Book Review: Simply Calligraphy by Judy Detrick

Recently I’ve found a new obsession…as if I didn’t have enough already!  It’s the beautiful art of hand lettering.  There are so many talented artists out there who make beautiful word art.  As a person who’s always loved pens, pencils and writing in general, I am intrigued.  When I saw the book Simply Calligraphy by Judy Detrick, I knew I had to have it!

The first thing I must say about this book is that it really is simple, but in the best way possible.  The cover features only the title on a solid turquoise-colored background, decorated with gold dots.  The simple theme is continued inside with neat, concise chapters and not a lot of frills.  The instructions are clear and easy to understand.  She gives advice about what kind of pen to buy to start out, which I found very helpful.  There is also info about how to use your new-found skills.  This book is a great jumping-off point for beginners.  I can’t wait to buy my pen and get started!

Happy reading (and writing!)

Lyndsie

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.  All opinions are my own.     

Book Review: The Bronte Plot by Katherine Reay

Sometimes you come upon an author that you just love.  Katherine Reay is one of those authors for me.  I fell in love with her writing when I read her very first novel almost two years ago.  I love to read classic literature, (the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, etc.) and I love that she writes about some of my favorite stories in new and interesting ways.  When I read her first novel, Dear Mr. Knightley, I expected a retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not.  Ms. Reay writes stories that don’t mirror those they are named after in any way, but instead incorporates them into new plots and draws on the lessons learned in them.  Her first book was followed with a novel about two sisters, Lizzy and Jane, which is still my favorite to date.  But the excellence continues in her third book, The Bronte Plot, which will not disappoint  fans of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte. 

Lucy Alling is the main character in this story about family ties and honesty.  She is employed by one of the most popular interior designers in Chicago.  Sid does the decorating, and Lucy runs the office and minds the gallery in his absence.  She loves the antiques and the history that surround her, but the best part for Lucy is the books.  Every Wednesday she spends the entire day with the rare and collectible books in the shop, taking special care of them.  It is through these books that she meets James, and falls in love with him.  But Lucy has a terrible secret, and when James discovers it, their relationship is shattered.  When James tells his family about Lucy’s deception, they are all angry at her, except his grandmother, Helen.  She invites Lucy to go on a trip with her to England.  Although she is confused, and James and his family are totally against the plan, she decides to go.  She learns some valuable lessons along the way to finding out if you truly must look back to move forward.

Ms. Reay writes wonderfully twisted plots.  Situations in her characters’ lives are never black and white, but fall into that indeterminable gray area.  While Lucy’s decisions would not be my own, I can see how she arrived at them, and I can also understand James’ anger over them.  I can definitely understand her desire to figure out if she can break the mold of her family’s less-than-upstanding past.  I admire her determination to make everything right, even if it costs her everything she holds dear.  Once more, Ms. Reay mirrors real life, as her story takes Lucy down a difficult path, that doesn’t necessarily end with a “happily ever after,” but with a better, more fulfilled life then she had before.  This isn’t really a love story, but there is a little romance woven in along the way. 

One of my favorite things about Katherine Reay’s writing is her characters’ love for literature.  While I do love to read, I can’t spout off obscure lines from Austen, Dickens and other classical writers at the drop of a hat. I enjoy reading about people who can though.  Now that I’ve followed Lucy’s adventures through literary sites in England, I’m anxious to go there myself someday.  I’ve also added a few “new” books to my “want to read” list.  This book is obviously well-researched and written with great attention to detail.  It's very evident in the beautiful scenery she describes and the completeness of her characters. 

If you haven’t read any of Katherine Reay’s books yet, I highly encourage you to do it now!  I think you’ll be like me and find a new favorite.  You’ll discover interesting stories, with characters and plots that will really make you think, and probably look at your life a little differently.  And you’ll get a new appreciation for the writers and fiction of the past.

Happy Reading!

Lyndsie

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.  All opinions are my own and a favorable review was not required.  Look for your copy of The Bronte Plot on or around November 3, 2015.

