"Stolen," by Katariina Rosenblatt, PhD with Cecil Murphey

There is hope, even on the darkest of days
Katariina Rosenblatt was a lonely and abused young girl, yearning to be loved, wanting attention. That made her the perfect target. On an ordinary day, she met a confident young woman--someone Kat wished she could be like--who pretended to be a friend while slowly luring her into a child trafficking ring. A cycle of false friendships, threats, drugs, and violence kept her trapped.

As Kat shares her harrowing experiences, her ultimate escape, and her passionate efforts to now free other victims, you'll see that not only is sex trafficking happening frighteningly close to home--it's also something that can be stopped. Stolen is a warning, a celebration of survival, and a beacon of hope that will inspire you.

As a person who has never had to go through this nightmare, I found it difficult to relate too, to start with, but the further you get into this book, the angrier I got.  It beggars belief that these young people don't have people to watch out for them.  It also shows how vulnerable these young people are and how they reach out for the slightest bit of kindness, from where and whom ever it comes from.

This book should be a must read for young children from the ages of 11 upwards.  As it shows them what to look for and what to avoid.  I know this is not limited to just the States and this is probably happening all over the world, it has to stop.

Thankfully Kat has turned her life around and is doing something to help others who are living this nightmare.  

Stars out of 5 : 4 The target audience for this book should be pre-teens and teens.  It was an interesting read as it opened my eyes to something I knew very little about.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"The Brickmaker's Bride," by Judith Miller

"The Brickmaker's Bride," by Judith Miller

In the clay-rich hills of the newly founded state of West Virginia, two families tentatively come together to rebuild a war-torn brickmaking business.

Ewan McKay has immigrated to West Virginia with his aunt and uncle, promising to trade his skills in the clay business for financial help. Uncle Hugh purchases a brickmaking operation from a Civil War widow and her daughter, and it's Ewan's job to get the company up and running again.

Ewan seeks help from Laura, the former owner's daughter, and he quickly feels a connection with her, but she's being courted by another man--a lawyer with far more social clout and money than Ewan. Resolving that he'll make the brickworks enough of a success that he can become a partner in the business and be able to afford to bring his sisters over from Ireland, Ewan pours all his energy into the new job.

But when Hugh signs a bad business deal, all Ewan's hard work is put in jeopardy. As his hopes for the future crumble, Laura reveals something surprising. Can she help him save the brickworks, and will Ewan finally get a shot at winning her heart?

This was a lovely story about the underdog winning through hardwork, devotion to his family and his love of God.  Ewan was a great lead character that you couldn't help but love.  In contrast Winston was the total opposite, the man courting Laura.  It takes Ewan coming into Laura's life to realize that Winston is not the man for her.

I loved the details written into this book, from the fashions worn, to how bricks were made.  It was a well researched book and made it easy for the reader to image all of these things.

Ewan's uncle was a man you didn't know whether to feel sorry for; due to being married to Margaret, whose main ambition in life was to be the creme of society and made everyone around her pay for her failures.  Or to to hate him for all his slippery ways.

Stars out of 5 : 4.5 A book where it is no surprise what the outcome will be, but it does have its twists and turns along the way to keep things interesting.  Well worth the read and the second book in the series will be released later on in 2015.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"The Patmos Deception," by Davis Bunn

"The Patmos Deception," by Davis Bunn

An Ancient Island Holds an Ancient Secret . . .
Nick Hennessy, a young Texas journalist yearning for his big break, finds himself in Europe--his assignment, to investigate the alarming disappearance of invaluable Grecian antiquities. Nick has the credentials--and cover ID--to unearth the truth. And he knows just the researcher to help him...

Carey Mathers, fresh from her studies in forensic archeology, has accepted a job with the prestigious Athens Institute for Antiquities--a dream come true, really, particularly when the Greek isle of Patmos, where the Apostle John received his vision of the Apocalypse, was a particular focus of her research.

Dimitri Rubinos, for whom the Greek islands represent his life, holds on by his fingernails to the family charter boat business. But his country's economic chaos isn't the only thing that has turned his world on its head...

I did not like the ending of this book.  It left you in mid air to my mind.  There were more questions to be answered and more of this story to be told.  Otherwise this was a good book.  I enjoyed the historical aspect to it and the description of the Greek Isles.  Made you want to be there and brought them to life.

Bit confused about the romantic intentions of Nick and Dimitri towards Carey.  Without giving away the storyline, you will not find out who holds the key to her heart in this book.  Whether there is a sequel to this book who knows?

This book kept you on your toes as you got caught up in the drama and intrigue; and there were enough twists to keep it interesting as well.  It wasn't hard to read and you could put it down and pick it up without forgetting where you were at in the story.

Stars out of 5 : 4 Great book, terrible ending!!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"At Bluebonnet Lake," by Amanda Cabot

"At Bluebonnet Lake," by Amanda Cabot

Her life is set to warp speed. His is slowing to a crawl. But love has its own timing.

Marketing maven Kate Sherwood's world is fast-paced, challenging, and always changing. The last thing she wants to do is grind to a halt at Rainbow's End, a dilapidated resort in the Texas Hill Country. Still, she cannot deny her ailing grandmother's request to visit the place where she and her deceased husband spent one glorious week fifty years ago. There, Kate meets Greg, who appears to be the resort's unassuming handyman. But there's more to Greg than meets the eye--billions more, in fact.

