Book Review: Big Decisions

Author: Linda Byler
Title: Big Decisions
Publisher: Good Books
Publish Date: March 2011
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: A romance novel by an Amish writer, based on true experiences! The third and final novel about Lizzie as she faces big decisions. Should she marry Stephen? Can she find happiness in her community?
Review: This was a very different kind of Amish story. Why? Lizzie isn't 100% good all the time, and she has a lot of questions. She also is really a bit of a shrew with her husband. It is hard at times to believe that they managed to be married with the way she nagged him, however, her character is oddly refreshing. Most Amish stories are so full of everyone being perfectly pious, that this lovable curmudgeonly stubborn girl/woman is quite the change.

Big Decisions it the third and final book in the Lizzie Searches For Love series, and it definitely made me want to go out and find the other books. What is even more interesting about the author, is that she is Amish! So of all the books out there about the Amish, this one really gives the proper perspective of a young Amish girl.

The pacing of the story was a bit off at times though. It almost felt like we were rushing through Lizzie's life to get to another point, especially when it came to her two pregnancies, but that could have a lot to do with the author's ...erm...Amishness.

I would love to see an Amish book that dealt with intimacy between the hero and heroine, but I guess that crosses the line of Christian fiction.

The best part about this "Lizzie" book is her relationship with Stephen. It isn't a grand passion, or at least it doesn't seem that way. These two are two stubborn peas in a pod, and it is fun to watch them continuously clash. Lizzie is truly the most stubborn female ever written!

This is a fun read from the Amish fiction genre. I'm glad I found it at my local YMCA.

Rating: 4 flowers

Book Loving Bitches Book Tours Book Review: Anything

Author: Michael Baron
Title:  Anything
Publisher: The Story Plant
Publish Date: Oct 18, 2011
Review Copy Provided By: Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours & the Publisher
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: With Anything, Michael Baron again draws readers into a world of deep emotion, compelling relationships, and heartfelt humor, and this time he adds a touch of fantasy. Ken and Melissa are at the dawn of a magnificent life together. A passionate romance has led them to the doorstep of marriage. While searching for the perfect wedding present for Melissa, Ken stumbles into a mysterious shop. There, he is given an extraordinary opportunity – to look in on Melissa when she was a girl. Ken has always wished he could have known Melissa from the day she was born and this seems like an incredible blessing.
Until he discovers a terrible secret in Melissa's past, one so awful she has found it impossible to mention to him.

Now Ken has another extraordinary opportunity. He can go back in time and change the horrible event that has left an indelible mark on Melissa. He can free her of this burden – but doing so could change things so completely that they might never meet.

Ken has repeatedly told Melissa that he would do anything for her. But would he truly do anything?

At once a wildly romantic tale and a compelling human adventure, Anything brings Michael Baron's storytelling to a dramatic new level.

Review: I really loved the plot of this story. How awesome would it be to have someone love you so much that they would take the chance of not ever knowing you, just to erase something bad that happened in your life?

That's what Ken did for Melissa.

Baron combines time travel and romance to make a book that is very nearly perfect. Very nearly, because Ken and Melissa were more believable and likable before Ken decided to fix things. They were a normal couple, doing normal things. After Ken visits Stephon's and is able to see Melissa's past things become larger than life. Ken's character is not nearly as enjoyable as he tries to find a way to get his life back, not that he can, because his meddling has truly altered Melissa's life.

The time travel aspect of this story is interesting, because it isn't time travel in that "Doctor Who" kind of way. Ken is simply viewing Melissa's past, until he sees something he doesn't like, and because of his love for her he wants to change it. There's a good foreshadowing of what that incident deals with when the couple share dinner with Melissa's parents.

The story is told from the man's point of view, which makes it more interesting. It isn't often in a romantic story that we really get to know the hero, and Michael Baron, gives us a very interesting one in Ken. It is a shame that has he's trying to regain Melissa, that he loses something.