    

    

Book Review: Hiding Places by Erin Healy

Since reading Motherless earlier this year, and The Baker’s Wife just a couple months ago, I am a HUGE fan of Erin Healy’s novels.  Those two books have a supernatural element, which isn’t generally my style, but Ms. Healy really makes it work.  Her stories are so compelling and complex in all the right ways.  I felt that Hiding Places was a departure from her other books that I’ve read, but it may be my favorite so far.

This story is about Kate, an eleven-year old who lives in a hotel/resort with her family: her mother, two half-sisters, grandmother, grandfather, and Great-grandmother.  Kate spends most of her days sneaking around and “spying” on her family and the hotel guests.  She does whatever she can to help her family and protect them in her own misguided way, but they pay her very little attention in return.  Charlie Fuse is a young man with no family, except the one he found on the street.  The Fox has his gang brothers for a family, but nothing is as important to him as his son, Coz.  When Charlie is accused of murdering Coz, he runs away, and is badly injured in an accident.  Kate finds him in the woods and offers to hide him.  The gang comes to find him, and places the entire family in danger.  Now, it’s their turn to protect Kate, but do they even know how?

I love that the central theme in this book (as well as the others I’ve read) is family, and the complexities of being in one.  The characters are wonderfully written , and deep in a very real way.   It’s interesting to see the world through the eyes of a child, and know that they see things differently than us.  While he was technically the “bad guy” of this story, I was impressed with the character of the Fox, who would do anything to avenge the death of his son.  Great-grandma Pearl may be my favorite character, and she actually provides some comic relief throughout this serious thriller. 

The climax in this book was slightly reminiscent of the one in The Baker’s Wife with a bad man/men holding people hostage in a kitchen.  This one was a little different and maybe more interesting with the addition of the secret “hiding places” scattered throughout the house and grounds.  I think when you’re reading the hostage and chase parts, it’s important to read a little slower.  I read it too fast, and got a little confused along the way.  I was pretty satisfied with the way it all turned out, but found myself wishing for more at the end.  Ms. Healy’s stories do seem to have mostly happy endings, but I like the fact that she doesn’t tie it all up in a neat little bow.  Life just isn’t like that, and sometimes there are consequences to face, even when we think the worst is over.

If you are already a fan of Erin Healy, I think you will enjoy this book, even with its differences from some of her others.  If you haven’t read her previous novels, I encourage you to start with this one.  It truly shows her depth as a writer with some interesting and non-typical characters and situations.  Since it takes place in Colorado in the late fall, and includes a snowstorm, I definitely recommend this one along with a warm blanket and cup of hot cocoa and a fire if you’ve got it! 

Happy Reading!

Lyndsie

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

Book Review: Go Away Home by Carol Bodensteiner

Can you both enjoy reading a book, and be slightly disappointed in it at the same time?  I think you can, because this is how I felt while reading Go Away Home by Carol Bodensteiner.  The main character of the story is Liddie Treadway, an Iowa farmgirl in the early 1900s.  She has big dreams of leaving the farm, and making her own way in the city as a seamstress.  When her sister becomes pregnant out of wedlock, and is subsequently sent away from home in shame, Liddie feels that her chance is slipping away.  It falls even further from her grasp when her father is badly injured and dies.  But, finally, after much waiting and hoping, Liddie is allowed to move to a nearby city, where she becomes an apprentice to a seamstress.  She then comes into contact with a local photographer, and develops both a talent and a skill for photography.  Her dream of traveling around the world to countries like France seems to be coming true.  As Liddie grows and changes, she begins to feel the pull of the farm and simple country life calling her back home.  She swore she’d never marry a farmer, but when Liddie finds true love with Joe, who used to be her family’s farm hand, she must decide if she’s willing to give up all of her dreams and find a new dream.

