Blog Luv Fest: Unique Love Stories

Por: Andrea | 1 comments |

In order to take part in the Blog Luv Fest, I wanted to list a few books that contain some of my favorite love stories. They aren't technically romance books, but they are still great love stories.



Daughter of the Forest by: Juliet Marillier

The story of Sorcha and Red is one of my all time favorite romances! This book is the first in the Sevenwaters Trilogy, which is a great fantasy series. This book is my favorite of the three for several reasons, but mainly because of the romance.

I haven't reviewed it, but HERE is a review by Nymeth from things mean a lot.





The Gargoyle by: Andrew Davidson

This is a unique love story because it doesn't contain your typical romance. The main characters experience true love that goes beyond physical attraction. I think it's very touching and shows how strong love can be...it survives all else.







The Host by: Stephenie Meyer

The Twilight books by Meyer get all of the attention, especially as far as romance novels go. And rightly so! But The Host is not only a cool sci-fi novel, it also has one of my favorite romance storylines. I can't talk about that part too much without giving something away, but it's worth getting through the first few chapters (which I admit, are slow moving).







The Zion Covenant Series by: Bodie and Brock Thoene

One of my favorite series of all time which contains one of my favorite love storylines of all time. This is a Christian historical fiction series that takes place in Europe just before the outbreak of WWII. Elisa and Murphy cross paths and start a crazy relationship in spite of (well, because of, really) Hitler's restrictions and the groups that form to save those he is persecuting. Murphy is one of my favorite characters of all time: funny, smart, brave... what I wouldn't give to be Elisa. ;-)



The Mark of the Lion Series by: Francine Rivers

Once again, one of my favorite series...mainly because of the love storyline. It's Christian historical fiction that takes place in the Roman Empire. I can't go into many details, but although there are several storylines in the series, my favorite follows Haddassah, a slave. I have to admit, I loved this series so much that I wanted to name a future daughter Haddassah (my husband talked me out of it, lol).





I'm sure I could think of more, but this is it for now!

LEER MÁS...

In Search of Eden

Por: Andrea | 0 comments |

In Search of Eden
by: Linda Nichols

Published: 2007

# of pages: 443


First of all, I thought the cover of this book was really cute. :-)

I received this book for Christmas from my grandmother. When I was in jr high and early high school I used to read Christian romance novels all the time. That and Christian historical fiction were my favorites. There's a lot of great Christian fiction out there, but it got to a point where I felt like I had exhausted the well written Christian novels and series (except that a couple years later I discovered Ted Dekker, who wrote some great books!). Now I rarely take the time to read Christian fiction, but my grandma gave me this book and a few others for Christmas, so I'm reading and reviewing them along with the books I normally choose for myself. Anyway, I have to admit this book is nothing special as far as the writing quality, but it was an easy, nice read.

The story follows Miranda as she moves from place to place in search of home. Her life has been rough so far: her father left, her mother is overbearing and critical, and she has a baby at 16 years old and is forced to give it up for adoption. 11 years later she is still wondering about her baby: if it was a boy or girl, if it is happy, if she should try to find it. A series of events happens and she decides to track down her child...even though she still hardly has any information about it.

She ends up in a small Virginia town and everything (miraculously) comes together. She learns about her parents' past (which explains a lot about her own past), meets a nice family (including a certain 11 year old girl named Eden), meets a great guy (of course!), and finds a home.

To be honest, a lot of times Christian fiction frustrates me because of all the sermons that take up so much of the text. I feel like those sermons shouldn't be there. If you are a Christian, the last thing you should want to read is the same repeat sermon that is in every other Christian fiction novel. If you aren't a Christian you don't want to read a stuffy sounding sermon full of words and phrases that aren't familiar and that takes up an entire page. Either way, you skip it. The secret to writing good Christian fiction is to put encouraging and informative things about Christianity in there without having to make it in a sermon form. Just talk about a Christian character living their life. You don't have to use specific Christian terms and you don't have to make it a sermon. It can be simple, which is what people in this day and age need!

Anyway, I think I only skipped a few paragraphs of this novel, so it really isn't that bad. Would a non-Christian enjoy this novel? I think so if you are interested in the story. Like I just said, it isn't overwhelming and the story is interesting. I recommend this to all adults who like a good sentimental story or who enjoy the Christian romance genre.


Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

LEER MÁS...

Fire

Por: Andrea | 1 comments |

Fire
by: Kristen Cashore

Published: 2009

# of pages: 480


Fire is the prequel to Graceling. A prequel that I thoroughly enjoyed, much more than Graceling. You don't need to read Graceling in order to read Fire. As a matter of fact, I think I recommend reading Fire first. In my review of Graceling, I mentioned how annoyed I was at the weird similarities between that book and The Hunger Games. Now I am a little annoyed at the similarity of the titles in this book and the second book by Collins, Catching Fire. It's weird!

