Across the Universe Review

Across the Universe 

by Beth Revis 

 

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.









My Review: 6/10

I'm still not sure what I think/how i feel about this book. I think it was good. not perfect, but pretty good. I read some of the reviews a few minutes ago- immediately after finishing the book, because I think I was hoping to find out some more information.

a couple of things didn't sit quite solidly with me. *SPOILERS*

the two biggest problems I had were: why did no one wake up the frozen genius scientists? I know they were ESSENTIAL to surviving on the new planet, but at this rate- you're never going to reach the new planet. why not wake up at least a few of them and fix the first problem- a rapidly decelerating ship- and then worry about what happens when you land. especially if you have cloning technology! Seems obvious to me.

Second problem, why are they not turning around?! they're only fifty years (or rather what was supposed to be fifty years) away from earth. i read no mention of earth being ravaged by a disease or natural disaster that left NOTHING to return to, and the ship is likely to fail it's mission. Better to turn around, and try to make it back home (which you are MUCH closer to, even if its taken you a ridiculously long 450 years to get there. turn around, try to make it back home so that they can fix the ship's fuel and communication issues.

these seemed like two major plot issues.

a couple of minor issues i had:

*i disagree with the general consensus about amy calling her dad "daddy" being weird and unnatural. i've heard plenty of ADULTS call their parents Daddy or Mama, depending on the circumstances and the culture. I will admit it did seem childish to me though.

*i dont understand how Eldest could be so indifferent to elder. I mean, it's himself. i realize they were making a point about how they were NOT the same people, but I have to say, if I cloned myself, I think I would take a biased interest in my clone's well being. it seems unnatural to me that Eldest did not.

*i felt that the almost-rape scene was unnecessary.

*at the end when Elder is talking about how "Amy always thought" or "never thought" in regards to Harley, I did a mental double take. Why is he talking like this has gone on for years. At this point (thanks to the constant countdown of 49/74 and 264) It's only been a couple of days.

and then I get irritated that this WHOLE book has only taken place over a few days. it makes the relationships and character developments feel entirely like smoke and mirrors. People do not change THAT quickly. even when extreme things happen, they need time to process before they change.

*i felt that harleys suicide was also unnecessary. it amazed me that revis created such a worthwhile character and then wasted it. his death served no purpose that i could see.

*i never understood why amy went with her parents in the first place. i put myself in her place and tried to envision it. i love my parents. but i dont think id go with them if i wasn't commited, invested in their vision, their passion for a new earth or if i wasnt desperate to escape the current one. neither seemed to apply to her.

*i felt like the book was way too long. i was impatient for amy and elder to meet, although i didnt mind the time she was frozen- i thought that part was kind of cool.

*i really wanted to know what Elders name had been.

*interesting that ed was added to the story. i wanted more background history on him and the first 450 years.

all in all i think a 6 or 7 fits. its an interesting concept- new to me. and managed to keep me interested enough, though the villain(s) were predictable from very early on, that i read pretty much straight through. some flaws kept me from falling in love with the book or getting emotionally attached, but it did make me think. and appreciate my earth. :] all in all, i won't read it again, but would probably give a sequel a chance. 

Requiem Review

Requiem 

by Lauren Oliver  

 

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.


My Review: 6/10

Spoilers! You kinda know who shes gonna end up with, so it felt like a waste of time to spend so much of the book going back and forth. the worst was, toward the end, when feelings are made pretty darn clear and all of a sudden lena is stupid and cannot comprehend the truth. i hate dumbing down characters. first of all, if the reader gets it, your character should get it too. and if nothing else, women are hopeful, to a fault, much of the time. that's what gets so many of us in trouble. we keep hoping when we shouldn't. the opposite just wasn't believeable or relatable. and whats with alex saying he never loved her? i dont recall that being cleared up. seemed a little melodramatic with too much of the issues arising from misunderstandings- like reliving the worst of twilight. yuck. other than that, my only other complaint was the ending. thankfully i felt that the authors *intent* was clear enough. but i'm a girl who likes every t crossed and every i dotted. the ending came kind of abruptly, and there wasnt enough details cleared up. nor any kind of projection into the future. which makes me sad when you've invested so much in reading about these characters and waiting for the big ending. felt kinda weak; i was left wanting more.

