THE SWEETEST THING

I received a copy of THE SWEETEST THING by Elizabeth Musser from Bethany House. On first glance, I found the cover to be extremely engaging. A young woman glances over her shoulder, with a mansion in the background, and old-fashioned tinting gives the scene a mysterious flavor. It reminds me of my grandmother’s childhood photographs.

I love the story. The theme of poverty amongst beauty strikes close to home, since the country is now in hard times, money-wise. The novel is fast paced and flows smoothly, until the end, where it begins to drag. The characters have a mystery to solve, but they seem to put that aside and concentrate on day-to-day activities instead.

The story jumps between Dobbs and Perri, the two main characters. That is easy to follow, since the sections are clearly labeled. Each girl learns to love God in her own way. Their struggles are powerful to read about, and the happy conclusion brought a smile to my face. The author summed up the characters’ futures in a prologue, but I long for a sequel.

The best part about the book is that the author based many things off real life, such as the setting and school. This is a trip back in time you should not miss!

THE CHAIR

I received an advance copy of THE CHAIR by James L. Rubart, from B&H Books. The cover depicts the corner of a chair, highlighted, against a wooden floor. Although plain, it is intriguing, and foretells a fascinating book. I sat down with only half-an-hour to read, and four hours later I was done with the story, although my household chores still needed completion. Overall, this is a fast, thought-provoking story with friendly characters.

Without giving too much away, the novel involves Corin Roscoe, the owner of an antique story. A mysterious woman gives him a chair, and her cryptic messages lead Corin to believe the chair was made by Jesus Christ. When he first touches the chair, he feels an electric shock, but then nothing. Shortly after, a little boy has an asthma attack in his store and sits on the chair. The boy and his family believe that the chair healed his asthma and the news story is placed on the Internet. With the help of the chair, Corin faces his belief in religion and his fears within himself.

The message in the story is very powerful, and opens the reader’s eyes to new beliefs in religious relics. The ending brought a huge smile to my face.

THE SERAPH SEAL

I received a copy of THE SERAPH SEAL by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner, from Thomas Nelson through BookSneeze. The front of the cover depicts the back of an angel statue – very intriguing. The story involves a prophecy that begins in 2012 when the four horsemen of the Apocalypse are born…as well as Matthew Serafino and Paul Binder. The story then centers on the year 2048 as the world slowly unravels. Paul Binder begins work on a Syrian manuscript, and discovers lost secrets of the world. The end of the book includes Paul Binder’s “notebook,” which helped to tie the story together and made a great resource while reading. The end also included a list of terms.

The characters were very complex and realistic, but there were quite a few and sometimes it was difficult to keep track of them. Chapters included many character and scene breaks, which also made the story a bit confusing.

Since the story takes place in the future, I would have liked to see more “futuristic” terms. There were some “new” gadgets, but more of them would have added extra flavor. I love futuristic books because of those aspects, and this novel really did not have them.

I enjoyed the book overall, and even though it was long – 527 pages – it did not take very long to finish. The scenes moved quickly.

STORM OF WAR

I received a copy of THE STORM OF WAR: A NEW HISTORY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR by Andrew Riberts, from GoodReads and Harper. I love history, so I was excited to learn more about World War II. The book, of 712 pages, contains three parts: the Onslaught, the Climacteric, and the Retribution. There are also maps, notes, a bibliography, and a conclusion.

The book is very informative. Even though it is not fictionalized, it reads smoothly. I highly recommend this book to other history buffs.

KNITTING KNEE-HIGHS

I received a copy of KNITTING KNEE-HIGHS: SOCK STYLES FROM CLASSIC TO CONTEMPORARY by Barb Brown, from Thomas Nelson. I was excited to see it offered because I love knitting. Whenever I sit in front of the television set, I have to have a project with me to work on – projects that do not usually include socks.

I love wearing knee-high socks, so I am thrilled to be able to make my own. The styles are beautiful. Not only are some colorful, but others are also intricate, in a good way. When I first saw the directions, I felt slightly intimidated. I am not familiar with cable stitches, or switching colors, but the step-by-step directions are easy to follow. They also use circular needles, as opposed to double pointed needles (but you can use those too). Double pointed needles confuse me, so I am ecstatic to be able to use something different. I have begun work on the Bonny Birds pattern, a series of blue birds against a white background. It is coming along nicely.

The patterns also include ways to transform knee-highs into leg warmers and ankle socks. Whatever your style, there is a pattern in this book for you to adore.

IN FRONT OF GOD AND EVERYBODY

I received a copy of IN FRONT OF GOD AND EVERYBODY by K. D. McCrite, from Thomas Nelson. It is the first book in the CONFESSIONS OF APRIL GRACE series. The cover did not really catch my attention. It shows a smiling girl, which certainly is not off-putting, but not eye-catching, either. However, once I got into the story, I was hooked.

The story takes place in the summer of 1986 – this in itself interested me, since it happens before I was born, and I wondered what things were like then as opposed to now, and what I remember from my childhood.

April Grace lives on a farm in the Ozarks. The things she says are hilarious. I laughed aloud through every page. She has a quirky, contagious sense of humor, the perfect type of person to befriend. She gives the reader her take on everything, from the weather to her grandmother’s mean cat, Queenie.

First, there is her family. Her mother, Lily, and her father, Mike, are deeply in love. They want to help everyone, including the new neighbors. Then, there is April Grace’s sister, Myra Sue, who would rather watch soap operas than weed the garden. April Grace is very close to her grandmother, who lives next door, so she’s upset when her sister thinks the elderly woman is a hillbilly. Their grandmother also has a new beau. April Grace is positive he is out to due no good, and the things she sees proves that in her mind.

April Grace loves the hippie neighbors, but not the fresh-from-California neighbors. Ian and Isabel do not know a thing about the country, especially Isabel, who is extremely rude even though April Grace’s family only wants to help.

As an elementary teacher, I know the children I sub for would adore this story. It is not only hilarious, but extremely true, with many relatable aspects. Every time April Grace describes her beloved family farm, I remember my grandmother’s farm and the happy summer days I spent there with my cousins. I look forward to reading future APRIL GRACE novels.

A contest for all my writing buddies...

Cool contest. I'm entering for TABITHA'S DEATH.

http://yatopia.blogspot.com/2011/04/pitch-contest-with-natalie-fischer.html