It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 22)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme, hosted by Sheila over at bookjourney.wordpress.com, where you post about what you read this past week, what you hope to read this week...and anything in between. This is a great way to find new books to add to your TBR list.

What I read last week:

Coffee at Little Angels by Nadine Rose Larter

Phillip, Sarah, Kaitlyn, Caleb, Maxine, Grant, Melanie and Josh grew up in a small town where they spent their high school years together as an inseparable clique. But high school has ended, and they are all living their own "grown up" lives, each under the impression that their group has basically come to an end. When Phillip dies in a hit and run accident, Kaitlyn summons the others to all come back home, forcing a reunion that no one is particularly interested in partaking in.


Coffee at Little Angels follows how each character deals with the death of a childhood friend while at the same time dealing with their own ignored demons after years of separation. Events unfolds as the group tries to rekindle the friendship they once shared to honour the memory of a friend they will never see again.

Most Likely by Craig Hansen

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com):
Becky Howard is a teen under pressure. Pressure from her best friend not to breathe a word about the abuse she's suffering by her mother. Pressure from her sister to understand her marital difficulties. Pressure from her boyfriend to get more physical than she's ready for. And pressure from the rumors about her boyfriend that are eroding her trust in him. As she prepares for the biggest track meet of her life, Becky's about to learn that sometimes growing up is about more than having sex, and that clinging to ideals might not be as helpful as learning to expect whatever is MOST LIKELY.

NOTE: MOST LIKELY is a work of Christian fiction, but not in the worst sense of the genre. There are no embedded sermons or salvation plans; it's more of a slice-of-life novel about growing up, centering on a Christian main character.

Pirate of My Heart: A Novel by Jamie Carie

When her doting father dies, Lady Kendra Townsend is given a choice: marry the horrid man of her cold, money-grubbing uncle's choosing or leave England to risk a new life in America with unknown relatives. Armed with the faith that God has a plan for her, Kendra boards a cargo ship and meets American sea captain Dorian Colburn. But the captain has been wounded by a woman before and guards his independent life. A swashbuckling man doesn't need an English heiress to make him slow down, feel again, or be challenged with questions about his faith-or so he thinks. It is not until Dorian must save Kendra from the dark forces surrounding her that he decides she may be worth the risk.

What I am currently reading:


Seers by Heather Frost

For Kate Bennet, surviving the car wreck that killed her parents means big changes and even bigger problems. As she begins to see auras and invisible people, Kate must learn to trust Patrick O'Donnell, a handsome Guardian, or risk her life being overrun with Demons. She soon realizes that both she and her heart are in big-time trouble.


What I hope to read this week:

Indemnity: Book Two: Covenant of Trust Series by Paula Wiseman

A shattered childhood. A mended marriage. Bound together by one little boy.

After years of believing Chuck's affair is behind them, Bobbi's marriage is tested again when Tracy Ravenna resurfaces. Tracy's not alone, though. Jackson Charles Ravenna is the newest student in Bobbi's first grade class and the spitting image of her husband. When Chuck decides to pursue joint custody, they discover Jack isn't the only secret Tracy's been hiding.

As Tracy's past begins to threaten their future with Jack, Bobbi is forced to face the unsettling truth about God's grace. But this time, what will it cost to forgive the unforgivable?


Healer: A Novel by Linda Windsor
Sixth-century Scotland—in the time of Arthur….

“The Gowrys’ seed shall divide your mighty house and bring a peace beyond the ken of your wicked soul.”

Her mother’s dying prophecy to the chieftain Tarlach O’Byrne sentenced Brenna of Gowrys to twenty years of hiding. Twenty years of being hunted—by the O’Byrnes, who fear the prophecy, and by her kinsmen, who expect her to lead them against their oppressors. But Brenna is a trained and gifted healer, not a warrior queen. So she lives alone in the wilderness with only her pet wolf for company. When she rescues a man badly wounded from an ambush, she believes he may be the answer to her deep loneliness. Healing him comes as easy as loving him. But can their love overcome years of bitterness and greed…and bring peace and renewed faith to the shattered kingdom?

Friday Firsts: Pirate of my Heart

Friday Firsts is a meme, hosted by Allison from wellreadreviews.com/. The first line can make or break a reader’s interest. Just how well did the author pull you in to the story with their first sentence? To participate in this weekly book meme is extremely easy.

