Thursday, December 31, 2015

Runaway Amish Girl: The Great Escape by Emma Gingerich



Runaway Amish Girl: The Great Escape

Author: Emma Gingerich
Published By: Progressive Rising Phoenix Press LLC
Date Published: March 6th 2014 (first published January 1st 2014)
Pages: 174
Recommended Age: Adults
Read and Reviewed By: Me
Rating: C/3




This book was from my own personal library

Summary:
Emma Gingerich grew up in a Swartzentruber Amish community in Eagleville, Missouri. She didn’t agree with the Amish traditions of her upbringing and makes the decision to run away with the help of an Englischer. She then goes on to pursue her dream of higher education.


My Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Runaway Amish Girl. I think Emma Gingerich did an excellent job in writing her story. She told a story that had to have been hard to tell. She spoke of things most women would have been too afraid to speak about. The book itself was well written and I truly liked that although she has a college education, Gingerich did not use graduate level words and everyone is capable to read her story.

Although I enjoyed reading Runaway Amish Girl, I didn’t like that it was so short. It seemed in the last chapter she wrapped her story up bit quickly. For these reasons, I gave Runaway Amish Girl by Emma Gingerich a grade of a C.  I do recommend others to read Gingerich’s story because it will give everyone an insight in the Swartzentruber Amish community’s way of life.


Parents:
Language: None
Adult Content: A rape scene
Violence: A rape scene


Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Living in the Spirit: drawing us to God, sending us to the world by George O. Wood




Living in the Spirit: drawing us to God, sending us to the world

Author: George O. Wood
Published By: Gospel Publishing House
Date Published: January 1st 2009
Pages: 185
Recommended Age: Young Adults, Adults
Read and Reviewed By: Me
Rating: A/5



From my personal library

Summary:
Living in the Spirit is an in depth study on the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit explained by Dr. George O. Wood, the general superintendent of the U.S. Assemblies of God.


My Thoughts:
Being Pentecostal myself (but not Assemblies of God) I knew of the Holy Spirit being a person and of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit but not in depth, nor knew how to explain the Holy Spirit in an intelligent matter to non-believers of the concept being baptized in the Holy Spirit. When my church was offering an 8 week class to study the Holy Spirit with this book I gladly attended the classes and bought this book. I enjoyed reading Living in the Spirit. I learned a lot from Dr. Wood. He explains the Holy Spirit in such a way that non believers could even understand why we, Pentecostals, believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. He explains how and where the Bible speaks of three different kinds of baptisms: Baptism into Christ (1 Cor.12:13), Baptism in the Spirit (Acts 2:4), Baptism in Water (Acts 2:38-41). Wood also explains the Agent of the Baptism, the Candidate, and the element into which the candidate is placed. In chapters five and six, he speaks about the fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the spirit; there is a difference.

I recommend this book to all Christians, not just to Pentecostals. I believe that if Christians understood other denominations better there would be less discord among our brothers and sisters-Christ. This is a well-written book and Dr. Wood did a fantastic job explaining the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit, which is why I rated it a 5 and a grade of A.


Parents:
Language: none
Adult Content: none
Violence: none


It’s a God Thing: When Miracles Happen to Everyday People created by Don Jacobson and K-Love radio




It’s a God Thing: When Miracles Happen to Everyday People
Author: Don Jacobson and K-Love radio
Published By: Thomas Nelson Publishers
Date Published: 14th 2014 (first published January 7th 2014)
Pages: 214
Recommended Age: Adult
Read and Reviewed By: Me
Rating: A/5



This is from my personal library.

Summary:
Miracles happen every day all around us; we just need to look for them. Miracles are not just reserved for the Biblical Age. God is still working miracles today. Some can be so small that one does not notice them, but they are miracles just the same. K-Love radio and Don Jacobson have come together and compiled collections of miracles that K-Love listeners have contributed.


My Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading this book.  It was well written and compiled. It warmed my heart to read these stories. Some of these experiences people have had become my favorite and left me speechless. There is so much going on in this world that we cannot see or explain away with mere logic. One just knows God had his hand in things, protecting His Children.

I recommend It’s a GOD thing: When Miracles Happen to Everyday People to everyone, even non-Believers. I suggest grabbing a cup of hot chocolate, curling up with a blanket and this book, and read how God is working in other people’s lives.



Parents:
Language: None
Adult Content: None
Violence: None




Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Dancing Through Life: Steps of Courage and Conviction by Candace Cameron Bure



Dancing Through Life: Steps of Courage and Conviction

Author: Candace Cameron Bure
Published By: B&H Books
Date Published: August 1st 2015 (first published July 5th 2015)
Pages: 195
Recommended Age: Adult
Read and Reviewed By: Me
Rating: A/5




This is part of my personal library.

