review: Under a Lakota Moon by Deborah l. Weikel

genre: Christian historical romance

When Rosalynn gets off the train in the tiny town of Peaceful, Minnesota, she's hoping to start life with a clean slate. With her two children, a maiden aunt and a past she'd like to forget in tow, she plans on helping her prodigal sister with a new baby. To her dismay, she finds an incredibly different and complicated set of circumstances instead. Confident in her ability to handle things all on her own, Rosalynn finds herself frustrated when a half-Lakota Indian named Lone Wolf is in a position to thwart her efforts to raise her sister's children. Some humility is in order and concessions have to be made in order to keep the peace.

How much you enjoy Lakota Moon depends on what you want to get out of it. If you merely desire to take a step back to a simpler time and enjoy some serious and yet squeaky-clean romance, you will get exactly what you want. The native Lakota lore and history added an interesting element and while sometimes the slang of the dialogue felt out of place and unrealistic, much of the time and place did feel authentic, especially the workings of the farm and the efforts of food preparation. Domestic abuse isn't a topic to be tackled lightly and I felt like the author tried hard to get the emotions of it right. I wasn't completely impressed by the quality of the writing itself, to be honest. Rosalynn and Lone Wolf sure seemed to misunderstand each other a lot, and they both seemed, as characters, far too perfect and upright to be true.

Despite those faults, I do know that I had to walk around my house doing laundry while finishing the final chapters, since I wanted to know how it ended. If the plot sounds interesting to you and you enjoy romance without graphic scenes, this one is for you.

blog tour: The Route by Gale Sears

I read this book as a tour for Walnut Springs Press.

genre: fiction

This is not the sort of book I usually read. But I took a little step out of my young adult/fantasy/apocalyptic-fiction comfort zone to try this feel-good story of a 50 year old woman who decides to try being a driver for a Meals on Wheels program. Carol is an empty-nester looking for some purpose and a way to just do something more. Her meal delivery route gives her even more than that: a chance to interact with some interesting and colorful characters, some of whom eventually make their way into her heart.

And they ARE colorful characters - you get the whole gamut of personalities and I appreciated the list at the front of the book that reminded us of who everyone one was, although, some people were so special they just stuck out in my mind as I read. Carol was a sensitive narrator and I could empathize with her as she took these elderly folks their meals and slowly became a part of their lives. I think part of what made me want to keep reading this book is my own dearly-loved grandparents - I saw little pieces of them throughout. Sometimes Carol got a bit too didactic for my taste and spelled out a life lesson for me that I could see for myself. Other times, though, she was witty and you could tell she was looking for meaning in her experiences, which can only be a good thing.

Is there an gripping plot? No. The pace is slower, as it should be. Are there moments that might feel cheesy? Yes, but I think that comes with the territory in this sort of story. I think anyone who has worked with or loved anyone who is in this stage of life will find something to appreciate in this book.

To learn more about the author, you can visit her blog here. To purchase the book, it is available at amazon or at Desert Book.

PLUS, if you leave a comment, you'll be entered into a drawing to read the book!! So, make sure to leave me your email address!

The tour will be going on through September 14th - if you're interested in some other opinions, please follow along!! Here are the stops :

August 24
The Book Nest

August 25
Mormon Hermit Mom's
Book Habit

August 26
Boojoos and Aprilcots

August 27
Of Good Report

August 28
Blog the Day Away

August 31
Reading for Sanity

September 1
Lu Ann's Book Review

September 2
*Tristi Pinkston, LDS
Author

September 3
Amesbury Reads

September 4
Tangled Words and Dreams

September 7
Labor Day

September 8
Not Entirely British

September 9
Jewel's World

September 10
Rebecca Talley

September 11
Of Writerly Things

September 14
Walnut Springs Press

your NEW way to know if I love a book

Something has been on my mind a lot lately and then when Shannon Hale actually posted it on her blog, I knew I was on to something. Maybe you haven't noticed, but there have been several books that I have chosen *not* to give a rating - usually because I don't typically read that genre and I don't feel like I can confidently judge whether it was good or not. What I mean is, just because it's not something I enjoy doesn't mean it's not a really well written book and I feel like I don't want to give 2 stars to a book that probably is great but just isn't what I like. Make sense?