The characters in this book are wonderful, and lovable.  Liddie is written in such a way that she feels like someone you could know.  I felt myself wishing I could point out to her that she was about to make a big mistake, and felt relief when she finally made the right choice.  The secondary characters were equally well-written, and very true-to-life.  Who of us doesn’t know an Amelia who makes a mistake that haunts her for the rest of her life?  And a Minnie who struggles with the desire for a child?  And then there’s Joe, who fell in love with Liddie through letters, and came home to tell her so.   Of course I can’t leave out Thomas, who I disliked almost immediately, and only grew to dislike more as the story progressed.

The story has a great setting against the backdrop of a country on the brink of war.  Although the book covers a timespan of several years, it’s obvious how the unrest in Europe became more and more worrisome to those in America. 

So far it would seem that I’ve raved about all the things I enjoyed in this book, so where did the disappointment come in?  I felt like this story was always on the edge of some sort of big conflict, and then it just didn’t happen.  It seemed like it was constantly building towards something, but it never materialized.  It didn’t seem to follow that story form we all learned about in school: introduction, conflict, climax, resolution.  While Liddie did have her share of problems and struggles, everything always seemed to just naturally work out, without a lot of fuss or bother.  And I absolutely HATED the ending.  Truthfully, this story is probably an accurate depiction of life, where days flow into weeks, weeks become years, and eventually you realize your life is passing.  This is the story of one girl’s life, with its good parts, and bad parts.  And I know that sometimes life doesn’t end happily, but I wanted more from this book!  I did admire Liddie’s tenacity and her ability to pick up the pieces and start over.  I would like to know what happened to her family in a few years when the Great Depression hit.  Maybe there will be a sequel.

So there are my (very long-winded) thoughts on this book.  Do I think it’s worth your time to read?  While I did have some disappointments along the way, I liked this book overall.  It has more of steady pace than a lot of the thrillers I’ve been reading lately, and that was a nice change.  I think it’s a great book for relaxing and recalling simpler, happier times.  It’s worthy of a place on your fiction shelf.       

Happy Reading!

Lyndsie

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for this review.

Book Review: The Wonder of You by Susan May Warren

One of these days I will stop requesting books to read without first checking to see if it’s in a series.  I will stop getting a book just because it has a nice cover.  But until then I will continue to read stories that seem like they’re starting in the middle.  Sometimes this just doesn’t work out well for me, but in the case of The Wonder of You I was able to read and enjoy the story without reading any of the previous books in the series.  Now, though, I must go back and read all the others!  Judging from this one book, the whole series is great.  I did read and review a novella, Evergreen, from this series around Christmas time.  I didn’t really enjoy it at the time, but I think I would have liked it more if I’d read the others.

The Wonder of You is the fourth book in the Christiansen Family series.  It’s about Amelia, who is the youngest of the Christiansen brood.  After graduation she took a trip to Prague, where she met a man, and quickly fell in love with him.  Rourke St. John  is dashing, handsome and everything a European playboy should be.  When Amelia saw him in the arms of another woman, she ran back home in shame and embarrassment.  Now her high school boyfriend wants to convince her that they really do belong together.  She nearly convinced when Rourke shows up to try to win her back.  She decides to give him another chance, but only if he promises never to lie to her again.  Rourke is determined to keep the promise, but does not telling the whole truth count as a lie?

It’s been several years since I’ve read any of Susan May Warren’s books, but I was glad to see that her style is one that I enjoy reading.  Her characters are great, and very relatable and easy to like.  I’m so curious now that I’ve “met” them all.  I can’t wait to go back and read about each individual one.  I like how she manages to weave the stories of multiple family members together into one great book.  There was a part of the book that seemed almost insignificant, that led to a major cliffhanger at the end!  Even though I haven’t read the first three books (yet), I can promise you that I will be reading the fifth one!  I absolutely recommend this book to lovers of Christian fiction.  While there are love stores included in the series, I think at its heart, it’s really about family, the mistakes they make and unconditional love.  You don’t want to miss this one!


Happy Reading!
Lyndsie


I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.  All opinions are my own and a favorable review was not required.