Summary:
In the spring of 2014 Candace Cameron Bure was a contestant on Season 18 of Dancing with the Stars. During that time, Mrs. Bure made quite a few self-discoveries about herself and in this book, Dancing through Life: Steps of Courage and Conviction; she shares those discoveries with her fans and other readers. In this book she talks about the lessons she learned about grace, rejection, perfectionism, disappointment, accountability, and dealing with criticism from Christians and non-Christians. Through all that she stays true to her herself and her faith in Christ.


My Thoughts:
I really loved Dancing through Life. Bure did a fantastic job explaining the points she was trying to make in each chapter and week of her time on DWTS. I loved how she chose a particular Bible verse to begin each chapter and the verse fit perfectly with what she was writing about in the chapter, which shows the time and discernment she spent on each verse and the message she wanted to give to her audience.

I recommend Dancing through Life.  I learned a lot from Mrs. Bure about standing with one’s convictions, dealing with disappointments, and having grace through it all. She let her fellow Brothers and Sisters-in-Christ know that she has the same struggles as they do in their Christian Walk. For these reasons and more is why I give Dancing through Life  a rating of 5. I would definitely read this book again one day.


Parents:
Language: None
Adult Content: None
Violence: None

Autumn Winds by Charlotte Hubbard




Autumn Winds
Author: Charlotte Hubbard
Published By:  Zebra
Date Published: September 4th, 2012
Pages: 324
Recommended Age: Adult
Reviewed By:  Me (almost three years ago for another site)
Rating: B/4




This book I borrowed from the library.

Summary:
A stranger comes to the Amish town of Willow Ridge by the name of Ben Hooley; he is a blacksmith baptized in the Old Order.  Miram Lantz, an Amish widow who runs the Sweet Seasons Bakery at first is weary of the newcomer, but as she gets to know the newcomer and finds him kind-hearted she starts to fall in love with him. With Bishop Knepp relentlessly pursuing her to marry him and threatening to take everything that she cares about away, she must decide if she should listen to her heart and find the happiness she craves.

My Thoughts:
I quite enjoyed this book.  I never read an Amish love story before but I saw it sitting on the New Arrivals shelf at the library and thought it sounded interesting.  It turns out it was the second book in the Seasons of the Heart series, but since the first book was about a different couple in Willow Ridge I was never at a lost for what was happening, plus the author filled in tidbits about the characters and how they were related to Miram so the reader wouldn’t be lost if they had not read Summer of Secrets first.

I found it well written, and it seems Charlotte Hubbard had done a quite an extensive research on the Amish community west of the Mississippi River. I learned things about the Amish I never before, like they did  follow the new testament out of the King James bible and they have Bishops, all quite interesting.

I liked the character of Miram.  She was a strong woman who followed her own heart and won’t let anyone, not even the bishop, tell her what she should do if it didn’t feel right to her.  I did not care for Bishop Knepp at all.  He was a hypocrite to his community and would be very devious in order to get his way.  I was sad to realize that they couldn’t impeach him or do something to remove him from the position of Bishop.

I truly enjoyed this book; to the point I had stayed up until two in the morning trying to finish it; therefore, I gave Autumn Winds four stars and a grade of B. I recommend reading Autumn Winds by Charlotte Hubbard, especially if you are a fan of Amish romances.  I never thought I would like Amish romances and actually thought I would be let down by this book, but thanks to Hubbard I will be reading more Amish romances.

Parents:
Language: None
Adult Content: None

Violence: None




The Dog That Talked to God by Jim Kraus




The Dog That Talked to God
Author: Jim Kraus
Published By: Abingdon Press
Date Published: March 1st 2012
Pages: 332
Recommended Age: Young adults, Adults
Read and Reviewed By: Me
Rating: B/4





This book is from my personal collection.

Summary:
Widow Mary Fassler buys a Miniature Schnauzer for company and names him Rufus. In the midst of her grief he turns her world upside down. It seems her beloved pooch can talk. Rufus doesn’t only talk to her. He talks to God as well. Rufus starts giving advice it makes for an interesting life journey for Mary.


My Thoughts:
I thought this was such a well written cute book.. I always enjoy quirky books about animals, especially dogs having a voice to go with their personality. It makes me wonder what it would be like if my dog Maycee spoke. What would she have to say if she could speak?

I recommend The Dog That Talked to God to anyone who likes clean humor and enjoys a chuckle here and there throughout a book that tells a unique tale. This book is truly appropriate for the audience author Jim Kraus writes for, the Christian audience.  Readers of this book will not be disappointed.



