Spring 2016

Why, hello little crocuses!

My How You've Grown

June 2015

March 2016

Books and More Books

I've been on a reading kick lately.  Somewhat better than a TV kick, which is normally what I do to unwind.  Though the two colds so far this year may have helped...

So far for 2016 here's what I've read:
Printed books
Outlaw
Hacker
Tried & True
Now & Forever
Fire & Ice
Auralia's Colors
Raptor 6
Hawk
Falcon
The Ambition

eBooks
Home to Collingsworth (re-read)
Married in Montana
Undeniably Yours
Free to Love
Shadows of the Past
A Brother's Bond

Now for the reviews:
Outlaw and Hacker are both by Ted Dekker - excellent books.  When I can find the words to do them justice, I'll write a review.

Mary Connealy wrote Tried & True, Now & Forever and Fire & Ice.  Each book covers one of the three Wilde sisters.  Each sister fought in the War Between the States and when land became available for time served in the war, their father dragged them all west to build an empire.  But the Wilde sisters have to pose as men, just like they did in the war, or they will lose their land.  Plan is working well till the local land agent finds out the youngest sister is actually a woman and not a man.

I like Mary Connealy books.  They are what I term a "light" read.  Fun, enjoyable, but not too serious or detailed like murder mysteries, non-fiction, etc.  Lot of nights with little sleep since the books are fast paced and I didn't want to stop reading!

Auralia's Colors is written by Jeffrey Overstreet and is the first in the series.  The story is about an orphaned girl who has the gift of colors (this really confused me since everyone else could see colors).  There is also the story line for the prince of the kingdom and another kingdom is mentioned.  A lot of the story is hung up on the prince's mother.  I'm still confused over parts of it and frustrated by some of it.  I'm not sure the whole story makes sense and I don't really want to spend money on the second book for more unanswered questions.  It's not that I don't mind unanswered questions in a series, but the books need to make sense and move along.  This one was just difficult to get through - and I like fantasy!

Raptor 5, Hawk and Falcon are by Ronie Kendig.  The books are about Special Forces members in Afghanistan doing routine missions until their communications system is compromised by the enemy.  This is only brought to their attention after causalities from corrupted orders are received.  On the whole, I really enjoyed the books and will probably purchase more from this author in the future.  I did however find parts of Falcon confusing.  Several times the author mentions that a team member is far away from the command center, but then in another paragraph or two, the member is in the room. The most confusing one was when one member was on a video chat with them, three hours away from the rest of the team, then few minutes later he walks into the room.  (Maybe it's a new vehicle for our armed service men?)

Lee Strobel wrote The Ambition.  I not a huge fan of lawyer and/or reporter based books.  But this one did keep me interested.  You have a reporter looking for dirt on a church pastor who is in the running for an appointment to a political seat.  Though the reason the reporter is looking for dirt isn't because of the possible appointment.  Then there is the dirty lawyer who is also a possible for the political appointment.  Of course, paths start crossing, people start dying and the story gets interesting.



Home to Hollingsworth is by Kimberly Rae Jordan.  The matriarch grandmother of the family has died and this brings home all the sisters to deal with the funeral and the will.  The grandmother was rather controlling and that continues in the will she left behind.  There is a mystery surrounding the mother that the main character tries to unravel.  Mostly this is a romance between the main character and the local sheriff.  I am curious about the mystery behind the mother and the lives of the other sisters, but not enough to buy the eBooks.  (Free is better.)

Kristen Osbourne wrote Married in Montana.  It's a modern day matchmaker story.  A professional matchmaker, not just a friend matchmaking.  The story seemed a little sexually graphic for a Christian romance and the characters could have used a bit more development.  The dealing with issues that normally arise during the dating phase was interesting, if a bit heavy handed.  Not sure I'll read any more from this author.

Undeniably Yours was written by Becky Wade.  I liked this one.  It's about a woman who had been living a "normal" life with a real job and living off the paycheck she earned when she inherits her father's shares to the family business, including his head position in the oil company.  She tries to honor her father and her extended family by assuming her father's duties, but has no desire for a career in the oil fields.  Plus there are the extra businesses that her father had an interest in that she does not, so she begins shutting them down, except one strong minded horse manager won't give in about her shutting down his livelihood.  Then there's also an old con-artist ex-husband that returns...  It'd be interesting to finish out the series.

Kelsey MacBride penned Free to Love.  A suspension of belief will help when reading this novel.  In the course of about four days our heroine leaves behind her verbally (and almost physically) abusive husband-to-be and her controlling parents.  She leaves everything behind but a few changes of clothes, what little money is in her wallet ($30 and her parents are rich) and her cell phone.  She sneaks out of the house, makes it downtown, takes a job as a waitress for one night.  After her earnings she purchases a bus ticket and heads towards the coast.  At the coast she runs into a guy and his dog.  He takes her to a local bed and breakfast, where the kindly matron lets her room in exchange for services around the house.  The next day has the guy and girl going on a date, but after she returns to the bed and breakfast she is kidnapped by the ex-boyfriend.  He managed to trace her through her cell phone when she called her father to let him know she was okay.  He takes her to his boat (he's rich too, that's why her parents think they are a good match) and keeps threatening her.  A storm comes up and sinks the boat.  She manages to snag a piece of the boat and washes up on shore without her memory.  And book #1 ends.

I like to read.  I can suspend reality with the best of them.  This seemed a little too much to me.  I get the running way.  I get the one night waitressing job.  I get the kindly matron and the guy at the coast.  I don't get the date with the guy the following day.  I don't get why she would use her cellphone to call her parents.  Just watch/read a few mysteries and you know not to use your phone, but a burner phone, if you really have to contact your parents.  Or send a postcard from a city you aren't staying in.  I also don't get the pace of the book.  I could see this happening over months, which would be more believable for the attraction between the guy and the girl and the frustration of the ex-boyfriend and his desperation to track her down.  I doubt I'll be reading book #2.

Shadows of the Past was written by Patricia Bradley.  This was a good read.  I felt a little sorry for the main character having everything come crashing down on her in one book: dysfunctional family (to a certain extent), trying to track down her missing father (which her family DOES NOT want her to do), and a serial killer stalking her.  Still, it was pretty believable, let's face it, when life goes bad, it doesn't rain, it pours.

Lee Tobin McClain wrote A Brother's Bond.  This book was okay.  A little unbelievable, but okay.  The heroine sets out to find the reason her brother died out in the woods at her dying mother's request.  She's not close to her mother, but she was close to her brother.  She is attacked just trying to get to the house of the woman to last see him alive (still not sure how the killer knew she'd be there at that exact time).  She is saved by the brother of the woman she wants to see - who tells her that his sister is off limits after she sets his sister off into an hysterical fit (apparently not uncommon).  Because the road is impassable due to the attack (rock slide) and the snow storm, she ends up stuck at the brother and sister's house for a few days where they weather more attacks from the killer and the mystery deepens.  Like I said, it was an okay story, just a little unbelievable.