February Book List

Back by popular demand...um, that would be the demand of the one person who commented...who is also, quite possibly the only person who read/cares about...

Holly's Book Reviews!

(Yes, that was a thinly veiled plea for comments; thanks for asking- you bunch of lurkers!)
Ahem, where was I? Oh yes, drumroll please...the books.

1. I'm Not Suffering from Insanity, I'm Enjoying Every Minute of It, Karen Linamen- This book was a real "upper." Very fun, easy reading, with surprisingly deep insights thrown into the mix. 14 chapters, each focusing on a practical way to improve your life & relationships. Her stories are hilarious; if you read it, you'll find yourself sharing bits and pieces with the people around you. Non-fiction, 4 stars

2. Sent & Found, Margaret Peterson Haddix- Yes, these are children's books. Other than being a little simplistic (for obvious reasons), they were really interesting! Dailey lent them to me, and I barreled through both stories in short order. The stories center on three central characters who have been plucked from time past to save their lives. They are then sent back (some hundreds of years) to fix the impact their abduction has caused to history. A very neat way to expose kids to history and other cultures. Fiction, 4 stars

3. Queen of the Castle: 52 Weeks of Encouragement for the Uninspired, Domestically-Challenged or Just Plain Tired Homemaker, Lynn Bowen Walker- This book has a little of everything: scriptures, celebration ideas, resources, recipes, quotes & etc. I found it to be a little hodge-podge. I personally prefer to assemble my own resources so that they are more tailored to my family. I also had to return this to the library before I finished it. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I were to purchase it and work through it slowly, instead of reading at once as I did. Non-fiction, 3 stars

4. The Law and Miss Mary, Dorothy Clark- This was a small paperback, Steeple Hill, I think. Nothing particularly earth-shattering, just a nice, clean, sweet love story. A young woman with real image issues moves to St. Louis (mid-1800's) and quickly clashes with the local law-enforcement (tall, dark & handsome) over treatment of the area's orphans. I would like to find more of the author's work. Fiction, 4 stars

5. When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, Kimberley Willis Holt- This was a coming-of-age story about a pre-teen boy in a small Texas town, circa 1960's/70's. The story centers around the excitement of "the fattest boy in the world" coming to their small town, but the real stories are in the background- war, abandonment, cowardice, religion & a host of others. I think there may have been a couple of curse words, but it was quite clean overall. Fiction, 4.5 stars

6. An Artful Deception, Karen Cogan- I was wary about this book, but it turned out to be clean. (Whew!) I enjoy period romances, but you have to be pretty careful. Anyways... A young lady on her way to a forced marriage is thrown from her carriage, and all of her companions are killed. She takes advantage of the situation, and poses as her deceased maid. This ultimately puts her in the company of her previously intended groom, whom she falls in love with. (You didn't see that coming, did you? :-) Fiction, 2.5 stars

7. Bookends, Liz Curtis Higgs- To be honest, I didn't like this book at first. It was boring. But, I usually give an author a few chapters, and it paid off this time. The story ended up being downright interesting. A prickly professor moves back to her hometown, hoping to prove a big discovery that will restore her credibility. A gruff, headstrong builder/developer promptly clashes with her...and continues to do so throughout this (rather long) book. The characters aren't "perfect;" there are a few times when I genuinely didn't like them! The theme of redemption is woven beautifully throughout. Fiction, 3.5 stars

8. Have a New Husband by Friday, Dr. Kevin Leman- I got this book after I found out that my friend had read it, and her husband brought her flowers that same week. Hmm... Well, it may be coincidence, but I got flowers last week, too! As you may have guessed, this book is more about changing yourself than your husband. Dr. Leman's writing is easy to read, and entertaining. Non-fiction, 5 stars

9. The Same Kind of Different as Me, Ron Hall & Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent- I've read this book before, but I flipped through it last night giving Daniel the cliff notes version, and wow! There's a reason it's a bestseller! The story of an angry, homeless black man and a clueless, rich, white one, and the incredible woman who brought them together. Non-fiction, 5 stars