So, I am getting rid of my "star" system. Of course, you an always tell from reading my review what I thought about the book. But, for fun, I like my friend Bethany's idea of giving an award to books that she just really loves. AND SO, I am announcing:

If you see it, you know I loved it:) I spent a lot of time deciding on the wording, "just the right place for this little bird to spend some time." That's because there are books I've read that amazing and deep and thought provoking, yet sometimes harsh and painful (The Road and East of Eden kept coming to mind). And yet other times, they are just so perfectly fluffy and fun and full of genuine romance that they make me want to jump for joy. And I love BOTH kinds. So often, the way I feel about a book has much to do with where I am at in life at the time. Thus, the award is more of a "the combination of this book and my life right now was stellar in every way." But rest assured, if it's not well written, it won't be awarded. I'm going to retroactively go back and tag all my "5 star" books with a "comfy tree award" tag so I can easily access all the books that thrilled me.

What's your thoughts on how to rate books? Do you do awards? Stars? ratings out of 5 or 100? Why did you choose to do it that way?

review: I Used to Know That - stuff you forgot from school by Caroline Taggart

genre: non-fiction
rating: 4/5

What a snappy little book! It's divided into sections, as if I was still in high school and had to walk from one class to another: English, Literature, Math, Science, History, Geography and General Studies. Some sections I read with relish from beginning to end (English and Literature) some I read part/skimmed part (Math and Science) and the others I happened to read aloud to my husband in the car. The history section was so interesting and the topics (mostly conflicts) were condensed in such a way that you got the basic plot PLUS why it was important, which half the time my husband and I don't ever even remember being taught in the first place. We also played a little jeopardy-type quiz - do you know your explorers? I only remembered having a huge test on them in the 5th grade and that's about it :)

It's the kind of book you want to have sitting around in a waiting area or a bathroom - it's clearly written, never wordy and full of interesting fact that maybe won't change your life, but might make you feel a little more intelligent next time you're in a conversation with someone who really knows their stuff.

also in the series: My Grammar and I or Should It Be Me? by Caroline Taggart
I Before E (Except After C): Old-School Ways to Remember Stuff by Judy Parkinson

Review: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

genre: young adult
rating: 4/5

Patch, the new guy in school, isn't really Nora's kind of guy. Even just sitting next to her in biology, he practically reeks of trouble and Nora is one who really appreciates knowing exactly what is going to happen next. So, why is he so irresistible? Why won't he answer any questions about himself? And why can't she get him out of her mind? Beyond that, why is it that as soon as Patch comes into her life, bizarre and more-than-a-little-terrifying things start to happen? As much as Nora knows she should stay away from him, she pretty much is incapable of doing it - which only serves to deepen her involvement in whatever is going on.

This one was a bit of a white-knuckle read. I really didn't know where it was taking me and even as things started being revealed I was still trying to make sense of it, and I love that. I couldn't put it down. Patch's secrets, and what they teach Nora about a world beyond our own were interesting and unique. More than once I felt the underpinnings of Twilight (bad otherworldly guy, normal girl, a different realm of reality among us) but it was different enough and executed well enough that it didn't bother me. I liked Patch as a bad-guy/good-guy character and although Nora's horrendous choice-making drove me a bit crazy, I found myself rooting for them and I was interested in seeing where the romance would lead. I appreciated that it was edgy but not graphic. I'd definitely read more of this story, I'm glad I just heard there will be a sequel.

Review: The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante

genre: young adult
rating: 5/5

Agnes and Honey have been best friends since they slept next to each other as babies in the communal nursery. Recently, though, Agnes has started taking her quest for spiritual perfection to a level that Honey thinks is a little crazy. Life in the commune has taught them to avoid music and television, to pray constantly and to strive for absolute obedience to God's will - as defined through Emmanuel, their communal leader. What life in the commune did NOT teach them was how to think for themselves and when Honey starts seeing that there are things about Emmanuel and his "methods" that aren't the picture of holiness, Agnes wants nothing to do with it. It's not until a series of horrible things happen that Agnes has to start thinking really seriously about everything she's been taught to believe.

