The Gargoyle

Book: The Gargoyle
Author: Andrew Davidson

I was very interested in this book - it involves a man who was burned in an accident. With my husband having been in a horrible fire that left him with scars, it peaked my interest.

But first, let me say - I'm not a total prude... I can handle today's books... but I couldnt even get through the beginnings of this book. I got to Chapter 3 & I finally had to stop & just put the book away.

I wasnt expecting the language to be so foul ..... & I wasnt expecting the main character to be a porn star...that threw me off... so within the first few chapters, it was just too much for me. Then the talk of suicide coming in - I just knew this book wasnt for me...

Again, I'm not a prude - but I only really have to set some standards for MYSELF.... so I just put the book in the pile to be sold... & I literally just got the book in the mail today... darn!

If some of you read it, & you like it... kudos to you.. it just wasnt for me...

My rating = 0 skeins

The Reader

Book: The Reader

Author: Bernard Schlink

I remember when the previews came out for the movie - it intrigued me. But as always, I think books are better. I never got to see the movie, but I went ahead & read the book... WOW... now, I gotta see the movie!

This story is about a 15 yr old boy that mets an older woman in Germany. They start an affair & during this time, she asks him to read stories. There are clues throughout the book on why she has him reading these things to her... but its very interesting to watch their affair. Its interesting to see the affect Hannah Schmitz has on Michael Berg - throughout his whole life.

Hannah disappears suddenly one day, & Michael cant forget her... & then he sees her in court for her dealings in a concentration camp. The results of the trial shows exactly what Hannah has been hiding...

The story is beautifully written - It shows how someone can come in your life & never leave it - even if you dont talk to them anymore.

The end of the story shocked me.... I gasped... but again, very beautiful with how Michael ends the story... gotta go see the movie for sure now!

Rating: 5 skeins... very good book!

Bridge to Terabithia

Book: Bridge to Terabithia
Author: Katherine Paterson

I came across someone's book list that had their top 10 books as a kid. This book was on it & I remember when the movie came out (never saw it) & remember talking how good that was too. So I ended up finding the book really cheap off of Half.com & thought I'll read it.

I noticed right away it says for ages 10 & up.... & that it wasnt very long. So yes, I ended up reading it during my work day (which was nice)... but I wasnt disappointed in the story at all - this is a story that any age would like. I'm actually surprised it goes for as young as 10, but think its probably good for them to see a story about real life.

Never seeing the movie, I thought it would go into detail about their "imaginary world" of Terabithia that Jess & Leslie created. The book didnt do that - which I was happy about. But did show how their friendship was so deep between a boy & girl in 5th grade - something that rarely happens. But being neighbors in farm territory, they were able to grow closer through the year. With Leslie's story telling & Jess's art abilities, these two were a perfect friendship.

I had read in all the reviews... so if you dont know & you DONT want to know how it ends... stop reading NOW!!!!..... but I knew the end was coming with Leslie's death - but it still is never easy to read of the reactions of how a death affects someone - especially a 5th grade boy who was best friends with her.

I really enjoyed the end how he realized in this "world" of Terabithia where Leslie made Jess a KING - he knew he was knighted to go into the world on his own without his queen.

With the way Leslie died - the rope giving way over rushing water - I loved how Jess made his baby sister a bridge to start her own adventures in this world.... a very sweet ending... a very sweet book...

My Rating: 5 skeins.... I do think a young reader could appreciate this book - even its "grown up" themes & words at times... a beautiful story of friendship.

Let it go

Book: Let it go

Author: Sheila Walsh

I rarely like books that are like "self-help" books. They dont hold my attention & get too repetitive & boring. There are just a few select authors I like like that. Max Lucado is a YES to every book, Patsy Clairmont is a YES to every book... but there are few that I just gotta read.

But after picking up Patsy's book at the latest Women of Faith conference, I thought that was it.... until I heard Sheila talk about her experience of letting go bitterness & resentment & emotions she was having towards her husband about things in their life. Something in me hit me to go get this book... & I'm so glad I did....

This book is properly titled "Let it go"... its such a reminder of letting go of the things that we hold onto - especially as women - that end up eating us up, end up tearing us away from God & driving wedges in our lives & our families & relationships.

I especially enjoyed at the beginning of each chapter, there was a parable sort of story that really explained what the chapter would be about & they were just such good, heart felt little stories. I even wrote one out on my "Quote blog"... http://rebeccajosquotes.blogspot.com/2009/08/let-it-go-sheila-walsh.html

I also wrote SOOO many quotes from this book, it was CRAZY... such good insight... here's the link to the quotes I took down

http://rebeccajosquotes.blogspot.com/2009/08/let-it-go.html

My favorite though that I will probably always carry with me is the following from Corrie Ten Boom:

"The purpose of being guilty is to bring us to Jesus. Once we are there, then its purpose is finished. If we continue to make ourselves guilty - to blame ourselves - then that is sin in itself"

Do I recommend it? I really do - I think its a easy read, interesting & just an easy way its delivered that shows God in every situation...

