Blogging for Books: The Crossing Book Review

It took me a while to get going in this new book by Serita Jakes called The Crossing. I had read great reviews on Amazon and was excited to get it as my next book installment for review but once I began to read I got bogged down in a lot of back story and useless information about the characters. The basic plot is that 10 years ago a cheerleading coach was gun downed and then bled out in front of some of her students. Now they are dealing with what happened that night and trying to find closure when the case is re-opened. Because the book bounces between a number of different characters it was also hard to pinpoint who the book was ultimately about.

Once the story got going the plot was interesting enough to hold my attention and want to know who did what in the ending. The ending didn't surprise me but I was disappointed as to how fast it was thrown together. Instead of showing us the ending in what could have been an exciting conclusion the author told us the ending in an epilogue.

As for the characters, I didn't like any of them except maybe Victor and I didn't care for how most of the ending turned out for anyone but Claudia and Victor. I'm sure it is true to life but I think Casio's character could have been written and finished so much better. The author sets up a lot of suspense but delivers on very little. Of course, I say this as a reader who prefers more action and suspense and a few times saw opportunities built into the plot that weren't explored.

I would recommend this book to readers for the plot alone - I enjoyed it once it got moving and was interested as to how it all played out but I can only give the book three stars due to the very slow start, the overkill on every character's background story (childhood included) and the fact that the ending could have been so much better and more dramatic than it was.

I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group's Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review.

Blogging for Books: Shadows on the Sand Book Review

Slow Start, Okay Ending

It took a while but I finally finished Gayle Roper's Shadows on the Sand. I must say before I write my review that I have read books by Gayle Roper before and have enjoyed them so I was really looking forward to her newest mystery.

However, the start to this book was quite slow and confusing. Rather than start with any action we start with our main character, Carrie, working in her cafe talking with her employees and regulars including her "favorite" regular, Greg Barnes. During this time we learn a LOT about everybody including Carrie. A few chapters in we learn that Carrie's dishwasher (as in the employee, not the appliance) is missing. At this point I would assume the action of the book would go into high gear but the fact that her employee is missing seems like just more back story. Something else going on in Carrie's busy life.

The main story line seems to be Carrie's "love" for Greg. She does a "snoopy dance" every time she sees him but he has a traumatic past, having lost his wife and children to a bomb, and doesn't seem to notice Carrie. Since this is a romance, we know that he has noticed Carrie from the second the author switches to Greg's point of view. Their romance seemed to be the most realistic part of the book and the only part I liked. There is less romantic angst of typical books making the characters seem real and I enjoyed that.

The characters seemed realistic and well-rounded it was the plot that was lacking and the mystery part of the book that I didn't like. For one, the mystery seemed to have very little to do with the main character so it felt odd. The author adds a few chapters from the killer's point of view which I'm assuming were meant to frighten but only served to confuse me. It seemed our bad guy was a serial killer but then the bad guy seemed to come from a cult or own a cult. When the dishwasher's body is discovered it seems like a story footnote. "Oh yeah, there's that body/kid we were looking for." The main character ended up in the action at the end but for most of the book she had very little to do with it.

I'm giving the book 3 out of 5 stars because the author did a good job of wrapping everything up at the end and I enjoyed the romance. I can't give more than that because most of the book felt like backstory and kind of all over the place making it hard to keep my interest and want to know what happens.

If you want a light-hearted romance/mystery you would enjoy this book but if you enjoy real suspense as I do this won't be one of your favorites.

The book was provided for me by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group's Blogging for Books program. All opinions are my own.

Blogging For Books: Desiring God by John Piper (DVD)

I have read a number of books by John Piper and I always enjoy his insights into the Bible so I was very interested to review this DVD. While I often find John Piper's writing style more complex and hard to follow I had no such confusion with the DVD. John Piper's teaching style was very clear and he used a lot of biblical evidence to back up his conclusions.

The overall theme of the book and the DVD is that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. John Piper proposes that in each one of us is a God given desire for joy and happiness and the only way to truly achieve either is to find our joy and happiness in Christ. Piper proposes that while the Christian life is full of sacrifices all that we do is to earn reward for ourselves in heaven. He states that this is not selfishness but finding in God what He has for us.