• Grab the book you are currently reading and open to the first page.



• Write down the first sentence in the first paragraph. (If you want to use 2-3 sentences, that is okay but limit it to the very beginning.)



• Create a blog post with this information. (Make sure to include the title & author of the book you are using. Even an ISBN helps!)



• Did this first sentence help draw you into the story? Why or why not?



• Come back to this blog post, hosted on WellReadReviews.com and add your comment to the post.

  
  

Here is my Friday Firsts:

"The grey clouds of dawn shivered against the paned glass of the castle, shrouding the three figures at the side of the four-poster bed in an eerie light."
Pirate of My Heart: A Novel

by

Jamie Carie

I am about halfway through this book and am absolutely loving it! The first sentence helped to draw me in, but it was after reading the first two paragraphs that I was hooked. I can't wait to finish this book and at the same time I don't want the story to end - it's so good!

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com):
When her doting father dies, Lady Kendra Townsend is given a choice: marry the horrid man of her cold, money-grubbing uncle's choosing or leave England to risk a new life in America with unknown relatives. Armed with the faith that God has a plan for her, Kendra boards a cargo ship and meets American sea captain Dorian Colburn. But the captain has been wounded by a woman before and guards his independent life. A swashbuckling man doesn't need an English heiress to make him slow down, feel again, or be challenged with questions about his faith-or so he thinks. It is not until Dorian must save Kendra from the dark forces surrounding her that he decides she may be worth the risk.

Theme Thursday (Recreation)

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event, hosted by readingbetweenpages.wordpress.com, that will be open from one thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:

• A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)


• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading


• Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post


• It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)

Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

This week's theme is:

RECREATION (Any spot that you would go for a break – Parks, resorts, even a library  )

"Lewis Lake amounted to little more than a man-made mud hole with just enough fish swimming around in it to mollify local anglers. Ten feet at its deepest point, it froze through completely each winter." (location 2062-64)

Most Likely by Craig Hansen

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com):
Becky Howard is a teen under pressure. Pressure from her best friend not to breathe a word about the abuse she's suffering by her mother. Pressure from her sister to understand her marital difficulties. Pressure from her boyfriend to get more physical than she's ready for. And pressure from the rumors about her boyfriend that are eroding her trust in him. As she prepares for the biggest track meet of her life, Becky's about to learn that sometimes growing up is about more than having sex, and that clinging to ideals might not be as helpful as learning to expect whatever is MOST LIKELY.

NOTE: MOST LIKELY is a work of Christian fiction, but not in the worst sense of the genre. There are no embedded sermons or salvation plans; it's more of a slice-of-life novel about growing up, centering on a Christian main character.

Most Likely by Craig Hansen

Becky Howard is a teen under pressure. Pressure from her best friend not to breathe a word about the abuse she's suffering by her mother. Pressure from her sister to understand her marital difficulties. Pressure from her boyfriend to get more physical than she's ready for. And pressure from the rumors about her boyfriend that are eroding her trust in him. As she prepares for the biggest track meet of her life, Becky's about to learn that sometimes growing up is about more than having sex, and that clinging to ideals might not be as helpful as learning to expect whatever is MOST LIKELY.

I Give This Book:

My Thoughts:
'Most Likely' deals with the issues of abuse, infidelity, and waning faith. It deals with the issues well. This book was an easy one to read and I was able to read 'Most Likely' in one sitting.

Becky Howard is a track athlete and has a good chance of making it to state. She has been dating Tom, who is a swimmer, for almost a year, but she has loved him for much longer than that. The problem is that Tom doesn't share her beliefs, though she has tried, and failed, to convert him.

"You thought you could convert him." Becky nodded. Her face flushed. "Only instead of you moving him closer to God, dating him has been moving you away from God."

Geena, Becky's sister, lives in Arizona and is having marital problems. Geena is pregnant and close to her due date, when she leaves her husband. She comes home to her parents and sister, who are very surprised at her sudden departure from her husband.

"If I'd chosen my husband as carefully as I choose my dresses," Geena had written, "I think I might have been a lot better off."

There were some very shocking and unexpected things that happened in this book, which I thought made it all the more enjoyable, but I won't say what they are because if you choose to read this book it would spoil the story.

There were a couple of times that the characters swore, and a quite a few times that they took the names of Jesus and God in vain. For a book that was catergorized as a Christian book, I find this unacceptable.

