The Curiosity by Stephen P. Kiernan ~ Book Review

The Curiosity tells the story of Dr. Kate Philo, a brilliant scientist who has been hired to the team of a ground breaking project run by Erastus Carthage, a well known scientist in the study of cell reanimation and cryogenics.  The team has been successful in bringing small creatures such as shrimp and krill that have been flash frozen back to life for short periods of time and is now in the arctic looking for something larger frozen into "hard ice" within an iceberg.  When they come across a larger form which they think might be a seal, they are shocked to discover that it is actually a man, frozen deep inside the iceberg.  Never having attempted reanimation on any kind of larger specimen, Carthage nevertheless has the body brought back to the lab in Boston where attempts are made to bring him back to life, some of which Dr. Kate is not comfortable with, and the project is named the Lazarus Project.  As the man begins to live longer than anyone would have estimated and starts to regain some memories, Carthage continues to keep him as a specimen in order to push for more funding but Dr. Kate starts to "see" the man not as a specimen of science but as a living human being that has been literally ripped from his fate and woken up a hundred years later into a very different world.  Now she must decide whether to side with scientific discovery or with her conscience and her heart.

When I finished this story, I found it hard to pick up another story for awhile as I contemplated everything this story explored.  It was science fiction, mixed with a touch of romance but one that definitely left the reader thinking when it was all done. This story posed so many questions about science and discovery and ethics and humanity and life. The story is told in 4 viewpoints:  Dr. Kate Philo, Erastus Carthage, Daniel Dixon: a journalist that Carthage has given exclusive coverage to, and Jeremiah Rice:  the frozen man brought back to life.  The first 98 pages were sort of ones I slogged through as the ground work for the story's science of reanimation  was laid out as the team was searching in the Arctic.  Once the frozen man was found the story really picked up as all the ethical questions of cell reanimation and cryogenics started to enfold.   The part ego plays amongst the scientific community and academia was also explored as Carthage would stop at nothing to have the accolades.  Never viewing the man as a human but as a specimen, all his decisions and actions reflected his belief..  The significant role of media and it's part in reporting what they want you to know or what the powers that are above them want you to know as opposed to whole truth was also delved into as was how sometimes protest groups might actually be used to fuel controversy and keep something before the public eye, something I had never thought of before.

I especially liked the exploration of what a man who is frozen and presumably dead and brought back 100 years later might feel and think and experience.  Jeremiah's confusion in the situation and fear are felt in the fact that he only will talk with Dr. Kate, the one person he senses can be trusted.  His reactions to the culture we live in today made for some interesting moments and thoughts.  As he starts to regain his memories and what led up to him being frozen in the Arctic, my heart really went out to his character as he struggled with his own decisions and regrets from his former life.  Dr. Kate's concern and compassion for him as a person, not just as a discovery and project, was a refreshing juxtaposition against the hard character of Erastus Carthage.

Even though I did really like the story, there were a few things from the book that were of concern to me and may be to others.  It is a secular story written from a secular scientific point of view and that was reflected in various ways.  The aspect of Jeremiah remembering anything after "dying" was approached from that viewpoint.  There is some swearing and a few touches of vulgarity that I had to skip and in my opinion were unnecessary even though the author explains at the end where it came from.  The journalist in the story wasn't my favorite character as he couldn't control where his eyes and thoughts wandered.  But removing those things this was an incredibly thought provoking story that touched a whole array of emotions and  I couldn't put it down.  The film rights have been bought so it should be interesting to see if it actually becomes a movie.

I gave it a 9/10 losing a point basically for language and the vulgar moments.

Taken by Dee Henderson ~ Book Review

Matthew Dane, a former cop, is now a private investigator.  When he attends a conference, he finds a young woman outside his hotel door looking for help.  Shannon Bliss has purposely sought out Matthew's aid.  Shannon was kidnapped at age 16, and now 11 years later, after carefully planning for years she has found a way to escape the life forced upon her but she needs Matthew's experience.  Matthew's daughter was also kidnapped, at age 8 and was found years later, so he knows the ins and outs of helping a victim to ease back into a normal life and to regain a sense of themselves.  But Shannon is determined to do it at her own pace and will only release information as she is ready which means her life could once again be in danger.  She has enough information that could put away some people for a very long time but the information also requires that they find hidden evidence.  Matthew needs to hold back his natural inclinations to solve the kidnapping at a fast a pace as possible and let Shannon feel comfortable in revealing everything that has happened to her.  But her re-entry into society is made more complicated because her brother, who has never stopped looking for her, is also running for governor and is only a few months from election.  Could her reappearance ruin his chances at his dream?  And could all the information that gets revealed also implicate people she thought loved her?

Dee Henderson is always an author I know I can go to for a very good story with flawed characters who never the less try to walk out their faith even in the midst of the criminal circumstances surrounding them.  Taken was a bit different for me.  Rather than an edge of your seat crime drama where one wonders whodunit, it more explored the victim trying to bring their life back to normal and all that would involve.  But because of the description on the back cover I was expecting the fast paced crime drama where I kept waiting for something big to happen and it never materialized.   Instead it was a very honest look at what crimes like this might leave the victim to deal with even when they are "rescued". It didn't make the read bad, just not what I was expecting.  I really liked the strength of Shannon's character in hanging on to her faith even in the midst of years of disappearance and how determined she was not to lose that in her life no matter what was happening.  There is a very good discussion between her and Matthew in the story concerning evil and free will that felt woven in very well and not at all just stuck in there.  It would make a great discussion point if the book was read in a book club.  

I gave the book an 8/10

The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows ~ Book Review

Not sure how this happened but I finished this book way back at the beginning of October and have just not got around to writing a review.  So this will be a less indepth look at the story as well as I can remember my thoughts on it but I like to remember the gist of how I felt about a book on record for myself.

This book is written by Annie Barrows who co-authored The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society which I enjoyed.  The story is set in 1938, a time period which has drawn me as of late, and in small town West Virginia.  Layla Beck is the daughter of a senator who refuses to bend to her father's wishes in choice of marriage partner so her father forces her to take a job that her uncle finds for her.  She is given the job of writing the history of small town Macedonia for the Federal Writer's Project, which incidentally was a real government project of the 1930's that employed writers and attempted to preserve the stories of small town America.  Room and board is set up for her in one of the prominent families in town, the Romney's, who's father used to own and run the sock factory in town which was a major employer.

