Category: Challenges (past)

The Hope of Refuge Blog Tour & Review

Posted on by Cindy

PUB DATE: August 2009

Thank You to Liz at Random House for contacting me about being part of the WaterBrook Multnomah Tour of this book.

This book is coming out today and I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of the book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cindy Woodsmall is the author of When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and The New York Times Best-Seller When the Soul Mends. Her ability to authentically capture the heart of her characters comes from her real-life connections with Amish Mennonite and Old Order Amish families. A mother of three sons and two daughters-in-law, Cindy lives in Georgia with her husband of thirty-one years.

You can check out Cindy’s site for more info about all kinds of great things.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Raised in foster care and now the widowed mother of a little girl, Cara Moore struggles against poverty, fear, and a relentless stalker. When a trail of memories leads Cara and Lori out of New York City toward an Amish community, she follows every lead, eager for answers and a fresh start. She discovers that long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and it’s no place for an outsider. But one Amish man, Ephraim Mast, dares to fulfill the command he believes that he received from God–“Be me to her”– despite how it threatens his way of life.

Completely opposite of the hard, untrusting Cara, Ephraim’s sister Deborah also finds her dreams crumbling when the man she has pledged to build a life with begins withdrawing from Deborah and his community, including his mother, Ada Stoltzfus. Can the run-down house that Ada envisions transforming unite them toward a common purpose–or push Mahlon away forever? While Ephraim is trying to do what he believes is right, will he be shunned and lose everything–including the guarded single mother who simply longs for a better life?

MY THOUGHTS:
This is Cindy’s fourth book. I have to admit though this is her first book I have read. I actually I have her previous three books (When The Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes and When The Soul Mends) in my TBR pile. Her fifth book The Sound of Sleigh Bells is coming out in October 2009.

I really enjoyed reading “The Hope of Refuge”. I actually got so into the book that I had a hard time putting it down. I think I will have to move her three books up on my TBR pile now. I love to read books with an Amish setting and characters.

Cindy even include some of their language in the book and was kind enough to put Glossary in the back. Most of the words were pretty easy to figure out such as: Daed= dad, denki= thank you, Mamm=mom, kumm=come and a few others.

The main character, Cara is a single mom who fears for her life and her daughters as she struggles to find work and keeping her daughter safe. She is on the run from a guy named Mike. (I am not sure if I missed something but I felt it was never revealed why she was afraid of Mike and why she was running from him.)

Then one day Mike manages to find her and ransacks her apartment and comes to the bar she works at and threatens her. Without a second glance she leaves her job to pick up Lori (her daughter) and leaves town right away with the little money she has and the clothes on their backs.

With her mother’s journal Cara starts to have some flashbacks of her childhood. She wonders what they mean and begins to realize that the key to those flashbacks are in the notes from her mother’s journal that she left Cara with.

When she uncovers a hidden message with an address Cara decides that is the way her and Lori will go so they board a bus. When they get off she realizes that it has lead her to an Amish community.

Cara is very much the outsider with no money or family. So in order to survive for the first few days she basically breaks into the Amish homes to get the supplies she needs for Lori and herself. She is spotted and is called a thief and drunk. She hides in a barn until Ephraim tells her she has to leave but before she is told his father calls the police. She is almost arrested when Ephraim comes to her rescue.

How will Cara react when she finds out that she really does have a family? Will Ephraim risk everything and all that he believes in to help Cara? Can Cara make the change from a modern world full of modern technolgy to live a pure and simple life?

As Cindy was recently covered on ABC Nightline, you can see it in the following link:

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=7676659&page=1

If you would like to get a copy of the book then please use this link http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781400073962 to get a copy.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

All That Glitters Review

Posted on by Cindy

PUB DATE: August 2009
Thank you to Nicole O’Dell and Barbour Books for sending me this book to read and review.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Drew Daniels finally has what she thought she wanted—popularity and a cute boyfriend. But now she’s faced with choosing between pleasing her boyfriend and doing what’s right. Tween readers make the choice in this interactive story and see how the consequences change Drew’s life. Includes a contract and prayer to remind the reader of the importance of making godly decisions.

