Thorn in my Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs

Another Christian Fiction! Look at me go. I liked the book and there were moments that I found myself sitting up into the wee hours (not a small feat for this tired lady) reading just because "I can't put it down yet."

The major problem I had and why its not rated higher is that Higgs took a story from the Old Testament of the Bible - the story of Jacob and Esau (the brother who steals his twin brother's birthright and the story of sisters Leah and Rachel) and made it into a Scottish saga.

The story is amazing but it is an existing story. I would have more respect if Higgs had come up with an original story instead of "borrowing" one from the Bible. But I also understand being swept up by a captivating story and wanting to put your own twist on it.

There were times when the Biblical account just didn't match up with the Scottish account (set in the 1780's instead of BC). The culture was just too different.

I don't know how Higgs is going to handle the fact that Jacob - Jamie, in the book - is married to two women. That was not a part of the culture in Scotland at the time. I guess I'll have to get my hands on book #2 (there are four in the series) and see how she approaches that.

But I see this as a really good book for a book discussion group like the one at my church. The women would love pulling apart the similarities and nuances between the original story and the novel.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

One of my all-time favorites.

I read Peace Like a River in college for a fiction writing class. The professor happened to be friends with Leif Enger and had us read the book and then had Mr. Enger come to a class and have Q&A. So much fun!

I re-read this one for my church book club and re-enjoyed every second of it.

This novel is a hybrid of Western, suspense and drama all tied together with impeccable literary voice. I mean, it's one of the most well-written books I've ever had the chance to read.

Other than Scarlett O'Hara, Swede is my most memorable female fiction character.

If you read it, you will not be disappointed.

Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani

Cute story. Cute setting. Cute characters. Cute writing. Cute cute cute.

This was a feel-good book that touched on some tough, real-life issues but mostly made for a wonderful light read.

What I love the most: there are two more books in the series and I'm off to hunt for them!

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

This is a Pulitzer Prize winner. I really enjoyed it but felt a bit...

Like that.

Just "..."

The writing was beautiful - obviously, it won the Pulitzer - and the characters completely engaging, believable and lovable; but the storyline was rambling and open ended and the point? I didn't get the point.

This was a collection of vignettes of people in the small town of Crosby, Maine. All of the chapters take a snippet of a person either intimately or remotely connected to the main character, Olive Kitteridge.

There were some wonderful moments though and I really did appreciate the book...mostly. It was just a little...

The Blue Bottle Club by Penelope J. Stokes

Christian fiction...usually I'm wary of this genre. I have to really love the subject to get into the syrupy, "all's well that ends well" story lines. The truth is, I only bought this book because I have a reading club at church (I love church, I love Jesus, I do not love Christian fiction). That's the only reason.

Buuut...I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I actually read it in record time because it was so engaging and real. Which is something I can't say about a lot of this genre.

This story follows the lives of four girls growing up in the throes of The Great Depression. They each placed their life's dreams in a blue bottle and stored it up in the attic of a mansion. The bottle is found 60 years later and the ladies are tracked down to find out the fate of their dreams.

Juicy premise. Intriguing characters. Good writing.

I'm looking forward to discussing this one with the girlies at church. I have a feeling I'll be reading lots more Christian Fiction but I'll bear with it, I have much faith in choices of our leader. :) Hi, L!

The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther

From the title of this novel I was expecting a tale full of culinary joys. Warm kitchen scenes and sumptuous smells coming from steaming pots.

Nope.

This was a story of loss, family tragedy and Iranian culture. I didn't love it. Maybe because I was in the mood for something else entirely. The writing was fine. The storyline was fine. The characters were fine. All just fine.

"Fine" does not spell a great book to me. Three stars it is.

To Read

In light of my current condition I can't wait to get my hands on this book:

Birth Day by Mark Sloan

A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle

This one is sort of a 'new classic.' It's well-loved by French-wannabes everywhere and I see why.

