christianreads

christianreads

☕ Book Break ☕ | How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

Posted on by Donna Stone

~How to Stop Time by Matt Haig~
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“A wave can kill you. Or you can ride it. It’s sometimes more dangerous to shy away. You can’t live your life in fear…”
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Tom Hazard has just taken a job as a history teacher, moving back to London. By all appearances he is a mild mannered 41 year old bachelor. He’s actually much older. Much older. How To Stop Time is a science fiction book about…people who age slower than the typical. They live for hundreds of years. Tom has become aware that there are people who wish to harm those like him, and as protection, he has joined a secret society that keeps them safe. But to belong he has to do his part. He gets occasional assignments, and he must never fall in love.

Intriguing beginning. The story switches back and forth in time but I never found it confusing.
It hit just the right balance of mystery, suspense, and action for this reader. I was completely hooked and read it straight through. .
In this book, the characters travel on a personal journey of introspection and enlightenment. Like all good scifi, the novel gets a bit philosophical. Ends on a note of lessons learned and hope for happy possibilities. Well done. Satisfying ending after I had almost given up hope of Tom having one. Scifi is not my usual genre, but this one had me from page one. Excellent storytelling. Some language.
. “In those moments of that burst alive the present lasts forever.”
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“The way you stop time is by stopping being ruled by it. I am no longer drowning in my past, or fearful of my future.”

☕ Book Break ☕ | The Broken Road by Richard Paul Evans

Posted on by Donna Stone

~The Broken Road by Richard Paul Evans~
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Charles James is a well known celebrity, widely recognized and wildly successful. Successful in his business, that is. In every other aspect of his life he is a failure. Additionally, he is plagued by a recurring nightmare that he is traveling down a broken road. One fateful day he has the chance to disappear, remake his life.
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This story starts with Charles James on a journey, and he is telling the story of his past. We kind of see where he ends up, at least in this first part of his story. . This novel is the first in a series of three. It did seem a little slow in parts, but overall an engaging tale with a moral.
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I enjoyed the book. A well written cautionary tale. If I had realized it was only one of three I might have waited, but then I am the sort who likes to wait until an entire series is done and binge. .
I think it was memorable enough that I will not need to reread when the next book comes out.
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Good, solid Richard Paul Evans. If you are a fan, you will like this book. Recommended.
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☕ Book Break ☕ | The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth

Posted on by Donna Stone

~The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth~
I could not tear myself away from this novel. .
Everyone in the friendly community of Pleasant Court knows their neighbors, or do they? One day, someone new, Isabelle, moves into the close knit neighborhood, but she isn’t like everyone else here. She is a single woman in a neighborhood primarily of young families.
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Isabelle is tracking down someone’s secret. Under scrutiny, things that once were hidden come to light and lives unravel. Secrets abound in this novel. Ange, Fran and Essie all have things they would rather not share and things in their lives they prefer not to examine to closely. .
This story makes one wonder what kinds of lies we tell ourselves and each other. .
Highly entertaining. Great women’s fiction. Fast moving and an easy read.
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☕ Book Break ☕ | The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Posted on by Donna Stone

~The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah~

In 1974, 13 year old Leni’s father announces that they will be moving to Alaska. Her father, Ernt, has been gifted with a homestead. Leni and her parents pack their belongings in a VW bus and head north. They are ill prepared for the wilderness that greets them. The community pools together to help the trio, but they quickly learn that the environment is a harsh and unforgiving one.
Even worse, the long winters aggravate Ernt’s mental condition. He was a POW and has nightmares coupled with a violent temper. Cora, Lani’s mother takes the brunt of Ernt’s violence, but the situation soon escalates.

Kristin Hannah tackles a tough subject in this book, and I think she did a good job of portraying the complexity of one facet of domestic abuse. I mostly liked this novel. While it kept my interest, it was difficult for me to relate to the main characters. The women were too weak for my liking and this frustrated me. I wanted them to figure out how to stop being victims, but I think that was one of the points of the story. I cared enough about the characters to finish the book in a short period of time.

Victims of domestic abuse often cannot find their way out. The convoluted thinking of the abused wife shows her reasoning and ability to live in denial. The characters were completely believable. I think this is a realistic portrayal of women in this situation.
This is a long book. I liked the first half better than the second, which seemed to drag in spots to me. It felt like a genre shift, but then returned to the familiar story telling of the first half.

This novel is well worth the read, and I recommend it. Kristin Hannah fans will love this book. The vivid descriptions of Alaska and the community there made me want to visit. Not in winter, though!

☕ Book Break ☕ | All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

Posted on by Donna Stone

~All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda~ “There is nothing more dangerous, nothing more powerful, nothing more necessary and essential for survival than the lies we tell ourselves.” Nicole returns to her hometown of Cooley Ridge to care for her aging father. She hasn’t been home in a decade, not since her best friend,Corrine, disappeared. Shortly after Nic’s return another girl, Annaleise, goes missing. The current investigation uncovers old clues.

Nic’s father suffers from dementia, and he is saying things that make no sense. Does he know something about Corrine’s disappearance? Or is it just the ramblings of a confused old man?

This story is told in reverse, beginning at day fifteen and ending on day one. This one is full of twists, turns, and suspense that was addictive.
I did not read the description before I begin this book, so was thrown for a moment at the telling in reverse. Once I caught on, I was amazed at the storytelling. It was not confusing at all. I’m not usually a fan of the told-in-reverse type stories, but this one hit all the right storytelling notes.

