-Anna
Yes, we are still reading a book a month.
-Anna
Sometimes when I read, I am a part of the story. I am there with the hero or heroine, fighting the fight, or winning my true love's heart, or making my best friend laugh hilarously at a joke only the two of us get. But then there are times, when I am a viewer only, watching the tale unfold.
Reading The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, I was a viewer only. And I liked it. I let this sad tale, with a dark premise and a somewhat surprising end (even though when you get to the suprise end, you somehow knew it all along) carry me along. I watched the story devolop and deepen with mixed feelings of sadness and horror and approval. And when I got to the end, I was satisfied. This, friends, was a good story.
-Anna
This month's pick was easy to choose. My bestest friend from way back when (who also has a book club in the eastern part of the country where she lives) sent me The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox as a Christmas present. Before it arrived it was also preceded by this email:
So part of your present is a book. I ordered it before I finished reading it myself because I found it totally engrossing. However, I know you aren't too much a fan of sad stories and this one is sad (says so right on the cover, but for some reason I still wasn't prepared for what happened). So, if you want to return it and get something else, go ahead. It's definitely a good book. Well
written, great for conversation. But not happy.
Sad or not, this peaked my curiosity. And I couldn't return a book, that would be unheard of. So to ensure that I would actually read it and not let it linger on my desk, I picked it for book club. Now it was mandatory reading. And well, you'll just have to find out later what I thought.
P.S. Thanks bestest friend from way back when!
-Anna
The year is winding down and there is a little pocket of time to catch my breath before the new year, so it's a good time to catch up on some reviews, be they somewhat short though hopefully sweet.
My Name is Mary Sutter - I found this book boring. The characters were dry and uninteresting, propelled by motives I didn't understand.
The Pirate Bride - A fun frolic in children's literature with some great illustrations to help it along. Perfect for a bedtime story.
Mockingjay - I have finally recovered from this book. Almost. It was awesome and it was horrible. The series remains a favorite. (Not a bedtime story.)
Firefly Lane - Eh. That's a good summary of this book. It's not bad, it's not great. It's, eh.
Francine Rivers' skill as a writer moved me through Her Mother's Hope quickly and easily. But it wasn't until the epilogue that I discovered the heart of the book. In this post snippet, Rivers explains how the series is loosely based on her grandmother and mother. Laced with interesting family history and an insightful look at how relationships can get off course, I could only wish that the rest of the book had captivated me half as much as the ending.
Read more...Francine Rivers is one of my favorite Christian novelists. Her Mark of the Lion series is nothing short of spectacular. Set during the Roman Empire, this trilogy held me captivated and as soon as one book was finished I was starting the next.
But I digress. I am here to review Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers. And to be honest, this book did nothing for me. In fact, at the end it leaves you hanging and yet I have no desire to even find out what happens let alone pick up the sequel.
I guess I can't demand perfection with every single book I read. Maybe I need to lower my expectations?
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