Housing History and Future

SO where to begin? Doesn't it seem like when you really want a baby and cannot, for the life of you, get pregnant, all of a sudden every woman around you is practically bursting with fertility? I'm talking friends, family members, coworkers, random women on the street, people on tv, some women who didn't even want to get pregnant. And you're trying so hard to be patient, not to be jealous or bitter, to share in their joy and still stay optimistic for yourself. Well that's what buying a house was for me.

I hit desperation much harder 2 years ago. I was ready, had been ready. My husband had completed his degree and damnit, a year later we were in the same place; nothing had changed. BUT I WAS READY!  I really felt like this was the right time. But the last thing I wanted to do was make a lateral move- from renting one place to another. So I bought a third kitten (it was not my intention, but I think maybe subconsciously, it factored in), packed up our entire house and told management that we would not be renewing our lease for a 5th year. Then we started looking. We looked at houses we couldn't afford. Then I got attached to a townhome we might have been able to swing. Although, remembering the community fees, maybe not. Anyway, we put in offers and were jerked around while the owner used us to increase a competing offer.

At that point, I felt like the floor was pulled out from under me. Our place wasn't safe anymore so we really couldn't have stayed. I felt panicked. I lowered my standards, and we started looking at places to rent. We couldn't afford another townhome in the area, so now we were going to be taking a step back and downgrading from a townhome to a small apartment. The places we liked would not be available for at least three months still. I felt so confused and frustrated and wanted to know what God's plan could possibly be. I remember talking with Jon one night and in the middle of the conversation, I felt overwhelmed with the conviction He put on my heart. I knew God wanted us to move in with his mom while Jon went to seminary full time. I felt so miserable. So dejected. Absolutely crushed. Just weeks ago I had flat out turned down the offer. Don't get me wrong, we so appreciated such a selfless gesture. But... but... moving in with our three cats and 2 kids... I would have felt homeless and imposing, for starters. I was so upset. The worst part was that I had no idea how long this season would last. That idea really depressed me. But I couldn't get around it, I knew it to the very core of my being. So I increased my class load to avoid life.


Jon was taking 5 super intense classes at seminary. I was working 50 hours a week and taking 5 classes myself. At home, the four of us shared a small room and a bed. Yep, you read that right. It felt like a scene out of Willy Wonka.

All of our stuff was in storage. Our kitties were constantly causing problems with the other pets. And we pretty much displaced my mother in law. I don't think anyone was comfortable and I felt so guilty and hopeless. I still don't know all the wisdom He had in the move. I can see how some of it was being knit together, but much of it still a mystery to me. All I know for sure is that, by the end of it, He successfully broke and humbled me.

But at this point, my restlessness and desperation hit overload. I wasn't happy. Jon wasn't happy. Our kids were (they thought living with Grandma was the coolest thing ever). But that was about it. With Jon not working we could afford even less, but we started looking at houses again. Some were complete holes. And I was willing to buy them. Countless times, God interceded, thank God! I don't want to get into all the details, which I may have already wrote about in the past, but it was just one bad situation after another.

In the meantime a friend kept sending me craigslist apt listings (which I was very skeptical of) but she wore me down and I made a couple of appointments to look at a couple in May. Long story short, this place we're in now was the answer to our prayers. We have been content and happy here, for the most part. We knew when we moved in that it would only work for a year or two at most, but it was exactly what we needed.

At long last, I learned what an idol buying a home had become. I was determined not to go down that dark road again. I resisted the same impulses. Even after Jon completed his second degree, I did not immediately go searching for homes. And then when he got a great job offer, I still held off. When he got a second, somehow even better job offer, that's when it trickled in. And I told myself that if our lease was up at the end of May, we would need to give 60 days notice. Which means that we would need to have been looking and found something before then. So I should start looking now, right?