Jottie Romney is the strong female head of the family and in her 30's and unmarried is considered a spinster in town.  Under her charge is Willa, a precocious 12 year old who belongs to Felix, Jottie's divorced brother.  Since Felix is almost always out of town on business it falls to Jottie to raise Willa and they enjoy a close relationship with Felix moving in and out of their lives at intervals.  But the arrival of Layla, whom Willa doesn't trust or like, throws the family into chaos and both start to uncover some startling secrets that certain members of the family have long tried to hide.

I enjoyed this story and it's exploration of how personal and historical truths are sometimes changed so that they are more palatable to remember.  The Romney family had a strong history in the town and they identified strongly with that history but the history  was a bit fluid depending on who told it so was it considered accurate depending on who was doing the  telling?  As Layla starts to dig into the town's history which is also wrapped up in the history of the family she begins developing a relationship with Felix who is not exactly known for his loyalty.  But as the truths start slowly revealing themselves she finds more than she bargained for as Felix will do anything to keep certain things hidden.  The mystery of that kept the pages turning for me as did Willa's part in the whole thing.  She also is doing some digging of her own.  One had to feel for a little girl who's Mother was not around and her father was basically missing in action.  There were, however, lots of characters and stories to wrap one's head around and so the story definitely was not fast paced but more of a slow burn to get to the end.

I gave this story a 8.5/10

Long Way Gone by Charles Martin ~ Book Tour and Review

Publisher Description:

“No matter where you go, no matter whether you succeed or fail, stand or fall, no gone is too far gone. You can always come home.”

 At the age of eighteen, musician and songwriter Cooper O’Connor took everything his father held dear and drove 1,200 miles from home to Nashville, his life riding on a six-string guitar and the bold wager that he had talent. But his wager soon proved foolish. Five years after losing everything, he falls in love with Daley Cross, an angelic voice in need of a song. But just as he realizes his love for Daley, Cooper faces a tragedy that threatens his life as well as his career. With nowhere else to go, he returns home to the remote Colorado mountains, searching for answers about his father and his faith. When Daley shows up on his street corner twenty years later, he wonders if it’s too late to tell her the truth about his past—and if he is ready to face it himself.

 A radical retelling of the prodigal son story, Long Way Gone takes us from tent revivals to the Ryman Auditorium to the tender relationship between a broken man and the father who never stopped calling him home.

My Thoughts:
This story was so good.  Charles Martin has a really unique way of starting a story off and then weaving the past into the present, telling the story in layers that the reader must fold back.  This story had me wanting to keep turning the pages a quick as I could read to find out how this telling played out and yet it's the kind of storytelling that I also want to take my time with and savor because of the lovely writing and the depth within it.


Most of us, especially in Christian circles, knows the story of the prodigal son.  This story sets it into modern times and it totally worked and made it fresh and relatable not just for the church goer but for anyone who loves a great story about broken families.  I especially enjoyed the many quotable moments about music and it's place in life.   The story set in contemporary times brought a real understanding of the prodigal son story and God's love for those gone astray.  The depth of feeling, compassion and understanding for both the father and the son that the author was able to bring out in me surprised me and there were many tear filled moments for me throughout.  I totally could see myself many times in Cooper's character, and I totally was broken for the father.  The part where the son leaves felt like I'd been literally punched.  After this story, I think I have a new understanding of the prodigal that wasn't there before and a fresh new understanding of the love God has towards us.  Worth reading as always with Charles Martin books is his author's notes.  It really lets you into his heart for writing the story.

This is a story that I know I will be rereading and I would highly recommend it.  I know it's going to be a go to gift this Christmas for the readers on my list.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers and Thomas Nelson for providing me a free copy for my honest review.  All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan ~ Book Review

Grace Winter is 22 and on trial for her life.  A young newlywed who has just become a widow, Grace never thought she would be in this place in her life.   In 1914, a couple years after the sinking of the Titanic, Grace and her new husband are on another beautiful ocean liner headed to America so that Grace can meet Henry's family.  But then the unthinkable happens and there is a huge explosion.  As the boat sinks Henry is able to get Grace onto one of the lifeboats but in the process he is lost.  It soon becomes apparent that the lifeboat is filled to over capacity.  Now their survival is dependent upon whom to trust with the hard decisions.  As the days drag on and hopes for rescue start to dwindle, starvation starts setting in and clear minded thinking becomes harder, some must lose their lives in order for some to live.  But who will it be and who will decide?

Wow, this is one of those books that left me thinking for days afterward.  It is a page turner, for sure, and grabbed me from the very beginning.  A psychological horror story, it is about the very nature of survival and explores how we would make tough, life altering decisions when all is on the line, who we trust and why, and what we would sacrifice.  It is deep and complex and yet I seemed to fly through it.   Grace is an interesting character and the story is told in her voice.  The story is nerve wracking, suspenseful and challenges the reader to examine their moral standing when their very survival depends upon those decisions.  It is at times not an easy story to read and yet I kept plowing through because I had to know what happened.  Throughout the story, I couldn't help but think "what would I do?".  I could say I would take the moral high road as I sit comfortably on my couch, but if I really placed myself into the lifeboat what would I really do as things become more and more desperate?  A very good read and one I'll be reading again as there are so many layers to peel away with this story.

Rated this a 9.5/10.

Twilight at Blueberry Barrens by Colleen Coble ~ Book Tour & Review

Publisher Description:
“I need you to keep these girls safe . . .”

 Kate Mason has devoted herself to caring for her family’s blueberry barrens. But after her fields stop producing fruit, she’s forced to come up with alternative ways to make a living. Renting out the small cottage on her property seems an obvious choice, but it won’t be enough. When entrepreneur Drake Newham shows up looking not only for a place to rent but also for a nanny for his two nieces, it’s almost too good to be true. And maybe it is—because Drake brings with him dangerous questions about who might be out to kill his family. The more time Kate spends with Drake and the girls, the more difficult it becomes to hide her attraction to him. But a family crisis isn’t exactly the ideal time to pursue a romance.

