WWW Wednesdays

WWW Wednesdays is a meme from Should Be Reading, where we answer three questions: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? and What do you think you'll read next? If you want to participate, answer the three questions, then put your link on the Should Be Reading Blog in the comment section. Happy reading!


                                                 

What I am currently reading: The Deepest Waters by Dan Walsh - Great plot so far! I like how Mr. Walsh writes. Sort of like Nicholas Sparks, but better (cleaner). Also reminds me of the way Richard Paul Evans writes.

What I recently finished reading: The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark - I had a little trouble with part of the story, but it was an interesting book set in India in the mid-19th century. I will have a guest post by the author on April 8.

What I'll probably read next: Snow Day by Billy Coffey - I may have put this on WWW Wednesdays before, but I have not had the time to read it until now. Hopefully, I will get to it tomorrow or at least by Friday. Review to come.

Book Review: Bound By Guilt by C.J. Darlington

TitleTrakk.com Blog Tours Presents:


Bound by Guilt
by C.J. Darlington
Published by Tyndale House

Shuttled between foster homes, Roxi Gold will do anything to fit in. Soon she’s traveling the country stealing rare books from unsuspecting bookstores. Police officer Abby Dawson has seen the worst of society—and not just at work. One fateful night, both their lives are changed forever. One searches for justice, the other finds herself on the run. Will the power of forgiveness set them free?

My Review:

I'm so excited about writing this review! This young woman, C.J. Darlington, is an extremely gifted author and one I'm glad I've found. I feel privileged to be one of the bloggers chosen to review her latest book, Bound By Guilt.

The main character of the book, Roxi, lives with her cousins in an RV. The mother and son duo has taken her in after she spent several years in and out of foster homes. They travel across the country stealing rare books and selling them to other bookstores. When one of their burglaries ends in murder, Roxi takes off to try and find her mother, who she hasn't seen in over eight years.

Abby Dawson is the police officer looking for Roxi and her cousins. Because of the scars from her past, Abby feels no mercy when it comes to bringing the criminals to justice. She relentlessly pursues them. When the two finally meet, it takes a miracle for both women to find the healing they seek.

I loved this book, as well as C.J.'s first book, Thicker Than Blood. I stayed up late to finish and kept thinking about how I wish I had another Darlington book to read next! I enjoyed how she incorporated the rare book world into her novels. And the bookstore featured in Bound By Guilt sounds like a place I would want to spend an entire day. C.J. breathed life into her characters to the extent that I felt like they were in the room with me.

I am excitedly looking forward to C.J's next book!

I give Bound By Guilt 5 out of 5 stars.

Great job! You kept me turning the pages.

--Francine Rivers, Internationally best selling author

C.J. is a wonderful, talented writer . . . extraordinary . . .

--Bodie Thoene, best-selling author of the A.D. Chronicles

This one engages your senses and reaches your heart.

--Jerry B. Jenkins, NY Times best-selling author & owner of The Christian Writers Guild

Watch the book trailer:

 

About the Author:

C. J. Darlington won the 2008 Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild Operation First Novel contest with her first novel, Thicker Than Blood. She has been in the antiquarian bookselling business for over twelve years, scouting for stores similar to the ones described in her novels before cofounding her own online bookstore. In 2006 C. J. started the Christian entertainment Web site http://www.titletrakk.com/ with her sister, Tracy, and has been actively promoting Christian fiction through book reviews and author interviews. A homeschool graduate, she makes her home in Pennsylvania with her family and their menagerie of dogs and cats. Visit her website http://www.cjdarlington.com/

QUICK LINKS:

• The 1st chapter of Bound by Guilt
•  Buy at Christianbook.com
• Buy at Amazon.com
• Buy at Barnes & Noble

(I received this book from the author for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.)

WWW Wednesdays

WWW Wednesdays is a meme from Should Be Reading, where we answer three questions: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? and What do you think you'll read next? If you want to participate, answer the three questions, then put your link on the Should Be Reading Blog in the comment section. Happy reading!


                                                 

What I am currently reading: Sweetie by Kathryn Magendie - I like how the author adds in the colloquialisms of the Appalachians (where I live) and, in describing the mountains and woods, makes me feel right at home.

What I recently finished reading: Love Amid the Ashes by Mesu Andrews - As you can see by the review I wrote on this book, I did not like it too much, although Ms. Andrews is a talented writer.

What I'll probably read next: Snow Day by Billy Coffey - I received this one from FaithWords, a division of Hachette Books. I will review it in the near future.

What are you reading? Anything good?