Early on he uses a verse from Psams:

"You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence is fullness of joy;
at your right hand is pleasure forevermore."
Psalm 16:11

God has fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore in store for us in Him and nothing on this earth can compare. Piper points the viewers repeatedly to scripture and to the hope we have in Christ.

I enjoyed watching the videos and learned a tremendous amount. For the most part I watched them on my own but I was able to use parts of his teachings to teach my 11-year-old daughter about finding joy in Christ above all else and I believe that I will continue to use these videos to teach my children and share with friends.

I would definitely recommend these videos to anyone. They are challenging and yet uplifting. I watched them alone and learned a lot but they would also be useful for families and church small groups just so that you would have someone to talk with and discuss what you are learning.

For more information on John Piper and his ministry check out: Desiring God

To order books by Piper or this DVD head HERE on Amazon.

Disclaimer: This DVD was provided to me free of charge by Waterbrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books program. All reviews are my own.

Book Review: Indelible

Interesting Storyline: Not What I Expected

I was very excited to get the opportunity to read Kristen Heitzmann’s Indelible. Because this is actually book 2 I went ahead and ordered Kristen’s first book, Indivisible. Some of the reviews stated it was a little violent but I didn’t find it to be so. There was some violence against animals but I didn’t find it to be done in poor taste and when the book is wrapped up everything makes sense. The writing was dark but so very well written that you wanted to keep reading.

After enjoying the first book I was very ready to read the second. While the main characters are different in book 2 many of the characters from book 1 are in book 2 as well so I highly recommend reading Indivisible first.

Natalie Reeve has a special ability – an eidetic memory for faces and the only way she can get them “out of her head” is to sculpt them which she does amazingly well, so well that she makes a living doing it. Natalie has set up shop in a small town in Colorado right next to door to Trevor MacDaniel and his outdoor survival business. The two characters are introduced when Trevor saves Natalie’s nephew from the jaws of a mountain lion.

From the beginning Trevor is being stalked by an unknown individual who begins to send Trevor disturbing photos. It’s a great set-up for a story yet every time the writing is in the stalker’s point of view the writing is strange and vague. I’m sure this is intentional but I found it to be annoying, confusing and unhelpful in moving the story along.

Other than the stalker’s point of view the story was very well written. The descriptions and characters were great though I wished to see more of Piper and Miles who are my favorite characters in the series.

As the story moves along Trevor and Natalie become closer and want to be together but Trevor feels haunted by his past; a dead brother that he feels is his fault and a spoiled skiing career, but when Natalie’s life is threatened Trevor realizes what he stands to lose.

The ending isn’t what I expected and I was disappointed by that but the writing is so good that it is worth the read. I am giving the book 4 out of 5 stars because the stalker really bugged me all through the book and I just feel that could have been written better and ended better. I also found Trevor's relationship with his business partner Whit and Whit's wife to be odd and confusing and maybe just a little bit disturbing.

If you enjoy character driven stories that have a twinge of suspense this book is for you. This series is full of highly unique characters in interesting situations that will keep you reading well into the night. I know I am certainly looking forward to another installment by Kristen Heitzmann.

To purchase Indivisible go HERE ; to purchase Indelible go HERE

Disclaimer: I received this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group's Blogging for Books program. All reviews are my own.

Blogging for Books: When God Created My Toes Book Review

After a few fiction books I had the pleasure of reviewing a children's book or should I say my girls had the pleasure of reviewing it?

I thought the book was cute. It kept my 4-year-old triplets entertained and they very much enjoyed the graphics and the silliness of the girl in the story.

As for me I thought some of the rhymes were forced and a few didn't make sense. I don't know what ABC's have to do with knees other than that they rhyme. I also didn't like that the girl misbehaved - while it is natural it reminded me of the book "No David!" and while my girls do love that book I'm not a huge fan. In a Christian book I would rather see the misbehavior represented avoided or addressed as in forgiveness or discipline and since neither is the topic of the book avoidance would seem the better choice.

That being said we were able to focus on the fact that God created each part of our bodies and that He is the creator.