I contacted my dad about setting up a meeting with his friend and we started looking online. But we felt increasingly convicted not to go into debt to buy a home. After a lot of seeking and prayer, God consistently brought us back to a point of buying a house outright. This was hard to swallow because no one really holds to this today; our society isn't really set up for that. Many devoted, practicing Christians see buying a house or school loans as a necessary exception to God's warning of debt. But we think that God wants us to know that He's in control and that it was through His means, not ours. It's scary and I keep second guessing myself. I mean, a lot of times, owning can be cheaper than renting, on a monthly basis. And I hate wasting money! Plus, especially in this area, it's a good investment. With these arguments, I kept hoping I'd misinterpretted God's plan for us.

And then, things moved like dominoes. We spoke with three different agents (when I didn't think we were going to hear from them at all). We were set up with three different sites for foreclosure listings. And a home I liked was consistently being dropped 10k every three weeks. Threads of excitement were creeping in.

Last Thursday, I went to my first Beth Moore bible study in over a year and a half. And it weighed heavy on my heart again- my desire for a house for our family was in a danger zone to become bondage. Beth talked about how we are holding our chains. Christ paid for our freedom already. I have already been set free. Yet I insist on desperately clinging to chains and begging to be bound. I didn't even realize I was doing it until then- looking back longingly at what I walked away from and flirting with disaster.

Beth asked us to drop our fixation. I balked. She said, "He has called us to victory! We gotta drop that fixation. Put a hold on anger, bitterness, addiction..." In my head, I heard "house." Beth asked me to drop it, not forever, but for the course of this Bible study. I felt that God was speaking directly to me. And some (large) part of me was actually relieved. I didn't want to move without God; I'd seen what a mess that made. But sometimes I wasn't sure if He wanted me to move. I felt like I should drop this. It would take me dangerously close to a line I'd drawn (our lease), but that I should do nothing. Which is one of the hardest things for me. Ohh stepping out in faith can be terrifying.

But what about the agents we spoke with, the listings we were being sent and that steal of a foreclosure? It could be such a great fit for us! Such a great opportunity! It had been on the market for months and no one seemed interested. If we waited another few weeks, it would likely drop further in price and we could offer a little lower. We could make this work! I was so confused. I heard Jon saying that getting a mortgage would root us here when God may not want us here. It would make us feel like we had to put every cent toward debt, leaving no resources for giving. It would make us inflexible. And a small, quiet voice in my mind whispered that God may have greater things in mind for us. That I was trying to settle again. I finally emailed our agents and said we were interested in looking at the two homes. I felt like I had to and thought it couldn't hurt. Maybe God would even use it as an opportunity to tell me one way or the other. And though I felt like I was sabotaging myself, I fervently hoped He would.

This morning I got a reply. I was expecting an appointment and was surprised to see that our agent said the first house, the foreclosure, had just received an offer. It wasn't even contingent. It was as good as sold and no longer available. The second house, had received multiple offers and unless we were planning on offering the listing price or more, it would likely be a waste of our time. We definitely were not. I got my answer loud and clear.

I have to admit I still feel torn. I'm super relieved that God has made it abundantly clear that He is active in this (though I have no idea why I ever stop trusting that. Human nature, I suppose?) and that He doesn't need or want my decision-making in this. But I am scared. I will be praying fervently that our landlord does not mention our lease for the next 11 weeks, which seems unlikely. I don't know what I'll tell him. And more so, I know from experience that following God isn't always a warm, sunshiney,  rose-filled walk. After the vast, barren desert He led us through, I just want peace. I want normalcy. I want it so bad.

He tells me He will give me rest (Matthew 11:28). But to build strength (Joshua 1:9). We were not created for a "normal" life (Exodus 34:10). And just for good measure, I stumbled on this:  

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

To God be the Glory.

The Declaration Review

The Declaration 

by Gemma Malley

 

In the year 2140, it is illegal to be young. Children are all but extinct. The world is a better place. Longevity drugs are a fountain of youth. Sign the Declaration, agree not to have children and you too can live forever. Refuse, and you will live as an outcast. For the children born outside the law, it only gets worse – Surplus status. Not everyone thinks Longevity is a good thing, but you better be clear what side you’re on. . . . Surplus Anna is about to find out what happens when you can’t decide if you should cheat the law or cheat death.


