The Blessings of Friendship by Mary Engelbreit

This is a beautiful hardback book filled with lovely verses and poems and other writings on friendship. The best thing about it though is the wonderful pictures! I love the way the children are illustrated and the old-time innocence that each picture has about it. While the illustrations are creative and beautiful and detailed I don't think that the average child would sit down and have the patience to have this book read to them. I sat down with two of my grandchildren and they had me flip through the book and look at the pictures but they weren't interested in being read to. I think that the writing touches the adult heart much more than it would a young child. A beautifully illustrated book that touches the adult heart with the words and reminders of friendship and has the illustrations capturing a child's eye. This is going in my home library!

Invisible by Ginny Yttrup

Four broken people come together and help each other find themselves and appreciate who God made them each to be. 

Ellyn loves the Lord but the voice of Earl constantly batters her heart and mind. Ellyn owns her own restaurant and uses food as a comfort to her soul. Consequently Ellyn is not in the best of health. When Miles shows an interest in her Ellyn once again hears Earl telling her that all men want is one thing, to use her. Ellyn doesn’t see what others including Miles sees in her, a beautiful woman created in the image of God. 

Twila works at the local health food store. Twila is just out of rehab for her eating disorder, she’s in recovery and healing. Twila captures Ellyn’s attention by the tattoo on her face, a tattoo that reminds Twila of the suffering of others. Twila also has a tattoo on her wrist to remind herself that she is created in the image of God. When Twila’s father comes for a visit, all of her hard work may be for nothing unless Twila can remember who she is in Christ.

Sabina has come to the small community to heal. She is suffering from extreme depression. There are days that go by that she cannot even get out of bed to eat. Sabina has lost her faith in God that she had when she was a child, now she denies His very existence. 

Miles’ wife Sarah passed away two years before. He has worked through the grief process and has found solace in his Savior. Miles is now ready to move on. He has taken on a partner in his doctor’s office and because of an interest in Ellyn, has moved her on to the new doctor in the hopes that Ellyn will be willing to explore a relationship with him. 

I love how in the story God uses each one of these broken people to help the other. Ellyn and Sabina form a true and honest friendship. Neither will let the other languish in their brokenness. Their banter and honesty with each other makes for some chuckles in the story. Ellyn and Twila form an unlikely friendship, with Twila helping Ellyn with her health issues and with wisdom dispensed beyond her years. Miles helps Twila by being a father figure to her. Helping her to work through her feelings with her own father and also helping her with her eating disorder. And of course there is Miles and Ellyn’s relationship, so complicated, yet so sweet. Miles is a patient man and Ellyn is definitely attracted to him but with Earl continually battering her self-confidence Ellyn may chase Miles away just like she has done every man in her life. 

Ginny Yttrup has a way of capturing real-life feelings and actions and getting them set into a heart-moving story. INVISIBLE had me wrapped up in each characters story and had me cheering for each victory and crying for each heartbreak. I’ve read one other book by Ginny entitled WORDS, it too is a provocative read. I guarantee that neither of these novels are a waste of time!

I received my review copy from B&H Publishing through NetGalley. This review is my honest opinion.

 

Wish You Were Eyre by Heather Vogel Frederick

This year the Mother-Daughter Book Club will be reading Jane Eyre. Not everything always goes smoothly for the girls, but they at least have their friends in the book club to help them through the storms of life. When Sophie Fairfax comes to live with the Wong's for a year jealousy flairs. The girls band together to pull off a prank that will put Sophie in her place, but will it backfire on them?

Emma is feeling that her boyfriend Stewart is paying too much attention to Sophie. When they both are enlisted to help Mrs. Wong campaign for mayor their time together is limited and both begin to feel the strain.

Jess has a sub in her calculus class who accuses her of cheating. At risk is her scholarship and her position as a soloist in her Madrigirls singing group.

Cassidy is not sure about her relationship with Zach. She likes him, in fact he is like her best friend, but she is not sure that she wants him as a boyfriend. As always Cassidy is the one to come up with the plan for Sophie's embarrassment.