Bottom line: my 4-year-old girls enjoyed the book but I found it to just be okay and wouldn't highly recommend it to other moms.

To purchase the book head to Amazon

Disclaimer: I received this book as part of Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group's Blogging for Books program - the views are my own.

The Corruptible Book Review

I know I've already shared my love of blogging for books but I'll just say it again: I love it!

I love it especially when I get to read a great book! Once again I received a free copy from Waterbrook Multnomah's Publishing Group's Blogging for Books program that was a second book in the series. So once again I turned to Amazon and using gift cards from Swagbucks I ordered the first book in the series.

Mark Mynheir is an author I'm familiar with having read his previous series so I was quite excited to read his new books and I wasn't disappointed. Mark is an author with a LOT of law enforcement experience so his writing is extremely real which I thought was great!

Take a look at my review:

Mark Mynheir’s The Corruptible is a fascinating, cynical and realistic read. If you ever wanted to know what life is like as a cop this would be the way to do it. I almost felt this book could be research for an aspiring writer of mysteries! Not in a bad way but the detail was amazing – I felt as though I were there.

The Corruptible is Book #2 in the Ray Quinn Mystery Series. In Book #1, The Night Watchman, we’re introduced to Ray Quinn a disabled, retired detective who is an alcoholic and seems to be waiting to die. But life and God have other plans and when he discovers 2 dead bodies in one of the condos where he works as a security guard he’s asked to look into the case. At first he has no desire to be back in detective work but ultimately he agrees and begins to find a bit of his former self. With help from his friends Crevis and Pam, Ray solves the case and clears a good name.

In The Corruptible, Ray has just opened his new private investigation service when he is called in by a very wealthy client to recover some stolen merchandise. But the case is more than it first appears and once again Ray is looking for a murderer and using his police contacts to solve a case.

Despite Ray’s disability caused by a gunshot and requiring the use of a cane Ray is a very strong character. As the book is written in first person Ray is the only point of view that we get. He’s not a Christian and he is an alcoholic so the perspective is often negative and very gritty. He has friends but I spent most of the book wondering why and waiting for him to screw up the relationships. Ray is humorous (I laughed in quite a few parts at Ray’s comments and thoughts) and real, yet not the most likeable of characters.

The plot was fast paced and engaging. I enjoyed both books a great deal though both endings were a tad odd. The first book seemed to come out of nowhere (not in a good way) and the second book seemed to throw a lot of red herrings in for the sake of making the book longer.

I recommend reading book #1 first if only to get a better sense of who Crevis is because he’s a great character and I liked him a lot.

I give the book 4 stars because the middle of the book lagged a little and went in directions it didn’t really need to go resulting in some plot confusion. I also think Ray is a very dark character and the book contained a LOT of alcohol references for a Christian novel. I know that it’s something Ray struggles with making the character real but I’m just giving fair warning for those who don’t wish to read extensively about alcohol.

I enjoyed both books and recommend both books (with a few reservations for some). Mark Mynheir is an excellent writer and he proves himself again in The Corruptible. I’ll be looking forward to the next one!

For more information check out the author's website: www.markmynheir.com or place your order at Amazon.

I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group’s Blogging for Books program. All opinions are my own.

Deadly Ties Book Review

Yes, in the midst of all my crazy life I have been able to find some time to read some Christian fiction books which are my absolute favorite books to read - better yet if they are mystery/suspense books. So, of course, I was very excited when the book I got to review this time was right up my alley :)

This was an author I'd never read before but am excited to read more from her because I really enjoyed her books. I received Deadly Ties free to review from Waterbrook Multonmah Press Blogging for Books but I ordered the first book in the series for myself so that I could read the books in order. Very, very good.

I did find a short trailer for the book on YouTube - a tad cheesy but fun :)



My review of the book:

I really enjoyed Vicki Hinze’s book Deadly Ties. Deadly Ties is the second book in the Crossroads Crisis Center novels. Since I had not read the first book in the series, Forget Me Not, I went ahead and ordered it and read it first. All I can say is I’m surprised I had not read this author sooner. Her books are everything I enjoy about reading fiction – suspense, mystery and a little bit of romance.