 Meanwhile, Kate learns that her uncle—in prison for murder—has escaped. Add to that a stalker who won’t leave her alone, and Kate is looking over her shoulder at every turn. With threats swirling from multiple directions, she wonders if her blueberry fields will ever flourish again . . . or if this twilight is her last. Set on the beautiful coast of Maine, Twilight at Blueberry Barrens brings together suspense, romance, and the hope that one day new life will come again.


My Thoughts:
This is Book 3 in the Sunset Cove Novel series.  And Colleen Coble has produced another suspense filled page turner.  With favorite characters from the other two books plus a few new ones she takes us into the life of Kate Mason to explore what we let define who we are.   With Kate's troubled past and life threatening illness which she overcame, she is struggling to see herself as someone who is worth knowing and loving and tends to see herself through her past.  With a newly developing relationship with a twin sister she never knew she had until recently, she is finally starting to have a positive influence in her life.  I loved how her sister was her biggest cheerleader yet was able to be totally honest with her.

This story has some of everything making it complex and interesting;  tension and suspense, mystery, crime and romance all blend wonderfully into a great mix.  It can be read as a stand alone very well, but my opinion is it is so much better to have read the first two so that the reader can know  and understand the backgrounds and richness of the relationships.   Though references are made to things that happened in the other books they weren't to terribly detailed and might raise a few questions for the new reader of just this book.   It however, doesn't affect the story telling to the point of the reader being confused as to what is happening in this installment.  I must admit I found the stalker aspect of the story totally creepy but it added to the atmosphere of tension.   If you are at all sensitive to that kind of thing you might want to know it is in there.   It was a definite page turner and I had it read in a few days.  One small thing I found mildly annoying about the book was that it had several instances of product placement which made the sentences they were in sound a bit  "unnatural" to me, but that was easy enough to get past.  As usual, this author has an absolute wonderful ability to describe the area the story is placed and make you feel like you are right there.  It was nice to revisit the area of Folly Shoals and Maine in this story.  If you like the contemporary suspense romance genre you can't go wrong with this series.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers and Thomas Nelson Publishing for providing this book free of charge for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions were my own and I'm not required to give a positive review.

Room for Hope by Kim Vogel Sawyer ~ Book Review

Neva Shilling has the ideal life.  A wonderful husband who works hard and provides for his family, 2 children, a lovely home and a thriving business.  The only thing that is hard is that her husband is away for month long stretches at a time as he buys and sells for their mercantile, but he always comes home with something wonderful for them; new clothes, furniture, fancy appliances.  Yes, they have it pretty good for the standards of the time.  And today there is joy in the household because today is the day he comes home.  As they await his arrival, a wagon drives up with the news that Warren has died.  As Neva tries to digest this piece of news, there is more news...news that brings her whole world crashing down around her as she realizes her whole marriage is built upon lies.  The sheriff is not just delivering the bad news of Warren's death,  but there are 3 children and household goods in the wagon.   Children and goods that apparently belonged to Warren and his wife and now are being delivered to "Aunt Neva" at Warren's last request.    As Neva deals with the realization that Warren was leading a double life, she fights feelings of devastation, betrayal, anger and guilt that is was her fault.  But she can't wallow in those feelings because she needs to care for her own children, and now must decide whether to take on Warren's other children or send them to an orphanage.

I really enjoyed how this story unfolded.  It had my attention from the first pages and held it until the end.  Neva is portrayed as a Christian woman who's world and faith are totally rocked.  She wasn't perfect but I loved how the author had her walk out her faith throughout the story.  There are many lessons to be learned from the portrayal of this character.  And there are many to be gained from the characters of the town and church people as they found out the circumstances of Warren's death and who the children really were.  A very honest exploration of hypocrisy.   The setting is early 1930's, I believe, or possible late 1920's.  Can't quite remember but the the prejudices of the day and heart attitudes are really brought to light in this story.   I really cheered for the main character as I tried to put myself into her shoes and receiving the kind of news she did.  To become bitter, angry and hard would have been totally viewed as acceptable.  I also really loved the exploration of determining what is the right thing, following up on that decision and living with the consequences of that decision.  Character development was excellent and there was growth in several of the characters by the end of the story.  A very good read from start to finish.

10/10 for me.

Another Night, Another Day by Sarah Rayner ~ Book Review

Karen, Abby and Michael all find themselves as inpatients at Moreland's Place, a private clinic.  They all come from different backgrounds but they have one thing in common:  the debilitating depression that had taken over their lives and effected the way they and their loved ones lived.   None of them really wants to be there but they must all get over their personal resistance.  Going to their one on ones  and  participating in  group sessions with their therapist, Johnnie, is their ticket home.  But as they start to open themselves up to each other, and admit their secrets not just to the group but to themselves personally, a bond starts to form in their little band and a real sense of caring for one another starts to happen.  As each comes to the close of their stay and are allowed to go home, will they be able to take the coping skills they've learned in the clinic and make them work outside of their group in "real life"?  It isn't too far along that life throws them crisis' and they soon find out if they can make it on "the outside".

I will confess that this was a total cover buy.  I really thought the cover was pretty.  It wasn't until well into the book that I put two and two together and realized that this was like a part II to another book which I actually had on my "want to read list".  Coincidentally, that book also had teacups.  So I actually had a moment of being ticked that I had read a sequel before I read the first book.  That being said, not reading the first did not make this  book at all confusing or hard to understand.  It read like a stand alone.  The author did a great job of telling this story without having to have the knowledge of the first.

I also thought the author did a really good job of exploring mental health and issues of depression.  The characters were relatable as were they're situations.  I was really drawn into their stories and was cheering them on hoping they would all be ok in the end.  Karen is a widower who's husband died at a young age from a heart attack and still in the journey of grief for him now her father also passes away.  She always puts others first so her emotional health has been set on the back burner as she tries to also be there for her mom at this time.  Abby's seven year old son has autism and he can be emotionally and physically draining.  She feels that she has had to do it all when it concerns her son and has been resenting her husband's lack of involvement.  They haven't been connected emotionally in a long time and she's watching her marriage fall apart in front of her.   Michael has spent a life time building his flower shop business but it hasn't been good for the last few years and he has been juggling his debt owing money to different suppliers.  When he loses a major account, it is the last straw and he loses his business.  But he has a hard time admitting how bad it is to his wife and family and tries to should the load all by himself and instead has turned to drinking to forget about everything.  All this comes to a head in their lives and they find themselves at Moreland's Place.  