Megan is feeling the most hurt by Sophie's arrival. Sophie seems to gain the attention of everyone she meets. Megan's mom and grandmother are among Sophie's fans. Even Megan's new kitten seems to like Sophie better than Megan! Megan is looking forward to her trip to Paris with Gigi. She can't wait to visit the fashion shows and see all of the sites of France.

Becca has been working at Gigi's tea house to help her family with their finances while her father is out of work. Becca wonders if there is a Mr. Rochester "out there" for her somewhere. 

I've come to love all of these girls! They and their mothers make me laugh. Sadly this is the last book in The Mother-Daughter Book Club series. I have to say that if it had to be the end of the series I am quite happy with the wrap-up. Although I was kind of hoping that the author would carry the series through the girls' senior year. But alas, that is not to be! I've enjoyed each book in the series. I have loved reading each girls story and how they have grown up throughout the series. I found the writing refreshing in each book without any need for adding sexual situations or language to taint the quality of the stories. I had borrowed the first few books from the library, but went ahead and bought all of them last year so that some day I can pass them on to my grand-daughters. The Mother-Daughter Book Club is one of my favorite series and I will miss them very much.

Dying To Know You by Aidan Chambers

Karl is dyslexic so he hates to write. He also doesn't know how to express himself very well. When Karl's girlfriend Fiorella asks him to answer some questions she has by writing out his answers Karl turns to Fiorella's favorite author for help.

Not only is this author helping Karl with searching out his inner most feelings, but Karl is helping the author by once again giving him a reason and will to write after his wife's death.

Karl and the author develop a friendship that manages to withstand many ups and downs as they both explore who they are. They relate with each other in that the author can see that he and Karl have many of the same character qualities. Karl is brooding and moody and insecure, the author can see many of the same qualities in himself. He helps Karl deal with those emotions throughout the book.

The story was written from the authors point of view.We never know what the authors name is. I enjoyed how much he helped Karl discover himself. He helped Karl through depression and other emotions by offering wise advice or just listening when Karl had something to say. In return Karl gave the author a reason to start writing again after the death of his wife. There were a few sexual situations, but nothing graphic. There was also a bit of language. I think this was a story of healing both for Karl and for the author that befriended him.

 

I received my ARC copy at ALA in January of 2012.

Unwholly by Neal Shusterman

Unwholly is the sequel to Unwind. It has been a long time waiting for this sequel. It did not disappoint!

Unwinding is still taking place. Children between the ages of 13-17 can be unwound if their parents sign the paperwork. The age used to be to 18, but has now changed to 17 which has caused a shortage of available parts. This has given rise to black market pirates.

Characters from Unwind are also in Unwholly. Connor, Risa and Lev are still fighting the battle for the right to live. Each one has a different battle that puts them in constant peril.

There are also new characters in Unwholly. One a horrifying creation that has taken unwinding to a whole new level.

I was not disappointed in the excitement of the story. The introduction of new characters kept the story from becoming stale. I'm looking forward to the last book in the trilogy and can only hope that it doesn't take another 4 years to come out.

Eyes of Justice by Lis Wiehl

The Triple Threat Club consists of Allison who is a federal prosecutor, Nicole an FBI Special Agent and Cassidy a Channel four crime reporter. They all went to school together but didn't become friends until their 10 year reunion where they found that they were all in similar fields of work. They came up with The Triple Threat Club when they got together for dinner and decided to split the most decadent dessert on the menu, a Triple Threat Chocolate cake.

In this installment of The Triple Threat Club series one of these women is murdered and the other two are left to figure out who did it and why. Being thwarted at every turn they put their jobs on the line to find the killer. A new member is added to the group, Ophelia is a private investigator. Ophelia does well with her cats, but she has a hard time being around people. The first time she meets with the women the idea of sharing a dessert makes her wince with the idea of spreading germs.

Believing that the murder may be an inside job the women do not know whom they can trust. When their lives are also threatened will they be able to find the killer before another one of The Triple Threat Club is murdered?

Did you see that?! One of the main characters in the book is MURDERED! How can you kill off one of the main characters?! I was very shocked when I read that one of the women dies in this book. It kind of set me off for the whole book, I was sad and a little disappointed that the group dynamics now have to change. While Ophelia brings a new kind of quirky to the group I'm going to miss__________!