Peter Mayle takes the reader with him as he buys and renovates an old home and vineyard in Provence. It's a month by month account of his first year spent as a resident of France (he's from England originally).

It's funny, informative and smart. The accounts of food & wine makes you want to hop a plane to the southern part of France and never come back.

I loved getting an 'insiders' view of the locals and the beautiful countryside. A favorite for sure.

Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

'Yay' for good books!

I adore Jeannette Walls. Her writing is so real and honest and not a bit "poor me." It's life. It just is.

This is a "true life novel" meaning it was taken from the true story of Walls' grandmother's life but she added some unknowns to make it read more like a story.

You might be familiar with this author if you read her breakout memoir, The Glass Castle. Heartbreaking and hilarious at the same time. Half Broke Horses is the story of her maternal grandmother - a rancher and smart-alecky frontier woman.

I was honored enough to receive this one via Library Thing's Early Reviewers program so I got to read it before the general public. It is released in October of this year. As soon as it is, go get it.

The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian

Just loved this book. I studied it in a group setting with some ladies from my church. We took three chapters a week and really immersed ourselves in the ideas and prayer tactics of Stormie Omartian.

The book is full of topical prayers and Bible verses for praying over your children. Subjects ranging from your children's protection from harm to instilling in them a desire to learn and having a sound mind.

A wonderful, inspiring book that gives a parent new ways to influence their children's lives and the confidence to pray boldly for them.

This is another book I recommend for every Christian parent.

One For The Money by Janet Evanovich

I hate to give a book (especially a Bestselling author) my lowest rating. But I just couldn't finish this one. Maybe it was my mood. Maybe I'm not a lover of snarky mysteries - scratch that, I know I'm not a lover of snarky mysteries.

No more Janet E. for me, thankyouverymuch. Not to worry, I'm sure she'll do just fine without my readership. ;)

Bringing Up Boys by Dr. James Dobson

I'm going to make a big claim. If you have a son (or more) you must read this book. You must.

It is encouraging and challenging; enlightening and reassuring. Dobson has wonderful insight into the minds and spirits of little boys and practical advice on how to help cultivate wonderful human beings.

A pivotal book for any parent of boys. And I hear he is coming out with a counterpart, Bringing Up Girls this year.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Well, I've finally done it. Read the first of the Harry Potter books. It was fabulous. A solid 5 stars.

I don't even need to review this one because I'm probably the only literate person on the face of earth that hadn't read these and adored them...before now, that is.

I've moved on to #2 - The Chamber of Secrets.

I think I'll wait to review all of these until I've finished the entire series. Just because I don't feel like writing a blog post for each book. (I'm going to do the same w/ Anne of Green Gables.) Looks like this is the Summer of YA Lit. :)

I'm good with that...a year of intense Anatomy and Physiology classes will do that to a girl.

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

Good, smart, guilty pleasure Summer read. I think that about sums this one up in its entirety.

I completely enjoyed this one, while being simultaneously embarrassed and sympathetic for the main character, Lee. Prep takes the reader along with Lee in her journey as a scholarship student in a prep school.

Lee was painfully aware of her surroundings and her peers. She examined every facet to its death and many times this left her lonely and feeling terribly awkward. But I liked her so much and recognized a little of myself in her while I was in high school that I just had to keep reading.

The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian

I don't want to say too much in this review for fear of spoiling it for future readers.

I will say it is a psychological thriller...something I did not know before reading the book - why? I don't know. It was touted on the cover as one...

To be completely truthful, I've been wanting to read this one since it came out a few years ago. I loved Bohjalian's Midwives so much I just had to read another of his. I read The Great Gatsby first so that I could pick this one up in good conscience. (Much of this novel is based on the classic by Fitzgerald.)

I will say: It was clever. It got most compelling in its last two chapters, when the great twist was being unveiled. Part of me wanted to read it again with the knowledge of the twist in mind; but, frankly, I didn't like it enough to do that.

