction with Christian elements

368 pp.

I've mentioned the fact that I considered giving up on Into the Free because I didn't think it had a very believable or solid sense of time and place. It's set in Mississippi during the Depression and WWII. Last night was my F2F group's meeting and it's always fascinating to find out just how wrong I am.

Everyone in the group loved Into the Free because it reminded them of their younger days in Mississippi and/or because they found the story gripping. While I felt completely at a loss as to where the book was set, two of the women in my group said they were certain it took place in Meridian (which is on the opposite side of the state from us, due east -- and according to Julie Cantrell's website, they're correct). Nods all around. Only two of us present were not native Mississippians, unless you count the one fellow who spent his first 14 years in Texas.

What's Into the Free about?

Into the Free is a coming-of-age story about a young girl in Mississippi. I looked up the word "bildungsroman" to see if it fits because I wasn't entirely certain and here's the bildungsroman definition I found at Wikipedia:

In literary criticism bildungsroman or coming-of-age story is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood (coming of age) and in which character change is thus extremely important.

Yes, that certainly seems to fit. Told from the point of view of Millie, who lives in former slave quarters on a wealthy man's plantation, Into the Free is the story of how young Millie survives living in a home with an abusive father (seldom home from touring with the rodeo, but terrifying when he's present) and a mother who kills her pain and depression via morphine addiction. It's about young Millie's confusion, her struggle with belief in God, and her desire to escape. It's also about deciding between two young men who are both interested in her and willing to take her away but who are so very different that Millie struggles to decide whether to let her heart or her head lead her.

Millie has a rotten life, that's for certain. The book starts out with her mother fixing a meal and her father, Jack, coming home to find a ranch hand dropping off a supply of morphine for her mother, Marie. Jack beats Marie to a bloody pulp and throughout the book his anger is explained away as a response to her drug addiction, although she's apparently become addicted to painkillers because of the beatings. It's a bizarre Catch-22 and it didn't work for me, or rather I just couldn't get my mind wrapped around it. Millie's grandparents have rejected Marie and won't have anything to do with Millie, either, because Marie married a Native American instead of a banker.

This next bit contains some spoilers, so skip it if you want to be surprised.

At the beginning, Millie's best friend is the black man who lives in another of the slave cabins, their next-door neighbor. I didn't understand the symbolism but his ghost keeps returning to save her at odd moments. There's a tragic accident, a suicide, two young men who appeal to Millie for different reasons (one of them a gypsy) and yet another rape that I thought was blown off too easily. The women in my group disagreed. They said Millie had been through so much already that by the time she was raped, it was just one more bad thing that happened to her that she had to survive.

I think I'm done with spoilers. It's safe, now.

What I liked about Into the Free:

Into the Free is a quick read and once you get into it it's hard to put down. While everyone agreed it started out slowly and the beginning was a little cringe-worthy, you do eventually become sucked in by the story and the desire to know what will happen to Millie.

I particularly liked three male characters who allowed Millie to escape her horrible world, at least briefly. One was her neighbor, an elderly black widower who took young Millie fishing, put her to work feeding his chickens and was just generally a stable influence. The second person who came into her life and allowed her brief respite was a gypsy boy around her age, River. I can't tell you what happens with River without spoiling the story, apart from the fact that he has to leave and it's the fact that he will return in the spring that keeps her hanging on through tragedy. The third fellow is Kenneth, nicknamed "Bump", a veterinarian in training at the local rodeo, where Millie eventually gets a job. Bump is almost too perfect -- kind, gentle, generous, strong and patient. Millie has a crush on River but feels safe with Bump and therein lies a part of her dilemma.

What I disliked about Into the Free:

I guess the fact that I didn't grow up in Mississippi has a lot to do with my feeling that the book lacked a sense of time and place. It certainly seemed odd to me that Millie said the region wasn't impacted by the Depression. But, then, we really haven't felt the current recession the way many states have because Mississippi is pretty much a poor state all the time. Still, it threw me. I couldn't get a grip on where things were happening. I've never encountered gypsies and I didn't catch on to the symbolism because it's not something I've ever studied (I am always missing the symbolism, unfortunately). And, I thought the ending was rushed, one major incident totally blown off, and the return of River a let-down.

So, why did the people in my group love it?

They adored Millie (I did like her strength but I guess I was blinded by the fact that the story just felt off to me in so many ways) and the time and place were things that most of them could relate to, in some way. Even though none of the people in my group lived through the Depression or WWII, there were apparently still some major similarities between that time and their youths in rural and small-town Mississippi. The gypsies are very important to the book because Millie wants to escape with them; she desires to go "into the free" -- away from her life, out into the world -- with them and falls in love with one of them. They're kind to her and accepting. Most of the people in my group remembered the gypsies.

The really fun part about this F2F meeting:

It is ridiculously fun when the people in my F2F group start reminiscing about their early days in Mississippi. In this case, they got off on a tangent about the gypsies. They said the gypsies were treated like any other outsiders, with suspicion. One of the ladies said she recalled the news about the gypsies' arrival traveling by word of mouth and how everyone reminded each other to bring in the dogs because the gypsies were thieves. "Sure enough, some dogs would go missing every time the gypsies came through," she said. "And, they said the gypsies would come in and steal your babies if you didn't watch out."

Another woman chimed in and said her grandmother knew someone who had a baby stolen by the gypsies, or so they assumed. The child was never seen, again.

The woman next to me, whom we'll refer to as "A.", is originally from Wisconsin and actually lived in my hometown in Oklahoma for a time. She added her thoughts about what it's like to move into small-town Mississippi life from outside. There was a lot of laughter as we talked about things like greeting someone with "Hey," instead of "Hello," which we were both taught was extremely rude and which both of us now use as a greeting. My F2F group can get really enthusiastic about books but they are very open and accepting of each other's opinions, whether or not they agree. They're much the same about listening to our stories about what it's like to be a foreigner in Mississippi. They're just a super bunch of people and the discussion of Into the Free was rollicking fun.