However, I found Fire to be a unique story about a girl named Fire. She is a monster, but not in the way we think of monsters. In her world, monsters are the most beautiful creatures on earth...and the most dangerous. There's only one human monster left and so mostly Fire leads a lonely life although she does have a few close friends when the story begins.

The book follows Fire as she struggles to accept her own existence and fulfills duties that only she can perform while making sure that she upholds her values along the way. I liked the character of Fire and her strength. She is such a compassionate person and I felt like she was a more likable character than Katsa in Graceling. I also related to some of the desires she has that she feels will not happen in her life. Of course there is a little bit of romance which I also liked much more than the romance in Graceling.

Anyway, I highly recommend this book to older young adults (haha, that sounds funny) and adults who enjoy the fantasy genre. Also, if you liked Graceling, I have a strong feeling you will like Fire even more!


Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

LEER MÁS...

My Sister's Keeper

Por: Andrea | 1 comments |

My Sister's Keeper
by: Jodi Picoult

Published: 2004

# of pages: 448


I enjoyed this Picoult novel much better than Plain Truth! It was very well written and the story was unique and thought provoking.

The story follows several characters and, similar to Plain Truth, narrated by the different characters. The main character is Anna, a 13 year old girl who sues her parents for medical emancipation. You see, Anna was specifically conceived to be a donor for her older sister Kate, who is 3 years older than she is. She has donated to her sister several times and finally sues her parents when she is asked to donate a kidney.

Anna hires a lawyer, Campbell Alexander, to help with her case. He's intrigued by the girl and says yes, not realizing how much he would be sucked into Anna's personal life, not just her case. I enjoyed his character a lot. He's mysterious and funny and I couldn't help but like him. He meets an old love (sounds a lot like Plain Truth) and has to analyze his feelings for her and overcome his personal fears.

It was interesting to see how this book was similar to and different from Plain Truth. I couldn't help but compare them. They were so different but then again...so alike. I read multiple books by the same authors all the time, but for some reason I had to directly compare these books. I guess because they did have so much in common. It makes me want to read more of hers. I plan to read Nineteen Minutes next since I started reading it at my mom's a few months ago, but had to put it down because I had so many other books on my list to read.

There's a movie that just came out on DVD a couple of months ago. I really want to watch it now that I've read the book, although I heard that they changed the ending and that it isn't as good. It makes me wonder just how they changed it. If you've seen the movie, did you like it? As much as the book? If you didn't like it, why not? Try not to completely spoil the movie for me though, since I haven't seen it yet!

Anyway, I recommend this to adults although with the same warning I gave in my review of Plain Truth, it's not for the very sensitive person. This one wasn't as hard for me to read since it didn't involve infant death, but it was still a touchy subject and still hard for a mother to read. I couldn't help but place myself in the shoes of Sara, Anna and Kate's mother. Oh yeah, this would be a great book club book!


Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

LEER MÁS...

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

Por: Andrea | 1 comments |

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
by: Katherine Howe

Published: 2009

# of pages: 384


I have to admit, I was disappointed in this book. I waited on it to become available in the library system for months. I had skimmed through some reviews and seen it on several TBR lists and it was obviously a popular book at the library! However, there were a few things I didn't like about the book in spite of how original the storyline was and the interesting content (Salem Witch Trials).

The book's main character is Connie, a graduate student who spends the summer cleaning out her grandmother's abandoned house while she should be searching for the perfect thesis subject. While in Salem, she discovers clues about a physick book that belonged to a woman named Deliverance Dane. Connie also discovers romance and evil and it all jumbles together and Connie has to sort it all out. Obviously the book becomes the subject of her thesis...she just has to find it first!

The story alternates between Connie in modern Salem and other characters from the past, including the years surrounding the Salem Witch Trials. It's interesting how it all ties together, although it sure takes Connie long enough to connect all the dots!

So the story is neat! However, Connie's character annoyed the heck out of me. Seriously, how is that I know more about the history of colonial America than she does, a grad student studying that period of history!? The girl acts clueless about what I am pretty sure is common knowledge among anyone interested in history. I know about that stuff and I haven't even studied American history in depth. Also, at the end there's a pretty important job she performs and yet she completely neglects a major part of the preparation until it's too late. Then she's like, "oh, whoops. I forgot about that part." I mean, there was a lot at stake, how could you miss such a major part?? You'd think it would have at least crossed her mind at some point. She was pretty ditsy several times throughout the novel as she investigates the clues to the physick book's whereabouts. And a lot of it was common sense.