'Most Likely' is a book that I will most likely (LOL) not read again - I just had to say that because of the title. Seriously, had it not been for the disrespectful use of God's name, I probably would have recommended it - as the rest of the story is great. But, I can't. I also feel that this book should not be classified as a Christian fiction novel - because true Christians wouldn't use the names of God in that way.

*** I received a complimentary copy of this book through LibraryThing to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***

View all my reviews

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Pirate of My Heart

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at breakingthespine.blogspot.com, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Pirate of My Heart: A Novel

by

Jamie Carie
Publication Date: September 15, 2011

I received an ARC of this book and plan on reading it this week.

Synopsis:
When her doting father dies, Lady Kendra Townsend is given a choice: marry the horrid man of her cold, money-grubbing uncle's choosing or leave England to risk a new life in America with unknown relatives. Armed with the faith that God has a plan for her, Kendra boards a cargo ship and meets American sea captain Dorian Colburn. But the captain has been wounded by a woman before and guards his independent life. A swashbuckling man doesn't need an English heiress to make him slow down, feel again, or be challenged with questions about his faith-or so he thinks. It is not until Dorian must save Kendra from the dark forces surrounding her that he decides she may be worth the risk.

Contingency by Paula Wiseman

Where was God? Bobbi Molinsky's comfortable life is shattered when a forwarded email from her husband's account lands in her inbox. The email teases, "My whole evening is free again." After an angry confrontation with Chuck, she is left with the broken remains of an eighteen year marriage. Where is God? Bobbi agrees forgiving Chuck is the right thing, the God-honoring thing to do, but it leaves her empty and isolated. Teaching her second-graders is a burden. Taking care of her boys saps all her energy. It seems God Himself has walked away, leaving her to struggle alone. Is God faithful? Bobbi can't deny the transformation in Chuck, but genuine forgiveness requires trust, and trust is a risk she's not willing to take. Can she let go of her deepest, most primal fears and save her marriage?

I Give This Book:

My Thoughts:
'Contingency' is a fantastic novel! The pages just flew by and before I knew it I had reached the end. The story is about Chuck's infidelity, how his wife, Bobbi, found out about it and how they are trying to mend their family.

I thought the book dealt with the issue of adultery very well. It showed the anguish that the person who was cheated on went through and all the other issues that this one sin caused. It showed how it wasn't just Bobbi and Chuck that were affected by the infidelity, but their children, extended family, coworkers and their church family too.

I thought that Rita, Bobbi's sister, was a person that voiced what I think almost everyone in that situation would be feeling, and I think that by her voicing her opinion of Chuck, it forced Bobbi to defend him, even though she didn't feel like it. It helped her to remember all the good things about him, but that isn't enough to mend a relationship.

Bobbi lays out a list of things that she wants Chuck to do, some of them she is sure he won't do, one of them being to go to counseling by himself and then that they go together when their pastor, who is also the counselor, says it's time for that.

Chuck began to do almost everthing on her list, but Bobbi still wasn't sure that she could trust Chuck again. The rift was large and trust once given so easily is hard to get back - if it is ever possible to trust someone again after a hurt like that.

'Contingecy' was a very moving story and is a book that I plan to read again. I can't wait to start the next book, which from the preview at the end of this book sounds just as good, if not better, than this book. I highly recommend 'Contingency'! I especially think that this book should be required reading for anyone thinking about divorce.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book through LibraryThing. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***
View all my reviews

Teaser Tuesdays (August 16)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read



• Open to a random page


• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page


• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)


• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

MY TEASERS:

"I jog because I live in this forlorn and forgotten place. Jogging helps me to pretend that I am someone else in order to maintain the sanity of the person that I am." (location 69-70)
Coffee at Little Angels by Nadine Rose Larter

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com):

Phillip, Sarah, Kaitlyn, Caleb, Maxine, Grant, Melanie and Josh grew up in a small town where they spent their high school years together as an inseparable clique. But high school has ended, and they are all living their own "grown up" lives, each under the impression that their group has basically come to an end. When Phillip dies in a hit and run accident, Kaitlyn summons the others to all come back home, forcing a reunion that no one is particularly interested in partaking in.

Coffee at Little Angels follows how each character deals with the death of a childhood friend while at the same time dealing with their own ignored demons after years of separation. Events unfolds as the group tries to rekindle the friendship they once shared to honour the memory of a friend they will never see again.