Off the book and into the food:

One of the ladies brought some "Vidalia onion dip". Our group usually just sips wine or water and there are always a couple bowls of nuts, but we're not a group that usually brings food to meetings, so that was unusual. At some point, I asked what exactly was in that dish. It had gotten shoved to the far end of the table and I was curious.

A. pulled it over to me, told me what was in the dip and said, "You must try it. It's addictive." I scooped some onto a cracker and pushed the dish away and A. said, "Oh, no, you don't want to push it away. You'll want more, after you take that first bite."

She was correct. I weaseled a sort-of recipe out of the lady who brought it -- two Vidalia onions chopped in a food processor, two cups of shredded Swiss cheese and "a teaspoon or two of mayonnaise - just a squirt to bind it all," baked till the onion has carmelized, which I'm told is the tricky part. I rolled up a couple bites' worth in a napkin and brought it home for Huzzybuns to try because I figured if he tasted it, he'd figure out a way to make it. I got chewed out for not saving a bite for Kiddo. Oops.

And, then Kiddo kept me up chatting till 2:00 or 2:30 because he was in a chipper mood, which I always love. I am tired but very happy, today -- so glad I didn't abandon the book because last night's meeting was by far one of the most entertaining meetings I've attended.

Julie Cantrell lives in Oxford, MS. Lucky chick.

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

By the Light of the Silvery Moon by Tricia Goyer

Title: By the Light of the Silvery Moon by Tricia Goyer

Copyright: 2012

Published By: Barbour Publishing - Inspirational/Historical Fiction

Length: 319 pp.

Reason for Reading: I enjoy reading about the Titanic; this is my first fictional Titanic tale.

Brief summary: It is 1912 and the Titanic is about to leave for America. Amelia Gladstone and her Aunt Neda have been given tickets by a man with whom Amelia has been corresponding. When Amelia sees two stewards remove Quentin Walpole from their ship as it's being boarded, she takes pity on him and gives him her absentee cousin Henry's ticket. Quentin is a prodigal son who took his inheritance and lost it all. What he doesn't know is that his father and brother are also on the Titanic and his older brother Damien is still angry with Quentin.

When she meets the elder Walpoles, soft-hearted Amelia becomes determined to reunite Quentin with his family but both brothers are trying to woo her at the same time and neither desires to see the other. Will Amelia fall in love with one of the Walpole brothers before she's even met the man who paid for her passage? Can the brothers make their peace so Quentin will be reunited with his heartbroken father? Who will live and who will die when the Titanic goes down?

What I liked about By the Light of the Silvery Moon:

I loved the pairing of the Biblical tale of the Prodigal Son with a light romance and the question of who will survive the capsizing of the Titanic. Since the Titanic is a known equation, the question of whether or not the characters will survive was compelling enough to keep the pages turning. And, I did like the way the author chose to end the story. I think some people might scoff at the convenience of various plot points, but I personally found the conclusion satisfying.

What I disliked about By the Light of the Silvery Moon:

There is a significant weakness to the research in that all of the characters sound fairly modern and American, although many of them are British and the book takes place, of course, in 1912. In addition to the language, hairstyles of adult women are occasionally described as "flowing" rather than pinned up or covered with hats. There are also numerous typos, grammatical errors (particularly mixed tenses within the same sentence), at least one spelling error that jumped out at me enough to mark it, as well as typesetting errors -- for example, in dialogue, when one character speaks and another responds but the response is not placed on a separate line to distinguish between speakers. I got the feeling this book was rushed to press without proper preparation.

Notes on the category:

By the Light of the Silvery Moon is "Inspirational/Christian". I didn't find it particularly preachy, but there were some moments that I think Amelia's internal monologue might qualify as annoyingly self-critical because of her Christianity.

Generalities:

Most of the plot is forwarded by internal motivation; By the Light of the Silvery Moon is character-driven. In general, I tend to dislike character-driven novels but the knowledge that the ship was going to sink really added some momentum to this particular storyline, in my humble opinion. Anyone who knows much about the Titanic will probably be tempted to nit-pick some of the details. I did have to work at shutting off my internal critic. The title does not refer to the phase of the moon at the time of the sinking of the ship but the title of Amelia's favorite song.

Recommendation:

3.5/5 - Entertaining but flawed. The pages flew enough that I don't feel comfortable giving By the Light of the Silvery Moon a lower rating although I would call it an average book. I liked the book or I would not have finished reading it. I did, however, find the sheer quantity of errors terribly distracting. The bottom line: Recommended to readers who enjoy a light, romantic tale with a Christian bent. People who are extremely knowledgeable about the language of the time period and details of the Titanic may find the inaccuracies frustrating.

Cover thoughts:

Even though there's an obvious problem with the full moon on the cover (there was no moon visible on the night the Titanic sank), I like the design of the cover a lot. I think it's pretty and appealing.

What's with the new review layout?

Eh, felt like doing something different. What do you think of it? Too stiff? Easier to read what you're interested in and skip the rest?

Where I got this book and why I'm baffled:

I received this book for review but I didn't know it was coming, although I did sign up to try to get in on a tour. I haven't received any messages at all from the network through which I signed up (and it's a lottery, so you don't automatically join in on a tour -- usually, they contact you to let you know if you've been selected). So, I'm going to just post the review and if anyone ever contacts me I'll send them a link! Weird. I think I fell through the cracks.

What else is new?

My blogging breaks are not necessarily exciting. :) In 2011, I got rid of something on the order of 600 books -- I can't remember the number, now, but quite a few. I stalled for a while; it's such an exhausting job and kind of emotional because I'm pretty attached to my books, but it's got to be done. So, this break has been partly a bit of time off to get back into the swing of purging. Since my mother died and we brought home some of her furniture, we have so little living space that something has got to give!