Book Review: Love Arrives in Pieces by Betsy St. Amant

The sequel to Betsy St. Amant’s adorably fun novel, All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes, is finally here!  I really loved reading that book last year, but I wasn’t aware that it even needed a sequel.  I was wrong!  A major point of Love and Cupcakes was the relationship that Kat had with her sister, Stella, and her ex-boyfriend, Chase.  Chase had cheated on Kat with Stella, thus crushing Kat’s heart and destroying her faith in men in general.  Her relationship with Stella was also nearly destroyed.  However, the Cupcake Combat competition with Lucas as her helper has restored Kat’s faith, in at least some men and resulted in her wedded bliss to Lucas.  I don’t know about most readers, but I didn’t have very good feelings for Stella in Love and Cupcakes, so it’s nice to get her side of things in this second book, Love Arrives in Pieces.

At least two years have passed since the end of the first book, maybe more.  I wasn’t sure of the timeline.  Stella and Kat have patched things up and are closer now than they’ve ever been.  Kat and Lucas are expecting their first child, and all seems to be going well for them.  Not so much for Stella.  She has always been beautiful and a pageant queen, but when her husband left her, she felt stripped of everything.  She has become a shadow of her former self—she doesn’t wear makeup, wears loose, baggy clothes and has very little confidence in herself.  Her greatest fear is that she will be forced to move back in with her parents.  When her mom lands her a job decorating a renovation job in Bayou Bend, Louisiana, she jumps at the chance.  However, she has no idea that Chase is the contractor of the job, and they’ll be working closely together.  Even though they both say they want to put their past behind them and start over, they still have feelings for each other.  But both of them have secrets, that may change things when they’re revealed. 

I actually didn’t like Love Arrives in Pieces as much as I did Betsy St. Amant’s past books.  Don’t get me wrong, it was a great read, and is perfect for summer, but it just didn’t grab me like All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes.  I have always found Ms. St. Amant’s books to be funny, but this one did seem to be lacking a little in the humor department.  I liked the characters, although at first it was hard for me to switch my loyalties from Kat to Stella.  By the end of this book I liked both equally well. 

Love Arrives in Pieces is a lot of fun, and the reason for the title didn’t hit me until near the end of the book.  I’m still a big fan of Betsy St. Amant, and will definitely read anything new that she writes.  I love her scenes, and the deep-south setting.   I could definitely see myself sitting in the sand or beside the pool and reading this one.

 

 

Happy Reading,

Lyndsie

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.  All opinions are my own and a favorable review was not required.  Look for Love Arrives in Pieces for sale on or around June 9.

Book Review: Ghost of a Chance by Amy Patricia Meade

When I finished reading the first Marjorie McClelland Mystery, Million Dollar Baby, I would not have believed that the second one could be even better!  Could Creighton be more charming?  Jameson more annoying?  Marjorie more clueless?  The answer turned out to be, “yes” to all three!

When Ghost of a Chance opens, only a short time has passed since Marjorie and her two would-be suitors, Robert Jameson and Creighton Ashton solved the case of a mysterious suicide, murder and missing ring.  But it’s been enough time for Marjorie and Detective Jameson to become engaged.  Creighton hears the news while attending a local carnival, and he’s just about to tell Marjorie of his feelings for her when they are interrupted by a scream.  It seems that a body has been found on the Ferris Wheel.  A man in a suit is dead—without a mark on his body.  Marjorie is determined it’s murder, but she needs Creighton to help her convince Jameson.  Creighton wants no part of another case, and he definitely doesn’t want to tag along with Marjorie and her new fiancé.  When Marjorie succeeds in proving to Jameson that Mr. Nussbaum was indeed murdered, Creighton sees an opportunity to win her heart.  But Jameson convinces him to back off, and Creighton decides to pursue another interest.  Meanwhile, there seems to be no end to the number of suspects in the murder case, including two wives, a son, a daughter, a gangster, two men in black suits and a woman dressed in white and wearing a veil.  When Jameson mentions to Marjorie that Creighton is in love with her, she doesn’t believe him, and Creighton certainly proves it isn’t true in his attempts to protect his heart from being broken again.  Even though they are both determined to keep apart, they are repeatedly thrown together by the case, as at least one of their suspect’s life is in danger.  As the chase gets hotter, Marjorie must decide which of the two men truly holds the key to her heart.

