I’m joining Carolyn Astfalk and CatholicMom.com for An Open Book. Here’s what I’ve been reading and/or working on in the past month:
Amazon Synopsis: A retelling of the 2014 kidnapping of the 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Nigeria.
“IF YOU WANT TO DIE, SIT DOWN HERE.
WE WILL KILL YOU.
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO DIE, YOU WILL ENTER THE TRUCK.”
Ruth and Gemma have a Physics exam in the morning.
Becky and Alleluia are revising for their college entrance tests.
So it’s an absolute nightmare to be woken by the fire alarm in the dead of the night.
But for them, and for 272 other girls from Chisbrook Hall girls boarding school, the real nightmare is just beginning.
Because ‘al-Qabda’ are taking them all away.
Whether they want to go or not.
My review: This is a compelling read, but one that I had to take a break from because of the difficult content. I remember praying for the release of the Chibok girls, and the author brilliantly puts us right into the minds and hearts of the girls taken hostage, some of whom were massacred, others abused and forced into marriage. Highly recommend.
Amazon Synopsis: “The shape of you, the shape of me, the shape of everything I see..” In this board book featuring bright new colors and the original whimsical text, Dr. Seuss introduces the concept of shapes to babies and toddlers.
My review: I’ve been reading this one to our 2.5-year-old grandson and it’s a delightful read with great rhyming. Highly recommend.
Amazon Synopsis:
TV news reporter Violet Rosati thought she’d be married with kids and living in the suburbs by now. Instead, she’s single, thirty-one, and starting a new job at a TV station in Portland. Her move to Maine brings her closer to her boyfriend, Jude, who she hopes will propose soon. He knows and accepts everything about her—even her darkest secret.
However, her new church brings an unexpected surprise. While in confession, she realizes the priest is her ex-boyfriend, Tristan. She hasn’t seen him in seven years and never told him about her pregnancy. He treated her terribly and broke her heart. Now he’s a priest?
As she faces old wounds, she finds Father Tristan to be kind, empathetic, and apologetic. Old feelings reemerge. But he’s a priest, and she loves Jude. How can she be drawn to a priest when she has such a wonderful boyfriend? Confused and torn, she struggles to forgive, love, and find redemption. Turning to her faith for direction, she learns that forgiving herself may be the hardest part of all.
Can she move on and find the life she wants with Jude? Or does she confront her feelings for Father Tristan and risk the lives they’ve both chosen?
My review: This was an enjoyable book to read, a great story, and well-defined characters. Seems like an excellent start to a new series. However, it needs another proofread, so I gave it a 4/5.
Amazon Synopsis:
Finalist in the 2016 IAN Book Awards (Romance)
With her sister Abby’s encouragement, Rebecca has moved out of their overbearing father’s home. When a chance encounter with Chris ends with an invitation, Rebecca says yes. The authentic way Chris lives his life attracts Rebecca and garners her affection.
Chris loves Rebecca and her innocence, but he’s confounded by the emotional scars she bears from her parents and an attempted assault. Her father’s disdain for Chris’s faith and career only make matters worse.
With the counsel of their friend Father John, can Rebecca and Chris overcome every obstacle and bridge the deepening gulf between them and her dad? Or will a crucial lapse in judgment and its repercussion end their relationship?
My review: This is an FQP book and one of my favorites that FQP has published. So much so that I usually read it once a year. Highly recommend!
Amazon Synopsis:
A Carol-award-winning finalist!
A brutal murder convinces Dr. Mia Kendall there’s more than she imagined to the mysterious spike in heart transplant rejections. Determined to find answers before she loses another patient, Mia gets sucked into a dangerous international medical web. With time running out for her youngest transplant recipient, Mia is forced to partner with a disillusioned ex-military pilot who flies brokered organs across East Africa. But searching for the truth will prove costly because there are some lines that should never be crossed.
A haunting story that will take you from the suburbs of Cincinnati to the jungles of Africa.
My review: This was a heart-pounding, compelling read. Highly recommend!
Synopsis: The world ended on a Thursday. World technology crashed, an alien race invaded, and my husband and my children were in different locations. To survive, my heart dug deep into the homestead. Hardship tested my ingenuity while loss challenged everything I believed in, but despite every kind of sin and suffering, my homestead remained true. There’s no place I’d rather be.
My review: A.K. Frailey’s newest book, Homestead, is a compelling read and particularly relevant for current day events. Highly recommend!
Plot Line and Sinker (Ellen Gable, Author) 