My Review: 6/10

This kind of sci fi is harder to support- I had some issues with a never ending supply (?) of frozen umbilical cords to support the life of the entire world, when 99% of people were no longer having kids. As well as extreme energy, etc tarrifs, that no one seemed bothered by. At least not enough to do anything about it. I tried not to fixate on these issues, among others, because you have to just accept some things in a book like this. But the way Anna flips her opinion overnight, and how -everyone- turns on them was a little more than I could buy. The ending came together too abruptly and cleanly. And I'm not entirely clear on what happened with Sheila. All in all, it was an interesting concept and a fairly interesting storyline. But not one I could lose myself in. And not as "thought-provoking" as trumpeted.

Beth Moore and Revelation

I've had it on my heart the last couple of weeks to write.  The topics keep mounting so in true procrastinator fashion, I will talk about the most recent, the one I'm most excited about, paying no attention to those who have already been neglected for quite a while. I'll get to 'em (probably).

Last night I went to my first meeting for a new Beth Moore bible study. OHMAN! No one gets me excited to study God's word like she does. Although I'll be honest, I don't give many speakers the opportunity. I stick with what I like, and she and I clicked right away. I'm the kind of person who tries the famed sandwich on the menu and then orders the same thing for the next 17 straight visits.

Anyway, a friend of the family invited me to go. I've done several of her studies before (loved 'em all, in varying levels), but I haven't done one in about a year and a half. I had schedule conflicts and joined another bible study with friends. It was a dull ache you kind of get used to and ignore. I have enough on my plate right now that I wasn't actively looking to add anything else. But when Linda invited me, I couldn't resist. I'd missed her; she's always got a good attitude and a kind or positive thing to say and she's just good for the soul. And I'd missed Beth. And I missed a daily, deeper relationship with God. Right now, I'm mostly focusing on me, not on Him. And I feel more centered, more focused, more productive, more peaceful when my sight is on Him, rather than myself. But I really lack the self-discipline and motivation to sludge through it without a guide.

So, I agreed to go. And I had an awesome first night. We take turns putting out a dinner, buffet style, which as Jon pointed out makes sense since the bible study is right around dinner time. This makes me excited on a whole other level, haha. :]

But with or without the goodies, Beth is packing a serious punch with this study. I can't wait to dig in deeper. Our  discussion group was on a shorter schedule since it was the first night, so we didn't have the weekly homework to discuss. But we did briefly share anything that we were especially struck by. Personally, I loved how Beth emphasized that we are holding onto our chains, our bondage, it's not binding us. Christ has already paid the price for us. We have already been set free, and we are clinging to our chains, unwilling to cast them aside. How true! Even when He has helped my pry my fingers loose, I have trouble walking away without looking back, without reaching back for the things that weighed me down. Insecurities, fears, obsessions. I remember them all and they creep back sometimes. And before you know it, I'm picking those chains up again and wrapping myself in them. But oh, how it helps to be reminded that they cannot bind us anymore- it's us that holds onto them. All we have to to do is let go. Hold onto Him instead.

Galatians 5:1 says For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

 Anyway, it was an exciting start. After only one day, I'm feeling refreshed, re-energized, ready to take it on. That's the fruit of the Holy Spirit. :]

a look at NYR

So, to kick off this New Year, what's more appropriate than New Year's Resolutions (NYR)? This past year was the first time that I have been consistent from beginning to end about keeping tabs on these goals. Probably because they were taped right next to my bed. :]

Here is our list of 2012 NYR.

I did not complete #5 Get Degree. It was possible, but not realluy feasible with Jon completing his last semester and job hunting. I had enough on my plate, and to be honest, I have never slacked so much before. It got to the point where I was saying, "Eh, so not doing this paper will drop me from 100% to an 85%? Ah well, such is life." I've been in school for 2 and a half years, almost exlusively full time. I was burnt out. Since I didn't have a career or major life change waiting for me at the end of completing my degree, the motivation was sorely lacking.