I suppose the story is very predictable as well. That didn't bother me as much, but Connie's lack of perception made it worse. I did enjoy the historic flashbacks that occurred. I thought those characters and their actions were cleverly written. It's just too bad that the same can't be said for the main character.

So, I recommend this to adults who are interested in historical fiction and/or the Witch Trials. This is a unique view on that event, whether or not you like the character of Connie.


Other reviews:
Bookfoolery and Babble
book-a-rama
Dolce Bellezza

Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

LEER MÁS...

Plain Truth

Por: Andrea | 1 comments |

Plain Truth
by: Jodi Picoult

Published: 2007

# of pages: 432


My first Picoult book and it was.... kind of disturbing. I have to admit, one reason I felt this way was because I have an infant son. If you are a new mother, you may want to save this book for later if you are a sensitive person.

The story is about an 18 year old Amish girl, Katie, who is accused of hiding her pregnancy, delivering her baby in secret, and then killing him. Katie denies all of these charges although there is evidence against her. Ellie is a big city lawyer who is caught up in the drama while visiting her aunt who is related to Katie and her family. Ellie ends up living the Amish life, connects with Katie, and runs into a long lost lover.

I felt annoyed with Katie and thought that the story was very repetitive and didn't flow because of her character. It was also hard for me to read about an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy that ended so horribly. I don't believe in not reading a book just because it contains sensitive content or is upsetting in some way. I think it's good to be educated and read things that are thought provoking. However, while I'm glad I read the book, I couldn't enjoy it or even say that I like it.

I think that this is a common tone in Picoult's novels though. I just finished My Sister's Keeper and will be reviewing that soon. It seems like Picoult addresses sensitive issues in her novels and doesn't gloss over the bad things.

Interesting note: the only other books I've read that take place in an Amish setting were Christian novels (by Beverly Lewis). There were several times I was reading Plain Truth and was suddenly reminded that it was not a Christian novel. Haha! It was easy for me to think it was a typical Christian book, so the occasional curse word or sexual reference would come as a surprise.

So, I recommend this to adults who are not afraid to read such a sensitive story. I assume that if you are a fan of Picoult you would also like this read.



Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

LEER MÁS...

2010 Challenges

Por: Andrea | 5 comments |

I've compiled all of my challenge lists into one post this year. So keep scrolling if you don't see the challenge list you are looking for!




TBR Challenge
-------------
1. My Name is Asher Lev by: Chaim Potok
2. The Terror by: Dan Simmons
3. The Great Gatsby by: F. Scott Fitzgerald
4. The Pillars of the Earth by: Ken Follett
5. Adam by: Ted Dekker
6. Kiss by: Ted Dekker
7. Cloud Mountain by: Aimee E. Liu
8. Middlesex by: Jeffrey Eugenides
9. The Angel's Game by: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
10. Her Fearful Symmetry by: Audrey Niffenegger
11.
12.




YA Challenge
------------
1. Inkheart by: Cornelia Funke
2. Inkspell by: Cornelia Funke
3. Inkdeath by: Cornelia Funke
4. Eragon by: Christopher Paolini
5. Eldest by: Christopher Paolini
6. Brisingr by: Christopher Paolini
7. The Two Princesses of Bamarre by: Gail Carson Levine
8. Deenie by: Judy Blume
9. The Subtle Knife by: Philip Pullman
10. The Amber Spyglass by: Philip Pullman
11. River Secrets by: Shannon Hale
12.

What's in a Name? 3 challenge
-----------------------------
A book with a food in the title:
A book with a body of water in the title: River Secrets by: Shannon Hale
A book with a title (queen, president) in the title: The Two Princesses of Bamarre by: Gail Carson Levine
A book with a plant in the title:
A book with a place name (city, country) in the title: Shanghai Girls by: Lisa See
A book with a music term in the title:




Read Your Name Challenge
------------------------
A - Adam by: Ted Dekker
N - Nineteen Minutes by: Jodi Picoult
D - Dead Until Dark by: Charlaine Harris
R - River Secrets by: Shannon Hale
E - Eragon by: Christopher Paolini
A - A Game of Thrones by: George R.R. Martin




First in a Series Challenge
---------------------------
1. Inkheart by: Cornelia Funke (Inkworld Trilogy)
2. Eragon by: Christopher Paolini (The Inheritance Cycle)
3. A Game of Thrones by: George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire)
4. Dead Until Dark by: Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse Series)
5. Last Light by: Terri Blackstock (Restoration Series)
6.

LEER MÁS...