I still love the Majorie McClelland Mystery series!  I love how the titles are taken from popular songs of the day, that are woven into the story, but without the author trying too hard.  Once again Amy Patricia Meade has written a story with all the charms of an Agatha Christie mystery, with a little romance novel thrown in!  A lot of the clues turned out to be dead ends, and there was a plot twist I didn’t expect.  When Robert Jameson was first introduced in the first book, I liked  him and hoped he would win out over Creighton, but this book served the purpose of making me love Creighton more and Jameson less.   Without giving too much away, let me say that I was thrilled with the ending, and can’t wait to read the next book in the series!    

Happy Reading!

Lyndsie

 

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for this review.  All opinions are my own and a favorable review was not required.  Look for Ghost of a Chance on sale now.

Recommended Reading: Christmas

I thought I'd take an opportunity to tell you about some books that I like to read at Christmas time.  Very few things can get me in the Christmas spirit faster than a good Christmas book.  And it's a bonus if it has a little romance in it.  I've already reviewed three Christmas books this year.  Read my review of The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson here or my review of A Patchwork Christmas here or my review of A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs here.  I recommend any of these books for Christmas reading, but I have a few other books I like to read during this season.  I usually read at least one of these every year.  None of them are very long, and most could be finished in an evening. 

The Christmas List by Pete Nelson
I love this book every time I read it.  James Engler is remebering Christmas in 1990.  He felt like his life was at a standstill.  When he arrives in his hometown, he finds that his best friend from high school has been killed in Iraq and the funeral will be held while he is there.  As all of the classmates gather after the service, they begin to discuss the lists that they made in grade school.  one afternoon right before Christmas, their teacher made them all sit down, and write one nice thing about every other person in the class.  They each begin to tell about how the "Christmas list" affected their life.  This is one of my favorite Christmas books because it is a reminder that a kind word goes a lot further than you think.

Snow by Calvin Miller
This little book is the first in a series, but it totally stands alone.  It's set in Pennsylvania in 1929.  The families there are preparing for Christmas, and the air is heavy with the promise of a huge snowstorm.  Mary Withers is a widow who lives alone with her sick daughter, Alexis.  She is nearly out of coal on this cold night, and her only hope is that Eric Mueller, the coal vendors' son, will make it to her house in time.  But there is more than one surprise waiting on this miraculous Christmas night.  I love this book because it is so different from any other Christmas book I've ever read.  Even though it's pretty short (about 160 pages) it's a great Christmas read.  And if you really like it, check out the rest of the series, Shade, Wind and Frost to bring the story full-circle.

Julotta by Tracie Peterson
Julotta is a pure romance story for Christmas.  Sigrid Larsson is a single woman, living in her parents' old home.  Her brother wants to sell it to the railroad, but Sigrid wants to continue living there.  Her brother argues that she has no way to support herself.  Ruben Carter is hoping to talk her into selling, and he'll do anything to convince her, even if it means breaking her heart.  Erik Lindquist, the young man who helps take care of the farm, has loved her for years, but can Sigrid believe him and trust him?  This book gives a glimpse into the Swedish celebration of Julotta, and contains recipes along the way, just to make it interesting.  It's also very short, but satisfying!

The Judge Who Stole Christmas by Randy Singer
If romance isn't your type of reading, or you want something a little different, The Judge Who Stole Christmas may be for you.  It's the story of a young lawyer, Jasmine, who agrees to take a case in her hometown to defend Thomas, a man who has been thrown in jail for putting a live nativity on the lawn of the local city hall.  The story is full of twists and turns as the mayor, Thomas and the townspeople fight back to try to save Christmas.  It's a story of the classic question,"Can men really outlaw Christmas?"  The answer may surprise you!

Do you have any books that you like to read at Christmas time? Leave a comment and let me know what they are.  You know I'm always on the lookout for a great book!

