Book Review: Five Little Speckled Frogs

Five Little Speckled Frogs by Nikki Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I won this book from Goodreads' FirstReads program, and am so glad I did. It's based on the popular children's song of the same name. My young children love this song, and before now I never knew all of the words. So, it's helped me with that! LOL More importantly - at least so far as other people are concerned - the book is BEAUTIFUL! I absolutely LOVE the illustrations! They are so cute and so pretty, and I love the colors used, too. My children love this book and likely will spend lots of time looking through the colorful, fun, GORGEOUS illustrations!

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Book Review: The Sound of Sleigh Bells

The Sound of Sleigh Bells by Cindy Woodsmall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was a pleasant surprise. I signed up to read it on Goodreads' Firstreads giveaway because the plot sounded interesting. It is.

The Sound of Sleigh Bells is about an Amish woman and Amish man, both of which have suffered loss. They both have scars that need healing, and each is the key to the other's healing. There are dark - by Amish standards, I must add - secrets and sad stories. But, the story as a whole is about grace, redemption, and love.

As a Christian, I really loved the parts about God's grace. The reminder that Christ's death covers everything. My favorite quote, "But if you continue to carry the guilt, it's like what He did is not sufficient. As if you're telling God that His gift of mercy is not powerful enough to help you forgive you." Amazing, powerful truth in those words!

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Book Review: Shadow of Betrayal

Shadow of Betrayal by Brett Battles

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is another book I received through the FirstReads program here on Goodreads. I am very glad I did. I never would've read it or given Brett Battles any thought.

Shadow of Betrayal had me hooked from the very beginning. It starts with action and never lets up. I kept feeling like I'd been reading an episode of Fox's show 24. I'm a HUGE fan of the show, so there's no surprise I loved this book! I found myself wanting to read more and more - and I wanted to know how the different story lines were going to work together. I was not disappointed!

There were some things I found myself wishing had been explained, but then I found out that this is the THIRD book in a series. So, now I think I'll go back and read the previous two - hopefully the answers are in them! Despite my wanting to know more about a few things, this novel definitely stands fine on its own.

Brett Battles has a new fan. I will be getting my hands on the other books in this series as soon as I can - and I'm looking forward to the fourth book, which I know is in the works. (There's a blurb inside about the upcoming book.)

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Book Review: Something Borrowed

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I received this book through the firstreads program, and am so glad I did. It was an enjoyable read with a plot that kept me reading. After really getting into it, I found myself not wanting to stop because I wanted to see how it all turned out.

Emily Giffin's characters were people I found myself having great interest in - even minor characters, like Hillary. There were definitely individuals I preferred to others. I found myself siding with Rachel, despite my disgust at her behavior, and hating Darcy. Perhaps it's because I found myself identifying with Rachel.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It's a perfect light, summer read!

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Book Review: Gold of Kings

Gold of Kings: A Novel by Davis Bunn

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I didn't expect to hate it, but I didn't think I'd enjoy it like I did.

I really liked the protagonists - Harry, Storm, and Emma. Although, Emma was my least favorite of the three. Something about her just wasn't quite right. And I found the relationship between Harry and Emma a bit hard to swallow. Something about it just didn't seem right to me. But, I'm able to overlook that. The story itself was well-written and very engaging. I especially liked that there were some occurrences I didn't see coming. It's great when a book surprises me and I can't necessarily see what's coming.

Gold of Kings was an engaging, fun, and suspenseful story. I had fun reading it, and will be looking for more books by Davis Bunn.

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Book Review: Speak

Speak: 10th Anniversary Edition by Laurie Halse Anderson

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I won this book through GoodReads' firstreads program. I probably never would've picked this up otherwise, but I'm so glad I did. I really enjoyed it. I loved Melinda's persona. I cracked up a few times because of some comment she made. While the subject is sad and disturbing, I think it was handled wonderfully. The characters are believable and well developed. I will be honest, though, and say that I wasn't blown away by this book. I would prefer to give it 4.5 stars, but Goodreads still doesn't allow for half stars. (They so gotta fix that!) So, because I really enjoyed the story and the characters, I chose to round up.

I did really like the extra material in this 10th Anniversary Edition. "Listen," the poem at the beginning, is amazing. It's clear that Laurie Halse Anderson has really helped reach people who might not have been reached otherwise. There's an essay at the back about whether she's going to write a sequel. I hope she does - I'd love to see what happens next. She mentioned an idea from some guy to call it "Spoke" - I love it! Genius! ;-) There also is a bit about censorship, and what is wrong with it. That little essay was amazing - and so right on. I promise that when my kids are old enough to be reading stories like this, we will read them together and discuss.

Overall, this was a very good book. I might have to look into more of Laurie Halse Anderson's books, as I really like her style.

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Book Review: The Gnostic Mystery ***SPOILERS***

The Gnostic Mystery by Randy Davila

rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book wasn't much of a story, but more of a preaching. It's clear that the author believes what is being preached in this book. There is very little action in the book - most of it is just people explaining why Christianity is a farce. Or at least why some people think that. The characters weren't very believable. For Jack to be such an intelligent businessman you'd think he'd be a better conversationalist and you'd think he'd not be such a simpleton.

To be honest, this book has instilled a little bit of questioning into my head. I'm a born-again Christian, and won't take something like this at face value. However, I'm also educated and somewhat interested in possibly doing my own research into this subject. I'm not going to take what one man writes about this and accept it as fact - I don't care how many sources are cited. Where am I starting? Mere Christianity is my starting point. So, stay tuned to my reviews if you'd like to see the impression I get from that.