MY THOUGHTS:
This is the second book in the series but you don’t have to read the first book first. They are stand alone and each book is a new situation and new characters. This was another fun and quick read.

All that Glitters is about two twin sisters, Dani and Drew. They are beginning 9th grade. Dani is the quiet reserved twin who likes things the way they are and Drew is wanting to branch out and be her unique self and not be so much referred to as the twin.

The girls go back to school shopping with their mother and agree to share the budget on clothes but Drew has a plan up her sleeve, when they get to the mail she tells them she wants to get her hair cut differently. Which she does and as they are about to leave she asks her mother if they can stay because she wants to get some special clothes. Her mother agrees but she has guidelines to follow. You know this will be trouble but Drew is smart with what she buys knowing that she is buying the wrong clothes but she makes it work so her mother will agree.

Once school begins Drew announces she is going to try out for cheer leading. She makes the team and more. With being in cheer leading she is exposed to the football team and the popular world. Not wanting to be an outcast she does what ever it will take to be with Trevor and that group even if it mean she is lying to her parents and perhaps getting into trouble with the police.

I am really looking forward to reading Magna and Making Waves when they come out.

I think as a parent this is a great book for young girls to read. I know as a parent I am already worrying about this stuff and Michael is only 6.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Truth or Dare Review

Posted on by Cindy


PUB DATE: August 2009

Thank you to Nicole O’Dell and Barbour Books for sending me this book to read and review.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Lindsay Martin is faced with a tough choice: Does she give in to peer pressure and make her friends happy or does she do what she knows is right—even if it means losing her friends forever? Tween readers make the choice in this interactive story and see how the consequences change Lindsay’s life. Includes a contract and prayer to remind the reader of the importance of making godly decisions.

MY THOUGHTS:
I think that this is a great concept for the book. Its actually two books in one. When you got to the section in the book you could actually choose would Lindsay cave to peer pressure and if she did you got to see what would happen. If you think she won’t you got to see what would happen.

I really enjoyed reading the book and it was a quick and easy read. As I was reading the book I realized that growing up I was never really forced into peer pressure. I think that mainly had to do with the group of people I hung around with. I mean of course there was drugs, alcohol and many other things around me but we chose not to be involved in that. Plus I grew up in a household where alcohol was around and I saw it and realized I didn’t want to be like that.

Truth or Dare is about four girls who are the best of friends: Lindsay, Macy, Sam and Kelly. Of all the girls I could relate the most with Macy. She is the soft spoken one who hates to offend anyone and feelings get easily hurt. That is just like me. (Yea I know hard to believe eh?)

With the girls being in 8th grade they have to celebrate so Sam suggests a sleep over and has a surprise for the girls. So when the girls show up and are wondering about the surprise she tells them they are going to play Truth or Dare.

We all know that playing Truth or Dare will lead to trouble. At first it starts out harmless but then it escalates to some serious illegal stuff. What will happen to the girls? What would you do?

This is a great book for young girls to read and I highly recommend it.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Obama’s Blackberry Review

Posted on by Cindy

PUB DATE: June 2009

When we had our local Book blogger meet up this past weekend, I managed to snag this book from Linda Ellen’s pile of offerings. You can read her review HERE.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

When Obama stated that if elected, he would keep his Blackberry, debate echoed through Washington and among the ranks of the Secret Service.

What would it be like to have a president who could Twitter, send text messages, and navigate the web with ease? What would it be like to receive a text message from inside the Oval Office and, most importantly, what would it say?

Now, for the first time, We The People are privy to our new leader’s epistolary back-and-forths on his wily hand-held device. We’re about to discover that his emails (and the replies, from his wife and daughters, Biden, Palen, Rush, Hannity, the new first puppy, and even Bush) are so tuned in to the language of electronic correspondence they come hilariously close to the brink of legibility.

This giftable, imagined glimpse into Obama’s beloved Blackberry traverses the mundane and momentous contours of the Commander in Chief’s life, from security briefings to spam, basketball practice to domestic bliss, and the panic of oops-I-hit-reply-all, to, of course, the trauma of dealing with the First Mother In Law.