2009 Review!

Por: Andrea | 2 comments |

Today is my 2nd blogiversery! It feels like it was just yesterday that I started this blog although so much has happened since then. 2008 and 2009 were both crazy years...2008 in a bad way and 2009 in the best way. So I wasn't able to read as much as I would have liked either year, but hopefully I'll pick back up in 2010.

Challenges I participated in:
Young Adult Challenge (finished 9 of 12)
TBR Challenge (finished 8 of 12)
What's in a Name? Challenge (finished 5 of 6)
First in a Series Challenge (finished 6 of 12)
R.I.P. IV (finished 1 of 1)


My favorites (in the order I read them):
The Gargoyle by: Andrew Davidson
The Hunger Games by: Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by: Suzanne Collins
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by: Ann Brashares
The Historian by: Elizabeth Kostova

# of books I read in 2009:
38 (down from 81 in 2007 and 48 in 2008)

Least favorite:
The Last Days of Dogtown by: Anita Diamant (I didn't review it)

Repeated authors:
Garth Nix (3)
Shannon Hale (2)
Suzanne Collins (2)
Kristen Cashore (2)
Jodi Picoult (2)


I hope you all had a happy New Year! Let me know what challenges you're doing this year, what your favorite books were, leave me a link to your end of year review, and tell me what you think about my review. :-)

LEER MÁS...

The Historian

Por: Andrea | 1 comments |

The Historian
by: Elizabeth Kostova

Published: 2005

# of pages: 720


I didn't know what to expect from this book, but I was pleased with what I discovered. This is a great classic vampire book. It isn't filled with sexuality and bad language, it's just a good suspense novel that is also a unique historical fiction book.

The story is crazy with the many different characters and how the time line jumps back and forth. However, the main character and narrator is a 16 year old girl who discovers a strange book in her father's library. After that, her life is never the same as she learns about her father's strange past that includes mystery, love, adventure, and vampires.

The book centers around Dracula and includes a lot of historical facts about the man the character Dracula is based on. The book has several settings - including America, Amsterdam, Britain, Istanbul, Romania, and Bulgaria. I wonder how many of the things mentioned in the book are true (like about the search for Dracula's tomb, historical events, etc). I also wonder how many of the places are real. Maybe they are all real, I'll have to do more research to figure it out.

The book refers to the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker regularly, so that may be worth reading before picking up this novel, but isn't necessary to read first. I also thought it was interesting that the novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy was briefly referred to, but once again, it isn't necessary to read that to understand the reference.

This is a very long book, but it mostly held my attention. I have to admit, in the 3rd quarter of the book I became a little bogged down. However, it may have been because I only had time to read it in short spurts. Maybe it wouldn't have dragged if I could have devoted longer periods of time to reading it. It was definitely worth continuing to read it though and I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and/or the vampire genre.


Other reviews:
book-a-rama


Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

LEER MÁS...

The Golden Compass

Por: Andrea | 0 comments |

The Golden Compass
by: Philip Pullman

Challenges: YA Challenge, 1st in a Series Challenge

Published: 2001

# of pages: 368


I read this years ago, when I was in high school, but I had mostly forgot about it until I watched the movie last year. I wasn't all that impressed with the film, but I remembered how much I enjoyed the book, so I decided to re-read it. I thought it was just as good the second time around!

The story follows Lyra, a young orphan who is raised at Oxford until she stumbles upon an adventure that takes her to distant lands. Although Lyra lives in a world that is similar to ours (similar place names, etc), it has several large differences, including the fact that all humans have daemons...their souls living outside their bodies in animal forms. Lyra and her daemon, Pantalaimon, venture out on a quest to save their best friend from the child stealing Gobblers. They come into contact with a variety of characters including an evil golden monkey, a talking bear, witches, a fiery balloon flying Texan, and a band of gypsies.

When the movie came out, it was very controversial in the Christian community. I don't recall why exactly, except that the author has publicly claimed to be an atheist. I don't know why that in itself is upsetting since the majority of books published now are written by atheists. I haven't re-read the next 2 books in the series, so maybe there is something worthy of controversy in those. As far as this one goes, the creation story in Genesis is twisted to include mention of daemons for the story's purposes. The church in the story is also corrupted. Unfortunately, it reminds me of the real world's church history, but I can't be sure that's what the author was basing the fictional church on. Anyway, it's a fantasy, so keep that in mind while reading.

I think this is a great book for adult lovers of fantasy. I don't really feel like this is a great children's book. I don't think it's appropriate for younger young adults because it has some bad language and is kind of dark and intense. Also, it seems like it could be hard for younger readers to follow. Anyway, this is a young adult book that many adults would enjoy, so go check it out!

Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

LEER MÁS...