The cats love my computer breaks:

Honestly, they don't like it at all when I sit at the computer typing. Isabel will often curl up behind the monitor and Fiona comes to say hello or lie at my feet during their nap times, but they like my full and undivided attention when they're up and at 'em. So, they've really enjoyed the fact that I'm buzzing around and frequently stopping to play drag-the-string-through-the-house or to roll jingle balls, etc.

Fiona is hilariously personable. If she's sitting somewhere and I walk into the room, she'll often make a little noise of delight and come running to greet me. Isabel is afraid of moving feet but she is making incredible progress at conquering some of her fears and growing more affectionate all the time. She's gone from once-a-day head to tail pettings to dropping by to ask for an ear rub several times a day. She is even rubbing my leg like a normal cat, now!

Why don't you ever mention the kids, anymore?

I miss my kids like crazy, although we do at least get to see the college Kiddo as he dashes in and out between dates on the weekend. I was a stay-at-home mom for many reasons -- not entirely by choice, partly due to circumstance -- and I thought I would be thrilled to finally have the ability to choose how to use my time. But, the empty nest thing has been so much harder than I expected!!! Travel helps. Exercising and being around humans helps. I haven't yet learned how to share newer bits of my life the way I used to talk about my kids, so I'm going through a bit of an awkward phase as a blogger and I really appreciate those of you who have stuck with me as I'm adjusting.

Blogging will continue to be sporadic because this is my busy season -- when the windows can occasionally be thrown open, the gardens need tending (haven't started on that, eeks) and the yard cleared before summer hits. And, wouldn't you know, Huzzybuns and I both have colds. So, we're not too active at the moment. It's really gorgeous outside, when the sun is shining.

I'm also reading quite slowly because I'm keeping myself so busy with chores, but I just finished Before the Poison by Peter Robinson. I hope to review that in the next day or two. We shall see. Happy Reading!

©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Remembering You by Tricia Goyer - review and giveaway/chat links

Remembering You by Tricia Goyer

Copyright 2011

Guideposts - Fiction/Christian

310 pages

I'm going back to an old format I used to use regularly, for this particular review. Who knows. I might just stick with it for a while.

What led you to pick up this book? Remembering You was advertised as a tour book and I was chosen to review it (by Litfuse Publicity Group -- not sure how they choose, but generally you don't get to sign up for two tours in a row). The WWII battle site setting and the author were the two things that caught my interest. I've been curious about Tricia Goyer's writing for a while. To be honest, they caught me at a weak moment. I'm still not accepting books for review. Allegedly.

Summarize the plot but don't give away the ending. When television producer Ava Ellington's grandfather Jack asks her to accompany him on a trip to Europe to the sites of the battles he fought during WWII, she agrees. She decides to turn it into a working trip, bringing her camera and her curiosity along with her. Grandpa Jack and Ava meet up with his long-time best friend from the service, Paul, and Paul's grandson Dennis. Dennis and Ava have a history but their time together ended badly. During their travels, Ava discovers that Grandpa Jack has a secret that she feels compelled to uncover at risk of infuriating all of her travelling companions. Will Grandpa Jack reveal his painful war secret or will Ava end up creating a lasting rift between them? Can Ava and Dennis forget the past and begin again?

What did you like most about the book? The setting(s) from Paris, France through Belgium and Germany to Austria and the WWII history upon which Grandpa Jack's story was based. I thought it was pretty plain that the author had done her research.

What did you dislike about the book? I thought the plotting was a bit transparent and found it difficult to buy into the storyline fully. Had it not been a tour book and a quick read (sadly, I will often finish a book that flows, whether or not I'm fully enjoying it), I might not have finished the book. While it is a Christian novel, I didn't find the Christianity aspect overwhelming or preachy, but it did feel a bit like it was thrown in rather than . . . I don't know, organic? It just seemed a little awkward to me, although not nearly as awkward as the romance and the cheesy conflict.

What did you think of the main character? Ava was pretty annoying. She gradually seemed to soften a bit but my main problem with her was that I just didn't believe in her as a character. I was never able to fully set aside the feeling that I was reading a novel and get swept into the story.

Thoughts about the plot? Not to beat a dead horse, but I just thought the conflict was too forced and some of the plot elements too convenient. However, Remembering You does have a nice grounding in reality as far as the war dimension goes. I know my father felt very strongly about the years he spent in the service and was deeply connected to his war buddies. They often travelled great distances to meet up with each other and it's not uncommon for people to hold reunions at the sites where their war experiences took place. So the setting felt realistic, if not the story itself. I could also certainly buy into the conflicting emotions of an old man returning to a site of terrible tragedy.

In general: A very light, Christian read with a solid basis in history. Generally disappointing but not enough to convince me I should avoid the author's other books. In fact, I just discovered I have another WWII novel by Tricia Goyer tucked away on a bookshelf I haven't drawn from in some time. I will definitely read it. She is a highly admired Christian author and while this book didn't work for me, the fluidity of her writing is excellent and her research strong. Remembering You also has the benefit of being a clean story - no swearing, violence or sexuality.

3.5/5 stars for cleanliness, appearance of historical accuracy (I didn't look up any details, but Goyer is known for her research and I found historical references believable) and above-average flow.

The following is slightly altered from the press info about a Kindle Touch giveaway that was sent to me. I had a little difficulty opening the attachments, so you may see this content in a different format, elsewhere.

Tricia Goyer is celebrating the release of her novel, Remembering You, with a Kindle Touch giveaway for you and the friend of your choice. Then on 11/29 she'll be wrapping up the release of Remembering You with a Book Chat Party. During the first half of the party Tricia will be chatting, sharing a sneak peek of her next book, and giving away a ton of great stuff. Then she'll head over to her website for a live chat. Readers will be able to chat with Tricia via video or text.

Don't miss your chance to win a Kindle touch for yourself and to remember a friend this holiday season with a Kindle touch for them, as well!