The suspense in both books was very well done. Forget Me Not focused on Kelly Walker and Ben Brandt while book 2 focused on Lisa Harper and Mark Taylor. Both stories were interwoven well and I would recommend reading Forget Me Not first, however, if you don’t you won’t be lost in Deadly Ties at all.

Vicki Hinze did an excellent job of keeping me reading and wanting to know what happened next and how the characters got out of their situations. I enjoyed the characters and found them to be real people reacting to real situations. Both Lisa and Mark were strong characters which I enjoyed. While Lisa often found herself in distress she was resourceful and brave rather than a coward and I liked that about her.

I loved how the author wove together the past and the present. At first I wasn’t sure how she was going to tie the same criminal organization that threatened Lisa to Kelly Walker’s case from the previous book but the writing was believable and tied together very well.

Vicki is truly a gifted author and knows how to write modern Christian fiction suspense. From the very first page of the first book I was hooked and Vicki did not let me down through all of book 1 or book 2. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the spring of 2012 and will be buying it as soon as it comes out! I highly recommend Vicki Hinze and her books – a must-read!

The book can be purchased from Amazon: HERE

And be sure to check out more about this author at her website: Vicki Hinze

The Miracle of Mercy Land Book Review

I have been so excited to be involved in Waterbrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books program. I love blogging and I love books and as a Tightwad I certainly love getting books for free so this program is literally MADE for me!

I recently received my second book to review. The book is "The Miracle of Mercy Land" by River Jordan. The book was received as a gift but the opinions are all mine.

Here are my thoughts on my most recent book:

I wanted to read this book because the premise seemed fascinating. The writing in the book was excellent. The description was great and feeling like you were right there with the main character, Mercy was very well done.

That being said I thought the book started slowly and it was very hard to get into. While the character was great and her situation was believable the action was slow to begin. The "book" that came to Doc Philips happened early in the book but then just sort of sat there. I had expected more interaction or more story of what happened while they were “in the book”. The foreshadowing was excellent, the wondering what was going on kept me reading the book.

Once the character, John Quincy was introduced, the book took on a new level of wondering who he was and what would happen. I very much enjoyed the building up of this character and the relationship between John and Mercy. All of the characters questioned if the book they had could change the past and how their choices affected one another.

Since I often like suspense novels I enjoyed the overarching sense of something evil or that something bad was going to happen. The author is very good at portraying that eerie feeling that something isn’t right, that something awful has happened or will happen. However, the “evil” didn’t seem fully realized. The premise was so good but not fully drawn out. I kept waiting for something awful to happen based on what I had been presented with but nothing really did.

Having completed the book I still have questions. There are things I still don’t understand and would have liked to. I believe the book is very character driven which is good but leaves the plot wanting. It is written well meaning it has “pretty prose” and a great Southern charm but my overall impression of the book was confusion.

If you enjoy character-driven books you will like this book because you will love Mercy and her relationship with Doc and her Aunt Ida but if you prefer plot-driven action this wouldn’t be the book you would enjoy. Because of that I have to give this book just 3 stars.

Book (and above image) can be found at Amazon.com

This Is Why I Read Christian Fiction

I recently had the privilege of reading and reviewing Sigmund Brouwer's book Flight of Shadows. I honestly haven't had much time to read fiction lately and what I have managed to pick up I have found poorly written but this book was excellent.

From the beginning it was fast paced and drew me in. I didn't know when I began reading that the book was a sequel so I wasn't fully sure of what was happening but the author did a fabulous job of describing the surroundings and getting me engaged in the story.

The book made me think about the future and what could happen while caring about the characters in the book and how they would survive. My favorite character was Razor - he was quite fascinating and gave the reader hope in a dark world.

It was fast-paced and gritty. It's not for the faint of heart but if you are even remotely interested in sci-fi, thrillers or suspense novels you will enjoy this book.

I had not read the prequel (Broken Angel) before this but have already downloaded it to my Nook in order to catch up - yes I liked Flight of Shadows that much!

Disclaimer: I have recently joined Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group's Blogging for Books program and this is the first book I received free to review - all the opinions are mine.