I really enjoyed this book. I devoured it in a day. Sure there were things that bugged me, but I'd definitely recommend it, especially if you are a fan of Nicholas Sparks. There are definite similarities in the writing styles.

Rating: 4 flowers

Author Info: I grew up in the New York area and I’ve lived there my entire life. I worked in retail and taught high school English before I got my first book contract. I have gotten several additional book contracts since then, which is fortunate because I didn’t have the patience to work in retail and, while I quite enjoyed teaching, my approach was a bit too unconventional for most school systems. One school administrator told me that, “there are more important things than being a dynamic teacher.” Since I couldn’t name any of those things (at least in the context of school), I figured I didn’t have a long-term future in the profession. Hence, I became a writer, where I believe people appreciate a certain level of dynamism.

Website: http://www.michaelbaronbooks.com/Michael_Baron_site/Home.html

Book Review: One Day

Author: David Nicholls
Title: One Day
Publisher: Vintage
Pubish Date: 2009
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY. From the author of the massive bestseller STARTER FOR TEN.

Review: My BFF loved this book and was super excited to see the movie. I was super excited to read the book when she loaned it to me. It has taken me almost 6 days to read 420 pages. ARGH!

I wanted to love this book. Really, I did.

Sadly...I just feel a bit meh about it. I couldn't connect with Emma or Dexter. In fact, I found I couldn't like either of them. Emma, because she let Dexter walk on her, as well as her strange ideals. Dexter was just a wanker. Even when he was less unlikable, he was still a wanker, and a total screw up.

I spent a good deal of my reading time wanting to reach through the pages and choke him.

The whole book seems to filled with Em and Dex and their road to togetherness. It takes forever for that to happen, and when it does, it is hard to fathom why Em still loves him, because Dexter is a drunken jerk.

And to make matters worse, this book is a tear-jerker. These two can't live happily ever after.

*SPOILER ALERT*

Em freaking dies!

This is where I wanted to throw the book out the window, or at least stick it at the bottom of one of my cat's litter pans.

Really, Mr. Nicholls, you couldn't let these two obnoxious characters live out their lives together?

Well, screw you!

Then the book has to go on for more than 30 pages after that..with anniversaries and parts of their life that weren't told previously.

This book drove me mad! Em and Dex were well written characters, how could they be anything else when they inspire such strong emotions from a reader? The plot had promise, but the characters annoyed me so much, I couldn't feel happy for them when they got together..and most of the time, I wished they'd grow up or get a grip...or SOMETHING!

I can't fathom what the movie was like, and after reading this, even the beauty that is Jim Strugess, probably couldn't coerce me into watching it.

Rating: 2 flowers

Will This Book Never End

Yes, I'm still alive...and there will be some other posting soon, but sadly I'm still reading One Day. I don't think it has ever taken me this long to read a 400 odd page book.

I'm actually looking forward to the other book I started but put aside, because I wanted to read this one to give back to my friend, and that's M.J. Rose's The Hypnotist.

Anything has to be more engaging then One Day.

Wish me luck that I have a review of that one for you tomorrow. If not, I'm throwing the book all the way to Greensburg, in hopes that it makes it back to my friend.

Just Not Feeling It

Have you ever been given a book by a friend only to find yourself not really liking it all that much? Has it ever been a book you were really looking forward to reading?

I have a my bff's copy of One Day and I've finally gotten around to starting it. I'm about 100 pages in, and the story is just not grabbing me, but I'm determined to finish it.

I don't know why I don't just put it down and have done with it, but I feel like I'd be letting her down by not reading it. The worst part of it is, I really wanted to love this book. I've heard nothing but good things about the book.

And its been made into a movie...and I refuse to see the film until I finish it. So yeah, I must soldier on..even though it causes me great pain.

Anyone else ever had this happen?