Nic gets entangled with her former boyfriend, even though she is engaged. “But maybe there was nothing more intimate than someone knowing all your secrets, every one of them, and sitting beside you anyway, buying your favorite food, running his fingers absently through your hair so you can sleep.” Plenty of drama going on with the other characters as well. And the characters! The interaction between the girls and the unraveling of the mystery was mesmerizing. More adult themes than my usual fare. It does make you wonder what lengths you would go to in order to protect the ones you love.

☕ Book Break ☕ | The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge Selleck

Posted on by Donna Stone

~The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge Selleck~ “Once you tell a lie, you have to keep tellin’ and tellin’ and tellin’ to make it stand.”

I passed this one by more than once, but as it gained popularity my curiosity was peaked. This book proves the old saying “You can’t judge a book by its cover.”

Ora Lee Beckworth hires the Pecan Man, pronounced Pee-can, a homeless black man, do do yard work for her. When a young man turns up stabbed to death, the murder is pinned on the Pecan Man, but Ora Lee knows the truth. The year is 1976 and the voice is authentic. I felt like I was listening to an actual person telling me about real life events. Ora Lee is finally coming clean and telling what she knows about the murder, who really committed the act, and the horrific events that led up to it.

I made the mistake of starting to listen to this book late one evening thinking it would put me to sleep. Instead it kept me up! I listened to the audio version read by Suzanne Toren, who performed the book wonderfully.

Click here for Book Club Questions for The Pecan Man.

☕ Book Break ☕ | When We Were Worthy by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

Posted on by Donna Stone

~When We Were Worthy by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen~

A tragic accident after a high school football game one night results in the death of three cheerleaders. Rumors fly and the folks in town blame the boy driving the other car.

When We Were Worthy is set in the small town of Worthy, Georgia, but it could be any small, football crazy, southern town. I felt as if I were reading about real people I might bump into on the street. Events happen that cause the characters lives to spin out of control. Lives are devastated and restored.

This is a story about guilt and innocence, tragedy and overcoming. Marybeth Whalen keeps several storylines going, fitting them together perfectly. I could not put this novel down until the last page was read. I think I have found a new favorite author.

“But is was rare that anyone got what he or she deserved in the life, for better or for worse.”

“Maybe that’s what everyone in the world was searching for–someone who, when they felt vulnerable and exposed and afraid, would meet them in the doorway with a look of love so pure it made all that other stuff fall away.”

☕ Book Break ☕ | Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford

Posted on by Donna Stone

~Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford~ “Parents always have a story that their children don’t really know.” “I wonder if the best thing any of us can hope for in life is a soft place to land.”

“Sometimes you need to feel the sadness, you need to feel everything to finally leave it behind, to have peace.”

I chose this book out a recommended list based on the title. In 1962 Seattle, Ernest Young is dealing with his wife’s memory loss and her troubled mental condition. This is historical fiction and love story combines, but is more than that. There is a lot of story packed into this novel that didn’t feel at all like a long read. Never once did it seem to drag.

The story moves back and forth from 1962 and the 1902 World’s Fair. Ernest, half-chinese and half American, came to America when he was five years old after his mother could no longer care for him, sending him away rather than see him starve. After he arrives, life is not easy. He is twelve years old when he gets to attend the 1902 World’s fair only to find that he is being raffled off “to a good home”. His benefactor, who up to this point has paid for his schooling and upkeep, is offering him as a prize. When the owner of a high class brothel comes to claim him, intent on making him a houseboy, Ernest’s guardian balks, but in the end Ernest goes home with the Madame.

There actually was a raffle held for a child at the 1902 World’s Fair, and his name was Ernest, but he was an infant and never claimed.

Full of historical tidbits. This story made me reflect on human nature and love. I will look for more books by Jamie Ford.

☕ Book Break ☕ | The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner

Posted on by Donna Stone

~ The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner~

Warm, witty, and utterly charming, The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck, tells the story of Sarah’s conversion and subsequent falling for the pastor, Ben. And he reciprocates. A bunch. Problem: Sarah writes ultra steamy romance. Ultra. Steamy. Her new found faith is at direct odds with her former lifestyle and persona. Did I mention she has made a ton of money and is famous for those steamy romances?

I laughed out loud more than once. I love Bethany Turner’s writing style. I loved the characters. I love the story idea and the portrayal that, yes, christians do deal with sexual attraction. It’s refreshing to see a novel addressing that reality.

It is a bit heavy on the sexual attraction angle and does not explore the other aspects of Ben and Sarah’s relationship in the way I expected, but I enjoyed the read and will look for more by Bethany Turner. Cute read. Love the cover.

☕ Book Break ☕ | The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy

Posted on by Donna Stone

~The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy~

Hanna Casey is the local librarian in the village of Finfarrin. After a bad end to a marriage, with teen daughter in tow, she is forced to stay with her mother, who is a bit of a grump. Hanna drives a book mobile to serve the community along the coast. Now that daughter Jazz is grown and on her own, Hanna wants to reassert her independence and move out, but that plan is threatened by the impending closure of the library.

This novel is a delightful read with relatable characters who remind me of people I know. It is an appealing picture of community village life in Ireland. As it states on the front cover, it did remind me of Maeve Binchy with its rich characters and descriptions of village life on the coast of Ireland. I hardly put it down from start to finish. Not action packed, but completely engaging and absorbing. Down to earth and charming.