Book Review: Love Amid the Ashes by Mesu Andrews

Just as I did with the book Bathsheba, I wondered how the author could write an entire book on the story of Job. I knew that the Bible did not have many facts about Job and his family. And, as I said in my review of Bathsheba, so often there are "facts" added to stories from the Bible in works of biblical fiction that are not consistent with the Bible itself.

Mesu Andrews, in her debut novel Love Amid the Ashes, has written a story that is quite incongruent with the essence of Scripture. Many, many times throughout my reading of this book, I wanted to put it down and not finish because of the several times Ms. Andrews adds characters and scenes not mentioned at all in the Bible (Job depicted as Esau's great grandson; Job's wife and her childhood friend who was in love with her and tried to take her away from Job; and the way that Dinah was shown as a part of Job's household in Uz). She took too many liberties when writing this book.

Instead of being the story of Job that I thought this book was about, this turned out to be a story of how Dinah (Jacob's daughter) and Job were supposedly in the same place at the same time, the circumstances that brought them together, and how their relationship grew during the tragedies that Job experienced. I became somewhat confused as the tale progressed, because I had a hard time fusing the two together when the Bible has them separate.

I suppose I should not be so harsh in my assessment of this book, but I am just trying to be honest about what I think and how I believe that this book could confuse others as well. I know that the author was not trying to say that this was all factual (after all, it is biblical fiction), but I think she went too far with her embellishments. Some readers may not know the Bible well and may tend to misunderstand what the Bible actually says about Job and about Dinah.

In the Author's Note found in the back of the book, the author states:

"My prayer is that you've seen God's Word fit together as an interwoven story that will, from this day forward, speak in a fresh new way." 

That is what I am afraid of: that some will read this book and think that it is the way it happened instead of reading the Bible to find the truth. Unlike Bathsheba, Love Amid the Ashes was a disappointing read.

I do believe that Mesu Andrews is a talented writer. I find no fault in her ability to tell a good story. Therefore, I will give this book a few points for creativity.

I give Love Amid the Ashes 2 1/2 out of 5 stars.

“Available March 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

(I received this book from Revell Books for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.)

Article: What's the Next Chapter for Bookshelves?

I found an interesting article from The Star Tribune about the future of books and bookshelves, especially in the home. One home library owner lamented, "I hope we never live to see the day that books are eliminated from the home." Me, too.

I think it's somewhat humorous that people are concerned about the future of physical books and bookshelves. I understand why readers want to have digital books (I own an e-reader myself), but I'm not sure that the physical book is dying, at least not yet. I want to believe that there are still those out there who love the feel of a book and the beauty of a shelf full of them that they would never want to have just digital books to read. I suppose what I'm saying is that I will always hope that there are readers like me who derive joy out of having books surround them in their homes and who savor the comfort of snuggling down with a book (not an e-reader) on a rainy (or not so rainy) day. Those are two things I would not want to give up.

Another quote from the article:

Home builders are still putting in bookshelves, and people are still accessorizing with books, said Marie Meko, a designer with Gabberts Design Studio. But clients are increasingly selective about what goes on the shelves, she said. "People want books that look nice, not just paperbacks. Not just rows of books, like in old libraries. We're not piling them on shelves."

She obviously hasn't met me yet.

Click here to read the whole article.

How about you? Are you a "piler" like me? How many books/bookshelves do you have in your home? Do you prefer reading one type of book (digital or physical) over another? What is your opinion about the idea of the physical book being an "endangered species"? Please leave a comment.

Book Review: Bathsheba by Jill Eilleen Smith

I have often shied away from biblical fiction. I have read some that went totally astray from biblical fact, and others that added things that did not ring true to the text of the Bible, such as a statement we heard recently in a movie about Ruth and Boaz: in a part of the movie where Boaz was looking out over his fields, he said, "Man, look at all that wheat!" My kids bursted out laughing at that one!

But I have to say that Bathsheba was nothing like that. It is a refreshing re-telling of the story of David and Bathsheba that was pleasant to read. I went to the Bible a few times to verify fact, and every time it was right on. This book helped me to see Bathsheba in a way that helped me to identify with her in her struggle with her sin and the acceptance of the forgiveness of God. Mrs. Smith painted a realistic picture of a woman who, even though she was sinned against, still recognized her own culpability in the situation and looked to God for spiritual healing and restoration.

I have bought the other two books in the Wives of David series and I'm looking forward to reading them. I eagerly await other books by this author!

I heartily give Bathsheba 5 out of 5 stars!

“Available March 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

(I received this book from Revell Books for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.)

Jill Eileen Smith is the best-selling author of Michal and Abigail, books one and two in The Wives of King David series.

When she isn’t writing, she enjoys time with her family, reading great stories, trying new recipes, and snuggling her two adorable cats. Jill’s research into the lives of David’s wives has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Her collection of Bible study helps and books on culture and history, along with an abundance of novels fills at least one shelf or bookcase in nearly every room in the house.

