Month: October 2017

Wake (City 0f Lights Book 1)

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Wake

This is a fantasy about a dictatorship, and the banishing of all but the subservient. The Community lives in an isolated bubble built to sustain life and keep prisoners. Those who question or show signs of “cultism” are sent for “rehabilitation”. It seems the stirrings of something more can never be stopped though, and Luke and Monet have seen and experienced things that plant seeds of truth in their minds, things that expose  the lies. This truth puts them in danger of banishment and death, will they backtrack and follow the rules or move ahead and go where truth takes them?

I enjoy fantasy and have read books with similar scenarios but this one was handled in a different way and I liked that. I found the story line hard to follow in places but the book as a whole was worth reading and I want to read the sequel.

One quote from the book struck a cord with me:

Blind men, scared men, and hurting men, just like The Community, tried to silence Him, but creation can’t silence the Creator or His Son He sent into the world. He walks among us, even now. (82% Kindle)  Words to bring hope in our own time of upheaval and turmoil. The Creator cannot be overpowered or silenced. The very rocks will cry out. Not a new  battle in our world; the banishing of God.

Wake (City of Lights book 1) Sherry Rossman

one more book

Valley of the Shadow  Dakota Moons Series – Valley of the Shadow book 1 – Stephanie Grace Whitson …. Genevieve, the daughter of Good Song Woman and a French trader, is distressed when her father sends her to live with missionaries, to be educated the way  her mother wanted for her. When a young warrior is found  gravely wounded and left in their barn, Gen begins to lose her heart. Their love is just starting to blossom when the war of 1862 breaks out dragging them both into the valley of the shadow of death.

The hard thing about this story was hearing the historical record of the treatment displaced inhabitants received at the hands of displacers, and the resulting wars. I feel deep sadness that we could treat fellow human beings in such a way. It makes me appreciate the imperfect but improved circumstances of our present world, a world without mass pillaging and killings.

I enjoyed this book because it was well written, compelling, and an education. The characters were real and had me caring about them.

Reading a historical novel is always a good thing; it helps us see where we come from, appreciate where we are, and see where we could end up again if we forget where we come from.

Be on the lookout for a good historical novel. Or a fantasy.

Happy reading!

A Life Intercepted

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A Life Intercepted

This is my book of the week. To qualify as favorite it must be a book I can’t bear to put down. I was reading this one when I shouldn’t be…that qualifies.

The thing I like about Charles Martin’s books; his characters meet life head on, with what we call these days, emotional intelligence. Stuff happens, there are misunderstandings  and disagreements, but they handle them like adults.

Most of his stories are filled with the hard places of life and I think this appeals to us as readers because we see our lives reflected in his stories, we need something deeper and he gives it to us. Watching the way his characters face a dilemma helps us see possibilities in our own situation.

On the downside, he includes a lot of detail that I struggle with at times. I’m not sure whether this is because I am lazy in doing the work needed to see the picture he’s painting, or if my mind  doesn’t think in a way that words can paint a picture. It’s probably a bit of both. In spite of this I still feel compelled to read his stories.

If you are not familiar with Charles Martin and you like a story you can chew on, check out one of his books.

and now for the rest of this weeks books

The Gondola Maker  The Gondola Maker – Laura Morelli …. This was my next favorite book this week. It’s set in 16th century Venice and is about a family of traditional gondola makers. Luca figures his father has his life mapped out for him in the family business until a disagreement turns tragic and the course of his life is drastically changed.  This was a gripping tale hard to put down.

It also makes you rethink the advantages and freedoms we enjoy in this day and age. Rules of the day said you were to paint your gondola in drab colors with little-to-no other adornments. Bright colours and flashy embellishments were considered excessive and prideful and meant the owner would be fined. This is an important part of the story.  Of more general impact though; children/offspring were expected to follow the father’s wishes about occupation and marriage choices, with no regard for their wants or wishes. There were restrictions on clothing choices, as well as free time and movement. Women were denied most of the freedoms and privileges we enjoy today.  This lack of freedom stands out in a greater way when we hear of today’s freedom demands. Reading historical fiction on a widespread basis might be a good thing to bring our priorities back in to focus.

Refuge on Crescent Hill   Refuge on Crescent Hill – Melanie Dobson … another novel based in history. The mansion has been in the family for 150 years and there are rumors of ghosts, underground railways, and buried treasure. Camden returns  determined to see  her grandmother only to find she has passed away. Unsettling things keep happening, and it seems other people are trying to claim what is hers. This was a page turner.

Good books have been scarce this week, I started several others but couldn’t seem to get in to them. Not sure if it’s me or the books. I’ll give it a few days and try again.

I hope your week has gone well and it’s been a good one.

Happy reading.

A pleasant surprise

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Several posts ago I shared how I became caretaker of a small library of books when a member of our writers group took an out-of-town job for a year.

This turn of events started some of us talking about ways to get us reading, so, soon after bringing the books home three of us met at my house to brainstorm. What is the good of  a book if it’s never read.  We came up with several ideas we thought might work.