I finished this book with what I hope is a better understanding and more compassion for those with anxiety, depression and those suffering from mental health issues.  One small thing I had with the story was, for myself, because the book dealt with several story lines, I sometimes got lost with who was who amongst the secondary characters.

I rated it a 8.5/10

Where the River Ends by Charles Martin ~ Book Review

Doss was raised in a trailer park by the river by his loving mom who encouraged his artistic side to help him cope with his life threatening asthma.  Now an adult, and his beloved mom passed away years ago, Doss is a struggling artist and fishing guide on the river.  When he meets Abby, the beautiful international model who just happens to be the daughter of a very influential & powerful senator, he is smitten but out of his league.  But Abby is not like her parents in that respect and does not care where Doss has come from, only who he is as a person.  In spite of their objections, she continues to see him and also uses her connections to help his art to sell.  Now married 10 years against the wishes of her parents and still totally in love, Abby faces the fight of her life with an aggressive life threatening illness.  With Doss by her side supporting her through all the treatments and experimental programs, Abby fights with everything she has.  But as all avenues start be closed, Abby makes a list of ten things she wants to do before the illness ends her life.  Involving the trip that Doss promised her at the beginning their marriage, they sneak away to make the 130 mile canoe trip down the St. Mary River.  But chasing them down is her very angry father who has all resources to find them at his fingertips and a hurricane barreling down the coastline.

This story is a heartbreaking look into the devastating and emotional journey on one couple's fight against cancer.  The story goes back and forth between Doss and Abby's present and their past giving the reader a backseat ride to the the story of their lives.  It is emotional and heartbreaking from beginning to end as the story of their deep love and supportive relationship unfolds, to the stress of Abby's powerful father never really accepting Doss even after 10 years, to the decisions that they are faced with as their cancer journey progresses.  It is also an exploration in how a person's life should end when they have a long term, terminal illness.

As usual I loved the story put out by this author.  This is not a new release by him being published in 2008, but I'm working my way through all his older novels.  He really knows how to build character and how to get the reader to connect with each of the vieiwpoints of the main characters.  His story and character building is bar none.   As per his other novels there are varied characters from all sorts of backgrounds, good and bad, and their stories really draw you in.   That being said, I did find this particular story to be a bit wordy in respect to his descriptions of the river.  I found it a bit over done and it actually distracted me from the journey that Doss and Abby were taking.  So even though it was a heartbreaking story I was disconnected more than his other books and finally found myself skimming the parts where I was getting bogged down in river descriptions and metaphors and analogies.  But I loved how the story was resolved between a couple of the characters and thought that was worth any frustrations described above.  This was also still worth the read for me simply for the fact that it took an issue I thought I had a pretty strong stance on and made me at least ponder on it from a different angle.

  I gave it a 9/10.

The Sisters Weiss by Naomi Ragen ~ Book Review

Rose and her sister Pearl are growing up in a loving, yet super restrictive ultra-Orthodox Jewish family during the 1950's in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. Though they love each other dearly, there is the typical tensions and jealousy between them that sisters have. Rose is approaching the age when the matchmakers of the community start looking for prospective wives for the young men of the community. This is the life they know until Rose has a chance encounter that introduces her to a love of photography and the stories that photographs tell. Not approved by the community or her parents, photography never the less draws her to the point where she is willing to take chances and she starts to live a hidden life. That is until her secret is exposed by the one person she trusted. Wisked away from all her friends and her school and those she loves to her grandmother's community for a year in punishment and hopes she'll repent, Rose nevertheless cannot resist the draw of the freedom that photography gives her and continues to live a secret other life. When the restrictions become so suffocating she makes the hardest decision of her life and pursues freedom at the cost of exile from her community.

 Forty years later, Rose's daughter receives a strange letter from someone claiming to be her cousin asking for help to break from Williamsburg. Rivka has been inspired by her aunt Rose's infamy within the community and her world renowned achievements in photography and wants to pursue the freedom that she has built up in her mind that her aunt has. But as she recklessly and thoughtlessly pursues what she perceives is the benefits of not answering to anybody, she throws those newly found family members and those that love her back at home into utter chaos. Both Rose and her sister Pearl must reopen old wounds in order to help Rivka.

 This book has been on my TBR for a while. It sounded so interesting in the description and it didn't disappoint. It was hard to put it down. It really examines what freedom really is, how we perceive it and the prices that individuals might pay to attain it. It is about love and family relationships, about betrayal and forgiveness and the reverberating consequences of actions that we might not even realize are happening. Both Rose and Rivka make choices within the story that set things into motion in their lives that will have far reaching affects and both must learn that those choices come at a cost. The story also examines the thought process and feelings behind rebellion that might come from such restrictive environments. I found the story super interesting.

 Though I've heard of the Ultra-Orthodox Jews I've never really known what they believe or how they go about their lives. This story was eye opening in that regard. The author is American but has lived in Jerusalem for over forty years and has observed the type of women described in the story both in New York and in Jerusalem. She has friendships both with the religious and secular communities and believes that the stereotypes about both do not do either sides justice. The story made me think about freedoms and what it might mean to individuals. Though Rose chaffed against the restrictions her sister Pearl's character learned accept them and actually find a good life within them. As it also examined perceptions that we may have from both sides of the fence it really made me think. Rivka definitely had a rosy perception of what Rose's life might be like but under the surface there were many life long issues that came with Rose's bid for freedom and pursuing the life she wanted for herself.

 The reason I knocked off a half point for this really good thought provoking story was because in the first 1/3 or so of the book, it is filled with quite a few Jewish sayings. Though there is a glossary of Hebrew and Yiddish words and phrases at the back of the book there was not a way in the story of knowing which term would actually be on the list. I must admit I did get tired of flipping to the back to find meanings and wished it would somehow have been defined within the story itself. But other than that, the story itself was really good. For those who are sensitive to it, there is a scene of promiscuity in the story but can be skimmed over without missing the purpose and consequences of the scene.  And bonus points to the author for showing some of the consequences of being promiscuous.

