Wake the Dawn by Lauraine Snelling

US Border Patrolman Ben James and Physician's Assistant Esther Hansen get thrown together dealing with alot of hurt and injured people from a freak storm that hit the area. As they work together each realizes the other is dealing with tragedy in their lives and having a hard time healing. Part of the healing process for Esther is being able to forgive herself. For Ben part of his healing process is to forgive God and to recognize that God has a plan in all things. Also to believe that God loves him (Ben) even if bad things happen --- God has not walked away or stopped loving Ben. 

I enjoyed the writing style. It is very well written and a very enjoyable book to read. I think the book moves along at a good pace. I think that the author rushed the relationship between Ben and Esther at the end of the book. While normally I do not like an ending that leaves you hanging, I do think she should have hinted at them getting together and not rushed them into that relationship. That seemed a bit too soon for what the characters were dealing with at the time. 

The Discovery - book review

The Discovery by Dan Walsh

Grandfather dies and Michael Warner inherits the house. In his grandfather's study he discovers a manuscript of a novel that his Grandfather had never published. He had clearly intended Michael to find it but why had his Grandfather not published this novel. As Michael begins reading the book, it lead to exciting discoveries about his Grandfather and Grandmother --- hidden secrets that no one in the family knew. 

I highly recommend this book. It is very well written. It is a heartfelt story and although it is entirely fictional it is based on things that had happened historically in the US during World War II. Really wonderful book. 

Forever Friday by Timothy Lewis

This was a very neat book. Adam Colby's job is to handle estate sales --- in the process of handling this estate sale he finds a bunch of postcards. The postcards detail out the love the Alexanders' had throughout their marriage. Adam sets out to find out the secret to their love and happiness in their long marriage. Adam wants to know what he did wrong that his marriage didn't last and thinks that by finding out more about the Alexanders' love he will find the solution to a happy marriage. 

I really loved this book. It was a very enjoyable read. The author is a Christian and does incorporate God as an integral part of the marriage. I think that alot of the lessons that Adam learned from the Alexanders' marriage could be incorporated into any marriage today and the lesson would help make for a happier marriage. Good advice to learn from. I do wonder if one of the reasons it was easier for the Alexanders was because they did not have children. Therefore they had more time for each other, more money to spend on only each other. Gabe talks about not letting long division happen to their marriage - he defines The Long Division as a marriage dilemma. It is "how the pressures of career, multiplied with life's never-ending responsibilities, constantly divided and redivided a couples' time together, finally producing comfortable strangers rather than passionate lovers." p. 96

To some extent I think that while couples go through a period where when raising children time is divided - they eventually come out of that period of time and have lots of time with each other. There is a time for every season (as the Bible says). And I don't agree this means the couple has to end up just as comfortable strangers but more like comfortable friends, comfortable companions. I am not sure this is a bad thing - to be comfortable friends. And I don't know that it is realistic to expect long division not to happen to some extent when raising children. We do need to give time to the children to raise them properly to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The Alexanders' lived an unrealistic life as they didn't have children. It is great to say - take every weekend to spend with each other - when you have no children. You simply can't do that when you have children that also need your time and attention. It is unrealistic. God calls us to have children and to raise a family. It can be a source of great joy and especially in our old age - it can be a source of great comfort. 

Still, I really like the book and do recommend reading it. Just wanted to share my thoughts. Loved the writing style. Very enjoyable book. 

House of Secrets by Tracie Peterson

Really enjoyed reading this book. The three sisters (all adults now) are invited back to a vacation house.  They haven't been there in many years. Their Dad comes in and announces that he has remarried. And the new wife was coming to meet them tomorrow. The family has lots of secrets that end up being discovered as they start to talk about how upset they are by their Dad and his actions. They are upset that he never introduced them to the wife prior to marrying her. They are more upset that this new wife is there and they aren't getting time with their Dad - time that they never have had because he left them with nannies and at boarding schools. 

It is an interesting read but I was surprised by how quickly they forgave their Dad. While I believe that God calls us to forgiveness my experience has been that it is a process - and rarely happens in a week away at a vacation house. The book was good and I did like it. I just didn't find the forgiveness process to be very real to life. 

Sensible Shoes by Sharon Garlough Brown

Sensible Shoes by Sharon Garlough Brown

My sister recommended this book and I am so surprised to find that as we get older we are getting to have more things in common. I just loved the book. It was a great recommendation. This is probably one of the better books I have read in a very long time. (And I have read some really good books lately - this one was just really awesome!) 

The title didn't really grab me at first but the title makes sense once you read the book. On any journey sensible shoes are needed. This book is about 4 women. Each are coming from different places, with different things that have happened to them. They accept an invitation to join a program at the New Hope Center. It is a spiritual journey. The first part of the journey is to walk a labyrinth as a sacred journey of prayer. One of the ladies had worn heels and they comment that even sacred journeys need sensible shoes. So they decide to call themselves the 'Sensible Shoes Club'. Here is the author's website. 

click here

The spiritual journey is a journey to draw closer to God through reading of the bible and prayerfully reflecting on the passage. I think the neatest thing was how through their experiences at the retreat these women developed a friendship that most likely would last the rest of their lives.

This truly was a wonderful book and I highly recommend reading it.
It would be a great book to read and discuss with a book club.

The Guest Book - book review

The Guest Book by Marybeth Whalen

This was a very good book. I enjoyed reading it. It keeps your attention as you wonder if she will find the man who was drew the pictures. Every summer Macy had gone with her family to a beach house. There was a guest book there and she would draw a picture in the book. It became a means of communication with a boy whom also drew pictures in the guest book. They were to meet when she was 16 but with her Dad's recent death she is sad and withdrawn. She runs away from the meeting but then wonders about him for the next 10 years of her life. Now her family is back at the beach house and she prays that God will help her to find him. 

I liked her writing style. It was an interesting book Nice summer read! Light hearted and enjoyable.