Sunday, September 30, 2007

Book Update

My Last book update was about 2 weeks ago and I've read quite a few books in that time. My mother left a bag full of books on her last visit. My favorite of these is Once Upon A Day by Lisa Tucker. This book is written from the view of the different characters (switching back and forth) and detail both their past and present to tell the story. The book kept my attention and I read it quickly. It is a compelling story about how some decisions both big and small can affect so many lives. Please go read Amazon's review to get a better idea of the story. I loved it.



Another very interesting title was The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue. You may be familiar with the legends of the Changelings: Fairies would replace children with their own weaker offspring and steal the human child for their own. The stories were used to explain a child who failed to thrive in rural areas. The Stolen Child is a "real-life" story of a changeling who grew up as the child he replaced, and also the story of the human child and his life with the fairies. Once you accept the basic premise the remainder of the book is quite believable. It is a different type of novel then my usual and I enjoyed the change.



I finished the short novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. The author actually wrote this story before his bestselling Tuesdays with Morrie (which I haven't read either). It is the story of how in heaven you meet 5 people who were somehow part of your life (if only briefly) and your life affected them or was affected by them in someway. These 5 people help the character, Eddie, understand his life and its meaning. It's a short story but very good.



I also read Circle of Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini. This is the eighth book in the Elm Creek Quilt Series. You do not have to enjoy quilting to enjoy this series (although it may make you want to learn.) The stories are well written and enjoyable. If you find them interesting I would recommend starting from the beginning with The Quilter's Apprentice.



Finally, I read Jimmy by Robert Whitlow. Whitlow writes really good Christian fiction. I enjoyed Jimmy but I was so dissapointed in the ending that I can not recommend it. It is the story of a mentally challenged boy and some of the adventures in his life in a small town. It was a good story until about the last 20 pages. If you are looking for good Christian fiction I would recommend other books by Whitlow, especially The List.