I gave this book a 9.5/10

Linked to Semicolon Saturday Review of Books

Balance: A Story of Faith, Family, and Life on the Line by Nik Wallenda (with David Ritz)

Nik Wallenda hails from the lengendary famous high wire walking family, the Wallendas.  His family has been performing on the high wire for 7 generations.  He, himself, has been on the wire since he was 2 years old, granted only a couple feet off the ground when he was little, but you get the idea.  Performing and pushing himself to new heights and challenges is literally in his blood and he has broken many world records.

I had known of the Wallendas before.  Nik's grandfather infamously fell to his death while performing on the high wire as did other members of his family in separate incidents.  But Nik carries on his family's heritage believing he is called to not only do daring, thrilling feats on the high wire but to share Christ through his giftings that God has given him.

Nik Wallenda came across my radar when I first watched his famous walk across Niagra Falls and he had me hooked.  Miked not only to his dad, but into the network's boards, and not knowing his mike was "hot", I watched as he glorified Jesus and was so thankful for the opportunity to do what he was doing and let God know it.  It was mesmerizing.  Then I watched him do it again across the Grand Canyon and in Chicago between two buildings.  So when this book came up I was super interested to find out how he came to his strong faith and the story of his family.

This book was really good.  Nik is very upfront about his shortcomings.  How being in the business for all these years has required that he be very particular and in control, but how not leaving that at the door when he came home almost caused his marriage to fall apart even though he and his wife, also a performer, loved each other dearly.  I really appreciated his honesty in how he really had to seek God and still battles it today, with God's help.  He tells his story of how his great-grandfather has influenced his life, how his mom and dad instilled faith in the Lord in him from his youngest years and how it all leads his decisions and life today.   Just as he uses a balancing pole to keep from falling on the high wire Nik relates God to be his balancing pole in life to keep him from falling...to a keep a balance between ego and humbleness, drive and being led, control and faith to keep him from falling in life.

"Yes, I have a job to do.  Yes I was born to do that job.  And yes, the aim of that job is to thrill people by performing seemingly impossible feats.  But, in realizing those feats, if I fail to reflect the glory of God I have accomplished nothing."

Nik Wallenda

Balance:  A Story of Faith, Family and Life on the Line

pg. 164

A very interesting peek into the life and thoughts of a man who literally puts his life into God's hands in every way yet never expects that God "magically" keeps him falling.

If you've watched any of his walks, heard of his family, are interested in what makes daredevil performers tick or just like a good autobiography this is a great read.  I give it a 10/10.

Linked:  Semicolon Saturday Review of Books

Ocean Beach by Wendy Wax ~ Book Review

The premise of this story sounded so wonderful. Five women who have hit some hard times in their lives come together in Miami to redo a beautiful art deco home owned by a charming ex vaudeville performer who is in his '90's. Filming the reno, they are hoping to sell it to a lifetime tv network and make it a series making it a do over for their lives. But when they arrive the network has sent their own crew to film it with a much different vision for the show. They are wanting a reality show and they want the cameras on them at all times. Finding a private moment the women swear to not give the filming crew any drama amongst themselves for the channel to film, but can they live up to that promise when there is so much going on in their personal lives and amongst their own interactions and relationship.  Sounded like a great story of female friendships and getting second chances.

 What to say about this book? I started to really enjoy it. Seemed like a perfect beach kind of read that I took on holidays. It started off great although there were some parts that I did skim due to sexual content. I was interested in the dynamics of the group, their back stories and what got them together, what was still affecting their lives. I found Max, the owner of the home, charming and a fun addition to the story. It was his personal story that was the real hook for me in the book and is what kept me reading the book to the end when I just wanted to throw it in the nearest garbage can. In fact, I did put it down for a couple of days and wasn't going to continue but had to find out how his story wrapped up. I felt cheated by this book.

 One of the elements when reading a a secular book for me is being able to judge how deeply into the promiscuous side and the language side the story is going to be headed fairly early into the book. I'm just not interested in stories that are heavy into either one. This book started off fairly good. Had a bit of sexual stuff but nothing I couldn't skim over. Hard to find a secular book without sex outside of marriage portrayed in some way. I kind of expect that but draw the line when it is filled with explicit descriptions. The language was fine. That is up until 3/4 of the way through. And then it turned absolutely vulgar with one late introduced character. And a party scene overly described. And this is why I felt cheated. Don't hook me that way and then introduce the filth 3/4 of the way through! The sex scene at the party was totally unnecessary. And I get why the character was written that way, but to make me think the book was a fairly clean read only to get hit with it that far into the story just made me mad and I think has ruined me for picking up any more books by this author and has resulted in the low rating I give this book.

The Things We Knew by Catherine West ~ Book Review

Publisher's Description: 
When their tragic past begins to resurface, can he help her remember the things she can’t?

 After her mother’s death twelve years ago, Lynette Carlisle watched her close-knit family unravel. One by one, her four older siblings left their Nantucket home and never returned. All seem to blame their father for their mother’s death, but nobody will talk about that tragic day. And Lynette’s memory only speaks through nightmares.

 Then Nicholas Cooper returns to Nantucket, bringing the past with him. Once Lynette’s adolescent crush, Nick knows more about her mother’s death than he lets on. The truth could tear apart his own family—and destroy his fragile friendship with Lynette, the woman he no longer thinks of as a kid sister.

 As their father’s failing health and financial concerns bring the Carlisle siblings home, secrets surface that will either restore their shattered relationships or separate the siblings forever. But pulling up anchor on the past propels them into the perfect storm, powerful enough to make them question their faith, their willingness to forgive, and the very truth of all the things they thought they knew.

My Thoughts:
I found this a very readable, engaging contemporary story.  It is definitely packed with family drama as each sibling faces dysfunctional aspects to their lives because of the death of their mother.  All but Lynette have taken off to make lives for themselves but Lynette has never been able to bring herself to leave and now she is faced with an ailing father, the family home falling apart around her and the stress of being the only financial contributor to the upkeep of the huge home. When she goes into the bank to try to get a loan she comes face to face with an old family friend and her teenage crush, Nick.  And he doesn't have good news for her.  The only option he sees for her is to sell the crumbling family home.  As the family gathers in Nantucket to deal with this, a stipulation in their mother's will, they must each have to face these dysfunctions and deal with questions surrounding their mother's death.  Lynette especially finds this difficult as she was only 12 when it happened and she can't remember anything and no one will talk about it which frustrates her to no end.  And now she is having dreams and nightmares and her paintings are taking a turn that is scaring her, so she is struggling to comprehend what it all means.