A thought that a commenter left on this post was that readers will probably want to read other books in the series first before diving into this one. If you start at the beginning then you develop an appreciation for the characters throughout. Here are the books in order linked to my reviews:

1. Face of Betrayal
2. Hand of Fate
3. Heart of Ice
4. Eyes of Justice

Heart of Ice by Lis Wiehl

Cassidy has joined a gym and is attending Boot Camp led by Elizabeth. Cassidy is desperately trying to keep a young figure in order to not be passed up by the new young intern at Channel 4. She is enamored with Elizabeth from the beginning. Elizabeth has such exciting stories to tell. Cassidy is anxious to count Elizabeth among her friends.

Allison's sister Lyndsay shows up desperate for a place to stay. Their mother is practicing "tough love" and refuses to allow Lyndsay back into the house. Allison and Marshall allow Lyndsay to stay with them. Lyndsay is working on staying clean and sober. She takes up baking which causes Allison to start having a bit of a stomach. Encouraged by Cassidy she attends the Boot Camp at the gym.

Nicole has been tentative about dating fellow FBI agent Lief, but they have been exploring a relationship between them. When devastating news hits Nicole she breaks off with Lief and refuses to share any reason with him. Nicole is a private person, but finds that she needs to share her news with her best friends Allison and Cassidy.

The Triple Threat Club once again comes through for each other when their lives are touched by the evil of one woman.

This 3rd installment in the Triple Threat series was a bit different than the other 2 novels. In those we didn't know who the killer was until the end. In this one we know who the killer is and how she orchestrates everyone in her life. It was interesting to read how all of the clues were finally brought together and the mystery solved when we already knew who the killer was. I think this was my favorite one so far. I have the next book Eyes of Justice sitting here ready for me to pick up.

The Secret Tree by Natalie Standiford

Minty and her best friend Paz are keeping themselves busy during summer vacation. Changes are about to occur. They will be entering middle school when summer is over. But even before that their friendship is tested by change.

Minty has always desired to be in the Roller Derby. She imagines her name to be Minty Fresh with Paz being named Pax A. Punch. But Paz begins hanging out with another group of girls and is no longer interested in Minty's Roller Derby dream.

Minty catches a strange boy hiding and taking pictures of the neighborhood. She soon becomes friends with Raymond. They find a tree in the woods that seems to call to them. The legend is that if you put your secrets in the hole of the tree they will disappear. Minty and Raymond decide to match the secrets with the neighbors around them.

Who's secret is "I put a curse on my enemy. And it's working" and who's secret is "I'm betraying my best friend in a terrible way." Minty and Raymond set out to spy on their neighbors to find out their secrets.

The Secret Tree is a sweet story that I enjoyed very much. I liked the way that Minty and Raymond didn't want to use the secrets to bribe people or hold against people, but actually wanted to help the people in the neighborhood. The secrets helped them to understand the behavior of the people around them. It was funny to read about Minty and Paz trying to bring their older sisters back together after they get in a fight over a boy. Minty and Paz decide to bring them together by being "pesky younger sisters" they figure that is the best way to get the sisters talking by being able to commiserate with each other about their pesky younger sisters. A cute-heart-warming read.

Hand of Fate by Lis Wiehl

When talk radio host Jim Fate is murdered there is no shortage of suspects. Over the years he has made many enemies with his opinions.

Once again The Triple Threat Club are on the case. They must find the killer while also dealing with personal stresses in their life.

 FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges is battling her awakening feelings for fellow agent Lief. She is determined to only be friends and never allow a man into her life. Bitter and angry at God she is determined to protect her young daughter from the mystery of her birth. Will she be able to trust Lief with a secret she has never shared with anyone?

Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce after trying for so long is finally pregnant. But will the stress of her job and the events that happen cost her the one thing that she has longed for for years?

Reporter Cassidy Shaw has a connection to Jim Fate that she would prefer nobody knows about. All of her dreams of becoming a news anchor and being at the top of her game seem to be falling away. The TV station has hired a younger girl that causes Cassidy to work even harder to remain at the top of her game. Soon she turns to sleeping pills to help her get the rest she needs at night. Before long it begins to affect her behavior. Allison and Nicole must save her from herself once again.