And if you're looking for more book recommendations, check out www.novelcrossing.com to find out what other readers are reading this season.

Happy Christmas Reading!
Lyndsie

Book Review: The Girl in the Glass by Susan Meissner

The Girl In The Glass is a story about two women, separated in time by hundreds of years, but linked together by their love for the city of Florence.  Meg Pomeroy is a woman, living in San Diego, who has dreamed of visiting the historic city ever since she was a little girl.  Meg's father has always promised to take her to Florence.  Suddenly he shows up on her doorstep and offers to take her on the long-awaited vacation.  Through a strange set of circumstances, she finds herself there, not with her father, but totally alone.  She connects with some friends there and spends a week visiting all the beautiful sites of Florence.  Her story is woven together with that of Nora Orinsi,  a woman who lived in Florence in the late 1500s.  Nora's story is told through her eyes, but also through the eyes of Sofia, a local tour guide who claims to be one of her descendents. Their stories are woven together around the beautiful paintings and statues throughout the city. 
Ms. Meissner filled her book with beautiful descriptions and compelling narratives.  She truly makes her readers feel as if they are walking on the streets of Florence.  The settings are wonderfully portrayed and the characters are true-to-life.  The history that is woven throughout the story is incredible and very well-researched.
This story was not one of my favorites for several reasons.  First, the story revolves around the history of the Medicci family.  I was not familiar with their heritage, and did not find it interesting.  Second, I felt that the story was very slow-paced, and there wasn't much action or intrigue.  I was actually about a third of the way through before it became interesting to me.  Third, I didn't feel that there was much spirituality in the story at all.  It seemed that the characters were more interested in the voices inside them or of their ancestors than the voice of God.  It seemed that most of them lived in a dream world, and that was okay because it kept them from being disappointed in real life.  I was very disappointed in this aspect of the story.  Fourth, I found the multiple story lines to be a bit confusing and hard to follow.  Usually I like to read books that jump back and forth between two stories, but this one basically had three separate narratives.  When you add the stories behind the art it becomes even more confusing.  The longer I read, the more intrigued I became, especially with the question of Meg's love life, but the story just didn't compel me. 
Even though I didn't enjoy this book as much as some others, it wasn't because the story wasn't good or was written poorly.  Ms. Meissner is certainly a talented author who writes beautiful stories.  She is a master at weaving together multiple stories.  I would definitely be interested in reading her other books in the future.

Happy Reading,
Lyndsie

Book Review: Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof

Be Still My Soul is the first book in the Cadence of Grace series.  In this novel, set in the Appalachian Mountains in the late 1800s, Lonnie is forced by her father into marriage to a man she doesn't love.  Gideon doesn't love Lonnie, but is afraid of her father if he doesn't follow his orders.  It's the story of their struggles as they try to find a new home and make a new life for themselves.  There are many ups and downs for them along the way.  They begin to fall in love with each other, but their path to happily ever ever is fraught with guilt and distrust.  After their hasty marriage Lonnie and Gideon go to live with his family.  The cabin is already too full, so they set out on their own.  They head to a town where Gideon can find a job to support his new family.
Being from the Appalachian region myself, I was anxious to read Ms. Bischof's portrayal of life here.  I felt that she painted a good picture of the region and its' people without following the cliche that all mountain people are dirty, poor and uneducated.  Lonnie was portrayed as a shy, pretty girl with a beautiful voice.  Gideon is a handsome mandolin-player who has a way with the ladies.   This story was unique and interesting from the beginning.  I found Lonnie's character to be a little tiring.  She prayed through the whole book that God would give her strength and that Gideon would love her and their child.  But again and again she pushed him away and wouldn't let him make amends for his mistakes.  She wouldn't trust him or give him a chance to explain himself.  At one point she screamed at him to "get out and never come back."  Although I found her attitude disappointing,  it didn't ruin the story.  The emotion was raw and felt very real.  
I loved this story!  It was a refreshing departure from many romance stories that I've read in the past.  I have already checked it out on Amazon and found that the next book in the series will be published next year, and I will definitely be reading it when it does!