Book Review – Sept 2014

“The Smallest Bookstore Still Contains More Ideas of Worth

Than Have Been Presented in the Entire History of Television.” -Andrew Ross

I disappeared there for a while, didn’t I? So sorry, I thought about you guys a lot if that’s any consolation. Not only has my body decided to behave worse than normal by adding in a few more pains and frustrations, it was Rosh Hashannah last week! My OH and I were able to go to a local community’s service for it. It was the first time I had been a part of a service for this special day so it was cool to be able to attend. This week is Yom Kippur, so I don’t know if I’ll end up missing posting again but for today we have this months’ book review!

I must say that I love the quote for this month. It kind of makes me chuckle for the truth of it.

And now let’s get on to the books! I didn’t get near as much reading done this month but two of them I have absolutely LOVED!

• The Merchant’s Daughter – by Melanie Dickerson — Once the daughter of a wealthy merchant but now an indentured servant, Annabel faces danger and and choices she’d never dreamed of. Caught between the slimy baliff who presses his attentions on her and the new Lord Ranulf who is rumored to be beastly and absolutely terrifying, she believes that life in a nunnery is the way to solve her problems. But as her encounters with Lord Ranulf result in feelings of safety and happiness, Annabel must struggle to face her feelings and decide which plans she will follow – hers or God’s. ACK! I love this book. Last month I had just started it and mentioned it briefly in the review for August. It is now one of my favorites that I will probably end up buying.
• The Healer’s Apprentice – by Melanie Dickerson  — As a woodcutter’s daughter, Rose knows that her opportunity to train under the healer of Hagenheim Castle is a rare opportunity. Even though she gets squeamish at the sight of blood she wants to prove herself capable. When Lord Hamlin is injured and Rose is the one to heal his wound, she feels emotions toward him that she knows are forbidden, for he is betrothed to a mysterious lady in hiding. —and yes, she did it again folks!! another favorite! The twists and turns that she incorporates into her stories are wonderful.
• A Voice in the Wind – by Francine Rivers — Falling in love with a handsome aristocrat is ridiculous but that’s just what Hadassah has done. She clings to her faith that God will deliver them from decadent Rome while struggling with her feelings.  — I don’t know about this one. I’m really trying to like this novel . I feel like there are too many characters that seem to have no connection to each other and no real forward movement with the plot line…. I’m 80 pages into the almost 500 and still not sucked in. Normally at this point I just give up on it but I’ve been told that it is really good so I’ll probably dive back into it in the next few days. I’ll let you all know if my opinion changes.
• Libby’s Story – by Judy Baer — A chance encounter brings together tenderhearted and loyal Libby Morrison and sensitive and angry Reese Reynolds. While Libby is struggling to take care of her aging parents and Reese is nursing self-pity over being paralyzed, their friendship slowly blossoms. — I really enjoy this book. It is actually the third in a ‘series’ ( i can’t find anything that says it is actually a series…) It is enjoyable on its’ own but much more so after having read the first two. Each covers the story of the three friends, Jenny, Tia and Libby. (Jenny’s Story, Tia’s Story and this one, Libby’s Story)
• An Unexpected Match – by Gayle Roper — As an upstanding Amish woman, Rachel Beiler can’t believe what she’s doing. She begins a hidden life as a college student. All she wants to do is learn but she doesn’t know yet how it will change her and what it will cost her. On the first night of class she meets two people – Amy Steiner who has secrets of her own and Rob Lanier an army vet. — ummm, YES! As I’m sure you know if you’ve read at least a few of my book reviews, I love stories about the Amish. And this one has a plot that I’m not used to seeing so it was very fun to read and I definitely got drawn in quickly.

And that’s it! I think this is the least amount of reading I’ve done all year! But, I’m all set to start one of my favorite novels, Mara: Daughter of the Nile and have another favorite coming from the library!

Happy Reading friends and do share what you’ve been reading lately!

~Laura

Tags: book review, christian book reviews, francine rivers, gayle roper, judy baer, melanie dickerson