Review: Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes

Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes by Robin Jones Gunn is a wonderful story -- very thought-provoking, well-drawn characters, and a good message. 

That said, let me say first that I don't much care for the name "sisterchicks" as it is supposed to be about women who are hip and groovy -- puh-lease!  But I do like the sentiment behind the appelattion: girl-friends so close, so sympatico, that they are like sisters. I like this idea as a theme for books. This is the 8th in the series, but the first I've read and I might just have to read the others.

Second, I've never been to the Netherlands but have always wanted to go and see VanGogh's homeland as well as the fields of tulips, the windmills (especially after reading The Winged Watchman!), and the canals. This book made me want to go see this amazing country even more. Gunn does a great job of describing the sites, sounds and even smells of the Netherlands. At the end of the book, she includes pictures and information of her own, fact-finding trip to the this tiny country. Lovely stuff.

The premise of the book is that Summer Finley and Noelle van Zandt have been penpals since 4th grade but have never met in person.  Finally, at the age of almost 50, they finally meet, in the Netherlands. Summer initiates the visit when she gets a "bad" mammogram; rather than dwelling on the "what ifs" she takes the bull by the proverbial horns and emails Noelle about coming to visit. As Summer's trip unfolds, both Noelle and Summer learn many truths, the first and foremost being that there are things we cannot impact and anxiety and worry are worthless; only God can help in those time of paralyzing fear or fixing past issues.
I like this book. I like Summer's character and Noelle's; I like Noelle's husband and the other sub-characters (incl Summer's husband -- a man who has just a bitty part in the story but obviously a large influence on Summer's life). I like the Christian element woven into the story without sacrificing the plot or seeming an obvious add-on.  I love the descriptions of this fantasy country -- the tulips and wooden shoes and canals and museums and other magical bits they call the Netherlands.

I highly recommend this well-written, thought-provoking story of letting go and letting God!   Having experience a "bad" mammogram myself, the fear and trepidation portrayed by Gunn are very true to life.

Review: Divine Appointments ... Christian chick-lit at its best

For the past year or so, I've been reading a lot of escapist Christian chick-lit ... as a way to rest/relax after a particularly hectic week.  Chick-lit, especially Christian, is a nice way to de-pressurize ... to enjoy a light read with a cup of coffee and (if I'm lucky) the ability to knit at the same time.  But there has always been something less-than-satisfactory about the Christian chick-lit I've read: the Christian part always seemed tacked on to the story rather than an integral or organic part of the story. 

With Divine Appointments, this "tacking on" aspect is non-existent.  Charlene Ann Baumbich is able to weave a Chrisitan story that is magical and believable and the Christian part is an integral piece of the overal1story.

First, I have to say, when I started the book, I had low expectations:  the protagonist, Josie Brooks, is the least-attractive type of career woman:  a hard-hitting, hard-driving, unfeeling, self-centered consultant who goes into companies, determines how to make them more efficient, and then recommends new systems and layoffs.  Josie Brooks, a late-40s spinster, doesn't care about the people she's recommending to axe ... she doesn't care about the people left in the wake of her project: she's off to the next assignment, a larger house, a bigger paycheck and alone.

I really didn't like her.

But Baumbich's writing and story-telling ability, wove a spell that had me cheering for Josie!  The supporting cast of characters help Josie to open up to others ... to see the people beyond the numbers ... to understand that although companies do have to "right size", the people need to be taken care of also. 

Baumbich leaves the Christian element to these supporting characters, particularly the 60-something widow who exhibits true charity ... true love of others because of her love of God.  I loved the character of Barb DeWiit -- a woman of grace who reminded me of many wonderful folks I've worked with thru the years. 

This book is a magical, wonderful escape into how the world is and how we can make it just a bit better through loving others.  A wonderful read that I highly recommend (and I got to knit while I read it!).

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DISCLAIMER:  I rec'd Divine Appointments as part of the Blogging for Books program from publisher, WaterBrook Press.  The views expressed above are my honest opinion of this work of fiction.
 