One thing I wanted to say about a specific plot point. And that's about the differences in the disciples from the main Gospels to the Book of Acts. I believe Chloe and Punjeeh called it a "transformation" and as though the Disciples were re-born. Despite the author's intentions, this does not prove that these are fabricated stories. On the contrary, it shows the change that happens once someone becomes a Christian. There's a radical transformation, and the individual becomes a new creation. So, despite the author's best effort to use that to show another reason to believe the New Testament is just a bunch of stories, this actually was a comfort to me. Because that's what being a Christian is: it's becoming a new person who (hopefully) bears little resemblance to the original.

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Book Review: American Rust ***SPOILERS***

American Rust: A Novel by Philipp Meyer

rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book was OK. Not one of the best I've read. Not an instant classic. Not something I couldn't put down. The story was all right. It had promise. The characters were interesting. But, that's about it. I didn't like the writing style. I thought it was kinda neat to have the perspective of so many characters. I did like that. I liked that each chapter took one character's take on everything. I liked that we learned a lot about each character because we got to see inside their heads. I did not like the way it was written otherwise. Missing punctuation, poor grammar. I'm guessing it was intended to be train-of-thought but it confused me at times. There were some times that I had to reread a bit to figure out what was being said. While I understand the idea behind train-of-thought writing, we have punctuation for a reason. What good is an interesting plot and good characters if the writing isn't easily understood. No, don't dumb it down, but also don't forgo things like punctuation. Finally, the ending left me wanting more. I didn't like it at all. I don't want some hint at what might have maybe happened to these people. I want to know. I want closure. I hate when books don't tell me the end. Did Isaac really go with his sister as he said he would? What happened with Harris? Did he get figured out, or did he end up in prison? Did Grace go to Texas? When did Poe get out of jail? The "vision" Grace had at the end - was that how he found out that she wasn't there anymore? What about Lee? Too many questions to leave me satisfied with this book. Throughout the book, I actually liked it - for the most part. But the end just did it for me. Again, I hate when books don't tie up loose ends. And that is why I gave it two stars - I would've given it three otherwise.


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Another Review: The Conservative's Handbook

I got another freebie from GoodReads. This one is The Conservative's Handbook:Defining the Right Positions from A to Z by Phil Valentine. And here's my review:

I received this book as a First Reads giveaway book. I thought it would be interesting to see what all it said, and I expected it to bore me to death!

I was quite pleasantly surprised that it was interesting to see what it said, AND it was actually an enjoyable read. Valentine has a conversational writing style that I found to be very engaging. And, he shows facts to back up each point. Yes, I'm conservative, and I always have been. But I think now I'm even more so, as there were issues I wa...more I received this book as a First Reads giveaway book. I thought it would be interesting to see what all it said, and I expected it to bore me to death!

I was quite pleasantly surprised that it was interesting to see what it said, AND it was actually an enjoyable read. Valentine has a conversational writing style that I found to be very engaging. And, he shows facts to back up each point. Yes, I'm conservative, and I always have been. But I think now I'm even more so, as there were issues I wasn't as informed about that this helped me understand better.

That said, I'd love for someone on the liberal side of the spectrum to write a book like this with their takes on everything so I can fully understand their point of view. I doubt it'd make me turn liberal, but I'd like to better understand where they're coming from.

Anyway, I thought this was a wonderful book. Well-written, and very informative. I was amazed to find myself enjoying the book and reading more because I was curious about what his points were on the next issue in the book.

My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

GoodReads and a Book Review: Sarah's Key

As you can guess from my sidebar widget, I am a member of GoodReads. As a lapsed avid reader, I love that site very much! It has helped me get back into the swing of reading after years of missing it. I can't believe how much I've missed reading. That said, I've won a couple of books through their First Reads program. Their blurb on what First Reads is:

Win free copies of pre-release books. Publishers can list their upcoming books, and you can apply to receive one. Winners are picked randomly at the end of the giveaway.

I've won two so far. And LOVED it. I make sure to make the books I read a priority on my to-read list, then I write a review. Since that's really why these books are given out in the first place, I figure the least I can do is comply. After all, I'm being given a free book! ;-)

That said, I'll stop with the chit-chat and get on with my real purpose of writing today. To share my review (also posted on GoodReads) of Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay.

Wow. What a powerful book. I had no idea about the French involvement in the Holocaust prior to reading this book. I was horrified, and saddened to learn of the events of July 16, 1942. This book was amazing. Julia is a very believable character, and her experience is amazing. I hated her husband - a rude, selfish jerk. I loved her daughter, Zoe.

I felt the book started kinda slowly, but about a quarter of the way into it, I was hooked. I couldn't put it down. I read most of it in a matter o...more Wow. What a powerful book. I had no idea about the French involvement in the Holocaust prior to reading this book. I was horrified, and saddened to learn of the events of July 16, 1942. This book was amazing. Julia is a very believable character, and her experience is amazing. I hated her husband - a rude, selfish jerk. I loved her daughter, Zoe.

I felt the book started kinda slowly, but about a quarter of the way into it, I was hooked. I couldn't put it down. I read most of it in a matter of 36 hours! I'm not satisfied with the end - I have questions. What became of Julia and her daughters? What became of William? What about Julia's ex-father-in-law? What about her ex?

All that said, I would highly recommend this book. It's a very good, and thought-provoking read. Anyone who read and enjoyed "Those Who Save Us" likely will find this book worth reading, too.

My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)