MY THOUGHTS:

This was a quick and easy read. I actually managed to read it in one sitting while getting supper ready Sunday night. The book is entirely fiction and they are not the real messages from Obama’s blackberry.

It was a very light and funny read. One that made me laugh was a text message between Obama and the secret service it was about Obama asking the secret service if they knew where he was and of course they did know from the lincoln bedroom to the china room. The ones from bill Clinton were pretty funny too. Also was Abraham Lincoln from up above.

The author really got the personalities just right when he wrote the text messages and emails. He even included some spam as well. He mentioned Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, his wife, daughter and many others.

I know as I was sitting reading this book I couldn’t help but laugh at some of them and I wonder what his real blackberry would reveal?

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Summer House Review & Pump Up Your Promo Tour

Posted on by Cindy



PUB DATE: June 2009

Thank You to Dorothy at Pump Up Your Promotion for sending me this book and allowing me to be a part of the July virtual tour of it.

This is Nancy Thayer’s latest book. I just love the cover of it and if this doesn’t say summer then I don’t know what does. How I would love to be there right now.

Nancy Thayer has written several New York Times best sellers. Before signing up for this tour I have to admit that I have never heard of Nancy before and after reading Summer House I am curious at pick up some of her earlier books to read.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

At thirty, Charlotte Wheelwright remains the dreamer she’s always been. But when she begins an organic garden on a portion of her grandmother’s land, Charlotte learns to plant her feet in solid ground and begins to build a new life.


More often than not, ninety-year-old Nona Wheelwright contentedly spends her time reminiscing about days gone by. But with her family’s annual reunion and financial meeting looming, Nona must give up her days of quiet solitude to soothe her easily riled up family.

For decades Charlotte’s mother, Helen, who married into the illustrious Wheelwright family, has been pressured to adhere to their way of life. But when, during the course of the family’s annual summer retreat, she discovers her husband’s betrayal, Helen wonders if she sacrificed her dreams for the wrong reasons.

Artfully written and set on the glorious island of Nantucket, Nancy Thayer’s Summer House is a vibrant and stirring novel about family, love, and daily choices that affect entire lives.


New York Times calls it, “a Nantucket family-reunion story…well-wrought, appealing book will come as a pleasant surprise…packed with literally down-to-earth charm, what with a central character who escapes her family of starchy bankers by lovingly tending her vegetable garden.”

MY THOUGHTS:

This is my first time reading anything by Nancy Thayer and I have to say I really enjoyed reading the book. I am just wondering if this story will be continued as there was alot of open gaps that left me wondering alot of things.

While I was reading it I have to admit that Nona was my favorite. I loved reading about her memories. She seems like a great grandmother to have. It was nice reading them as it made you feel you were actually there with her.

Summer House is about three generations of Wheelwright’s. The Wheelwrights run a very well known bank in Nantucket that has been the family business for many generations.

From the outside it looks like the Wheelwrights have the perfect lives but on the inside its not what it appears.

The three main characters in the book seem to tell the story. There is Nona who is the matriarch of the Wheelwright’s and is 90 years old. She has two grown children, Grace & Worth. Grace is married and has three grown daughters. Worth is married to Helen and has three grown children as well. Their daughter Charlotte is 30 and is living with Nona.

Nona gave us a glimpse into her life from the time she was introduced into the Wheelwright family. She over heard Herb’s(her deceased husband)mother and father telling her they didn’t think she was good enough for the family when she was younger. She tried very hard to fit into this family. She always wondered when and if she would fit in.

Helen is in her 60s and is having to deal with alot of things and basically has alot on her plate. What will she do when she finds out about Worth’s secret life? Will she be able to confide in anyone? Will she be able to forgive him? She wonders when will she be a grandmother. She is very much like Nona trying to fit into the family and basically just goes with the flow.

Charlotte is Helen’s 30 year old daughter who is basically a free spirit. She is a dreamer and that is what the family sees her as. She has no real goals in her life and never sees things through. When she goes to live with Nona she feels as though she has found her calling in life and has set up an organic farm. When the family hears she made a profit they feel as though their is favorites within the family. Is that true? Will she be able to see things through and start a new life? What will Nona have to say about letting Charlotte having that little piece of land to the family? Will she be able to find happiness and be with a man, Coop or Whit?