My Rating: 4 skeins... (Which is REALLY good for me & a book of this sort)

Miss Invisible

Book: Miss Invisible
Author: Laura Jensen Walker
This story is about a girl named Freddie who is a "big girl" - so already, I'm interested in this story.

She works in a bakery & is fantastic at what she does. But with her weight, she feels like most of the world ignores her - or any bigger girl - hence, the name Miss Invisible. Her boss degrades her because of her weight - her father & step mother treat her so horribly because of her weight & she's also single & trying to find a good Christian man to date while feeling so down on herself.

But she finds a new friend, Deborah, that just changes her life & is also a bigger girl - & busts through all the myths of how a big-girl SHOULD act... she's a fantastic character in the book! Deborah is a caterer & soon, gets Freddie to use her skills of cooking & fast become partners in the food world!

We get to see Freddie grow in this book - emotionally that is! She becomes stronger - becomes more comfortable with herself - becomes someone she doesnt think she could ever become - all with the help of her fantastic friends.

She also starts a BLOG in the book - which really made me happy... being one who loves all things bloggy!!!

This is a Christian novel, which I LOVED - Deborah is very much a Christian influence with prayers & scripture being brought into the story all the time.

Freddie finds out some devestating news about her father & her mother at the end... but its such a good reminder of the family of God & how you can have your "chosen family"....

This was a very easy read - enjoyable - cute.... definitely a story I didnt mind getting into. Freddie & Deborah - & Simon, Shane, Nicole, Lydia, Millie, Samuel ... & little Sam... all seemed like friends I would want to have

Because it was a story of a big girl who blogs... gotta give it 4 skeins!

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

Book: The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Author: Kim Edwards
OK - I have seen this book out & wanted to buy it. Lynn let me borrow it & I was excited... my bubble was popped though... I didnt care for this book at all....

The story is about Dr. David Henry & about his wife who gives birth to twins. The first is born healthy - the 2nd is a daughter born with Down Syndrome. He asks the nurse to take her to a home & gives her up, telling the mother the baby died. The nurse, Caroline, wasnt able to leave her & ran with the baby, Phoebe, & raised her on her own.

The secret between David & Norah caused a rift in their relationship - that only builds more secrets... & then when their son Paul gets older, he too starts getting caught in the "rifts of secrets"....

Good story idea I guess... but for me, I just couldnt "get into it"... LONG chapters, complicated wording to tell a simple thought. Like someone would be thinking of something & next thing you know, they are thinking of the past, & then right back to the present... for me - that was hard to follow.

Plus, I thought it was sad in the end when David never got to meet his daughter or explain...

Again - this is just my opinion... this book wasnt for me... at all...

My rating: 1 Skein out of 5

The Vigil

Book: The Vigil
Author: Cecila Samarlin

So this is the last book I read since starting this. A publishing company got ahold of me & sent it to me before they released it. That was pretty cool. Unfortunately, I was so busy & didnt get to read it before it was released... but once I got into it, I was sucked in & wished I read it earlier...

This is a story about a young girl named Ana who lived in El Salavador during war times. The way she survived is by God's hand & she soons finds herself in a convent with a Sister who helped her. Before she is to take her vows, she is to go to be a nanny in a home that is in need of her touch.

The little boy is a handful - but no match for Ana & soon the family expands with another little girl. Ana is now part of the family. She sees these kids grow up - she watches the relationship between their parents... & she falls in love...

The story flashes back from the deathbed of her husband to her past & it merges to the present. The passing of her husband is so sad - I actually teared up on those pages ... but it shows how "into" the story I was.

It was a fast, easy, nice read.

The only thing that struck me - Ana was a good, kind hearted person who wanted to become a nun - in one part of the story, she used a curse word that was SOOOO out of character. I wonder why they put that in - it just didnt "fit" Ana... but other then that - the story was really well told.

One of my favorite quotes from the book: "He was an uncomplicated, happy man with a soulful laugh that could tenderize the toughest of moments"... isnt that great?

My rating: 4 out of 5 .... I was going to use stars - but I love yarn & skeins - so I'll give out SKEINS instead of stars!!! Just who I am - its my blog - right?

My books!

Well, I blog about everything else - I thought, why not blog about my books - because it is interesting to me how many books I read in a year.

I do have my sight at http://www.shelfari.com/rebeccajovincent/shelf

& this is showing that I've read 14 books so far this year... pretty cool....

So I'm going to keep that up, but also wanted to have a place where I could easily look back at the books I've read....

So here we go!