The Hand of Fate was a great mystery. This is the second book in the Triple Threat Club series. I enjoyed getting to know each of the women a little bit more in this installment. I have to say that Cassidy is one of those characters that I am having a hard time liking. She seems to have a knack for getting into bad relationships and situations. I do like however the way that Nic and Allison are there for her and encourage her to get the help that she needs. Looking forward to Heart of Ice, the next book in the series.

Code of Silence by Tim Shoemaker

Cooper and his friends Gordy and Hiro love hanging out at Frank-n-Stein's restaurant. Frank is like a grandfather figure to them. He helps them with their school work and he serves the most amazing chocolate monster shakes. They stay late one evening to play one last arcade game while Frank closes and cleans up when a robbery takes place. Cooper and his friends manage to hide but see everything that happens. The robbers are wearing masks so they cannot identify them. Frank is beat into a coma. While the thieves are upstairs breaking into the safe Cooper manages to grab the security hard drive and they all sneak out of the restaurant. Unfortunately Coop doesn't make it very far before one of the thieves catches him and manages to threaten him before a crowd shows up.

Having seen that two of the thieves seemed to be wearing policemen uniforms Cooper is afraid to go to the police with the information. He doesn't know who they can trust. He comes up with the idea of having a Code of Silence in order to keep them all safe from the thieves. Cooper finds that maintaining silence comes with a price. He finds himself having to lie to his parents, his teachers, his friends, himself and ultimately to God.

Hiro wants to be a police officer when she grows up. She encourages Cooper to tell their parents what they saw. Cooper insists that it would be too dangerous. Hiro finds she can no longer trust Coop because of his lies. Gordy tries to maintain the peace between his two friends. Will Coopers lies be the end of their friendship? And will  his keeping this secret from his parents put him in more danger than he originally thought?

I really thought this was a great suspense novel for middle grade readers. The suspense is spread throughout the story from the robbery, to the suspense of wondering if the police were going to catch up with them, to the grand finale. I liked also how the author showed that even though Cooper thought he was doing the best thing by keeping a code of silence from the adults around him, that once you lie you have to continue to lie to cover up the first lie. And that through those lies you lose friends and the trust that those friends have in you. I thought that was a great moral lesson in the story. I liked the fact that Hiro confronted Cooper about his lies. One thing that I found was a bit unrealistic was the fact that these kids were out running around the neighborhood late into the evenings on school nights and their parents didn't seem to have a problem with it. But over all this was a good read.

The Christmas Note by Donna VanLiere

Gretchen and her children move into a condo to be closer to her mother. While moving in Gretchen and her children meet their neighbor Melissa. Melissa doesn't seem very friendly, but Emma and Ethan still try to make friends.

Shortly after moving a man shows up at Gretchen's door. He is Melissa's mother's landlord. Melissa's mother Ramona has died and her landlord is trying to find Melissa. He leaves it to Gretchen to tell Melissa about her mother. Gretchen doesn't know why, but she is compelled to go over and offer Melissa her assistance in helping clear out her mother's apartment.

Melissa has never felt love from her mother. Ramona went from one boyfriend to another and from one apartment to another Melissa's entire childhood. She doesn't know why she accepts Gretchen's offer of help, but she is grateful for this neighbor who insists on becoming part of her life. While cleaning the apartment Melissa discovers a note that her mother started to write to her. It indicates that Melissa has siblings that she never knew about. This is both exciting and devastating news for Melissa. She is angry that her mother never told her this while she was alive.

Gretchen has her own problems. After her husband was involved in a bombing while serving in Afghanistan she has moved her children to be closer to her mother. While starting over and trying to keep their family together she doesn't understand why she feels the urge to help Melissa. With the help of Gretchen's mother and her quirky friend Gloria, Melissa finds the love of friends that she has never known before.

This was a heart-warming, feel-good story that I thoroughly enjoyed. It had the "Happily Ever After" ending that I crave so much in stories. This is the perfect book for a cold winter day curled up on the couch with a fire going and hot chocolate by your side!