It was nice to read Summer House because it appears as though this family has it all but when you look behind close doors they aren’t that perfect family the appear to be. Each family has their own secrets and some surprising then others.

Reading Summer House I almost felt like I was there. I love a book like that. I think one day I will have to go to Nantucket.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Nancy Thayer is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Hot Flash Club, The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again, Hot Flash Holidays, The Hot Flash Club Chills Out, and Moon Shell Beach. She is also the author of a new June release, Summer House. She is the mother of Samantha Wilde, whose debut novel, This Little Mommy Stayed Home, comes out on June 23. Nancy lives on Nantucket.

You can visit her website at http://www.nancythayer.com/.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Two Years, No Rain Review & TLC Book Tours

Posted on by Cindy


PUB DATE: June 2009

I have to say Thank You to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for allowing me to be a part of the tour for Two Years, No Rain.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

An earnest journey from heartache to heartthrob and all the emotions along the way; at once an old-fashioned love story and a cautionary tale of self-reinvention.

In San Diego County, it hasn’t rained in 580 days. But for weatherman Andy Dunne, everything else is changing fast…Only a few weeks ago, he was a newly divorced, slightly overweight meteorologist for an obscure satellite radio station, hiding his secret love for a colleague, the beautiful—and very much married—Hillary Hsing. But nearly overnight, Andy has landed a new gig, flying a magic carpet in a bizarre live-action children’s TV show. So what is affable, basically decent Andy Dunne going to do now that he can do practically anything he wants? With a parade of hot moms begging for his autograph and a family that needs his help more than ever, Andy has a lot of choices. First, though, there’s this thing with Hillary, their heated text messages, a long-awaited forecast for rain – and a few other surprises he never saw coming.

MY THOUGHTS:

I have to admit I was gushing when I opened Two Years, No Rain to read for two reasons, one this book sounded really good when I heard about it and the second was that it was a signed copy. I always get excited when I discover a book that is sent is a signed copy.

Shawn is a new to me author. He wrote Jessica Z last year. After reading Two Years, No Rain I am really excited to pick you Jessica Z to read. Perhaps in the very near future a review of it will appear on this blog.

I really enjoyed reading Two Years, No Rain and right now I would be willing to send them all the rain we have been having.

Andy is a 30 something guy, newly divorced (living in a house with not furniture) and works at a satellite radio station reporting the weather. Although right now with two years of no rain and nothing in site Andy is having a hard time to report the weather Southern California.

When is love interest Hillary (they have been friends) tells him about a voice audition that is happening he is reluctant at first but with her persuasion he agrees to make a demo and go to the audition. Before Andy realizes it he is hired as the host of the children’s show. Which is perfect because at the satellite radio station there is cutbacks and he looses his job.

Andy is trying to deal with his failed marriage and his ex-wife’s affair that ended the marriage. Andy is also a family man who cares about his family as he tries to help his sister and her family because her husband is a chaplain who is in the war. He takes Hannah, his niece under his wing because Hannah and her mother are constantly fighting and everyone agrees that being able to have another place to crash whenever Hannah needs it is a good thing. He is also still grieving the loss of his twin brother.

As the book progresses we see that Andy and Hillary (who’s unfortunately married) relationship begin to form. Its all just casual flirting by text and phone calls until her husband discovers this and tells Andy to back off. Which they do but then a chance at going to Hong Kong arises, will Andy take Hillary with him? Will this relationship have a chance to blossom like the rosebush Hannah planted in her uncles yard?

I loved Andy he was just your typical guy next door that you would fall in love with. You couldn’t help but root for him throughout the book and hoped that he would come out on top in the end.

Another thing I loved about the book was “When the world ends, the readers will be spared. You and I will be spared, together, just because we cherish books.” Isn’t that a great quote?