Read what other reviewers are saying here.

You can find additional sweepstakes info and enter, here.

I haven't got the foggiest idea how to add all the little icons that are posted elsewhere, so I'm going to direct you to another site to click through to Facebook and Twitter. Obviously, I need to brush up on some technical bloggy things. I used to know how to add HTML to images but I've forgotten how and, as I said, I had difficulty opening the attachments from the publicist. Serves me right for waiting till the last minute.

In other news:

I'm slumpy, again. I'm starting to worry about my brain. Did I not feed it well enough in its younger years? Does it need more coffee to combat its natural attention deficit? I've been trying to go with the flow (watching Season 1 of White Collar . . . at least I'm entertained), but when you're a book lover living in a house that looks like a library with bedding and a kitchen thrown in, it's really distressing when your desire to read abandons you. I'm enjoying everything I'm reading. I just don't feel like reading very often. Horrors.

I hope to enter recovery, soon. Maybe a little turkey will help.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Still More Stories from Grandma's Attic and Treasure from Grandma's Attic

I'm going to keep this review very brief, but you can see a sneak peek (first chapters) of both Still More Stories from Grandma's Attic and Treasures from Grandma's Attic, here. Still More and Treasures, etc. are the third and fourth books in the Grandma's Attic series, books that read a lot like Little House on the Prairie, about mischief that the author's grandmother got into when she was a young girl, around 100 years ago. They're funny, clean and ultimately each story contains a positive message.

I read the first two books in this series, a few months ago, and didn't hesitate to snatch up copies to review, when they were offered up. Great for reading to children old enough to sit still for a short (chapter) story or for readers entering chapter-book territory, I can't recommend the series enough. They have a Christian bent; some books talk about God and prayer more than others, and they do so more in a teaching way (learning a lesson about being obedient, for example) than a preaching way. Excellent books, highly recommended!

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Dog Tales by Susy Flory

Dog Tales by Susy Flory is subtitled "Inspirational Stories of Humor, Adventure and Devotion." While I've never been a dog owner and am none too fond of the fact that dogs are allowed to run loose where we live, I tend to like dogs on an individual basis -- when I know them well, that is. I'm just telling you that because I know my regular readers are well aware of my love of cats.

In Dog Tales, Susy Flory has chosen a variety of touching, humorous and otherwise interesting stories about dogs. Unfortunately, I don't remember many. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book. I did. But, it wasn't memorable enough to stick with me for a month. What I mostly recall is impressions. Some of the stories are heartwarming, some sad, some truly amazing.

One story I remember well is the story of a Chow chow (eventually named Ohio). Ohio was filthy with long, matted fur and he spent his days lying in the middle of the street. A huge bear of a dog, he lay around looking depressed; he didn't respond to friendly strangers. A woman named Mary, who lived in his neighborhood, walked past the dog almost daily for a couple of years before deciding she needed to do something about him. After a bit of prayer, she summoned the courage to talk to the dog's owner. The owner hated the dog for reasons I won't go into and claimed he was a danger to her children. That was her excuse for neglect.

Mary asked if she could have the dog and his owner was happy to get rid of him. Mary and her friend took Ohio to Mary's house, where they clipped his filthy coat. What happened after the dog's fur was trimmed is beyond cool. He got up and danced around her yard! I would love to see such a thing. That particular story had a very happy ending as the dog's personality changed dramatically and he lived a long and happy life.

The stories in Dog Tales are a mixed batch. I liked some better than others. There's a Christian bent to this book, but it's not about Christianity. It's just that the author happens to be a Christian and mentions it when people prayed for their dogs or talked about God when they told their stories. I think this book is probably mostly likely to be enjoyed by dog owners, but I enjoyed reading it. I particularly loved the tale of a dog who saved a little boy from the Indonesian tsunami and a seeing-eye dog that led his owner out of one of the Twin Towers on 9/11. Heroic dog stories are always favorites.

The only thing I disliked about the book was the fact that many owners found what I personally consider bad behavior charming. Some of those dogs sounded to me like they needed to spend time at obedience school. But, I can relate to sometimes letting your pet get away with something he or she shouldn't, merely because a pet's so cute you don't want to stop them. Taking the time to snap Isabel's photo when she was lying in a place that's strictly forbidden (on the piano) is a prime example.

Recommended for pet lovers, particularly those who love dogs. My thanks to the author and Harvest House for the review copy.

And, speaking of dogs . . . my grand-dog is here for a visit! She very kindly brought my son with her. Here's the grand-dog, Peyton:

Don't you love those ears? Peyton has had to be boarded because she's an indoor dog and she doesn't like cats, but she's a very friendly, lovable dog and we had fun with her before she went to be boarded with our local vet.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble

The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble

Copyright 2011

Thomas Nelson - Historical with a touch of Romance/Christian/Mystery

292 pages

I'm going to go with the ultra-casual review method because this book is kind of twisty. It's 1910 (but the author didn't bother to share that bit of info; I figured it out by looking up the return of Halley's Comet, which is mentioned several times, and early plane flight). Olivia Bennett is 25, her father is dead, the family is running out of money. Big sis Eleanor was set to get hitched to her father's business partner's son (got that?), Harrison Bennett. But, when Eleanor tragically dies under suspicious circumstances, the elder Bennett says, "Deal off. Unless you'll let your other daughter marry my boy. Because, you know, we've got the money and you've got the respectability."

Oh, those crazy early 20th-century fusspots. Olivia is naturally miffed but she's sure Eleanor was murdered. So, utilizing a convenient "family title", she calls herself Lady Devonworth, packs up her bags and heads from New York to Mercy Falls, California, even though there's a murderer in California and plenty of fat, wealthy men to marry nearby.

What do diamond mines, a ball to earn funds for a lightkeeper and an airplane have to do with Olivia? And, is someone trying to dim her lights for good or are the culprits after Harrison? Is Harrison good or bad? Where is God in all this mess?