Review: Softly and Tenderly

Maybe it's because Sara Evans (the co-author of Softly and Tenderly) is a country singer ... but this book sure starts out like the stereotypical CW song:  cheatin' men, illegitimate babies, cheatin' women, even the ubiquitous old pickup (actually there are TWO in the book!).  Seriously, this is so replete with cliches, I didn't know if I could get through it.

Basically, Jade Fitzgerald Benson -- a 31-year-old raised in a quirky Iowa family with her own problems finally finds her paradise:  married to the only son of THE family in a Tennessee town, owning two successful retro shops, and loving her life.  But then it all hits the fan and becomes a cliche-laden soap opera.  I really didn't think I'd make it past the first 20 pages or so.

But then the story hooked me ... maybe it was the hippy-mom dying of leukemia and all her quirkiness and love that she shared with all around her ... or maybe it was the character of the mother-in-law who had finally had enough of her cheating husband and went to Iowa with Jade and her dying mother, Beryl ... or maybe it was because the authors worked hard to imbue their story with the Christian faith and the themes of love, faith, hope and trust.  It really did turn into a great story ... nothing super deep or philosophical ... but perfect reading for a couple of afternoons over Christmas break when the house was quiet.

The only issue I have with the book is that it ends abruptly with only one of the plot-lines fully resolved ... all the others are still left up in the air.  Which may be why they do mention a third book (the first book, which I haven't read yet is titled The Sweet By and By  and talks about Jade marrying Max Benson) to be released in 2012.  I hate that!  I don't mind reading series or sequels, but I do think stories should have closure.  But that's just me. 

My "cut to the chase" recommendation?  This is a good read with good characterization and a Christian flavor.  A perfect book for a few days' reading. 

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Disclaimer:  I received a review copy of this book from Thomas Nelson's Book Sneeze program.  The above critique is my honest opinion of this work.



 

Review: Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest

The sixth, and final, book in the Knights of Arrethtrae series by Chuck Black is probably the best of the series.  Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest takes on the task of showing the fatal consequences of pride and the subtle, slow manner that Satan conquers us through our belief in ourselves over all else.

Rowan starts out life as an orphan on the streets of Cameria.  He only wants one thing:  to learn to sword fight and join in the grand tournaments -- this is truly success in the Arrethtrae kingdom.  The idea of "more crowds. More cheering.  More glory and gold" is his total focus.  And he finally gets his chance when he meets Sir Aldwyn, a Knight of the Prince, who agrees to teach him the art of sword-play and the message of the Prince.  Rowan proves an amazing student who soon surpasses his teacher and begins to win ... win big ... win the praise and adulation of the crowds.  Problems arise, though, when Rowan forgets Who gave him this talent, forgets about sharing the message of the Prince, and instead assumes all the glory to himself.  Rowan falls heavily into the sin of pride. 

And boy, does he have to pay the price to redeem himself before it's too late.

Black's book is an excellent allegory for the end-times, Christ's coming back to separate the wheat from the chaff, the believers from the non-believers.  On which side will Rowan find himself?  The message of this book is cloaked in a well-written, action-packed story that will teach without tiring ... will be remembered long in the minds of readers as they begin to see around themselves the false praise of the crowd and remember the message of the Prince!

Definitely recommend this book, and all the books, in the series for all tweens/teen readers.  NOTE:  you do NOT have to read the books in sequence or even all of them to understand the message -- each of the volumes is its own story from start to finish with a different theme surrounding a good Christian life.

Here are all six of the titles in the Knights of Arretthrae series -- all suitable for tween/teen boys (and girls!):
1.  Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione
2.  Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court
3.  Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart
4.  Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue
5. Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor (review here)
6.  Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest

DISCLAIMER:  I received Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest as part of the Blogging for Books program.  The review above is my honest reaction to the book -- yes, it is that good!
 

