Chosen by Ted Dekker

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Chosen by Ted Dekker

260 pages

Book 1 of the Lost Books series

I didn't think I was liking this book. But it drew me in slowly. Actually, I am mostly done with the 2nd book now, and it is getting better and better. Teenage characters out to save the world makes this a definite draw for the young crowd, with enough adult characters to make if a good one for adults who like YA. Definitely cannot wait to see how the story plays out.

In the Hall of the Dragon King

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In the Hall of the Dragon King by Stephen Lawhead

381 pages

I read this one after reading the Skin Map by Lawhead. Couldn't quite get into it. When I finished it was a feeling like 'ehh'.

The Skin Map by Stephen R. Lawhead

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The Skin Map by Stephen R. Lawhead

A Bright Empire Novel #1

403 pages

Seriously good. Like I really want to call in sick to work and read good. This is the first novel of the series, and the 2nd just came out two weeks ago, so I look forward to reading it.

(from jacket cover)

"I NEED OUR HELP WITH A PROJECT. IT WILL BE THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME-OF SEVERAL LIFETIMES. BUT IT WILL CHANGE YOU FOREVER."

Fancy this: You're rushing through the London rain-late to your appointment, getting soaked and cursing your luck-when suddenly you find yourself in a wholly unfamiliar place chatting with a crazy old man by the name of Cosimo. He not only knows everything about you but claims to be your great-grandfather. And then, before you know it, you are hurled into the midst of an unlikely adventure involving the hidden dimensions of the universe.
That's precisely the situation Kit Livingstone finds himself in. He doesn't understand it, but it involves alternate realities and is somehow related to ley lines, or force fields of telluric energy...and the groundbreaking experiments of the bizarrely tattooed traveler Arthur Flinders-Petrie, a.k.a The Man Who Is Map.
While Arthur Flinders-Petrie is long gone from this plane of existence, he left a part of himself behind...a Skin Map. It has since been separated into five pieces-but as the old man Cosimo explains to Kit, the reassembled map might just lead them to "the secret of the universe-or something even more significant and momentous."
Problem is, there are numerous unsavory forces on the same quest-willing to do whatever it takes to bend time their way and eliminate anyone standing between them and the map pieces leading to the universe's ultimate prize.

Chocolat by Joanne Harris

242 pages
4 hours

Another book ruined by watching the movie first.  I have loved the movie since it came out in 2000.  Decided to read it because Harris wrote a sequel around 14 years after she wrote Chocolat.  Unfortunately, I liked the screenplay better than the novel.

Well, this time I'm going to read the sequel (The Girl With No Shadow) before it gets made into a movie.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

by Rebecca Skloot

400 pages

This non-fiction book tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, whose cancerous cervical cells were taken legally but without her permission. They were amazingly resilient cells that began to grow in the lab when all other cells failed. They were sent to labs all over the world and helped scientists make all kinds of discoveries - including some that made millions of dollars. Her family continued to live in poverty and without health insurance. Rebecca Skloot began researching Henrietta Lacks, but the Lacks family disapproved because they had a distrust of science, medicine, and journalists based on their earlier experiences. The book is the story of how Rebecca was able to win the family's confidence and dig up information on Henrietta's life and family.

Twilight Series

Twilight Saga (1st 3 books - Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse)

by Stephanie Meyer

1872 pages

I am probably the last person on this site to read the series that includes the books, Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse, so I'm not going to summarize the plot. Instead I'll just comment on why I liked the idea of adolescents reading this series.

Bella is considerate of her parents and their feelings. She does not want to hurt them by her words or actions. She cares about their physical well-being and feels responsible for their happiness.

Bella does not shirk or complain about her responsibilities - cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc. She is competent and mature.

Bella gets her homework done!

Bella loves to read the classics and finds them relevant for today.

Bella cares about her friends - Edward and Jacob, for sure, but Jacob's friends and family, the Cullens, and her high school friends, too.

Bella is accepting, non-judgemental, and non-prejudicial.

I love that a character adolescents look up to and may try to emulate has all of these admirable qualites.

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

404 pages
6 hours

Pretty gripping.  Saw the movie so decided to give Connelly a chance.  This book doesn't disappoint.  I'm going to read more by him.

Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich

311 pages
5 1/2 hours

Another chapter in the life of Stephanie Plum, Bounty Hunter. Her sister is back from California looking for a new life.

Adam by Ted Dekker

Adam by Ted Dekker

343 pages

Incredible thriller. FBI agent Daniel Clark is after the serial killer nicknamed Eve, who has been killing innocent women every full moon. When he finally gets close enough to see the killer, Eve turns on him and shoots him in the head. Daniel is resuscitated after being dead for many minutes, but since his near death experience, his mind has started to play games with him. He has panic attacks, with fear that hits him so hard he is knocked to his knees. Daniel has to see this to the end, especially when his wife is taken as the next victim.

The Last of the High Kings by Kate Thompson

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The Last of the High Kings by Kate Thompson

sequel to The New Policeman

323 pages

J.J. Liddy is now a man, with a wife, and children, and still not enough time. The plan he had for his life, to stay at home with the kids and make special sounding fiddles with the wood brought from the fairy world seems to have fallen apart at the seams. And to make matters worse, his daughter, Jenny, has seemed to make friends with a strange goat who triggers past memories. These books are fantastic! Cannot wait until the third installment, The White Horse Trick.

The New Policeman by Kate Thompson

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The New Policeman by Kate Thompson

442 pages

Love this fantasy! This books dives into the parallels between the world of the dying (the world as we know it) and the land of eternal youth (fairy world). Humans battled long ago with the fairies (who are actually just like humans but with a little bit of magic) and the two worlds were sealed off from each other. J.J. Liddy's family works from sun up to sun down, and time seems to seep away faster and faster. When his mother asks for more time for her birthday, he sets off for fairy world where there is no such thing as time. But, he must risk losing himself to stop the time leak. Beautifully written, rich in Irish folklore.

July and August totals

Okay, the August totals have been posted.  I'm guessing that the redesign project kept our readership down in July and August.  I know I didn't post any books in August at all!

At any rate, the team members who posted in July and August were Bobbie, Ginger, and Judy.  And for that, I am giving them each a prize!  Look in your cubby to see what your fabulous winnings are!

Keep up the good work!  We're on the last four months -- let's show them what we can do!

Clean by Amy Reed

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Clean by Amy Reed

272 pages

Amy Reed captured the voice of teen rehab so well that it wouldn't surprise me to learn that she had gone down the same path. A group of teens fight their addictions, their parents, and their selves to get their foot in the door to a better future. I loved how they captured the fact that some parents are great, and sometime parents are the problem. Some times good kids do bad things, but sometimes those kids aren't so good.  Loved the 'clean' writing on a subject that could be taken to a bad level. Just over all enjoyed this book.

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

318 pages
4 hours

No surprises here.  Classic coming-home-to-discover-yourself story.  However, there were plenty of literary references to satisfy me and reverence for the power of libraries.  Eleanor Brown wrote just what I needed.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

496 pages
9 hours

An inspiring story!

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

360 pages
5 hours

Although I did enjoy Shiver, this sequel was annoying to me.  I don't like the author's writing style and I felt that she wrote this book primarily as a tool to have at least one more book in the series.

August totals

I will get this up this week AND do a drawing for both July and August.  Time got away from me -- sorry!

The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers

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The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers

270 pages

This book was very hard to get into at first. In fact, I started it, put it down, and only picked it up again a week later because my mom said it started slow but was great. It is set in the Appalachian Mountains, so it has a deep accent to it. Cadi is a young girl with a heavy heart, who blames herself for her sister's death. Not a far fetched idea, since it would appear that both of her parents also blame her. In her family's grief, she is basically on her own. With the heavy burden of guilt on her, she seeks out the Sin Eater. The Sin Eater is the man who comes down the mountain after a person dies in order to 'eat' their sin so that they may face the Lord at the gates of Heaven. Once you get past the mountain talk, and the character who comes to the people to tell them the gospel speaking in King James, this is a beautiful story, one filled with hope, forgiveness, and love. I flat out cried at the end, thinking of the sacrfice Jesus made for us so that we may not go to our death bed with the heavy burden of guilt.