#7: Getting the Family Baptized, also did not happen. True, it was hard to find the time. But more than that, the only baptisms that my church offers (as far as I know) is the too impersonal one every year in Spring, when people file up on stage and have the blessing said. There is a program with peoples names and pictures, but this is primarily for new babies. And it is just at the start of the service. Other than that, there is a Believer's Baptism in the Fall, where you are dunked, fully clothed, and you share your story which is recorded and played for everyone. It's emotional and on the opposite end of the spectrum. Neither are fitting what I'm looking for, so yet again, this has taken a back burner.

and #12. Pay Off Half of My School Loans. I think this one could have been accomplished. But at the end of  the year, I had some larger expenses (bought a Tablet, got a Smartphone, and my Premier Annual Fee) which Jon preferred I pay off before paying down school debt. Since I had already payed off the portion of loans that were accruing interest, I agreed. I was $1300 shy of my goal and I'm rolling it over into this year's goals.

Which brings us to:

2013 NYR

1. Learn how to be punctual - This is something Jon and I both struggle with. Part of it is lifestyle. We are always crunched for time because we have too much crammed into life. But part of it is preference. I don't like to be early. This means I'm hanging out somewhere by myself, or with two unruly children. If it's the morning, it means I've lost sleep. Even if it's only ten minutes. Those ten minutes are precious to me. If I'm early, I  feel like Im wasting time. But being late or just barely on time makes me stressed out en route. And when you add the unexpected (courtesy of kids), a lot of times, we end up seriously late. We are ready and wanting to make a change. Our goal is to aim for 15 minutes ahead of schedule, and get comfortable with the concept of being early, of being awkwardly alone or managing our mischievous girls.

2. Learn Patience (Lyssa)- This is an area I really struggle with. I've always been an impatient person by nature. I think it would be better for everyone, myself included if I could be aware of it in the moment and make a conscious effort to change. My brilliant hubby informs me that being aware and acknowledging is not enough; if I want to change, I need a game plan. So my plan is to silently count to 5 (or 10) before responding in irritation with sarcasm. Apart from impatient comments, I need help with always expecting instant gratification (and extreme frustration when it doesn't happen). I don't really have a game plan for this one, aside from attempting to distract myself. Life kind of forces you to learn patience by keeping its own immovable pace. Anyway, while I'm glad that my daughters have learned to appreciate the art of sarcasm at the tender ages of 4 and 6, I think I need patience. It will help me to be kinder (that was a hard fact to face) and should lower my blood pressure, ha ha.

3. Pay off remaining school loan (Lyssa) - I'm really excited about this one, because I get a weird level of satisfaction from paying off debts. Seriously, I LOVE it. I have about 5K left in my own school loans. Since I graduate this spring, and should have a 6 month grace period, if I pull this off, I will be paying it off before any interest starts accruing. *pause for happy dance*

4. Keep home "company ready"- I stole this from a neighbor's NYR. I like this better than "Keep the house clean" because I think the tone is better than the details. The first one speaks (to me) of candles, yummy snacks, general cleanliness, making myself presentable (I have an attachment to PJs) at a reasonable hour of the day (read: before eleven am), and a welcoming attitude. The latter turns me off with visions of bleaching, deep cleaning, never ending scrubbing etc. Which, of course, does need to be done, but if I'm honest, it's not gonna happen every day. Or every other day. And makes me feel set up for failure. As with most things in life, it's all about your perception. And I like the company-ready feel. :]

5. Drink more water - I'm horrible at this, and that's super unhealthy. Most days I don't drink any at all. I'm gonna start with a goal of 2 water bottles a day and see how it goes.

6. Blog more than last year - this should be do-able, since I promptly stopped blogging the last 1/3 of the year. I'd also like to spice the blog up with more pictures. So I'm going to try to remember to take them.