She loves movies, travel, dark chocolate, black tea, stories with great characters and plots twists, and nights when she doesn’t have to cook! She and her husband Randy have been married for 33 years and together they have three grown sons. During 12 years of homeschooling, Jill studied the craft of writing with her eye on a future career. She has visited most of the continental United States (with the exception of the East Coast) along with Hawaii, Canada, and Israel. She has taught women’s Bible studies and piano, and enjoys mentoring young writers. She lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

WWW Wednesdays

WWW Wednesdays is a meme from Should Be Reading, where we answer three questions: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? and What do you think you'll read next? If you want to participate, answer the three questions, then put your link on the Should Be Reading Blog in the comment section. Happy reading!


                   
                                                    

What I am currently reading: Love Amid the Ashes by Mesu Andrews - I'm not liking this one as much as I did Bathsheba (review to be posted tomorrow). It takes a lot of writing skill to write biblical fiction without confusing facts. It's one thing to "fill in the gaps" and quite another to make up a bunch of stuff that contradicts the tenor and text of the Bible, thus making the whole story unbelievable and/or disappointing to readers.

What I recently finished reading: Cold Wind by C.J. Box - I had never read this author before. I can see why he is well-liked, but I'm not sure if I will read any more by him (review to come within the next week or two).

What I'll probably read next: Sweetie by Kathryn Magendie - I started this book earlier this year, but got behind on some other reading and set it aside.

What are you reading? What have been your favorites so far this year? How many books have you read since January 1? (28 for me)

Surfin' The 'Net: What To Do With Used Books

I found several websites with ideas for what to do with your old books. Some of these may be objectionable to some people, but I enjoyed seeing them and thought maybe you would, too. So, here goes (click on titles in red to go to linked websites):

Don't like Reading? Read On...                         

Amazing Book Sculptures

Literary Clock

"Audiobook"

Unusual Books and Book Sculptures

I'm planning on making several of these: Invisible Book Shelf

And, I would love to have one of these: Quiet at the Library

Book Review: Tandem by Tracey Bateman

As of now, I know I can officially declare myself not "with it" and out of touch with what is cool today. But that's all right with me because if being cool means I should like books like Tandem, then I say, "no problem".

I feel that I have been hoodwinked. I went to the publisher's website to choose a book to review. I clicked on the blurb for Tandem, and this is what it said:

"As obsession and loss become dark partners, how far must the people of Abbey Hills go to survive?

Six months ago, brutal murders shook the small Ozark town—murders that stopped after a house fire reportedly claimed the killer’s life. Lauryn McBride's family auction house has taken responsibility for the estate sale of one of the victims—the enigmatic Markus Chisom. Submerging herself in Chisom’s beautiful but strange world, Lauryn welcomes the reprieve from watching Alzheimer’s steal her father from her, piece by piece. She soon realizes that centuries-old secrets tie Abbey Hills to the Chisom estate and a mysterious evil will do anything to make sure those secrets stay hidden. Even the man who grew up loving her may not be able to protect Lauryn from the danger.

When Amede Dastillon receives an unexpected package from Abbey Hills, she hopes it might be the key in tracking down her beloved sister, long estranged from her family. Visiting Abbey Hills seems the logical next step in her search, but Amede is unusually affected by the town, and when mutilated carcasses begin turning up again in the small community, the local law enforcement isn’t sure if they are confronting a familiar evil or a new terror.

Two women brought together by questions that seem to have no answers. Can they overcome the loss and darkness threatening to devour them—or will their own demons condemn them to an emotional wasteland?"

So, where does it say that this is actually a VAMPIRE book? I couldn't believe that we were not told that before we received the book. I know I wouldn't have bothered reading it if I knew. I read Twilight and, yes, I am one of those who was not impressed at all. So, needless to say, I did not enjoy reading Tandem.

The plot was pretty shallow and the characters (especially the vampires) unbelievable. As I read (which was hard for me to do, considering the vampire theme of the book), I kept thinking maybe the author would, at some point in the book, debunk the whole idea of vampires and thus redeem the book. But instead, the vampires were shown to be "real" and even at one point the author declared that perhaps "reformed vampires get to go to heaven"!

I was also surprised that there was no mention of the fact that what the vampires did (kill people to drink their blood) is morally wrong. The other characters seemed to accept the notion that this was normal and acceptable (once they learned that these were not ordinary people). I kept turning the pages, incredulous that this would even be published by a "Christian book" publisher.

I am disappointed. I give Tandem 1 out of 5 stars.

(I received this book from Waterbrook/Multnomah for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.)