The story was well written in my viewpoint, it certainly kept me turning the pages.  I really felt for Lynette as the youngest of the family, being essentially left behind by the others, and having to deal with her dad's illness and the financial issues on her own.  The added stress of her mother's death and her lack of remembrance about it felt very real in the story.  I also loved how the author wove the other siblings issues into the story so naturally.  On the surface their lives all looked pretty good but each was dealing with huge repercussions with what happened so many years ago to their mother.

Nick's character also brings with it an air of mystery.  Growing up, he and Lynette's youngest brother were the best of friends and Lynette had a teenage crush on him.  But a huge falling out between the two young men and the reason behind it still affects their relationship and throws another layer into the mystery

Even though this is Christian fiction, the faith element did not dominate the story so I think anyone who likes contemporary or family drama stories would enjoy this story.  Those who are looking for a more heavier faith element might find this light on that aspect but it still makes for a good read.


Thanks to BookLook bloggers and Thomas Nelson for sending me a free copy for my honest review.  All opinions and thoughts are my own and I'm not required to give a positive review.

The Things We Knew is available for purchase here.

The Romanov Sisters - The Lost Live of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport

Born to privilege and royalty, they were the 4 oldest children of the last Tsar and Tsarista of Russia. They were greatly loved by their parents who raised them with deep religious and family values. Told from collections of diaries and letters, the story of their short lives is filled with insight into who they were as people, their upbringing by a very religious yet overly protective mother, and their insights and thoughts into what was going on around them. In their short lives they saw a lot, including WWI, the last days of Imperial Russia and the beginnings of the Russian Revolution which effectively took their lives. We learn of their childhoods, their care for their brother who was the only heir to the throne and who suffered horribly from hemophilia and how they handled their mother's sickly constitution which brought long separations from her. We learn of their hopes and dreams, their deep concern and care as nurses and visitors of the wounded soldiers during the war, and their extreme boredom and fear and courage in the face of their captivity and later their murder. We also learn a bit about their relationship to the controversial Rasputin as their mother relied on him more and more to help young Alexy with his bouts of almost dying from his disease. It was all a very sad time period in the history of Russia.

I have always been intrigued with this time in Russian history and thoroughly enjoyed this perspective through the eyes of the 4 Grand Duchesses. It is a sad tale indeed. Refreshing to read was the great love of each other this family had. Insights into their daily, very sheltered lives was interesting as was how they handled everything that came upon them because of the political turmoil of the time. Intelligent yet not worldly, they seemed younger than they were but were so open to people and those around them. They had great responsibility yet the general public were not so open to them as it was so important that the Tsaritsa produce a male heir. Yet when he finally did come, he was born with an incurable disease that ran through royalty, and a lot of their childhood was spent hiding that fact and taking care of their very sick brother. As they got older because they were not exposed to the general public so much, sentiment was against them, and they didn't really know how to behave "royally", if that is such a word. Their story is at first interesting, and heartwarming and then when Nicholas abdicates in the mistaken belief that it would be best for their family and for Russia, it turns heartbreaking as the Russian Revolution brings the nightmare of their captivity and eventual death.

As is usual with non-fiction books of this sort, I find, there were some long run on sentences. And I think this read took me longer than usual because I never did get the hang of pronouncing the long Russian names that were throughout the book. But it was a great read nonetheless.  I rated it 9.5/10

The Sign Painter by Davis Bunn

Amy Dowell lost her beloved husband to cancer and if that was not enough stress and grief now she has lost her home to debt and she finds herself and her 5 year old daughter homeless, living out of their old camper and truck. Struggling to find work and having to be constantly on the move, Amy fears losing her most precious thing in the world, her daughter. On one of her stops at a church that offers breakfast and daycare, Amy tries to "sneak" through the line unnoticed but the center director finds her. Thinking she will be kicked out Amy instead finds a compassionate heart in Lucy who discerns her desperation and offers her an apartment and childcare so she can find a job. When she lands a job with a car dealership who's owner goes to the church Amy thinks she has finally had a chance to turn things around, but then she comes upon a discovery at her job that will find her having to deal with the very people she was trying to avoid, the police.

 This was inspired by a true story. It's an easy read but yet brings out the plight of the homeless we sometimes don't think about. We so easily associate homelessness with those who are substance abusers or certain groups of people but don't always realize or think about the homeless who are in that situation simply because of hard circumstances that have hit and are struggling to get back to some sense of normalcy. It is a vicious cycle of sorts and this book really brings that to light. It also explores the church's place in the fight against poverty and homelessness.  It's got a bit of mystery, a bit of romanace. You really realize Amy's plight and desperation as she is yet again faced with decisions through no fault of her own that could very well land her in a worse off place than she was before.

 A takeaway thought or quote from the book that I really liked was found on page 127:

 "...Paul knew the real mark of courage did not come in being unafraid but in not allowing fear to dominate" 

 This was spoken in regards to his job as a police officer and live action in that job, but it can very well be related to anything in life in general, I think.

I rated this 7.5/10

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen ~ Book Review

The front cover of the book described this as "...an unforgettable portrait of a mother, a father, a family, and the explosive, violent consequences of what seem like inconsequential actions."  I think because of this I had certain expectations going into the story.

Mary Beth Latham is happily married, has a thriving landscaping business and is mother to a daughter and twin sons.   The daughter is a popular high schooler who has been dating the same boy for years and one twin is a star athlete while the other is more to himself and into music.  When one son develops depression Mary Beth naturally starts to put more focus onto him.  Then tragedy strikes and she faces the biggest challenge of all navigating through grief and the unthinkable to find hope and courage to go on.

