A Really Late Spring Reading Thing Wrap Up

Well there is a first time for everything and apparently this is my time for totally being late with my Spring Reading Thing wrap up post.  As in more than a week late.  I was just too caught up in watching all the flood news from around here and just couldn't bring myself to leave the tv.  So here we are a week late and mostly for my own record here is the wrap up.

My original list for this spring's reads is here.   Out of the 13 books listed that I wanted to read for the challenge I was able to finish 8.  They were:

• Jesus the Greatest Life of All by Charles Swindoll (Awesome read for anytime but especially meaningfull at Easter.  Very much enjoyed it)
• False Pretenses, Dangerous Mercy and Relentless Pursuit by Kathy Herman (A great series by this mystery author.  Again, thumbs up for these)
• Iscariot, A Novel by Tosca Lee (Found this book exploring where Judas may have come from and why he might have given himself over to forever be known as the person who betrayed Jesus to be quite interesting even though I had reservations when I started it.  But an interesting read especially from the historical perspective of Jewish/Roman politics).
• Shades of Mercy by Marla Schalesky (It was okay for me.  Mixed feelings on this one).
• The Invitation by Anne Cherian (Found this exploration into attitudes and hopes and dreams of Indian immigrants to the U.S. very interesting.  Found the ending hanging a bit but enjoyed the story overall).
• House of Secrets by Tracie Peterson (sort of cheating on this one because I just finished it this weekend.  An exploration into a family's secrets of having a mother with paranoid schizophrenia and the effects on them of these secrets into their adult lives.  Interesting and heartbreaking with heavy Christian content.)

For more indepth reviews of what I thought of each book you can go here and scroll to #10-13, 15-16, and 18.

Truth Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock was a review book that never showed so no comment on that one.

House of Prayer No.2 A Writer's Journey Home by Mark Richard had looked really interesting but for reasons undefined I just couldn't get into it so I set it aside and then never did go back to it.

Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas, My Life with George by Judith Summers and The Edge of the World by Phil Callaway were three that I just did not get to before the end of the challenge but I have full intention to read them sometime this year.  And the reason I didn't get to them was these books caught my attention and a review book that came in and interferred with my list:

• Joni and Ken-An Untold Love Story by Joni and Ken Eareckson Tada with Larry Libby (An interesting  peek into the marriage of internationally famous Joni Eareckson who was paralyzed as a young teen and now has an international ministry)
• Band of Sisters by Cathy Gohlke (Great read about Irish immigrant sisters and their life as immigrants in New York and the white slave trade of the times)
• The Other Side of Darkness by Melody Carlson  (Not an easy read but one that was hard to put down nevertheless.  An exploration into the topic of OCD sufferers to be at a greater risk for spiritual deception).
• the Blessed by Ann H. Gabhart  (Another addition to her set of stories involving the Shakers)
• Jesus the One and Only by Beth Moore (A great read and  study about the life of Jesus according to the book of Luke)

Full reviews are here at #14, 17, 19, 20 and 21.

So that is how it all shook out.  Some not finished but others added.  Started with 13 and ended up reading 13, albiet not all from the original list.   And I was in the midst of a very intense bible study to boot that had a TON of reading.  Not too shabby, I would say.  Thanks to Sandra for hosting this time around!

Book Review ~ Shades of Morning by Marlo Schalesky

Marnie Whittier finally has what she's worked so hard for. Her very own coffee shop book store. And she couldn't be happier. Or could she? After leaving her old life behind 15 years before, she still struggles with regrets and guilt over her past as is evidenced by the box of "regrets" she keeps locked away but keeps adding to. Bits of paper, napkins, momentos all with secret meanings only she knows. Reminders to help her never to make the same mistakes. Those who know her think she is compassionate and kind, helping others but they would be shocked to know her secrets. Then with no warning her past comes crashing into her present when the sister whom she's had no contact with for those 15 years dies tragically and in a weird twist of fate had given custody of her 15 year old son to Marnie. A son whom Marnie didn't even know her sister had. And what's worse is the lawyer trying to contact her about it all is the very person she ran from so many years ago. When the boy arrives, Marnie is shocked to see the he has Down's Syndrome. How can she handle the chaos all of this is bringing into her life. But something about the boy draws her to him, even while he is causing her distress, especially when he will not leave her box alone. No matter where she hides it he finds it, and in the most inopportune times he places yet another item from it in front of her, forcing her to relive her memories and regrets.

