Books-April

Yup, these are the April reads... I hope I can get myself together enough to have my May ones up on June 1st!
* * * * *

Mary by Francine Rivers A+
Excellent story. She has taken all the scriptures you know so well and delicately filled in the story. I’ve been rather negative about ‘fictionalized’ scripture. Seems to me that you can really mess up the actual happenings when you ‘expand’ it too much. Rivers does not do that. I understand Mary’s actions much more and really believe this is a God-inspired tale. I’m looking forward to reading other books by her. Caution: This book LOOKS like a woman’s story & not something a man would be interested in… I want to suggest that this was a poor advertising choice. I think that regardless of your gender, this book gives you a better understanding of Mary’s obedience and her relationship to her son, Jesus.

The Sorcerer’s Circle by Michael Silverling D
Ugh. I can’t believe I actually finished this poorly written PI story. I kept thinking, ‘surely it will get better…’

The Beast Within
Well, I started this one and decided in one chapter that I didn’t want to finish it, largely because of how bad The Sorcerer’s Circle was, and how frustrated I was that I wasted so much time on it. I don’t know if this one actually gets any better since I wasn’t willing to try for very long…

The Spelling Knife – Beguilement By Lois McMaster Bujold A+
One of those books I didn’t want to end! I’m so glad this is just part one and I’ll get to spend more time with these characters and this world. Excellent fantasy novel. One of the best ones I’ve read in quite some time.

Esther’s Gift I can't remember the author's name... B
15 minute read. No lie- I don’t know if I’ve ever read such a short little story in hardback! J It was good, and made it’s point quickly. About someone who's been making cakes as her Christmas cakes for years and then figures out how much they actually cost- she's so shocked she decides not to make them this year.

The Traveling Beader D
Lousy instructions, messy designs… Plus you can’t really do most of the designs in the book while you’re traveling or in a waiting room which was her entire reason for writing the book…

Storm Rising, and Storm Warning by Mercedes Lackey A
This trio starts where the Mage Wars ends. These almost cover too much for Lackey. Her style definitely lends itself to smaller, more focused novels and this one is a broad sweeping story-line. Still very good, though.

And the Shofar Blew by Francine Rivers A+
The tale of a pastor and his wife… Very disturbing. Very believable. Absolutely fantastic writing. Told with compassion and honesty. A young pastor is hired to take the place of a retiring older pastor of a dying church. The new guy comes in gung-ho and in love with Jesus and in the course of the book makes terrible, prideful, self-focused choices. We see him fall from a terrible height… Excellent book, but very hard to read.

The Curse of Chalion by Lois Mcmaster Bujold A+
Oh, I do enjoy Bujold’s writing. This is a fantasy set in a low-tech society with wonderful characters and an interesting history. Bujold keeps you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out how on earth she’s going to get rid of the curse.

Born in Death by J.D. Robb B+
Another in her futuristic murder/cop mysteries. Nora Roberts is really the only romance author I read anymore- Yes, there was a time in my life when I read a SHOCKING number of romances. I really haven’t read them since college ‘cept for her books. Fun thing about Roberts- she was the only girl in a family of six kids. I think that experience has made her characters, particularly the guys, more believable. These are good- admittedly getting a little repetitive since this is her 18th or 20th one. But the characters are fun- Eve's (the main character, a cop) crazy singing friend who's been pregnant for the last two offerings in this series finally has her baby