REVIEW: Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen

Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen

I love stories set in Regency England, and this one was no different. I was sucked in from the very first page, and couldn't put the book down!

Ms. Klassen is a great storyteller. All of the characters were well-rounded (I really got a feel for each of their 'personalities'), and the plot was very detailed.

The main character, Charlotte Lamb, is a brave soul who makes some poor choices in the beginning, but then redeems herself by making some very wise, but difficult, choices later on.

Themes of the book include sacrifice, reunion, selflessness, choices, redemption, and finding oneself.

I loved how the author keeps you guessing, right up until the end, about how the story will play out. And, I was grateful to not find any spelling or grammatical errors throughout the entire book (as is so common in books, lately).

I look forward to reading more by this author. She did a great job with this first novel. =)

"Edgy Christian fiction" at its best ~ HIGHLY recommended!

Rated: A+

REVIEW: Revealed by Tamera Alexander

REVEALED (Fountain Creek Chronicles, book 2) by Tamera Alexander

Annabelle Grayson has had her slate wiped clean, and she's been given a chance to start over. But, when her new husband dies, Annabelle has to continue with their plans without him.

Matthew Taylor has had a difficult life, partly of his own making. As such, he's made some poor choices, and is now constantly looking over his shoulder. But, when he's forced to partner with Annabelle, his life starts to take a different turn.

I enjoyed reading this second installment in Ms. Alexander's Fountain Creek Chronicles. Many subjects are touched on, such as choices, forgiveness, reconciliation, Alzheimer's Disease, and more.

Though a bit predictable at times, I still enjoyed seeing the story play out, and there were enough twists to make the book quite enjoyable.

I look forward to reading book three of the series, "Remembered".

Rated: B+

REVIEW: The Alexander Cipher by Will Adams

The Alexander Cipher by Will Adams

Underwater archaeologist, Daniel Knox, has upset the wrong people and is now on the run throughout Egypt. While hiding out with an old friend, Daniel learns of an excavation site that may hold a clue as to where Alexander the Great's gold lays buried. Soon after, Daniel and a cast of others are racing against each other to solve the mystery of the 'Alexander Cipher'.

While I found the long passages of historical fact somewhat distracting, the intense action and suspensful twists kept me turning pages, anxious to know what would happen next. There was perhaps more coarse-language than I'm comfortable with, but I still had a hard time putting this book down.

I think Mr. Adams has done an excellent job in his debut work of fiction, and I will be watching for more by him.

Rated: A-

REVIEW: Fearless by Robin Parrish (Dominion Trilogy, book 2)

Fearless by Robin Parrish (Dominion Trilogy, Book 2)

Robin Parrish has an amazing talent ~ he leaves you hanging at the end of every chapter, almost demanding that you turn the page to find out what's next!

Grant Borrows (introduced to us in the first book, Relentless) is known to the public as "Guardian". He uses his powers of telekinesis to help out a world being ravaged by natural disasters.

His fellow ring-wearer, Morgan, insists that they need to discover the reason behind their "shift" ~ the reason they wear the "rings of Dominion". And so, Grant and a team of the most powerful "Loci" are off on a globe-hopping quest for answers.

But the answers may be more than they bargained for!

An amazing book with twists and turns you'd never see coming! I couldn't put this book down! And, I'm mad that I'll have to wait almost another year to find out how it all ends in "Merciless" (Dominion Trilogy, book 3 -- due out from Bethany House Publishers in July 2008!).

Rated: A+

REVIEW: One Little Secret by Allison Bottke

"One Little Secret" by Allison Bottke


This was an engaging story about a housewife named Ursula who accidently gets thrown into the Hollywood "starlet" life when pop star, Nik Prevel, discovers her amazing singing talent. Forever afterward, Ursula's life is changed... as is Nik's!

The only "issue" I had with this book was the author's constant peppering of brand names of the rich-and-famous... stuff I haven't a clue about, and couldn't possibly relate to! (clothing, shoes, furniture, etc). I just couldn't "picture" most of it.

Otherwise, I really liked Ms. Bottke's ability to draw you into the story, constantly making you wonder what's going to happen next, and leaving you wanting to know more.

I think that the character's lives were portrayed fairly realistically, and the descriptions of the music were so moving that I was almost in tears! I also loved that the family-life portrayed by the author was what everyone --I'm sure-- dreams of having, so that is a big pull.

Overall, a very good book that I didn't want to see end. Highly recommended!

Rated: A

REVIEW: THE HEIR

THE HEIR by Paul Robertson

When billionaire Melvin Boyer dies in a car crash, his son Jason inherits his fortune. Jason is now the not-so-proud owner of "half the state" and his father's wealth. His wife is thrilled, but all Jason can think is "I don't want this".

As Jason struggles to decide what to do, more people connected with the Boyer family are dying -- are the deaths really just "accidents", or is someone sending Jason a message?

This book was an excellent, quick-paced read. The only qualms I had with it were that the characters' dialogue seemed a bit curt / choppy, and the ending seemed to be tied up a little too neatly. Otherwise, though, it was a great mystery... I had an idea of who-dunnit, but I couldn't figure it out! :o)

This is Robertson's first novel, and I'd say he did a pretty good job. I'd be willing to try more by him.

Rated: B

REVIEW: INTUITIVE EATING

Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works by Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch

This book details the steps you need to take to become an "intuitive eater" -- a person who follows their body's natural cues of "hunger" and "satiety" in order to eat in moderation and shrink down to their natural body weight.

I especially liked the chapters called: "Challenge the Food Police" / "Make Peace With Food" / & "Respect Your Body". Challenging the "Food Police" means undoing the "diet mentality" that's been so ingrained in us by society, and substituting positive statements every time you hear a negative one regarding food or your eating (in your head).

Making peace with food reminds us that NO food is "good" or "bad" or "forbidden", and we need to give ourselves "unconditional permission to eat" the foods that we love and that satisfy us.

Respecting our bodies means not having negative things to say about yourself when you look in the mirror, and it means buying clothes NOW (not later when you've lost X number of pounds, first) that make you look and FEEL great!

This is an awesome book that I recommend to many people! :o)

REVIEW: VELVET ELVIS: Repainting the Christian Faith

Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell

This book was amazing! So many truths and insights ... I wrote down 5 pages of quotes! LOL.

Just a word of warning, though: There are some parts where Rob will say something, and the more conservative Christians may be tempted to put the book down, saying, "Ack! This isn't a Christian book!" But, keep reading. He always proves his point, and it *is* a Christian book. I loved how, right in the very beginning, Rob says to "test everything...Do that to this book...God has spoken, and everything else is commentary, right?" Amen!