(Review) Running Around (and such)

TITLE: Running Around (and such) Lizzie Searches for Love Book 1
AUTHOR: Linda Byler
PUB DATE: May 2010
PUBLISHER: Good Books
PAGES: 324

SOURCE: I received this book from FSB. Thanks for sending me this book.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
CAN LIZZIE FIND HAPPINESS IN HER AMISH COMMUNITY OR WILL SHE HAVE TO SETTLE FOR SOMETHING LESS THAN HER DREAMS?

Lizzie Glick longs to fit into her quiet Amish community. Her sisters, Emma and Mandy, are ready to get married and settle into the traditional rhythm of having children and keeping house. But Lizzie isn’t sure that’s what she wants for her future. It isn’t that Lizzie doesn’t want to stay Amish. It’s just that there’s so much to figure out!

Stephen, her quiet, gentle friend, hints that he might be interested in a relationship deeper than friendship, but Lizzie is also drawn to the charming Amos who seems to have eyes for everyone but her.

She has certainly attracted the attention of the egg-truck driver. A thrill runs through her every time the worldly man comes to pick up an order, each time extending his stay a little longer. How long will she keep this a secret from Emma — and Mam and Datt? (mom and dad)

What will become of Lizzie? She has too hot a temper. She hates housework and dislikes babies. She loves driving fast horses but is petrified of going away from home for a week to work as a maud (maid). Is she too spirited, too innocent, and almost too uninhibited for a young Amish woman?

MY THOUGHTS
I am a fan of Amish fiction and have been since I started blogging. I am not quite sure what it is that I truly enjoy about them, perhaps its the way they live and how they can maintain a life without the modern convinces of the world. I know I take for granted all that have and wonder what it would be like to live a simply life, although I know I could never do it.

One thing I have discovered from reading Amish fiction is that no matter what we are all the same and deal with the same problems and issues but it seems like the Amish have a better way with dealing with it and handling the situations.

I really enjoyed reading Running Around. This is the first book in the Lizzie Searches for Love series with book two called When Strawberries Bloom scheduled to be released in October 2010 and book three Big Decisions scheduled to be released in March 2011. All of which I am excited to read.

Running Around (and such) is about Lizzie Glick and she is your typical fifteen year old teenager who is trying to fit in and feel loved by her family. She has two sisters, Emma and Mandy who seems to be the favorite children (in Lizzie’s eyes) that seem to do no wrong.

Emma is sixteen and looking to get married and start a family which Lizzie doesn’t want. Lizzie is unsure about her future and what she wants to do which is like all teenagers today. I don’t think I would want to be married at such a young age but I guess if that is what you know then its okay.

When Lizzie is told that she must go out to work (we quickly find out that Lizzie is just like your typical teenager who doesn’t want to go out to work or do anything). Her first job is working on a egg farm where she will check the eggs and stamp them for sale. Its on this job that she catches the attention of an older guy who is English who comes to pick up his order. Lizzie knows this is wrong but yet it thrills her. Will she be able to keep this secret from her family and what will they do when they find out?

I managed to read this over several days and really enjoyed it. I am curious about Lizzie and what she will get into in the next book.

There was only two little things that bothered me about the book and that was the mention of shoofly pie that her mother was making, there was no recipe for this (in the back of the book there is eight of Lizzie’s favorite recipes) but I did get the recipe from Donna at Books Bound who found it online and sent it too me. The other thing that bothered me was the weight issue. From looking at the cover you wouldn’t think that Lizzie had a problem but in the book there is several references to it and if it really was an issue I wonder why the mother would continue to make such sweet treats?

Over all I enjoyed the book and in the back of the book along with a glossary of Amish terms that were used in the book was like I said above eight of Lizzie’s Favorite Recipes which included: baked macaroni and cheese, molasses cookies (which I love), chicken stew, creamsticks, apple pie with crumb topping, red beet eggs, homemade baked beans and whoopie pies.

I actually made the Whoopie Pies and they were delicious. I have been craving whoopie Pies for a while so when I started this book and saw the recipe I decided to make some. Don’t they look good?

Thanks again FSB for sending me this book. Looking forward to reading the next two books in the series.