53. Marta Perry - Hunter's Bride

Title:
Hunter's Bride
Author:
PERRY, Marta
Publisher:
Steeple Hill
Format:
Paperback
BCID:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5992504
No. of pages:
250
First sentence:
Chloe Caldwell was in trouble - deep, deep trouble.

I got a copy of this book from BookMooch after seeing an ad for it in another Love Inspired romance.

I enjoyed meeting the Caldwell family and will certainly look out for the sequel - A Mother's Wish. Hunter's Bride focuses on Chloe and her relationship with her boss - Luke. I really didn't like Luke through a lot of the book and almost put it down on several occasions. But this is Love Inspired to it all works out in the end. That's not to say there's a simple resolution - the final few chapters had me gripping the edge of my seat!

Perry's style is simple and engaging. She flips between Chloe's and Luke's point of view but avoided the narrative becoming choppy in consequence. Her central characters are well drawn and she has avoided cliché in the others. I would read more of her work.

Because this is Christian romance, there's a moral message running through the text Perry's message seems to be that it is only by walking in God's will that a person can know true peace.

I would recommend this book to any Christian woman looking for an engaging, romantic distraction. The cover is attractive although that and the title do give quite a lot away with regard to the ending.

7/10

Spring Reading Thing 2008 - Halfway

We're halfway through the Spring Reading Thing 2008 and Katrina's asking "How's it going?"

I have seven books out of 20 still to read so I'm confident that I'll complete the challenge within the deadline. And this is exciting because this is the first challenge I've ever participated in. I'm very good at starting things and not finishing so I'm feeling a little glow of achievement here. Most of the books have been read and reviewed but I have had a couple that I didn't finish for a variety of reasons. Here's the original list with a note of the status of each book:

Christian Fiction

Veronica Heley - Master of the Hall - TBR
Marta Perry - Hunter's Bride - Current Read
Deeanne Gist - The Measure of a Lady - TBR
Beverly Lewis - The Crossroad - TBR
Janette Oke - When Calls the Heart - Read and Reviewed
Carolyne Aarsen - All in One Place - Read and Reviewed
Judy Baer - Be My Neat-Heart - Read and Reviewed
Melody Carlson - Back Home Again - Did Not Finish
Liz Curtis Higgs - Bookends - TBR
Judith Miller - Whisper Along the Rails - TBR

Christian Non-Fiction

J Matthew Sleeth - Serve God Save the Planet - Did Not Finish
Max Lucado - Cure for the Common Life - TBR
Joyce Meyer - How to Hear from God - TBR
Ruth Haley Barton - Longing for More - Did Not Finish
Rob Bell - Sex God - Read and Reviewed
Chip Ingram - Love, Sex & Lasting Relationships - Read and Reviewed
Elizabeth George - Life Management for Busy Women - Read and Reviewed
Christine Caine - Stop Acting Like a Christian Just Be One - Read and Reviewed
Lisa Bevere - Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry - Read and Reviewed
R T Kendall - Totally Forgiving Ourselves - Held pending my getting a copy of 'Total Forgiveness' to read first.

47. Rob Bell - Sex God

Title: Sex God
Author: BELL Rob
Publisher: Zondervan
Format: Paperback
BCID: http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5441721
No. of pages: 201
First sentence: Once there were two brothers.


When I first saw this book, I thought the author was trying to be sensationalist. I mean, sex sells, doesn’t it? And I bought it. And then it sat on the shelf while I put off reading it and put it off some more. I finally read it over the last couple of days for the Spring Reading Thing and I was very pleasantly surprised. Bell’s language is beautiful in and of itself and he didn’t try for sensationalism once. The book is called ‘Sex God’ because it’s about sex and it’s about God. Bell looks at human relationships, sex and our spiritual relationship. He refers to the Bible often and sees marriage imagery in many verses. This book has stoked my enthusiasm for reading the Bible and I think I’ll be reading with a new understanding of what my relationship with God could (or should) be like.

I would recommend this book to anyone (Christian or just ‘open to Christian ideas’) who’s interested in relationships. I think it could be particularly useful for married/engaged couples who want to take their relationship to the next level.

The book’s cover is attractive although pink isn’t my favourite colour. Within the text, headings are in pale pink and I did find this difficult to read.

8/10

46 Judy Baer - Be My Neat-Heart

Title: Be My Neat-Heart
Author: BAER Judy
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Format: Paperback
BCID: http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/4345202
No. of pages: 250
First sentence: “A girl could get killed on a job like this.”


1. Why did you enjoy the book?
I enjoyed this light-hearted look at the world of professional organiser, Samantha Smith. In true Love Inspired tradition, I was entertained without being particularly stretched. Samantha is engaged to organise Molly by Molly’s brother – Jared – a man to whom she has taken an instant dislike. Molly seems determined to make Samantha love Jared as much as she does and everything is going swimmingly until tragedy strikes.

2. What did you dislike about the book?
There were some odd changes of tense which jarred but the story was engaging enough to let me move on. I did find it odd to read about people who’re so very organised – Samantha and Jared live in a totally different world to mine!

3. What comments do you have on the writing style?
The writing is engaging and, apart from the odd tense changes I mentioned above, it flowed very well. This is a first person narrative told from Samantha’s perspective and that style worked well throughout.