7. Read the Bible at night together - This is a plan for Jon and I. I've studied random portions as they applied to my various Bible studies. And I've heard many bits and pieces over the years at church. And I actually retain a fair amount of the context and message. But I have a hard time reading straight through. In fact, I usually stop right after Noah. Jon has the time to read with me every night and I think the idea of talking about every thing each step of the way is appealing to him, so this is something he wants to do. I'm glad he's pushing me. It's about time I get fully submerged in this.

8. Read the Bible to the Girls (Jon) - The girls have several kids bibles that we've read to them. But Jon wants to implement this routine with them as well.

9. Read 50 books this year (Lyssa) - I think I read something like 60-75 books this past year. That may sound great, but my goal was 25. And I way over indulged and blew off a lot more important things because I have zero self-discipline. So while I expect that I will have a lot more free time this year, I have other things (and people!) I'd rather spend my time on. I think a book a week is plenty so this goal may be necessary to keep me from going over rather than falling short.

10. Make a Will - Believe it or not, this is something we still haven't done. It didn't seem super important, because I guess I just figured if anything happened to me, obviously everything of mine would be Jon's and vice versa. And if anything happened to both of us, everything would go to our girls. No brainer right? Apparently not in the court systems. And there's the issue of who would be named guardian of our girls. These are things that should be documented and kept safe so that we have peace of mind to know that we have done everything  we could do by our girls.

11. Get Life Insurance - This has been on our to do list post graduation for quite a while, and we've had several friends and family members insist that do this ASAP. No worries, we know. It's like a 6-8 week process, but we're on it. ;]

12. Complete my Degree - This should take it's natural course. I only need 9 more credits, all of which I'm scheduled to start in a week's time. I will graduate in May. So this isn't really a goal. Like something I need a game plan and constant motivation for. But it will feel really good to cross this one off. :]

13. Start a Retirement Plan - I have been itching to get this done for quite some time. My dad instilled this value in me when I was a kid. I'm pretty sure I was the only 19 year old at Starbucks making contributions into my 401K. I did the same when I was a medical receptionist, though the amounts were very very small. My dad recommends depositing 10% of our income into our IRA, but we're just not ready for that. We still have a relatively small starter income, we're saving for a house and we have Jon's 70K worth of school debt to start paying on. Plus funding two growing girls' wardrobes? Breaking my bank even with my thrifty-ness. We've decided instead to save 5% this year. I'm pretty pleased with that. And my dad got me a Motley Fool subscription for my birthday (Yay!) so I'm going to be more involved again when it comes to investing our money.

So there are our goals for 2013. Cheers to a productive year!

Twice Loved Review

Twice Loved

by Lori Copeland

 

Willow Madison and her friends Copper and Audrey taught school in neighboring Texas towns until the Yankees rode in and burned them out. In the midst of fear and chaos, survivors banded together to fight for what remained of their homes. Then word reached the people that the terrible war was over.

Now penniless but still hopeful, Willow vows she will take care of her friends, and her ailing uncle, in Thunder Ridge, Texas, even if it means having to marry wealthy Silas Sterling, a man thirty years her senior. But standing in her way is sawmill owner Tucker Gray, with his enticing eyes and infuriating headstrong manner--the man Willow cannot get out of her head . . . or her heart. Even though her friends beg her not to give up her dream of happiness, Willow is determined to do the right thing for those who are dearest to her. But which path does God want Willow to take: a life of duty and commitment . . . or a life of everlasting love?










My Review: 2/10

Two stars for a pretty cover... and that's about it.  

I was really disappointed with this book. I didnt feel that any of the characters were true to their time period. I dont understand why every period piece I read lately seems to think that the only women worth writing about are firey, feisty women, with a soft side just waiting to be revealed.  

But my bigger pet peeve was the idea regarding marriage, that you can choose 'wrong' and then any chance at happiness, love and a successful marriage are just shot. The bible does not say that you must marry for love or that if you choose the 'wrong' person God wont support your choice. What it DOES say is that if you are faithful to God and follow His word, He will bless your marriage. You cant choose wrong if Christ is at the center. I felt like this book really sent the wrong message. And please, her rejected suitor just decides to pay an outrageous sum out of the goodness of his heart? Totally unrealistic,not to mention it cheapens her choice. Life isnt that easy- she ended up making no sacrifices, having no struggles and no challenges.