 I had mixed feelings about this one. The overall story line and plot were really good, the characters well developed and drew me in empathically,  but the writing style was one that I found hard to run with.  The story goes back and forth from past to present throughout usually without any warning.   It took me many chapters before I could get into it and then it rose and fell for me throughout until the end. Some parts of the story I could hardly put down, others I found myself skimming to get through. A great variety of things are touched on through out the story but the theme of regrets for sins, wrong decisions and not being good enough or doing enough is the main stay throughout. But the story isn't left there. Forgiveness, renewal and a transformed life, God's unending love and caring are strongly presented. By trying to hide her past, Marnie was blinded to the fact that all the regrets and guilt she carried were affecting not only the people from her past but all her relationships in the present and even her own spiritual growth. But it took God's answer to prayer, in a form she didn't recognize at first, to see that God wanted to not just bury her past like she was trying to do but that He wanted to transform her. The beginning confused me a bit but my "huh?" moments were answered in the end and especially when I reread the Prologue after I finished the story. The Author's notes and Reader's Guide questions really added to the story.

A 7/10 for me.

Spring Reading Thing 2013

The Spring Reading Thing has begun.  As usual, I really look forward to this each year.  I've already begun compiling my list weeks ago in my head, going through my book baskets and my library lists.  This year Katrina has passed the torch to Sandra of The Musings of a Book Addict.  Thanks Sandra for picking that up!

This spring it was hard to decide what I wanted to read.  There are so many books in my baskets and boxes and my want to read list at the library is a couple hundred strong.  It's ridiculous really.  But I narrowed it down with choices from each and left a couple spots open for review books as they come along. I don't know how many I'll get through as I'm taking a Beth Moore course, Breaking Free,  and it is intense with tons of reading but I'm sure going to make a good stab at it.   So here we go.

Jesus: The Greatest Life of All by Chuck Swindoll - From my book basket. The last in the Great Lives from God's Word series. I've read several from this series and they are all really good.  "Jesus" seemed the perfect one to read for Easter.

Truth Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock - A review choice.  About three sisters trying to prove their brother innocent of murder. The fact that one of the characters is a blogger caught my eye.

False Pretenses by Kathy Herman - From my book basket.  This and the following 2 are a series set in Louisiana that I bought with a gift card from hubby.  About a woman with a secret past that comes back to haunt her.

Dangerous Mercy by Kathy Herman - About a woman who takes mercy on men from a halfway house and hires them to do odd jobs.  But when a series of murders happen her handymen become suspects.

Relentless Pursuit by Kathy Herman - A man searching for the sister he abandoned is led to a city where authorities fear a bio-terrorist is on the loose.

Iscariot - a novel by Tosca Lee - caught my eye at the library.  I've never read this author before but I was interested in the historical aspect about the Roman occupation of Israel and the uprisings that were occuring around the time of Jesus.  Interested to see how she deals with her thoughts on why Judas betrayed Jesus.  It's received lots of great reviews.

House of Secrets by Tracie Peterson - again out of the book basket.  I really need to stop buying books, whether used or new, for a long while until I get my pile under some semblance of control.  But I couldn't resist this from the library sale shelf.  An author I've really enjoy in the past and an interesting story of sisters with memories of a secret that one feels needs to be revealed.

Shades of Morning by Marlo Schalesky - a library choice.  About a woman content with her life when her estranged sister suddenly dies and makes her guardian of  a 14 year old boy she never knew existed.  And the boy has Down's Syndrome making her feel totally unprepared to care for him.

The Invitation by Anne Cherian - another library choice that I had no intention of getting but caught my eye and I couldn't leave behind.  Three college friends leave UCLA expecting successful lives and successful children but when they meet 25 years later, that success is jaded.  While each is trying to present the successful life perception, they are forced to deal with their problems and unmet expectations.

House of Prayer No. 2: A Writer's Journey Home by Mark Richard - have to throw an autobiography/memoir into the mix.  This looked interesting.  Told he had a crippling hip deformity that would put him into a wheelchair, the author sets out to see as much of the world as possible before his hips fail him.  This is his story of  his journey with pain, rebellion and faith.

Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas - I've had this on the list before, started it a couple times but have gotten distracted with other books.  This time I'm determined to make it through.

My Life with George by Judith Summers - from my book basket.  A  "Marley" type of dog story starring a King Charles spaniel

The Edge of the World - A novel by Phil Callaway - picked this up when I saw him live.  I've enjoyed several of his non-fiction books and had no idea he's written a couple of fiction novels so I'm very curious.

What are you reading this spring?