book review day

Time out for a book review day. I have had this job on my list of "to do's" since we arrived home a month ago.
I know.... sigh.

So here we go:

Book one: "Somewhere to belong" by Judith Miller.
This book was a difficult read for me.I kept hoping for an attention getter and just never found one. I liked the characters and the plot but I just found the story lacking in interest and Oomph. I LOVE to read and get frustrated when I pick up a book that doesnt hold my attention. I can tell you that part of me wondered if I didnt enjoy the book because the main characters are teenagers. If you have a teenaged daughter that enjoys reading - or are in your teens I recommend you give this book a try. I had never heard of the Amana colonies and found it to be very interesting Historically. I have read many stories about the Amish and we have Mennonite communities aound us. I struggled with this because there are many groups that look at the outer appearance and are legalistic. So there was inner conflict when reading this story as well. I kept hoping that as I read the story it would come together and I would feel better about the characters and the plot. I was disappointed. I am hoping that there are readers out there that will enjoy this book and enjoy the following books in this series.

Book Two: "Sixteen Brides" by Stephanie Grace Whitson: This book was also read while I was in Ecuador this summer. I enjoyed this story. The plot is well written, I was nervous because it was a plot that has been used many times. There were several surprises and I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way. I can give this story 4 out of 5 stars.

Book three: "Hearts awakening" by Deliah Parr: I want to begin by telling you that I was nervous that this book would let me down. I fell in love with the main character, Ellie, and the authors style of writing right away. I do think that she took the character Jackson's irrational behavior a bit too far. I am not sure if Ellies reaction was believable either. BUT I so wanted it to be. She was full of grace and mercy. If we could all be given the benefit of the doubt when our past causes us to react instead of thinking before we speak. I also felt like she dealt on Ellies appearance too much as well.
I cannot give away too much but there were Many many aspects of this story that made it an enjoyable read for me. I found myself looking forward to quiet moments to read. I can easily give this story 4 out of 5 stars.


Book four: "No more Christian nice girl" by Paul Coughlin and Jennifer Degler.
I was really looking forward to reading this book because I, like many others, have a hard time not feeling undeserved guilt when I say "no" to someone's plea for help in one area or another. This book was written to deal with some tough issues but I had such a hard time reading the continued saga of "Nicole" that I could not bring myself to completing the book. I know, I am a book reviewer and I couldnt read the book in its entirety.I felt the authors just went overboard when telling Nicole's story. I cannot imagine that there is a "real Nicole " out there. I also felt like I was being mocked if an issue rang true in my life.Since I mentioned that this is a topic I would love guidance on I think the authors had a good idea but felt many times that scripture was taken out of context in proving a point. The comments written in the sidebars were also very distracting for me- this may be personal preference though. I only feel comfortable with giving this book 2 out of 5 stars.

Book Five: A pilots true story "Flight to heaven" By Captain Dale Black.
I want to begin my review by saying thank you to Bethany House. This book was just so good I could barely put it down. After many books that left me feeling eh, okay... this was the icing on the cake. The story was told beautifully and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I was sad to read the last pages. My favorite part was where the author shares about sitting in his backyard and studying the trees and the changing of the seasons. It was such a beautiful analogy. If there is one book that you read this year this should be it! I can easily give this book 5 out of 5 stars!

So there you have it...... being a book reviewer for Bethany house has its pros and cons. I enjoy being given the opportunity to read books free of charge. But along with that comes a price......We all have an opinion and I have to say that is one thing that I am not too keen about in our society these days.

I remain,
Under His wings,
Anna