Review: The Secrets Beneath

Hmm ... this is one of those books that kind of left me ... cold, dissatisfied, hanging, ... what?  I don't know ... something is missing.

The basic plot of The Secrets Beneath is that a very inquisitive 13-year-old Amish girl, a fan of Nancy Drew stories, begins to notice odd goings-on next door -- a house that has long remained vacant is suddenly the scene of odd late-night visits by a couple of different men.  Further, Bekah (the protagonist) and her family play host to a cousin who comes to stay for the school-year with little explanation.  Poor Bekah ... it's killing her that she doesn't know what's going on and she MUST find out.  And therein lies the plot ... an inquisitive girl who gets into trouble and dangerous situations because of her curiousity.  The story is basically a long allegory for the adage: curiousity killed the cat.

But what is it about this book that I don't like?

First, it's purportedly written for tweens/teens but you don't really know that until you get into the story a bit.  The girl on the cover art is wistfully young, but otherwise much of the tone of the book doesn't ring true for a tween/teen read.  The dangers in the book are a bit too-threatening and scary especially since they're so very possible -- I don't know if I'd want my kids reading this scary side of new neighbors!  The coming-of-age portions are a bit over the top ... most girls mature before boys so having the boy interested in the girl without her realizing it just doesn't seem realistic and seems a bit forced. 

Further, for some reason, the author has set the novel in the fictional town of Middlefield, Ohio that hosts an Amish community but is also filled with "yankees".   But the "Amish-ness" of the book is really an unnecessary hook -- Bekah and her family could be any religion as the Amish aspect really has nothing to do with the story.  It's very odd.  In addition, the author takes the time to explain the differences between the Ohio Amish and the Pennsylvania Amish (from whence Bekah's cousin hales) but the characters just don't seem "Amish".  It's like an add-on to sell the book.

This is the second book in a series "The Mysteries of Middlefield".  Now, I haven't read the first one and I don't think I'd read others.  Maybe Kathleen Fuller, the author, needs to stick with writing adult novels and not try and tap the tween/teen market. 

Unfortunately, this was a very unsatisfying read that I could only recommend if a teen was desperate for something to read and it was this or something horrendous, like Goosebumps!

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Disclaimer:  I recieved this book as part of the Thomas Nelson review program, Book Sneeze.  The only requirement was that I read the book and post a review.  The above review is my honest reaction to this book.
 

Review: Dining with Joy

.As I've mentioned in past book reviews, occasionally I enjoy reading fluff -- books that are not high-brow, usually fiction and either romance or mystery ... books that I can lose myself in for the time while I'm reading.  With fluff reading, I don't expect much ... deep, provocative truths are not what I'm seeking in these types of books. 
Dining with Joy: a Lowcountry Romance, from Christian fiction author Rachel Hauck is such a book -- fluffy with an interesting story, characters and background information about South Carolina's lowcountry.  But, be forewarned: don't look too hard at the story-line as you might be disappointed. 

I had a very hard time with the main character:  on the surface, Joy Ballard is a hard-working successful 29yo ... she has a phenomenally successful cooking show but the problem is that she can't cook.  She and her staff and friends have been "covering" for her for the 4 years since she took over the show from her dad ... after a death-bed promise, no less.  All is cooking right along until Luke Redmond, a REAL cook, shows up in Beaufort, SC and sparks fly between the two.  Should Joy fess up and admit she's been living a lie ... should Luke, when he discovers her secret, continue to cover for her because he "loves" her ... and so the story goes.

Often, Joy turns to God and asks for help and guidance ... but then ignores EVERY opportunity to break the lie and accept the consequences.  When the denouement finally occurs, there are no adverse consequences for Joy -- all still love her ... she can get out of the show she's not been comfortable doing ... Luke loves ... all is well! 

If you want a fluffy, superficial read -- this is it; if you're looking for a deeper, more meaningful story ... this ain't it.

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I received this book as part of Thomas Nelson's Book Sneeze blogger review program.  The review above is my honest reaction to this book.