Here are some other bloggers who are taking part in this tour:

July 30th (Thursday) Raging Bibliomania
August 3rd (Monday) Chic Book Chick
August 4th (Tuesday) Planet Books
August 10th (Monday) Book Worm with a View
August 12th (Wednesday) Starting Fresh
August 13th (Thursday) Alea Pop Culture
August 18th (Tuesday) Books on the Brain
August 20th (Thursday) Book-a-rama

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After growing up in the midwest, Shawn Klomparens moved to the Northern Rockies in 1994 for what he thought would be a one-year break from graduate studies. Grad school was quickly forgotten for the mountains, though, and in the fifteen years since he’s worked as a bicycle mechanic, line cook, computer geek, and writer. He continues to live and write in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with his wife and two children.
His debut novel, Jessica Z, came out in 2008. Two Years, No Rain is his second book.

You can check out Shawn’s site here.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.

Dead Until Dark Review

Posted on by Cindy

PUB DATE: Originally came out in hard cover January 2008. This version of the book came out September 2008. This is the movie tie in version.

As many of you know Beth Fish Reads is hosting the Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge. The challenge is to read all nine books in this series by June 30, 2010.

I saw this on twitter in June and decided that I wanted to take part in this knowing that I probably could finish this challenge without a problem. I have managed to convince my partner in crime Donna and hoping to have convinced Michael to take part in this challenge too. Its easy 9 books to read in the next year. How hard could that be right? I have bought all 8 books for now and I am hoping that by the time I get to the 9th one it will be in paperback. I am one down and 8 to go.

The books in this series are:
Dead Until Dark *COMPLETED*

Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
From Dead to Worse
Dead and Gone
Charlaine Harris is the author of 28 books. This is a new to me author. Dead Until Dark is the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. True Blood is an original series that is based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels that airs on Sunday nights on HBO.
When I first picked up Dead Until Dark to read I wasn’t sure at first and kept thinking to myself what did I just get myself into? I am not into the gory, scary stuff and I can’t watch horror movies etc because they creep me out. So I am probably sure that I couldn’t watch this on HBO.
Surprisingly enough once I started to read the book, I realized that it wasn’t going to be gory with details and ended up devouring the book in a weekend. I am so excited to read Living Dead in Dallas and I keep picking it up and wanting to read it but I am trying to limit them to a monthly read if possible.
I loved Sookie. She is a waitress in the towns only bar called Merlotte’s in a small town in Louisiana. I felt I could relate to Sookie very well as we both are fairly quiet, don’t get out a whole lot (personally I find that come 10:00 PM I want to be home in bed reading), keep to ourselves and back in the day I didn’t find or think of myself as dateable. Look at the tv version of Sookie who wouldn’t want to date her?
I have to admit that I never read the back of the books when I bought them and I wanted there it be an element of surprise when I read them, so when I came upon people calling her Crazy Sookie and her disability I was curious to find out what it was. I was surprised to find out that it wasn’t what I thought it was.
Shortly after the book begins Sookie is working one night and a tall, dark and handsome guy comes in and she discovers his name is Bill Compton. For once Sookie can’t read this guy but she does know what he is. She manages to save his life one night and from that point they are together all the time. She likes him and he likes her.
With the arrival of Bill there is suddenly quite a few murders. More then this little town has ever seen. Everyone believes he is behind them and is the prime suspect. When they realize that he isn’t behind them the finger is quickly pointed to Sookie’s brother Jason as he has been with quite of few of these murdered women. Sookie is on a mission to prove that Jason can’t be behind these murders. Is Jason really behind these murders or is he being set up to take the rap for someone else?

I want to say more things about the book but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. All I have to say is that I really enjoyed it and looking forward to starting Living Dead in Dallas in August. If you are looking for a quick and exciting read that is fast paced then let me suggest this to you.
Here are other covers of this book. Which one do you like?
For me I happen to live the above cover with the cartoon like cover mainly because all the over books I bought are done in this format.
Have you read the book? If so let me know and I can add your link to my review.
For more info on Charlaine Harris you can check out her site here.
I am applying this book to my Buy a Book Read a Book Challenge for July. Buy a Book, Read a Book is a yearly challenge that is being hosted by My Friend Amy and you can check out her blog here. For this challenge you basically are required to buy a book a month and read it that month. You are required to read 12 books in the year.

copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
If you are reading this on a blog or website other than Cindy’s Love Of Books or via a feedreader, this content has been stolen and used without permission.