4. What are your impressions on the plot/story line?
The plot was a little predictable but that’s something I’ve rather come to expect from Love Inspired. You know where you’re going to end up but getting there is generally a pleasant experience.

5. Were there any memorable/favorite characters? Which ones and why?
I particularly liked Baer’s humour with the animals – Zelda and Imelda. I’d love to meet Zelda in the flesh.

6. What were the memorable themes?
The underlying theme of this book is ‘let go and let God.’

7. Would you recommend this book to others? Why or why not?
I’d recommend the book to any Christian woman who’s looking for an afternoon’s entertainment.

8. Is the book cover attractive?
The cover is very pink and the ‘neat-heart’ of the title is a little cheesy but I think it gives a fair glimpse of what’s inside.

9. What impressions does the book title leave you with?
There is no chance of me every being anyone’ neat-heart and I’m not even sure I’d want to be!

10. Would you read anything else by this author?
Yes. I’m going to try and get Norah’s Ark in the hope that I’ll meet some of the same characters.

11. Do you have any favorite quotes from the book? What are they?
No.

12. How would you rate this book overall? On a scale of 1-10?
7/10

45. Chip Ingram - Love, Sex & Lasting Relationships

I first came across Chip Ingram listening to UCB UK and I was struck by his warmth and sensitivity in discussing all aspects of relationships (pre- and post-marriage). This is the first of his books that I've read and I'm delighted to report that the same tone is evident in it. Chip suggests that there are two paradigms at work when it comes to romance - The Hollywood Prescription and God's Prescription - and explains both (with their benefits and pitfalls) at length. He closes in a rousing manner by inviting the reader to join 'The Second Sexual Revolution'. Illustrating the book with examples from his live and the lives of others, Chip gives a very honest and open look at relationships and purity. His argument is persuasive without being pushy. I particularly liked the fact that he's writing for a non-Christian as well as a Christian audience. He offers evidence from secular research as well as looking in some detail at part of Ephesians and this lends weight and accessibility to the text. Each chapter closes with a few questions for the reader's consideration and I'll be hanging on to this book until I've had a chance to work through them properly.

44. Carolyne Aarsen - All in One Place

This book is the sequel to The Only Best Place. It tells the story of Terra - a wild child who whirls into the farming community where her sister, Leslie lives. Touching on some serious issues of domestic violence and abortion, Aarsen has produced a very pleasant read that left me longing for more...

43. Christine Caine - Stop Acting Like a Christian Just Be One

It’s hard to know how to review this book. It’s far easier to write about things you feel strongly about (I think) and I just don’t feel strongly about it. Caine uses the analogy of your body’s core muscles giving strength and support and then applies this to three areas of a Christian’ make-up – heart, soul and mind. After dealing with these, she broadens her approach to look at the Church and evangelism. It was a pleasant enough read but failed to motivate me towards making changes in my life.

42. Janette Oke - When Calls the Heart

I chose this books for the Spring Reading Thing 2008 because I am really enjoying the 'Love Comes Softly' series by the same author. Unfortunately I found this book rather a struggle and would probably not have finished it were it not for having listed it. The main character - Elizabeth - seems wooden and the plot plodding. All this changes for the last three or four chapters, however, and I have hopes that further books in the series will be better ...

40. Elizabeth George - Life Management for Busy Women

Looking beyond the sugar, this is a typically efficient look at the main areas (spiritual, physical, home, financial, social, mental and ministry) of a Christian woman's life. Each area is given a list of ten disciplines which, according to George, are essential to successful living. Her style is bracing offset with sugar (my dear reading friend) but still readable and inspiring.

39. Lisa Bevere - Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry

I’ve read most of Lisa Bevere’s books now and think this is the best to date. It’s a no-holds-barred look at female sexuality from a Christian perspective. Lisa covers everything from what the Bible has to say about piercing to oral sex. Although she says she is writing for young, unmarried women, there is a whole lot of wonderful information for every woman – no matter what sexual experiences they may or may not have had. This book has helped me immeasurably already and I’m looking forward to studying it further.

Spring Reading Thing

How many books can I read between now and June? That, my friends, is the question. I've decided to focus on Christian fiction and non-fiction and to find ten books of each kind from my own shelves. Generally I read books in the order in which the came into the house but, for this challenge, I've picked books that I really want to read for whatever reason. I'll also be reading cat books and general fiction/non-fiction but I want my focus to be on the 20 books I list here:

Christian Fiction

Veronica Heley - Master of the Hall
Marta Perry - Hunter's Bride
Deeanne Gist - The Measure of a Lady
Beverly Lewis - The Crossroad
Janette Oke - When Calls the Heart
Carolyne Aarsen - All in One Place
Judy Baer - Be My Neat-Heart
Melody Carlson - Back Home Again
Liz Curtis Higgs - Bookends
Judith Miller - Whisper Along the Rails

Christian Non-Fiction

J Matthew Sleeth - Serve God Save the Planet
Max Lucado - Cure for the Common Life
Joyce Meyer - How to Hear from God
Ruth Haley Barton - Longing for More
Rob Bell - Sex God
Chip Ingram - Love, Sex & Lasting Relationships
Elizabeth George - Life Management for Busy Women
Christine Caine - Stop Acting Like a Christian Just Be One
Lisa Bevere - Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry
R T Kendall - Totally Forgiving Ourselves