What I liked about The Lightkeeper's Ball:

Stuff happens. The Lightkeeper's Ball is a busy, plot-heavy book, so it's full of action. It's the third book in a series but stands alone well. That's always good. I also love the cover, even though it is so wrong it makes me feel like "The Sucker Who Fell for the Red-Dress Cover." I finished it but was tempted to give up, several times. At some point I finally decided I was going to finish it and enjoy it, tough luck if I couldn't buy into the story.

What I disliked about The Lightkeeper's Ball:

Unfortunately, I have to confess that I never, ever managed to get to the point of suspension of disbelief. Not even close. I was actually quite stunned to find out the author is a Rita award-winning author and this is her 18th title. This author could seriously use a reality check. The book reads like a list of plot points with a lot of fluffy fun in between. There were way too many dramatic incidents that I just flat could not buy into. I'm tempted to write about them but I'm sure Colleen Coble has plenty of fans and I don't want to spoil the book for them. It simply did not work for me.

Cover thoughts:

Grrrr. That is not a ballgown from 1910 and it makes me feel very, very pissy. I was totally confused until I looked up the earliest 20th-century return of Halley's Comet and then google-image searched dresses and ball gowns in 1910. The ball is a masquerade, but it's not right for that, either, since the heroine dresses as Juliet. Total cover fail.

You can read a free chapter of The Lightkeeper's Ball, here.

Let's end this on an upbeat note, with a pretty kitty pic. I just love kitty pics, don't you?

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello

The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello

Copyright 2011

Thomas Nelson - Mystery

4th in the Raleigh Harmon series

373 pages

Sibella Giorello's website

I've only read two of the books in the Raleigh Harmon mystery series (apparently, the first book had a different publisher) but I think it's worth mentioning, up front, that the books stand alone well. In the third book, The Clouds Roll Away, Raleigh solved a murder and made a personal decision that she's now questioning, hoping time and distance will help her find an answer.

The Mountains Bow Down takes Raleigh away from her home. The entire book is set on or near the ship on which she takes a cruise to Alaska with her mother, her aunt and another woman. Raleigh, a forensic geologist working for the FBI, is serving as a consultant to a movie crew filming an action flick on board, although she has plans to explore Alaska's geology and get some much-needed mental rest.

But, when a woman goes missing and is found dead of an apparent suicide, Raleigh's vacation becomes a working trip. The suicide is suspicious and Raleigh has a limited amount of time to prove the woman was murdered before the cruise ends and a killer walks away. After asking for help from the FBI, her handsome rival from Seattle, Special Agent Jack Stephanson, shows up to assist. Jack treated her like a jerk when she was working in Seattle, but now he's oddly kind and surprises Raleigh by treating her with a fair amount of respect -- which, naturally, only adds confusion to her complicated personal life.

Will Raleigh change her mind about that decision she made back home? Can she protect her mother from information she's sure will send her mom beyond the edge of sanity? Will Raleigh be able to solve the murder before it's too late?

Well . . . it's a mystery and mysteries get solved so I think I can safely say you know the answer to the last question, but the journey to the answer is really quite a ride. Not being a big mystery fan, I was pretty surprised how gripping I found The Clouds Roll Away and how much I liked the stolid (but privately emotional) heroine and I can tell you Raleigh is consistent and I liked her just as much in The Mountains Bow Down.

What I loved about The Mountains Bow Down:

I really like Raleigh Harmon. She's a fascinating character. When I read The Clouds Roll Away, I thought she sounded like the kind of woman you hear about in Alaska -- the kind who can hike a mountain, camp for weeks without whining, build a cabin, heft food into the trees, shoot a moose, defend herself from a bear and then go home and make a meal for an entire village. Alaskan women are tough!! So, it really didn't surprise me to find out the author is a native Alaskan and I was actually hoping the author would eventually set a book in Alaska. While there's not a lot of Alaska in the book because it mostly takes place on the cruise ship, there was enough talk about the beauty of Alaska and the towns the ship visited to satisfy me.

The mystery itself was suitably complex (Giorello kept me guessing right up to the end) without becoming overwhelming and the other characters were well described. I was so fond of Jack and the man in Seattle who was Raleigh's former boss that now I'm absolutely dying to go back to the beginning to read the first two books in the series. I love, love, love the fact that Raleigh is a big eater. There are so many female characters who worry about food and their weight in fiction that it's nice to read about one who can put away a big meal, for a change. In general, The Mountains Bow Down is an engrossing read with excellent characterization, taut plotting and intelligent writing.

What I disliked about The Mountains Bow Down:

Oh, hmm. I can't think of anything. There are some icky characters but some of the movie people were meant to be overblown, arrogant, unlikable caricatures -- or, maybe I should use the word archetypes -- but I didn't find that they pushed believability beyond reason. There are some graphic descriptions of filth, a bit of gory body description and sexual deviance. The language is clean and there are occasional thoughts about Christianity on Raleigh's part, but I would say it's not for the faint of heart and in some ways deserves an R rating. It's been long enough since I finished reading the book that a few things have slipped away and I'm not certain how graphic the talk about the nastiest characters was, but it did turn my stomach a bit.

Recommended for mystery and thriller fans. Definitely not for the squeamish.

Cover thoughts: While I love the look of the cover, if you look very close it appears that the view of the skyline from the ship is . . . well, more like Hawaii than Alaska. But, the rest of the image is okay. I have a feeling there was a bit of cut-and-paste involved in the making of that cover, but it fits the story if you don't look too closely.

In other news:

I had a busy-busy week but I'm way too tired to write about it. Maybe later. The coming months are going to be unusually hectic for me, so I'm considering making only weekly or bi-weekly updates (apart from the 2 remaining tours I have scheduled). That would mean weekly mini-reviews and probably the usual Fiona Friday posts. The alternative is to do only monthly updates; I definitely will not have time for frequent posting but I don't want to give up the blog completely. Thoughts are welcome.