This book is amazing. First of all, we get to hear the story from the point of view of both Agnes and Honey - which brings a depth to the plot that I don't think you could get otherwise. Especially since, for the most part, readers will already understand Honey's point of view - we can see that Emmanuel is a nut; but to read it from the point of view of Agnes: that's some powerful stuff. To see the results of brainwashing, to see the exact same situation processed in completely different ways - that's an interesting story. And it's written so well, with a scorching plot that grabs you and makes you care.

Try this one for a deeper young adult offering about faith and how to reconcile the reality you've been taught with a desire to be true to yourself and your family.

a fun new thing

My mom is a hard-core Washington Post reader. This is often to my advantage because she keeps me in the loop and wow did she find a fun thing this time. It's a website called Bookcrossing and the article about it is here, I found it really interesting. The idea is that instead of giving your old books to the thrift store or throwing them away, you "release" them into the wild with a special ID code that you create online. If the people who pick them up choose to, they can go online and record and entry in that book's "journal." Then they release them again. I've read that about 10% or so of the books that you release get some kind of response, making it certainly a hit-and-miss sort of thing, but an exciting thing nonetheless.

I released my first book last Friday :)

It was a duplicate copy of a book that I really loved called Gift From the Sea.

We were camping and I took it to the women's restroom in the loop where we were camping. I placed it here:

If you click on it you can read the note I put on the front.

When I came back an hour later with Sheely, it was gone :)

Review: The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli

genre: non-fiction, political strategy
rating: how do you rate a classic? 4/5?

The Prince is written as a little handbook given by a wise man to an aspiring prince. Machiavelli uses this format to discuss matters of state and politics - mainly, how you get to be in power in the first place and how to keep your power once you've gotten it.

It's pretty amazing, how chock full of stuff this tiny book is. I found myself reading paragraph after paragraph aloud to my militarily savvy husband - Machiavelli's ideas are fascinating and yet kinda terrifying. It's pretty obvious that he was writing this at a time when stability and power, above all else, were to be aspired for. Never mind the poor little farmer and all the other citizens who are tossed about on a sea of wars and conflicts - this is not the book for them. This is the book for those who have been given the prowess and wherewithal (or the lucky birthright) to find themselves in charge of a nation or principality.

What I appreciate about his format (although sometimes it got a bit dull), is that first he makes a statement of advice, such as: for a prince, it is better to be feared than loved. And then he backs that statement up with the experiences of about four different random Italian princes or Roman emperors or Turkish whomevers who have either exemplified this statement or, if not, how it was their downfall to do otherwise. He's like a walking ancient history book and you can tell that he has really thought all of this through. I can't agree with all of his statements - mostly because I prefer my own form of government that doesn't have to rely so often on cruelty and the sacking of villages in order to keep the peace. But it truly was fascinating to try to imagine being a ruler during the 1500s and all the maneuvering and campaigning and war-fighting that entailed.

I'm glad I read it, only 12 years after first hearing about it in my European History class. It's a short and fast read that really does get you thinking.

Review: In My Enemy's House by Carol Matas

book 4 of 5 for the War Through the Generations Challenge: WWII
genre: YA
rating: 4/5

This book gives the reader a different twist to the World War II story: a young, blond Jewish girl from Poland uses her looks to take on a new identity as a Christian Pole. The story of how Marisa gets to that point and the life she lives as a "non-Jew" is an intimate look at German society during the war.

I liked the book and yet it seemed to skim the surface. I wanted a bit more "oomph" or something. There were scenes of brutality but somehow I never got the emotion I would've expected, although the main character was believable, for the most part. Marisa was a conflicted character, the time and place felt very well researched and the book itself presents an interesting case for keeping love in your heart during extremely challenging circumstances. I think for younger teens, this is a good choice for Holocaust fiction.

Review: The Rapture by Liz Jensen

genre: fiction
rating: 3/5

If a teenager who is incarcerated in a psychiatric hospital for savagely murdering her mother begins to spout out gibberish that may just be foretelling disastrous events of the future, would you believe her? This is what her therapist, Gabrielle Fox, has to grapple with as she sorts through the mind of Bethany - who is anything but cooperative. In a foreseeable future where the climate is changing and believers already suspect that the end is near, Gabrielle has to deal with the thankless task of being Bethany's psychiatrist - and this while dealing with her own demons and trying to find enough faith in herself to believe that she deserves happiness.