Daily Anne ~ 2nd Installation

"...the tree; of course it's lovely - yes, it's radiantly lovely - it blooms as if it meant it - but I meant everything, the garden and the orchard and the brook and the woods, the whole big dear world. Don't you feel as if you just loved the world on a morning like this?"

-Anne of Green Gables

...For more Daily Anne, visit my personal blog, She's Star-Crossed.

Daily Anne ~ 1st Installation

Anne of Green Gables. The entire, 8 book series. This Summer. *Sigh*
What a delight.

I'm reading along with an acquaintance from college, whom I can now firmly call a 'friend.' We reconnected over our love for reading via facebook. One more point for my beloved facebook.

Anne says so many clever, hilarious things that I just have to share some with you. When I come across a doozy or one that makes me think, I will post here. I hope you love Miss Anne as much as I do...

"...Anne is such an unromantic name."

"Unromantic fiddlesticks!" said the unsympathetic Marilla. "Anne is a real good plain sensible name. You've no need to be ashamed of it."

"Oh, I'm not ashamed of it," explained Anne, "only I like Cordelia better. I've always imagined that my name was Cordelia - at least, I always have of late years. When I was young I used to imagine it was Geraldine, but I like Cordelia better now. But if you call me Anne please call me Anne spelled with an e."

"What difference does it make how it's spelled?" asked Marilla with another rusty smile as she picked up the teapot.

"Oh, it makes such a difference. It looks so much nicer. When you hear a name pronounced can't you always see it in you mind just as if it was printed out? I can; and A-n-n looks dreadful, but A-n-n-e looks so much more distinguished. If you'll only call me Anne spelled with an e I shall try to reconcile myself to not being called Cordelia."

"Very well, then, Anne spelled with an e..."

~Anne of Green Gables

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee

Eh. Eh...eh...eh.

Didn't love this one. I'm trying to figure out why. The Piano Teacher had all the trappings of a great, tragic novel. But it fell flat.

Set around the time of World War II (I've been stuck in that rut lately, haven't I?) in Hong Kong. There are love, rivalry, secrets, high class and the lowest of lows. But it was all very heavy and drudging along and the time flash backs got a little confusing.

Here's what I think: I think an author has to love the characters they create. If they don't love the characters like real people, the reader wont love the characters or care about them. I didn't care. Perhaps Lee didn't love those lives she created? Perhaps she did and I missed the point entirely.

Well written, interesting story line, a bit hollow. A solid 3 out of 5.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer & Annie Barrows

Satisfied. Absolutely, completely satisfied.

I loved this novel. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (don't you just love that name?) took me to another time and place and kept enthralled to be there until the very last page.

I will admit that it took me a few 'letters' to get into the style of the book, but once I got the hang of it, I was hooked. Line & sinker included.

This novel is a actually a collection of fictitious letters written from members of a literary society on the island of Guernsey (off the coast of France) to an author in London in the years following World War II. The author, Juliet, falls in love with these pen pals she has never met and finds herself planning a 'research' trip to the island for a possible future book. I will not say more about the plot; I will say that the character development done here is impeccable. I loved each and every one for their unique, quirky characteristics.

Another sweet facet? The names in this novel are beautiful to read. Juliet, Isola, Dawsey, Sidney, Amelia, Elizabeth...

The end had me gazing dreamily 'into the middle distance'. (One of my favorite expressions from the novel.)

Read this one. Read it, read it, read it.

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Such excitement when the Advanced Copy of Shanghai Girls came in the mail! I had no clue I was even on the receiving list for this one so when it arrived I was giddy. I promptly put down the book I was reading and dove into this one. I love Lisa See's work.

This is a wonderful novel about Chinese sisters native to Shanghai in the 1940's. They are forced to leave the country during the Japanese attacks and invasion. A set of horrific events unfolds and they find themselves in San Francisco, CA. They meet up with the strangers their father arranged for them to marry.

This book is different from See's others in that it takes place during a more contemporary time. I am still a bigger fan of Snowflower but this was a good read too.

Look for the release of Shanghai Girls at the end of May 2009.