Fiona missed you:

But, she had an excellent time watching birds. So did Isabel.

Did anyone get to see the Supermoon? We lucked out and got to see it from the moment it rose over the horizon to well after it lost that gorgeous orange glow. But, we had to hop into the car and rush to the high school parking lot to take pictures because trees were blocking the view. I had loads of fun snapping pictures and have really enjoyed looking at the gorgeous photos other folks took.

I managed to finish Cutting for Stone in time for my F2F book group's meeting. I'll tell you about that, later. Gotta get some shut-eye. Nightie-night!

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

A Billion Reasons Why by Kristin Billerbeck

A Billion Reasons Why

By Kristin Billerbeck

Copyright 2011

Thomas Nelson - Christian Chick Lit/Romance

320 pages

I'm going to make this review a quickie because it sounds like the end of the world is happening outside my window, here (big storm -- no lightning or I'd be unplugged).

Katie McKenna is about to get engaged to her boyfriend, Dexter. Dexter is reliable and he wants the same things Katie wants. At least, that's what she thinks until her old boyfriend, multi-millionaire Luc DeForges, walks back into her life. 8 years ago, Luc humiliated Katie in public, back in their hometown, New Orleans. Since then, she's become a special ed teacher in Northern California. Katie's put the past behind her and she's perfectly happy. But, Luc wants her to sing and dance at his brother's wedding. Really, he's trying to lure her to New Orleans but I won't go into the details apart from the fact that she needs her grandmother's ring to get engaged and Luc has it.

Katie has a fascination with the 1940s and she finds herself just a little bit excited at the idea of returning to her old passions, even briefly. But, there are a billion reasons why she shouldn't have anything to do with Luc, again. So, why is she suddenly spotting all of Dexter's flaws and finding herself so magnetically drawn to Luc? What if God wants her to stop hiding her talents and avoiding her passion for the 1940s? Could it be that Luc offers what she's really wanted all along?

Well . . . obviously, this is a romance so you know going into the book just how it's going to end and who the heroine will choose. I've wanted to read a book by Kristin Billerbeck for quite some time because I've read a lot of raves about her Christian chick lit (that's definitely how I'd classify it, although the Christian element is, again, not very prevalent).

Unfortunately, there were a lot of things I didn't like about A Billion Reasons Why. I thought the writing was weak, in general. Conversations that should have been brief and to the point dragged on for pages and were a bit stilted. And, I thought the idea of being "about to be engaged" made no sense, whatsoever. A ring does not a commitment make. A woman's engaged the moment he asks and she says "yes", in my mind.

In spite of all those dislikes, I did like the characters and I loved Katie's obsession with the 1940s. During the first half of the book, it seemed like it was taking forever for the author to explain the past -- what Luc did to humiliate Katie, what happened to her father, why Luc had her grandmother's ring. But, once those answers were revealed, I did like how it came together.

Also, I've always found myself drawn to the 1940s, its movies and clothing, the way people spoke -- and especially the strength of people dealing with WWII. Nice suits and hats!! Why can't we bring back hats on every head?! Okay, yes, they mush your hair.

I did think the whole New Orleans thing was forced--meaning, it seemed like the author went out of her way to try to make it sound like she knew New Orleans when, in fact, I was almost immediately convinced she just thought it was a cool setting. I looked up the author's bio and found out she's a 4th-generation Californian. I guess that means I've been in the Deep South long enough to recognize someone trying to "write Southern," as opposed to writing by a genuine Southerner.

Anyway, I liked A Billion Reasons Why enough to read to the end because sometimes it's just nice to read something a little light and predictable. but, I won't go out of my way to read more books by Billerbeck because I didn't like the lengthy, repetitive dialogue. However, the fact that the book is dialogue-heavy did make it a quick read and it was definitely good timing for a breezy read. I've been a tiny bit slumpy in recent weeks.

Recommended for romance lovers, in particular. A clean, sweet romance.

You can read a free chapter of A Billion Reasons Why here.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

10 Lessons from a Former Fat Girl by Amy Parham

10 Lessons from a Former Fat Girl: Living with Less of You and More of Life by Amy Parham

Copyright 2010

Harvest House Publishers - Healthy Living

189 pages

Amy Parham, the author of 10 Lessons from a Former Fat Girl, was a contestant on The Biggest Loser. I've never seen the show, since I very seldom watch television, and I'm not even sure I knew she was a contestant on The Biggest Loser when I signed up to review the book. I was just interested in reading about the principles that helped one person lose weight and keep it off.

10 Lessons from a Former Fat Girl isn't specifically about her experience on the television show; it's about how she had to face up to some misconceptions about weight that she'd lived with all her life and change her way of looking at food and exercise. She does so from the perspective of a Christian, peppering the text with Bible verses about health and emotions and how the "fat girl" inside must alter the way she thinks about food in order to bring out the "fit girl".

When you say things about your lack of control over certain foods, you are practically admitting defeat before you even begin to wage war on the battle of the bulge. The Bible tells us, "For whatever is in your heart determines what you say" (Matthew 12:34 NLT). What you really believe in your heart will come out of your mouth!

Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. --Voltaire

--p. 34

She talks about the fact that we all have a "God-shaped hole" in our hearts that some people try to fill with food or other obsessions and makes suggestions for filling your life with living (particularly in a Godly manner) rather than focusing on what and when you're going to eat, emphasizing that God wants us to be healthy.

In 3 John 1:2 (NKJV), John tells us, "Beloved I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." Our health is important to God. He wants to help you in your fight against the fat girl.

--p. 45

Mostly, though, the book is about learning to change the way you think about food and change your habits by finding alternatives. The author gives some great examples but I was most fascinated by her way of winding down at night. After work, she would relax in front of the TV and munch on a bag of chips. She'd had this same nightly ritual for so many years that it was particularly difficult when she returned home from the isolated ranch where The Biggest Loser is shot and there was that couch. Sofa, TV, chips. They went together for Amy Parham.

