Review: The Secrets of Mary Bowser

The Secrets of Mary Bowser: A Novel by Lois Leveen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Now I am not usually into history books, but this one had me from the beginning. I read all the author notes at the back first, so I had a bit of knowledge beforehand. Mary was a young girl, her parents were slaves and she probably she would end up having the same life. However, as her mom said, Jesus had plans for her.

Her mother's owner, the Van Lews, their daughter Bet bought Mary and her mother from her parents, then freed them. However, her father wasn't freed from his master. Bet wanted the best for Mary, so she paid for Mary to go to school up North. Mary has a wonderful gift though. She can repeat anything read or said verbatim.

Which will come in handy in the second half of the story. The first half is all background and the building up --- Lois Leveen did an excellent job with Mary's story, at least in my opinion. I know there isn't a lot of history written down about slaves, and a woman at that. But I found this book thrilling and I couldn't wait to turn the page! You will want to cheer Mary on till the very end.

I hope Lois Leveen continues to write. I enjoyed this book immensely!

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Review: I Am Second

I Am Second: Real Stories. Changing Lives. by Doug Bender
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Period. End of story, beginning of another better, more beautiful story if you will. When you put God first, you will begin to see Him moving in ways you never dreamed. As you will read in this book -- time and time again, God first, us second -- your life will NEVER be the same. When you see life through His eyes, everything takes on a whole new life.

I really enjoyed every person's story, all a common theme, but so uniquely different. I love how God can take what we have made a mess of and make it into something so beyond our wildest dreams.

What I really loved about this book is after each person's story, there are additional stories you can go online and hear. I have seen a few of the stories already at student impact at our church. So I was excited to see more of the variety in the book and online too!

Make sure you spread the word, so we all can make Him FIRST and us SECOND.

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Review: Smitten

Smitten by Colleen Coble
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I so loved Smitten! Four different friends, all so different but what a great testimony. I couldn't tell you which one I loved more, but all of just amazing. I fell in love with the inspiration of the wreaths and just their inspirations each. I think trusting God for each and every situation is the best theme for a book EVER!

Although predictable and cliche in parts all of them figuring out they were falling in love and the story of each was so captivating. I loved how each writer did such a fantastic job it all blended together so fantastic!

I so look forward to Dec of 2012 for the next visit with my favorite friends from Smitten!

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Review: The Shoemaker's Wife

The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

adore Trigiani's books. Her sweeping scenery descriptions of places I only dream of -- her imagery of all fine things, you can't ever ask for a better book than this....This one, The Shoemaker's Wife, is a brilliant saga -- I won't go into all the details, need to leave something for the reader.

Enza and Ciro meet when they are young in Italy. Unknown to either, both come to America at different times and bump into each other several times. However for one reason or another, they never seem to catch each other again, even though they like each other. You MUST read it and find out what happens to the rest of Enza's family in Italy. You must find out if they end up falling in love or is there something else for them?

I love both of their stories, I always feel in her books like I am a part of it, sitting on the sidelines watching this fascinating story unfold. The cover really is beautiful too. Says a lot of the story too. Almost maybe what Enza would like to this reader anyway!

I waited for a LONG time for another Trigiani book, and this one was WELL worth the wait!!!!

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Review: The Book of Summers

The Book of Summers by Emylia Hall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A MUST read! Erzsi has a Hungarian mother and an English father. Her parents separated after a family vacation to her mother's home -- So every summer Erzsi goes and visits.

This book goes back and forth from the present when Erzsi is a grown woman to every summer what happened to bring them to the present dilemma. You can tell there is a dilemma, because when her dad comes to visit and he brings a parcel from her mother, Marika's boyfriend, things don't go so well.

This Book of Summers that Marika had made for Erzsi brings it all back for her. You will fall in love with the language, with Erzsi -- when I tried to go to bed, I was thinking about being in the last year, the year before the big event, whatever might have happened and I couldn't wait to get up the next morning and find out.

When an author writes like this, this is what readers delight in. She made a world for us -- don't be sorry and not read this one!

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Review: The Guest Book

The Guest Book by Mary Beth Whalen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love how Marybeth takes things that she seees and creates a story from them. Macy's family used to go the beach all the time. Macy started drawing in the guest book and leaving pictures for an unnamed boy who would leave one as well for her. After Macy's dad died, they stopped going to the beach.

However after 10 years Macy's mom wants them all to go back. Macy feels like maybe she will have a chance to find the boy. Also she needs time to think if her ex-boyfriend Chase, who is also the father of their daughter Emma, is right for her.

When Macy prays to God on the beach to help her find him, she ends up finding three of them. Which one is the One Lord? Read it, find out!

Marybeth never fails, and you will find out who "the Artist" is! Betcha can't guess!!

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Review: Helen Keller in Love

Helen Keller in Love: A Novel by Rosie Sultan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well where do I begin? What started out as a promising, endearing love story of a girl that went against all odds. But after the first 100 pages, it dragged out for me making it very painful to finish. Even though Helen was blind and deaf, with the help of Annie, Helen learned how to communicate and became a fascinating young woman.

However, when Annie becomes sick, Peter is hired to be Helen's secretary. Helen is taken with Peter and falls in love with him. When he asks her to marry him, they keep it a secret but the press gets wind of it and Helen's family is alerted -- Peter is chased off.

Will they defy everyone and get married, or is Peter just around for the fame? Find out, and maybe just maybe the book will go quicker for you!

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