The more we talked, the more we realized this whole exercise could turn out to be beneficial in unanticipated ways. We might be looking for a little review to sell the book as worthwhile reading but there are spin-off benefits. Sometimes an indirect approach accomplishes more than we had planned in the first place.

The group response at our next meeting was greater than I could have hoped.  A number of books went home that day, to be read and reviewed and there was a high level of interest expressed in meeting outside of our normal meeting times for discussion about what we’ve read.

It’s catching fire.

Here is the book I picked to read and  rate for the meeting; it was an unanticipated  surprise. I expect how-to books to be boring, this one was not.

Words Fail Me

Words Fail Me : What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing                 Patricia T. O’Conner

There were a number of things I loved about this book; it was well written, interesting, helpful, and funny. The author knows her subject well and it shows in the way the material is presented. There were examples for everything which I found particularly helpful. I loved the good bad examples. The good writing alone would add to the readers experience.

This book was great but I am not a fan of how-to-books and, on a personal level, not feeling excited about having to read them (which feels really weird to this book addict).   Maybe I will be surprised again and there will be more positive discoveries like this one.  If there are, it’s probable this self professed non-writer will learn something (I’m a reader not a writer). It’s ironic how things turn out when it wasn’t part of the plan. Maybe it is part of the plan; just not my plan. A new admission, I am warming up to the idea.

The list of books read this week will be in the next post because there was one today that  I would like to feature. Bookbub had another great cartoon; sitting in her chair looking bewildered she says to someone “What do you mean – Are you finished already? I opened the book, what was I supposed to do?”  I read a book like that today.

Anyway, happy reading! Maybe you will experience a little boost in the writing department too. I could use some company.

 

Adding some new features

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Collaborating with a friend is such a great idea, especially when said friend has some things figured out, and I don’t. I have to give her credit for the idea of adding cover pictures to my books read list to make things more interesting. The idea has  crossed my mind, at times, but I needed a push to make it happen.

I give her credit for my venture into writer’s groups as well,  joining a group wouldn’t have occurred to me without her encouragement.  It has  been great meeting new people, learning new skills, becoming involved in life again. Writing is a solitary endeavour but community is inspiring in a way we miss out on if we don’t make a conscious effort to get involved somewhere.

The addition of book covers will be a positive change, visually, I think, but it has affected the way I’m writing about the books. I’m not sure why this is. Hopefully it will also be a change for the good.

Several books didn’t make the cut this week, for a couple of reasons, too much telling and not enough show, distracting details, an overbearing agenda. One particular book had a strong start and looked like it could be the favorite of the week until it took a downturn; the writing style changed to the reciting of facts, and dialogue became a soap box for the overbearing agenda. I finished it, wishing ……. It could have been such a great book.

On the bright side, there were still some great books. Check out the covers.

this weeks offering:

come to me again   Come to me Again –  Leah Atwood ….  A devastating broken engagement nearly destroys him. Four years later they cross paths, can there be forgiveness. Will he achieve his dream of a music career and an escape from poverty? Will she escape the clutches of her controlling father and wealthy upbringing. Sometimes we make decisions, for what seems to be the right reason, but the result is heartache, will love win in spite of it all?

Time Lottery  Time Lottery (Time Lottery Series Book 1) – Nancy Moser …. This is a lottery like none other. A chance to go back in time and make new choices; or not. We get to follow the three winners on their ground breaking journeys, a surgeon, a socialite, and a homeless man. It was definitely an interesting new treatment of the idea of time travel.

Echo  Echo (A Kate Redman Mystery Book 6) – Celina Grace …. Torrential rains cause unprecedented flooding and a hillside gives way to expose the skeletal remains of a young woman. There are no clues to help establish identity or date of death. Cold case files go missing and it seems like someone in authority wants the investigation stopped. Kate’s long estranged mother also makes contact which only adds to the mystery. Age old secrets and people in high places. This was a good book.

Fatal FrostFatal Frost (Defenders of Justice Book 1) – Nancy Mehl …. Mercy Brennan has followed in her absentee father’s footsteps in law enforcement, only in a different branch, US Marshall. When she finds herself assigned to a joint task force it puts her in contact with him again,  an unwelcome situation. To make matters worse, unknown to her, the boss assigns her ex fiancé as protector from a high powered gang who have the mistaken idea she has a valuable piece of information they want back, at any cost. The ice storm complicates her protection. The twists and turns made this a favorite book this week.

Hi and Run  Hit and Run (The Delilah West Thriller Series Book 3) – Maxine O’Callaghan …. A down on her luck private eye is witness to a rainy night fatal hit and run. It seems straight forward at the time but doubts arise as the teen’s mother pleads with her to prove his innocence. Her reluctant investigation turns up more questions than answers. I like this protagonist and her irreverent way of going about life.

The Recipe  This is a heartwarming story about a young dietary assistant trying to find her place in life. While she is trying to win the Vegan Valentine Bake-off, in hopes of finding her calling, she feels drawn to the needs of some of the patients adding doubt about where she belongs. A nice lighter read.

That’s it for now. Let me know if you like the addition of book covers, does it add inspiration?

As always, Happy reading!