Book Review: The Tribe

Author: McCarty Griffin
Title: The Tribe
Publish Date: May 1, 2011
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: The author
Book Blurb: The tribe has been alone on the farm for many seasons, struggling to survive by their wits and will, unaided by the humans who abandoned them there years ago. Few members of the tribe outside of Tia, the eldest, and her fiercely loyal companion Bella, remember a time when two-legs--the cats' name for humans--lived in the farmhouse. Suddenly, the tribe's territory is invaded by a young two-legs couple, and the frightened cats ask themselves why have two-legs come to live there after so many seasons and what will happen to the tribe at the hands of these often cruel creatures?

Review: I am a fan of the Warriors books by Erin Hunter, so when I was offered a chance to read The Tribe, I thought I might be getting something similar. That's partly true, but this book is much different, although it does tell the story of a feral cat colony.

The cats in The Tribe aren't fighters and though there is a hierarchy to the farm colony, they are more of a family. The elder cats in this story are Tia and Bella. They are a spunky pair of kitties that you come to love. Then there is Daca, a cat that is part of the colony who is a "throw away." She was tossed out of a car when she was pregnant and the tribe took her in.

These three cats share their point of view in the story. The rest of the story is told by the two-legs (humans) that moved into the farm where the tribe resides.

I really liked the different perspectives that this brings to the story. What I really loved about The Tribe, NO CATS DIED! As much as I love the Warriors books, some kitty always dies, reading a book with a totally happy ending for both ferals and the two legs was perfect.

This is a must read for cat lovers.  It is great to see a book that shows people caring for feral cat colonies. I have dealt with this in my home town, and it takes a lot of love to get feral cats to trust you.

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: The Dark Enquiry

Author: Deanna Raybourn
Title: The Dark Enquiry
Publisher: Mira
Publish Date: June 21, 2011
Buy: Amazon
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Book Blurb: Partners now in marriage and in trade, Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane have finally returned from abroad to set up housekeeping in London. But merging their respective collections of gadgets, pets and servants leaves little room for the harried newlyweds themselves, let alone Brisbane's private enquiry business.

Among the more unlikely clients: Julia's very proper brother, Lord Bellmont, who swears Brisbane to secrecy about his case. Not about to be left out of anything concerning her beloved—if eccentric—family, spirited Julia soon picks up the trail of the investigation.

It leads to the exclusive Ghost Club, where the alluring Madame Séraphine holds evening séances…and not a few powerful gentlemen in thrall. From this eerie enclave unfolds a lurid tangle of dark deeds, whose tendrils crush reputations and throttle trust.

Shocked to find their investigation spun into salacious newspaper headlines, bristling at the tension it causes between them, the Brisbanes find they must unite or fall. For Bellmont's sak and more “ they'll face myriad dangers born of dark secrets, the kind men kill to keep….

Review: Lady Julia Grey is one of the fictional characters that I absolutely love to hate. I know this doesn't make sense, but I do. I love the books, but Julia is so infuriating that I always find myself wanting to reach through the pages to throttle her.

Julia is a modern woman living in Victorian times. She is really a woman out of her element and she wants to be part of her husband's work. In the previous books from this series, she got involved in her own way...in this book for some reason this time her involvement in Brisbane's case was totally annoying.

As always the mystery is great, mixing spying, affairs and mediums to create something that keeps you turning the pages to the very end. The best part is that after 5 books, Raybourn still leaves you guessing about who the villain is. I had some ideas as I read and I was totally wrong about them.

Raybourn always assembles a stellar supporting cast to spice things up. Along with Julia's family, we get to see Brisbane's gypsy granny, some interesting folks that attended The Spirit Club and Felicity Mortlake.

This is definitely a great mystery as are all the Lady Julia books. There was only one thing that bugged me, Lady Julia loses her baby in this book. I swear I don't recall reading her learning of her pregnancy. Plus she is the least maternal female I've encountered.

All that aside, this is a fantastic read!

Rating: 4 flowers