Because of the front cover description, I approached this story constantly waiting for this violent event to occur.  I think because of this it skewed the story a bit for me and I almost put it down.  I could not get engaged with the narrative in the first half of the book.   Every page turn kept me looking for this event, and I found myself getting quite bored with the ordinary life of a family with teenagers. The fact that the story building was a bit choppy or disjointed didn't help to draw me in either.   I also found it difficult to really like any of the characters and so they didn't grab me.  So this was almost a DNF for me had it not been for someone encouraging me to keep plugging away.   After the horrific "event", of course, the story does pick up.  This was where I finally started to if not like, at least sympathize, for the characters.  It was heartbreaking and I found myself really hurting for Mary Beth and cheering her on as she tries to get their lives back on track to some semblance of normal.   As the story moves on things are revealed that are just sad and maddening and the exploration of how seemingly small choices later turn into big consequences starts to take place.  I, as the reader, was left thinking what could have been done differently to have avoided the whole thing, as I'm sure the character of Mary Beth lived with.    How many things do we do or say unthinkingly, or stupidly, or with an "I don't care" attitude, or not realizing that it will later affect the course of our lives and the lives of others?  How often are we so caught up in the obvious that we miss things elsewhere?  I found the exploration of this eye opening and while it drew sympathy out of me and made me think, it honestly did not make me like the characters any better.   That said, I couldn't help but root for Mary Beth to find the courage to face that and find some kind of  hope to move on with what life now was for her family. I thought how the author handled the aftermath was well done.  I must say, though, that because of the nature of the story, it is a tough and heavy read in the second half tackling a tough subject and it definitely left me needing something light and airy to read next.

I give it a 7.5/10 because the author took on a very hard subject and I do like how she handled the second half of the story and the challenges the characters had to face in just making it through their days.  

Go Big or Go Home - The Journey Toward the Dream by Scotty Mcreery with Travis Thrasher ~ Review

Publisher's Description:  
It was just a simple singing competition that would be fun to audition for. Who knew what kind of doors it might open for a sixteen-year-old from Garner, North Carolina.

 Go Big or Go Home is the story of a kid with country songs in his soul. The special thing with Scotty McCreery, however, is that he has this God-given ability to sing those tunes the exact way they should be sung. Daring to enter the limelight at such a young age, Scotty finds himself embraced by the nation, and even overseas, as he competes on "American Idol". This is his journey from his North Carolina roots to winning America’s most popular singing competition and launching a musical career he had always dreamt about.

 Go Big or Go Home narrates Scotty's journey from a kid imitating Elvis on the school bus to 30 million across America tuning in to see him win Season 10 of "American Idol”. Now as he completes his ground-breaking fourth album, Scotty shares a glimpse of where he came from and the impact his faith, family and friends have had on a humbled guy who keeps asking “why me?”


My Thoughts:  
I'll be honest here, I originally ordered this book for review so that I could give it to my daughter, who is a fan. I did watch the American Idol season that he competed on and eventually went on to win. And though I really enjoyed his work on American Idol, not being a big country and western fan myself, I didn't really keep up with his career after Idol. But I was struck by what a seemingly very mature teenager he was who really seemed to have a solid relationship with Lord and wasn't afraid to show it. And he really impacted me when he apologized for not sticking up for a younger person on the show when they had been dropped from a group. I thought that took a lot of guts for such a young person to do in an every man for himself competition.

 I really enjoyed reading Scotty's story. It's written in a very conversational tone, almost like having him sitting with you talking and telling his story. I loved reading about the faith in his family and how it has passed onto him and his deep love for his hometown in North Carolina. His story really starts with how he grew up with a love for Elvis and old time country music. His audition on Idol was not because he came up with the idea but because his mother solidly believed that God gives everyone giftings and it was the job of a parent to recognize them and do everything in their power to nuture those gifts and set the child onto the road of using them. I love how throughout the book he is very humble about his whole journey considering the great success he has already had at the ripe old age of 22. His realization that it is a blessing and that it could end at any time, and how thankful he is for what he's received is prevalent throughout his story. And his love for Jesus shines through without being preachy.

 While his story itself was a joy to read, I did wish the layout of the story was a bit different. Woven throughout the story is small framed comments from different fans or people in Scotty's life. While they also were interesting to read, they are interspersed randomly in the chapters and I did find that a bit distracting as you have to stop in the middle of whatever story he's telling to read it and then continue on or back up to it after said story or paragraph or chapter. I would have much preferred those at the beginning and/or end of each chapter.

 I would recommend this story to anyone who watched his journey on Idol or who listens to or knows his music today or anyone who likes a good autobiography. It really "fleshes" out the story of a very solid, very mature young man who just desires to serve the Lord with the gift he has been given.

 Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for a free copy of this book for my honest review. I was not required to give it a positive review and all opinions are my own.

 "Go Big or Go Home" is available for purchase here.   

Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear by Max Lucado ` book and study review

This world can be a pretty darn fearful place.  The news programs are full of things to fear.  A constant bombardment of financial fallouts, oil patch downturns, terrorists, global warming, natural and unnatural disasters, war, teens and people gone bad.  Fear is a ruthless taskmaster in our lives and can cause us to be imprisoned.  In this book and study Max Lucado ventures to teach us to make faith and not fear our default reaction.  By developing a better understanding of God in our lives he challenges us  to ask if we can live more without taking on those fears and live life the way God intended.

I ordered this book and small group discussion guide for our ladies study.  All of us had some kind of overwhelming fear in our lives, some very much under the controlling power of fear, and I thought this would be a great way to learn to address those fears.

I loved this study and the way it was set up.   Max Lucado writes in his typical story-telling style.  If you've read Max Lucado you'll know what I mean.  Each chapter in the book addresses a different fear.  I did find that some of the chapters were more involved than others and I did find a couple of them a bit rushed. Now doing this as a group, I encouraged ladies not to skip the chapters they didn't feel pertained to them because you never know if that fear would one day come a'knocking or that they might end up encouraging someone else who was facing that fear.  Anyway,  at the end of each chapter there is a discussion guide at the back that takes you into a deeper, more personal searching of the heart.  The format can be used both for personal study or group study.  It is set up under the following headers which I though were a really great way to approach this topic.

1. " Examining the Fear" in which questions were asked to make you search your heart and/or to pinpoint that particular fear in your own life.  Or your lack of that particular fear.  And how it might have taken root.

2.  "Exposing the Fear" in which specific scriptures were studied and exposed that fear against the truth of the Word of God.

3.  "Battling Fear" where you were given specific tasks to do to help you make this study very pertinent and real and applicable to your personal life and fears.