And I dont think 49 is that old. Its certainly not decrepit, with brittle, achey bones, baldness and indigestion.

Why bother to read the following books? The author made it perfectly clear who ends up with whom. And based on this, i would imagine there wont be any character development.  

A Change of Fortune Review

A Change of Fortune 

by Jen Turano

 

Lady Eliza Sumner is on a mission. Her fortune was the last thing she had left after losing her father, her fiancé, and her faith. Now, masquerading as Miss Eliza Sumner, governess-at-large, she's determined to find the man who ran off with her fortune, reclaim the money, and head straight back to London.

Mr. Hamilton Beckett, much to his chagrin, is the catch of the season, and all the eyes of New York society—all the female ones, at least—are on him. He has no plans to marry again, especially since his hands are full keeping his business afloat while raising his two children alone.

Eliza's hapless attempts to regain her fortune unexpectedly put her right in Hamilton's path. The discovery of a common nemesis causes them to join forces and, before she knows it, Eliza has a whole retinue of people helping her. Eliza's determination not to trust anyone weakens when everyone's antics and bumbling efforts to assist her make her wonder if there might be more important things than her fortune and independence.

When all of Hamilton's and Eliza's best-laid plans fall by the wayside, it will take a riot of complications for them to realize that God just might have had a better plan in mind all along.


My Review:  3/10

I really wanted to like this book. The cover is great, and i actually enjoyed the silly and predictable novella prequel. But i didnt find much, if any, of the plot believable. None of the characters fit the attitudes or prejudices of the time period with the exception of the detective. And for a secret that her whole life depends on, eliza does nothing to protect it. In fact, she practically goes shouting it from the rooftops. Murder, converting prostitutes, catfights, everybodys conveniently wealthy, female journalists, etc. This was just such a sad attempt at Christian historical fiction.

Popping in for a quick Hello!

So, after I completed my goal of more posts than last year, I pretty much stopped blogging. It's been a whirlwind of crazy but I'm back! This is going to be a VERY brief post because it is 2 am and I have to be up with Ella at 7 for school. Christmas vacation cultivated some very bad sleeping habits over the last two weeks- to the point where I can go to bed in 20 minutes and still say that I'm getting on a better sleep schedule (by hours). Initially this was due to time crunching with finals and holiday things, but then I spent the last week just completely vegging out. I mean it, pjs all day, skipping meals in favor of not leaving my heated blanket and books, and not venturing out of the house because of the foot of heavy, crunchy snow that dropped the day after Christmas and has fought to keep it's turf. The girls enjoyed their new toys/games/books and I enjoyed a much needed rest.

But now that break is over and I am ready to rejoin the functional. :]

I've got much to update on and much to look forward to blogging about so, more to come soon!

The Lady of Bolton Hill Review

The Lady of Bolton Hill

by Elizabeth Camden

 

When Clara Endicott and Daniel Tremain's worlds collide after twelve years apart, the spark that was once between them immediately reignites into a romance neither of them thought possible.

But time has changed them both.

Daniel is an industrial titan with powerful enemies. Clara is an idealistic journalist determined to defend underprivileged workers.

Can they withstand the cost of their convictions while their hearts--and lives--hang in the balance?



My Review: 1/10

The cover was beautiful, that's about all I can say. In fact, this seems to be an increasingly frequent occurance; I'm beginning to suspect that a beautiful cover is overcompensating for something, and I think I'm going to need to make an effort to seek out plain, nondescript covers and stear clear of these ones.

Anyway, I read the first 10 or so chapters and as soon as the villain makes his appearance, I thought, you have to be kidding me. So cheesy. And the relationship between Clara and Daniel is completely unbelieveable. They immediately pick up where they left off and clear all the misunderstandings between them in ONE conversation. It didn't give me anything to invest in. So I skimmed the rest of the way through, reading paragraphs or pages at a time, and finished thinking, I am so glad I did not waste my time reading every word. Kind of ridiculous.