A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer-KINDLE #1

Hannah is a seamstress that has dreamed of having her own shop. When an elderly woman customer makes that dream a reality Hannah is thrilled. She moves to the town of Covington to open her shop in the building she was bequethed. She knows it will take time to establish a clientele but she is prepared to prove her worth as a dressmaker.

J.T. owns the livery across the street  from Hannah's shop. He is resentful that he was unable to buy the building that Hannah's shop is in. He had tried to buy it in order to help out the laundress-a proud woman who is raising 3 children on her own. When he learns that Hannah is opening a dress shop he is further resentful and prepared to dislike the new seamstress before he even meets her.  After all his mother left him, his father and sister because she preferred the outward beauty rather than inward beauty.

When Hannah and J.T. meet sparks fly. Unable to understand J.T.'s angry behavior, Hannah is determined ot make him smile. J.T.'s sister Cordelia befriends Hannah and becomes her first customer. Determined to gain the attention of the local telegraph operator Cordelia enlists Hannah's help is changing her appearance. When J.T. learns of this endeavor he has to ask himself some serious questions. Can a woman really be both beautiful on the inside as well as on the outside?

Hannah seems to be proving all of J.T.'s pre-conceived notions wrong. She has be-friended a man who recently lost his wife. It seems the man hasn't bathed since his wife's passing-the town hasn't reached out to him, but by first being kind to him each day, Hannah has managed to bring him back into society. She has also found small ways to help the laundress provide for her family. Surely someone with such a caring heart as Hannah can have beauty within and without.

I enjoyed this story very much. I did get a bit frustrated with J.T.'s struggle to not let go of his rigid ideas but ended up very happy with the outcome.

Truffles By The Sea by Julie Carobini-KINDLE

This is the sequel/companion to Chocolate Beach. In Truffles by the Sea we read about Gabrielle's story. Everything seems to be falling apart in Gaby's life. Her employee robbed her business, her apartment burned down. She has miraculously been offered a loft apartment to live in. It is in a more upscale part of town, but the rent is amazingly low. From the day she moves in though her nosy neighbor Iris plants in her head that her landlord is a philandering Lotherio that she needs to steer clear of.

Problems continue to assail Gaby. With all of her overhead stolen from her she has very little money to keep her in her floral business. Top that off with being sued by a disgruntled bride, her best friend Bri being too busy to sit on the beach and eat brownies, and two men vying for her attention and Gaby's world seems to be falling apart.

At first Gaby feels attracted to Max. After all he owns property, he's established, and he's extremely attractive. Gaby's new landlord Jake on the other hand confuses her with his kindness. She is wary of him because of Iris's warning, yet there is an attraction between the two.

Gaby has never given up, but she doesn't know where to turn when her life seems to be falling apart. While out driving to find perspective and clear her head she happens upon a group of women having a Bible Study at the foot of a cross. Gaby is reminded of the Lord in her life and determines to live for Him from here on.

I thought this was a fun read. In Chocolate Beach I loved Bri's sarcasm and Gaby's feisty-ness. I missed Gaby's personality at the beginning of Truffles by the Sea, but was happy to see it back once she found her confidence in who she was in the Lord.

I read this on my Kindle. Which reminds me that I am going to make August my READ ON MY KINDLE month. I have so many books that I have downloaded but have been unable to get to. So I am devoting August to that task.

I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan

The day that Emily is mortified in front of her whole church by singing a horrible rendition of "I'll Be There", is the day that Sam walks into her life.

Sam and his brother Riddle were taken away from their mother 10 years earlier by their father. Sam's last year of school was when he was in second grade. They have never lived in the same place for long because their father is a thief and when things get too hot for him he takes off.

Sam likes to visit churches. Even though he is not religious he likes to go. The morning that Emily sings he knows that it isn't good, but it is like she is singing to him. Telling him that she will be there for him. 

Sam has always been the caretaker for Riddle. When introduced to Emily's family her mother instantly sees that something is not right with Riddle. Being a nurse she is able to have him checked out and finds that he has asthma. For the first time in years Riddle is able to breathe. Being cared for for the first time in their lives the boys become attached to Emily and her family.