Now back at work, she had to find ways to incorporate what she'd learned during her intense training into her real life. And, the couch was one of her problem areas. She discovered that exercising before spending time in front of the TV helped to change both her thought process and her craving. After exercising, she loses her appetite for a while.

There were other occasions she found needed a great deal of work because they were tangled up in either emotion or tradition.

God created us with a soul, which consists of our mind, will, and emotions. Therefore, we feel things like guilt, sadness, happiness, and fear. While we don't have control over an initial feeling, we can control how we manage our emotions. . . . The difference between being a fit girl and a fat girl is how you deal with your emotions.

--p. 66

Going home for the holidays was one example. The author has a mother who spends days cooking and baking before major holidays and she makes quite a few sugary treats. The author talks about healthy alternatives and how to kindly decline certain foods and fight the expectations as well as the envy of others after losing weight.

Obviously, that portion of the book is best to hold and reread after one has lost weight, but it doesn't hurt to read it in advance. I've actually been through similar when I lost a great deal of weight running, about 10 years ago. Suddenly, people who have always ignored you look at you with approval and those who knew you as an unattractive chubby girl may react in unexpected ways, snubbing you or trying to sabotage your efforts to keep the weight off. Many people will even sabotage their own success by eating out of guilt.

What I Loved about 10 Lessons from a Former Fat Girl:

I think the author does an excellent job of hitting many aspects of the mental process that leads people to gain weight and then keep it on. She really delves into emotions and how to remove emotion from concept of nourishing the body. She nicely backs up her principles with well-chosen scripture. There are some additional little tidbits I liked, such as this bit:

7 Stress-Busting Foods (the value of which the author elaborates upon in the book, pp. 86-87:

Oatmeal, oranges, salmon, spinach, almonds/pistachios/walnuts, avocados, skim milk

I just love having a list of foods that are good for you to tack up on the refrigerator as a reminder. There are lots of questions to ponder and space to write your thoughts. I've mentioned before that I tend to not want to do the work in books like this, but this time I thought, "I want to go back and do the work after I've done a read-through."

What I disliked about 10 Lessons from a Former Fat Girl:

While I understand that the entire concept is based on changing a thought process in this book, I really get weary of repetition and the "fat girl" vs. "fit girl" concept was a bit annoying. I had to pep-talk myself a bit to not allow that to frustrate me and it worked. It's really about how those who eat out of emotion due to specific triggers and/or to fill something missing in their lives think -- that's the "fat girl" thought process -- contrasted with that of the way "fit" people think. It may be repetitive, but it would take a lot longer to describe it any other way.

Like any book in which an author talks about his or her own journey to fitness, there are things that simply don't apply. I don't associate television with food, for example, and I kind of hate holidays that are centered around eating because I've never felt any need to stuff myself for the sake of celebration. In other words, the reader will have to ponder what will best work for him or her (the book is directed at women, but I think men might also enjoy the book if they can tolerate the fat girl/fit girl references) and what areas of his or her life need attention.

The author does not tell you what to eat, although she mentions a few foods that she's substituted in her own life, what she eats for breakfast and why many small meals are better than skipped meals followed by a large meal eaten out of fierce hunger.

The bottom line:

Definitely recommended. A solid book that helps those who need to lose weight dig deep into their thought process in order to alter it and lose the weight, then keep it off. Very spiritual, with lots of Bible verses and references to God, yet I think non-Christians can definitely benefit from reading the principles and delving into their emotions to figure out where change is needed.

Total change of topic:

I had the coolest dream, last night. You can skip this part if you hate reading about dreams. You know how some make sense when you describe them but others are just come out as complete nonsense when you try to share them with people? Well, last week I had what is known as a lucid dream. I was aware I was dreaming, so when someone in my dream said something that was total nonsense, I actually woke myself up and wrote it down. It reminded me of the reporter whose temporary aphasia, brought on by a "complex migraine" aura, was broadcast on the night of the Grammys. Here's what the person in my dream said:

"They're not playing swift down is number 2 cuckoo."

I woke up, wrote it down, laughed and went back to sleep. But, that's an aside. Last night, I had one of those exciting dreams in which there were spies and people pursuing me for no apparent reason -- a movie-like dream involving airplanes and car chases, which ended with a final run down a neighborhood alley. The person chasing me claimed to be on "my side" (whatever that means) but then when we reached our destination, he pulled out a huge knife.

At that point, I slipped back into lucid dreaming. I don't like scary nightmares and it's not unusual for me to recognize them and either alter my dreams or wake myself. In this case, I decided to make something materialize. I told the person with the knife that if he was going to kill me, he ought to use a gun so it would be a little less painful. The bad guy replied, "I don't have one," and I said, "Well, I do." I'd created a gun in my pocket after the dream wasn't headed in a direction I liked.

I'm still replaying some of my favorite scenes from that dream. The airplane chase and the cocktail party that ended in a dash out the door and a car chase are my favorites. Do you ever have lucid dreams or simply dreams so vivid that when you awaken you feel as if you've had a fun night at the movies? I find dreams utterly fascinating. And, in fact, I believe the airplane bits came from my reading of a scene in Cutting for Stone, just before I fell asleep.

Okay, back to the housework. Our weather has been darn near perfect and that's keeping me busy, indoors and out. The fat girl side of me would rather sit and read but my fit girl side enjoyed cleaning the garage! :)

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Strange Man by Greg Mitchell

The Strange Man by Greg Mitchell

Book 1 of the Coming Evil Trilogy

Copyright 2011 - Horror

Realms

292 pages, including a bonus short story

Greg Mitchell's blog

Holy Toledo. The Strange Man is like a train wreck -- horrifying but you can't look away. In the dying town of Greensboro, there have always been rumors about a bogeyman living in the North Woods. Parents tell stories of the bogeyman to get their children to behave. Some believe, some don't.