The thing is, the plot is gripping - a pre-apocalyptic tale with real-sounding science and believable disasters. The author writes "angry" and "ugly" in such a surprisingly poetic way. For example,

Passionate gusts punched at the sails of moored boats and then headed inland, flattening corn, uprooting trees, smashing hop silos and storage barns, whisking up torn garbage bags that pirouetted in the sky like the ghostly spirits of retail folly.

The idea that Bethany may be more than just a violent loony kept me reading. Gabrielle's unique struggles struck a cord, although her attitude, for me, kept her from being a particularly sympathetic main character. And the truth of the matter is, the language in this book, mainly Bethany's, really turned me off. "Strong" language doesn't even do it justice - both the actual words used and the sexual content. So while the plot kept me reading until the end, I cannot recommend it without that warning.

a post in which I enter a blogosphere discussion :)

I read a lot of book-blog-o-sphere discussions, but I rarely, if ever, participate. Partly because I have very limited readership and some things don't apply, and partly because I have chosen to limit the amount of time I spend on this blog. I read books, I try to write thoughtful reviews, and that's about it. I have started limiting the number of books I agree to review for authors/publicists because I found a couple months ago that I was rarely able to just choose what I wanted to read, I felt so overwhelmed with things I felt obligated to read. That being said, however, if something really appeals to me, I'll accept an offer from a publicist, but I am more picky than I used to be.

SO. Sweet Trish over at Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? is my go-to girl for book blogging discussion - I always love to read up on her view of what's happening and she keeps me in the loop (even if I never join in the loop :). This post in particular got me thinking and interested in my own mix of books that I've read recently. I've only got the energy to do the last 20 I've read. It'll look lopsided because recently I realized I had a lot of books I'd requested that I hadn't yet read and the publication date was past or coming up really soon :)

The Walking People by Mary Beth (requested from Shelf Awareness)

A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy by Charlotte Greig (accepted a copy to review from a publicist)

Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin (requested from Shelf Awareness)

The Actor and the Housewife: A Novel by Shannon Hale (library book)

Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design by Michael Shermer (library book)

The Tempest (Folger Shakespeare Library) by William Shakespeare (library book)

Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga (got from bookmooch)

Life As We Knew It (Moon, #1) by Susan Beth Pfeffer (got as a gift)

The Chosen One Carol Lynch Williams (requested a copy from the book's publicist on twitter)

Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin (got from book mooch)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (library book)

The Wish Maker by Ali Sethi (requested from Shelf Awareness)

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh (got as a gift)

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham (got from bookmooch)

Fire by Kristin Cashore (requested from Shelf Awareness)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore (library book)

An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage (requested from Shelf Awareness)

A Worthy Legacy by Tomi Akinyanmi (read at the request of the author)

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler (accepted a copy to review from a publicist)

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (library book)


Requested from publisher/publicist: 6/20 or 30%
Accepted a copy from publisher/publicist/author: 3/20 or 15%
traded via book mooch: 3/20 or 15%
got as a gift: 2/20 or 10% (also, a big thanks to the sweet girl who gave me both of these books :)
library book: 6/20 or 30%

WELL. I get as many books from the library as I request to read, based on these last 20. Again, I think this is skewed because of my playing-catch up, but there you go. I haven't actually purchased a single book, because I have placed massive budgetary constraints on myself. I am not allowed to buy another book until I read all the ones I've bought already (OH the pile). Yeah. Maybe that will never happen. At least for the rest of this year, that's my goal. I'm not requesting any books right now either, as I'm really just trying to finish up everything I've already got from that side of things.

I love reading. I love giving people my honest opinion about a book. I appreciate that publicists and authors solicit me, although I don't think it's because I'm a great writer, I think I'm just another voice talking about their book. I recognize that I am the pawn in this game, but if I'm going to read a book and review it anyway, and I'll only accept or request books that I'd want to read anyway, then I feel like I'm in a happy place. I love the people I have found in this online world, even if I only participate at a fraction of everyone else. I'll take what I can get :)