The boys' father finds out that they have been making friends and it is once again time for them to leave a city. But this time the voices are telling him that he would be better off without the boys. Driving them to a remote mountain wilderness sets off a string of harrowing experiences for both boys. Will they be able to survive and make it back to Emily and her family?

I was engaged in the characters. I felt the story was very believable. The problem I had with it was the insertion of irrelevant material. Such as the thoughts of a bear in the mountain. Or the wrapping up the story with little back stories of everyone that the boys had come in contact with. The book was almost 400 pages long and I thought that it drug in spots. By the time I got about 3/4 of the way through I was skimming pages just to hurry it up. For the most part though the story was good and like I said, the characters were engaging.

A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchell

  

  Three young seamstresses work for Madame Fortier. Each one has a different specialty and a different background.

Julietta is the embroiderer. She comes from a loving home but is determined to shake the fetters of family and tradition and embrace the freedoms of America. 

Annamaria is the smocker. Being the eldest daughter her responsibility is to take care of her parents until their death. If she is lucky she may be able to eventually marry. 

Luciana is hired to do elaborate bead work. Her father was killed by anarchists. She and her grandmother have escaped to America, but they are still pursued by the murderer who killed her father.

Each girl struggles with the prejudices of the day, and the heart-break of forbidden love. 

A Heart Most Worthy is written in what I have read is called "Omniscient voice." I'm not exactly sure what that means. My understanding is that the author breaks into the story now and then and addresses the reader. At first it was a bit annoying, but as I became more enmeshed in the story and the girls' lives those break-ins in the story were less relevant than what was actually happening in the story. I enjoyed the book very much. I've read one other book by Siri Mitchell, Beauty Becomes Her. If you like historical fiction these books are a must read!

Sequins, Secrets and Silver Linings by Sophia Bennett

   Nonie loves fashion. She has her own style that sometimes stumps her friends and family. At the beginning of the book you get the impression that she and her mother don't have much of a relationship, but towards the end it seems they develop a mutual respect for one another. Nonie seems closest to her older brother Harry.

Jenny had a small part in a recent hit movie. At first every time she shows up on the red carpet everything she wears looks totally disastrous on her. Instead of looking like a young starlet she looks miserable. She also has a crush on the boy who played her brother in the film. He is the new drool-worthy hot young hunk that all the girls are screaming about.

Edie is the humanitarian of the group. But for someone who has empathy for the downtrodden she can be brutally honest.

While shopping one day they meet Crow. She has set up a booth to sell her homemade clothing. They take her under their wings, and provide a place for her to create her clothing. They learn that she is from Uganda sent to live with her Aunt to get her away from her village and away from the rebels that kidnap children and make them into slaves or soldiers.

When approached to do a fashion show the girls set out to help Crow reach her dream of creating fabulous clothing. They also have the goal of raising awareness of what is going on in Uganda and to provide help for families to find their abducted children.

I really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed getting to know each girls' character. It was light-hearted yet there was compassion in each of the girls. The next book in the trilogy comes out in Spring 2012 entitled: Beads, Boys, and Bangles.

Bite Club by Rachel Caine

A new gym has opened in Morganville. From the time Shane visits it he is changed. Taken into a back room of the gym he is offered a deal he cannot refuse. Learn to fight with Vampire's. This seems to be just what Shane is looking for in order to get even with the Vampire's for what they have done to his family and friends.

Gloriana is a Vampire that has the ability to glamour the people around her. She has glamoured Shane into taking revenge on the Vampire's. Also she and Vassily have been supplying the fighters with energy drinks that seem to cause the humans to have super fast skills like Vampire's.

All of Shane's pent up rage spills over into his fighting and into his personal life. Eve, Michael and Claire try to find a way to rescue Shane from the club and from himself. Will they be able to save him before Amelie decides to mete out justice Vampire style?

As always living in Morganville does not provide a quiet existence for Claire. I was so stressed out reading this book! Mainly because I just couldn't stand the thought of Shane and Claire's relationship falling apart. I won't tell you how it all ended, but I will say that as always Rachel Caine has written an exciting story and I can't wait for the next Morganville Vampire book to come out!