By Katie Marie
Today's Monday and the first day we are back on schedule here on Book Ponderings after the holiday! I must say - it's nice to be back! Kait and I have switched up the schedule some, so I hope you will like the new things we will be bringing you think year! So, let's get right into it! Monday's is going to be our Book Review day! Enjoy!
Zach and Piper battle to save their little brother from the forces of darkness.
Zach and Piper aren't the only ones to notice their little brother's supernatural gifts. Something evil is also paying attention. Now the kids must learn to draw strength from heaven while being pursued by the powers of darkness.
The only thing more bizarre than the miracle Zach and Piper's six year old brother, Elijah, preformed is the strange note from their parents. So begins a wild chase across the country as the two attempt to find their father and mother and protect their brother. Unfortunately, trying to look "normal" isn't easy for three kids on the run in a borrowed motor home. And Elijah's habits of performing miracles doesn't help! Will aid from a mysterious strange be enough to assist in their escape from the evil pursuing them?
Romance:
Violence:
Fear/Horror:
Overall Opinion:
This was a fun little read that is sure to entertain teens and preteens! I enjoyed the time I spent getting to know about the Dawkins and their unusually son, Elijah. The characters were fun, though had a few antics I thought a little annoyingly unrealistic. But besides a few minor areas, I enjoyed the quick read.
Piper and Zach made a funny group as they tried to protect their brother and find their parents. Even though they did not realize it, they made a good team! The only problem I found with these two characters was Piper’s over-exaggerated crush on Cody. Her inability to do anything when he was around was a little…unbelievable. I mean, I know girls can get giggly when a guy they like comes around – but to the extent of dropping your mouth and staring at the guy right in front of you who’s trying to talk to you…it was a little weird and got annoying very quickly!
Elijah was a neat character. Hard to get to know from a readers perspective on account I don’t remember him saying anything. It is obvious that he has special powers. When he multiplies their food I thought it was a little weird – too much like Jesus. But…maybe that was just me.
All in all, a fun read that I will probably read to my siblings or give to them to read. I do have a warning – it has a cliffhanger ending. Got to get the next book to continue the adventure! :-) Myers did a good job bringing teen fiction to the market!
If you'd like to purchase this book, you can get it for only $5 on Amazon.com - just use this link here
to get directly there! ~ Katy
By Unknown
Policewoman Rachel Troyer loves peaceful Sugarcreek, where her elderly Amish aunts run the famous farmhouse inn. But when stranger Joe Matthews lands on her aunts' doorstep begging for shelter for himself and his son, it's clear to Rachel that he's no tourist. Who is he---and will she be able to keep her heart in check?
Romance:
Violence:
Fear/Horror:
Overall Opinion:
I had a hard time getting into this book at first, but once I did it didn't take me too long to become interested in Rachel and Joe's lives. The mystery of Joe's past and the action in Rachel's job entwined to make a fairly good action/mystery. While I thought that some of the events that took place could've been more dramatic and made better scenes, overall I was happy with the story. I was a little annoyed by the feminist aspects of the book. There were several scenes where I had hoped that Joe would be a rescuer when Rachel saves herself, and Rachel was very independent. Rachel also was very suspicious when, at least I thought, she had no real reason to. Maybe a little suspicious and cautious under the circumstances, but Rachel seemed to go overboard in my opinion. Though that did aggravate me as I read the book and it did make me enjoy it less, it is not something that every reader would find a problem with.
This book was very clean and had only a few hinting expressions that implied that he desired her, but other than that only kissing was present.
Overall,
Love Finds You In Sugarcreek, Ohio
was a pleasent one-time-read. I think many others would really enjoy this book. If you are interested in purchasing this book, go
HERE.
By Katie Marie
Fourteen-year-old Lanie Belle Freeman of Fairhope, Arkansas, has high hopes for her future. Happy on the five-acre family homeplace, she dreams of going to college and becoming a writer. And with her father launching a new business and her mother expecting the fifth baby, the bright days of an early Southern spring seem to herald expansive new beginnings for the Freeman family.
But her mother isn’t as strong as she should be, and it’s going to take time for the business to pay back the mortgage. When unexpected tragedy strikes, it is left to Lanie to keep the family together and hold on to their home. In a world shaken by the Great Depression, it is faith in God and love in a tightly knit family that will help Lanie and her siblings overcome the odds and create a future that promises the fulfillment of love.
The Homeplace
offers a warmhearted and inspiring saga of a courageous young woman who holds her family together through the Depression era.
KATY'S REVIEW:
Romance:
Violence:
Fear/Horror:
Overall Opinion:
This book got 5 stars from me almost from the get-go!! The Homeplace grabbed me from the first few pages, Lanie’s character is instantly likable and her selfless attitude is evident from the very beginning. The whole atmosphere of the family was refreshingly enjoyable; they were a very close-knit family.
Since my family is much like that – close-knit – I enjoyed reading about how much they came together when the trials began to come upon them. The writing was filled with so much emotion that I often found myself crying with the characters! (You know it’s a good book when you can emotionally feel with the characters in the book!)
Lanie was my favorite character, mainly because of all the trials she readily shouldered for her family when the times got hard. She relied heavily on the Lord to get her through all her troubles, which was such an amazing testimony, even if this is just a fictitious story. Her innocent nature was also extremely appealing, as well as her loving nature of giving and helping others. There was some romance in the book, though it wasn’t the prominent part of the book and Lanie – clear and level-headed – dealt with the guys well. ;-) Her other siblings were also very endearing, though Maeva sometimes made me want to shake her – with her stubborn and rebellious attitude, though she cared deeply about her family, just like everyone else.
So, all in all, this is definitely a book that I will pick up again and read! I laughed with the family during the funny moments, cried with them during the sad times, and hurt with them when matters turned from bad to worse. Lanie will definitely be a character I’ll remember for a long time to come!!
Thanks to Renee Smith for sending us a copy of this book for Book Ponderings!!
~ Katy
By Katie Marie
Well the new year is here! Wow, 2010 is officially over....what a year! :-)
With the beginning of 2011, we wanted to take a moment to ask how you like our blog schedule. We have created a pole on the right hand side of the blog and would love it if you would take a moment to click all your favorite blog posts that we do on a weekly basis here of Book Ponderings.
And if you have any awesome ideas for us to add to our weekly schedule, please leave us a comment here and tell us! We love hearing from our readers - y'all are an awesome bunch!!! :-D
Thanks!
Katy & Kait
Category:
Photo credit: Lori Warman