I loved the set up.  Sometimes these kinds of studies can get bogged down in just discussing a whole lot about the subject but never takes the steps to aggressively help you deal with the subject.  This did.  The questions in the Examing Fear part brought out some really good discussion on the part of the group as some of them were quite indepth.  But the part I liked best was then it hit you with scriptures and questions to make you think what the Word says about that fear. It's one thing to talk about fears and dissect them but a whole other thing to bring the Word of God which gives truth to those fears.   It didn't just mention the scriptures, it asked deep questions to help you get that Word into you and give you a perspective on what God thinks.  Knowing what the Bible says about that particular fear is the first step in dealing with it.  The scriptures given also taught on how to deal with the fear using the Word of God.  And the Battling Fear part helped you to take those steps to not just learn about it but to do it.  It was easy to lead this study with the format this discussion guide had.

I also ordered the Small Group Discussion Guide to help me as the leader with this study.  This I found not quite as helpful as just the guide in the back of the actual book.  I thought it would be a chapter by chapter helps book but in actuality it only had 6 lessons as compared to the 15 chapters of the book.  It made huge jumps between chapters, giving lessons on some but not others.  The way we chose to do the study was to study one chapter at a time because of the time involvement of answering the questions so this guide really didn't help but to maybe give an extra thought provoking question or two.  Others doing the study in a different way might find this more helpful.

There is also a dvd that can be purchased but I can't comment on that because we didn't use it.  I'm thinking the small group guide fits in more so if using this dvd in your study.

All in all, this was a great study.  We all face fear at some point in our lives.  And this proactively taught you how to realize that God is so much bigger than the fears we have.  But like any other study it takes effort from the person.  Those ladies that were serious and didn't just read or skim the chapters but actually took the time to reflect and answer the questions and search their hearts and study the scriptures before the study each week got the most out of the study.  I think I, persoanlly, will be rereading this book or portions of it.  I highly recommend this study for individual or group use.

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken ~ Book Review

Etta has been preparing for her violin debut what seems like her whole life.  At 17, she has given up what most girls her age enjoy for the sake of putting in more time practicing.  But on what is supposed to be the night of her life, she is witness to a murder and then is shockingly transported back in time to 1776 onto a ship on the ocean being boarded by "legal" pirates.  Just wanting to get back to her debut she is now stuck in a world of confusion and must work with the young pirate captain, Nicholas, piecing together clues that another traveler has left behind, to find an ancient relic that could change the future.

I really stepped out of my comfort zone reading this novel.  Young adult and time travel are both way, way not on my radar for books I just gotta read.  But I gotta be honest, the cover really drew me in on this.  For the most part, I enjoyed the story.  Etta was a strong, persistent young woman.  I liked how the story collided the cultures and time periods and it seemed very realistic to the various time periods that the couple traveled through even in respects to how they treated each other. I liked how the author was able to the points of view of both the main characters though they were from very different time periods.   I like how the story stayed true to it's original definition of "passage" which was:

Passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

I thought it was creative and adventurous and each time period researched for detail well down to dress , though at times it was a little too flowery in description.  It was a "swash buckling" kind of adventure which was lots of fun as I really used my imagination while reading this story.  I have read time travel books before and always detested the confusion of time travelling worlds and rules.  This one wasn't too bad and for the most part I didn't have to re-read those excerpts to understand what was going on.  There was a gradual building of that aspect into the story so that the reader isn't overwhelmed with pages of it all at once.

What I didn't like about the story was the very things that "aged" the book and made it young.  Some passages induced major eye rolling on my part.  I thought the romance was just too  much of "insta-love" attraction and I did not like the premarital teenage sexual incident at all, though there was only one occurence.

I rated this an 7.5/10 because it was a fun adventure.  There is a second in the series coming out but time will tell if I'll get to it though it would be fun to see how some situations play out as the book was left on a cliff hanger.

Sister Dear by Laura McNeill ~ Book Tour and Review

Publisher Description:  
All Allie Marshall wants is a fresh start. But when dark secrets refuse to stay buried, will her chance at a new life be shattered forever? Convicted of a crime she didn’t commit, Allie watched a decade of her life vanish – time that can never be recovered. Now, out on parole, Allie is determined to clear her name, rebuild her life, and reconnect with the daughter she barely knows. But Allie’s return home shatters the quaint, coastal community of Brunswick, Georgia. Even her own daughter Caroline, now a teenager, bristles at Allie’s claims of innocence. Refusing defeat, a stronger, smarter Allie launches a battle for the truth, digging deeply into the past even if it threatens her parole status, personal safety, and the already-fragile bond with family. As her commitment to finding the truth intensifies, what Allie ultimately uncovers is far worse than she imagined. Her own sister has been hiding a dark secret—one that holds the key to Allie’s freedom.


My Thoughts:
This is a fast paced book that has you cheering for the main character.  Though at first I thought maybe the back cover blurb (up above) may be giving too much away, it really didn't.  From it you know the sister does know something but the story turned out to take a totally different path than I thought it would. Allie's situation is sad and I really wanted her to succeed and move past the small town prejudices.  She had been in a great time of her life, engaged to the love of her life who accepted and loved her daughter, accepted into medical school, she seemed to have everything going for her.  But when the local sheriff came upon her bent over the bloody body of the beloved high school coach, she was arrested.  That she had written an editorial for the paper accusing the coach of some pretty serious things did not help her cause and she was convicted for his murder and sent to prison.  But she set her mind to survive because she had her beloved 5 year old daughter to think of.  Always maintaining her innocence, she now returns to town, paroled 6 years early, to try to take back her life.  But it is so much more difficult that she could have imagined.   And when her now teenage daughter is bristling about meeting her and is confused, demanding of her mom to prove that she is innocent, Allie has no choice but to do just that so that her daughter will once again trust her.  I really liked so many things about the story.  How it delved into the difficulty of a person just out of prison trying to start over, what things a teenager might go through with a parent just paroled and also another area of concern that I don't know how to mention without giving away some of the story.  But it was interesting and caused me to keep the pages turning.   I was much more engaged in this  mystery/psychological thriller than I was the last one.

Of note, though Thomas Nelson (a Christian publishing company) did publish this book, I would not categorize it as a "Christian" fiction.   I would just plain plunk into the contemporary suspense thriller genre.   I think anyone enjoying a good mystery filled with twists that isn't overly violently graphic in nature or dropping swears continuously would enjoy this taut, page turning read.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers for providing me with a free copy for my honest review.  All thoughts and statements are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.