Dras (pronounced "DrAHz") Weldon is a twenty-something who is unemployed, drinks heavily and, in general, refuses to grow up. He collects action figures and sponges off his family. His only real friend is Rosalyn. She came from a disastrous, alcoholic home and has been labeled "trash" by pretty much everyone but the Weldon family, with whom she practically grew up. Rosalyn is patient to a fault, when it comes to Dras. Dras questions his faith aloud and is rebellious, but he really believes in God. He just doesn't want to think about it and he both acts and speaks as if he's not a believer.

One night, a storm moves into Greensboro -- a very odd storm that carries with it the sensation of evil. The bogeyman has arrived. He is, in fact, the devil and he brings along his legion of demons. Because the town has moved away from Christianity, they've allowed the devil to be freed from his prison in the North Woods. And, he means to wreak havoc, kill and ruin lives, wherever he can. Death comes quickly, once the so-called bogeyman arrives.

The devil-slash-bogeyman can appear handsome and suave but sometimes he shows his true form. Dras, as it turns out, is getting in the devil's way. The devil has his eye on Rosalyn but he can't harm Dras. And, Dras is not going to watch his friend get tortured or worse and do nothing about it. But, will he be able to save Rosalyn? There's only one thing Dras can do and it may mean sacrificing his own life.

Man . . . talk about creepy. This is one heck of a scary book. I cannot believe I read it at night and didn't have nightmares, but I just couldn't put it down so I finished The Strange Man in the middle of the night. You should see the dark circles under my eyes. I meant to snooze late but the cats decided to have a party on my head very early Monday morning, so I guess I'll just have to catch up on sleep. It was worth it.

What I loved about The Strange Man:

The Strange Man is riveting. From a Christian standpoint, I had a little trouble with the fact that a person could pray for help and still end up shredded (Ewww!) but in the end there's one person who actually succumbs not to the devil but to the evil of man. To be honest I just can't fault a book too much if it's that hard to put down. I loved the fact that The Strange Man is gripping, has a good solid theme about God as protector and that we choose whether or not to let evil into our lives, and I liked the characters -- although there were moments I wanted to reach in and shake someone. You know those scary movies where you're muttering, "No, no, don't open the window! Don't go outside!" or whatever. Yeah. It's like that.

Oops, forgot to mention:

Adding this to the post, a bit late. I think there's another theme, which is really important, and it's something to the effect of, "Watch out what you say and how you behave; the people around you learn from your actions and words." Dras actually leads people away from God.

What I disliked about The Strange Man:

Oops, I think I already mentioned that, above, the fact that someone got shredded even after praying. Well, that's about it.

The Strange Man is, I think, technically a Christian book because of the publisher and the God-driven theme. But, I left that out of my header because, you know . . . I have a real quibble with the fact that a lot of people will pass this book up (and a lot of other titles) merely because it's written from a Christian perspective. And, it's not like Hollywood hasn't done the devil-coming-to-get-everyone, complete with a hell-fire spouting, mildly hypocritical preacher and all that.

I just read True Grit last week (I'll review it, soon) and found myself thinking about the way Christianity in characters was common not that long ago but has become something to avoid in recent decades. In True Grit, Mattie's Christianity really jumps out at you, the way Mattie quotes the Bible and talks about being a good Presbyterian. It's simply a part of who she is, but it's something we don't see all that much anymore. I found myself wondering . . . Would that book be considered (if it were a new title, that is) by a mainstream publisher, these days? I don't know. I have a feeling the answer is "no," though.

In The Strange Man, the preacher is Jeff, the "prodigal" Dras's brother. He's not perfect; nobody is, although Jeff's wife comes closest. She's a peacemaker and a solid, kind woman. Many of the characters are not Christian. That's part of the point -- so many in the small, dying town have lost their faith that they've opened themselves up to evil. It's really just a typical good-versus-evil plotline and it deserves a wide readership because it's a rollicking good, shaking-in-your-boots kind of story. That is my humble opinion. Click here to read a free chapter of The Strange Man and view the trailer (which, honestly, I'm afraid to watch). Be sure to look at the author photograph, which was taken by his 4-year-old! Awesome.

Cover thoughts: Cool. Creepy. Perfect. Love the colors.

In other news:

I've been offline, apart from brief hops to the blog to approve comments, via the iPad, because my computer has been covered by a tarp while Huzzybuns repaired the damaged wall in my office and sanded in preparation for painting. So . . . not sure when he's going to get around to painting the walls but if I disappear abruptly for a couple of days, never fear. It probably just means I've been banned from the room. I get in his way, you see. I'll try to catch up on visiting people when he's not around and I'm not busy shooing the cat away from live electrical cords. That animal. Sheesh. Izzy, that is. She's a handful.

This weekend, I spent a lot of time reading, reading, reading. I picked up Haunting Jasmine, the story of a woman fresh from a divorce, who goes to take care of her aunt Ruma's bookstore while Auntie Ruma makes an emergency trip to India. Ruma doesn't bother telling Jasmine that the store is haunted. It was a case of perfect book for the time and I raced through it, loving every minute. I'll review the book, soon.

After reading Haunting Jasmine, I spent a day catching up on my Bible study, which involves a humongous amount of homework (I missed the first week, thanks to a stomach virus). And, then I picked up The Strange Man and there went a good night's sleep.

I've got to get off the computer because Kiddo wants me to quit tapping so he can sleep, but I'll try to post a pic of Izzy playing with her rubber ducky in the next post. Betcha can't wait.

Tuesday Morning addendum:

I've awakened to weather that is threatening to turn severe (tornadoes and thunderstorms) and a headache, so blog-hopping and my next review will likely be delayed a bit longer while I hide in my room to read and sleep. I'm really starting to miss you guys. I'll at least approve comments if I don't have to unplug everything.

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