Kate isn't looking for romance, but she can't deny the sparks of attraction that fly every time she and Greg are together. Could there be a future there? Or will Kate's long-sought promotion take her back to the big city?

I think a lot of people will relate to this story, especially those with fast paced lives.  This book will slow down the pace and show you how living in a small town isn't a bad thing, but it can be good for the soul and the heart......as long as you don't drink the coffee at The Sit'n'Sip...you need to read the book to get that joke!!

Greg's back story is very believable and one some people (not many though) will have experienced.  Kate's story also is one that you know could be true.  The one aspect I found charming was the romance between Sally, Kate's grandmother and Roy.  It is true the romantic bug can hit you at any age.

The one thing that is brought up a lot in the book is the Bluebonnet flower, the Texas state flower.  I did not know what it looked like so I googled it and here is a link to a photo of the flower.  I looks very similar to a lupin, which are lovely flowers.

Stars out of 5 : 4.5 An easy read which doesn't take much concentration.  No real surprises along the way.  A good book to while away a few hours.  Although I enjoyed all characters a lot, it was Greg that was my favourite as he had a good heart and soul.  It is well worth reading as it is a feel good book.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"Playing by Heart," by Anne Mateer

"Playing by Heart," by Anne Mateer

Lula Bowman has finally achieved her dream: a teaching position and a scholarship to continue her college education in mathematics. But then a shocking phone call from her sister, Jewel, changes everything.

With a heavy heart, Lula returns to her Oklahoma hometown to do right by her sister, but the only teaching job available in Dunn is combination music instructor/basketball coach. Lula doesn't even consider those real subjects!

Determined to prove herself, Lula commits to covering the job for the rest of the school year. Reluctantly, she turns to the boys' coach, Chet, to learn the newfangled game of basketball. Chet is handsome and single, but Lula has no plans to fall for a local boy. She's returning to college and her scholarship as soon as she gets Jewel back on her feet.

However, the more time she spends around Jewel's family, the girls' basketball team, music classes, and Chet, the more Lula comes to realize what she's given up in her single-minded pursuit of degree after degree. God is working on her heart, and her future is starting to look a lot different than she'd expected.

I enjoyed this book,  It was not a hard book to read and there was enough action in it to keep you interested.  I will say I am NOT a basketball fan, so there were a couple of paragraphs where I skimmed over.  However the way the author did write about the play by play were enough not to overwhelm you.  Also some of the true historical facts that were added into the story made it a bit more interesting.

All the characters were believable and all were described in such a way that you could visualize them as well.  I have been lucky to have not grown up in a time where war has been declared and have had close loved ones sign up.  I thought Chet's struggle with staying back to look after his mother and educate the youth of the town and not knowing whether or not he should sign up was also written well.  I am sure many men and now women would be able to relate with that struggle.

Stars out of 5 : 4 a pleasurable book to while away a couple of afternoons.  I enjoyed the message of God does things for a reason and sometimes it does take a while for you to realize that.  It's a feel good book that's not overly taxing on the brain.  Well worth reading.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"The Storied Life of A.J. Firky," by Gabrielle Zevin

"The Storied Life of A.J. Firky," by Gabrielle Zevin

Hanging over the porch of the tiny New England bookstore called Island Books is a faded sign with the motto “No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World.” A.J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.

A.J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.

And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, but large in weight. It’s that unexpected arrival that gives A.J. the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming him or for a determined sales rep named Amelia to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light. The wisdom of all those books again become the lifeblood of A.J.’s world and everything twists into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming.

As books go this wasn't the worst book I have ever read, nor was it the best.  It was entertaining and relatable.  Poor A.J. has probably hit about rock bottom, when there are a couple of changes in his life.  Neither of his doing, but they make A.J.'s life do a u-turn and things start getting better in his life.

I did love the way the author described the life on the Island and in particular the book store.  By the end of the book I was thinking I wouldn't mind owning and running a book store.  This book is a pretty easy read, I read it over a couple of days.  Maya is an exceptional character and the way the author described her, made her so real.  There were a couple of details that I didn't figure out right away, but they made sense when revealed.  Part of the ending of this story is sad, but another part brings to mind the words: "to come full circle."

Stars out of 5 : 4 Well worth reading.  This book is the selection for our November book club meeting.  Due to the price $15+ depending on where you purchase it, I borrowed it from the library and there was only the one copy, so had to get it while it was on the shelf.

"The Book Thief," by Markus Zusak

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. 

If I had to describe this book in one word it would be DEPRESSING.  Now that's not to say it was a terrible book; it's not a book to make you feel happy.  Of course the topic of this book is not one of joy.  Also it doesn't help the situation when you discover Death narrates this story as well.

I found the book to be a bit choppy, with the story jumping about a bit.  Liesel was a very strong character and despite Rosa's (Mama) way and language I ended up having a soft spot for her as well.  Rudy was a bright spot in the book and a true hero.  

This period of time was not one I hope is ever repeated again.  The way the book described the treatment of Jews, made me cringe.  I tend not to read or watch movies about the Holocaust so this is not my usual type of book.  It's our book club's selection for the month of October.  I would like to watch the movie though, as for once I think the movie may be better than the book.

Stars out of 5 : 3 Found it a bit hard to get into the book.  I didn't like the way Death narrated to story, and when I read a book I do it for pleasure.  There was no "pleasure" in this book due to the subject matter.