Parents:
Language: None
Adult Content: None
Violence: None


Agents of the Apocalypse by Dr. David Jeremiah




Agents of the Apocalypse

Author: Dr. David Jeremiah
Published By: Tyndale House Publishers
Date Published: October 7th 2014 (first published January 1st 2014)
Genre: Christian Non-fiction, Prophecy
Pages: 283
Recommended Age: Adult
Read and Reviewed By: Me
Rating: A/5






I have this book in my personal collection

Summary:
In Agents of the Apocalypse, Dr. David Jeremiah breaks down the book of Revelation speaking about the 144,000 that are sealed by God; the two witnesses; the dragon; the beasts from the sea and from the earth; and the coming Judgment of God.


My Thoughts:
I truly enjoyed this book.  Dr. Jeremiah broke down chapters of Revelation into something that could be understood by everyone. Each chapter of this book was structured into a Fiction/Non-Fiction set-up. He first tells a fictionalized story from a section of Revelation so readers can picture what Revelation is trying to tell us about the coming days; the stories bring Revelation alive for the reader. Then there is a section after the story titled "scripture behind the story" to explain where the fictionalized story is drawn from. No one knows exactly how the last days and the Great Tribulation period will play out or who the anti-Christ will be, but the fictionalized stories help dumb-down the book of Revelation for people to understand the book of Revelation.

Agents of the Apocalypse is a good book to help you understand the book of Revelation. I recommend it to everyone, even non-believers so they can understand what believers believe about the Rapture, the Tribulation period, and our Lord Jesus' second coming.



Parents:
Language: None
Adult Content: speaks heavily on the Great Tribulation period to come.
Violence: None




Monday, December 28, 2015

Suffer the Children by John Saul




Suffer the Children

Author: John Saul
Published By: Dell
Date Published: 1977
Genre: Horror
Pages: 378
Recommended Age: adults
Reviewed By: Me
Rating: A/5







I own this book.

Summary:
One hundred years ago in Port Arbello a young girl is murdered.  Today, the children of Port Arbello are disappearing.  It seems an evil history has come back to haunt the town.  The one child who may know what is going on has been scared speechless.


My Thoughts:
I came across this book at a used book store while I was in high school.  The name John Saul was new to me, but the story on the back of the book intrigued me.  So I gave the clerk $2.00 and walked out the store with a new book and a new favorite author.

I still own this book and will never part with it.  I hope to one day meet John Saul and ask him to sign it.  It’s my favorite horror book and the most cherish book in my book collection (right along with my Little House and Anne of Green Gables books, of course).

I gave this book 5 stars and a grade of an A because I have read this book three times since I bought it and I never grow tired of it. The first time I read it I was up all night reading it; I couldn’t put it down.  The ending took me by complete surprise. I would have never have guessed who or what was causing the terror that had a hold of Port Arbello.  If you love horror books I would recommend all of John Saul’s books, but especially Suffer the Children.  


Parents:
Language: Some cuss language
Adult Content: No sex
Violence: None.  Just Psychological terror


The Killing’s at Badger’s Drift by Caroline Graham




The Killing’s at Badger’s Drift
Author:  Caroline Graham
Published By: Adler & Adler Publishers
Date Published:  January 1, 1988
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 264
Recommended Age: Adult
Reviewed By:  Me
Rating: A/5






I borrowed this book from the library.

Summary:
Miss Emily Simpson is an 81 year old spinster whom everyone likes in the small English village of Badger’s Drift, so why did someone kill her?  That is what Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby intends to find out, and in the process he finds out everyone’s sordid affairs.


My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book.  I have been watching the series Midsomer Murders, portraying Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby and his bumbling immature and very handsome Sergeant Gavin Troy on A&E for many years now, and one of my favorite episodes is The Killings at Badger’s Drift.  I knew the series were based on the mystery novels by Caroline Graham and recently decided to read her novels.  They did a great job with the television series. If they had not, I probably would never have decided to pick up the books.  

 The Killings at Badger’s Drift is the first novel in the Chief Inspector Barnaby Mysteries.  I am glad I decided to read Graham’s book series.  Graham was able to embody that small-town English village ambiance made popular by Agatha Christie while throwing in modern touches; for example, more violence and sexual deviances.

Graham is very descriptive in her details about the village and the people living in it.  The way she described some of the village people made this one reader laugh. I also love how Graham allows the reader to know what Sergeant Gavin Troy is thinking, although he is not the one solving the crimes, but is just assisting Chief Inspector Tom Barnaby.   Knowing what goes on in Troy’s mind with his truly immature thoughts makes the reader laugh, while Barnaby keeps the reader serious and focused on the task at hand.   

There was one occasion when Troy was checking out his reflection in the car’s mirror and fixing his hair. His thoughts at that moment let the reader know that he knew he was cute, and the way Graham described his reddish curls made this reader what to reach inside the book and touch his curls just to see if they were really soft.

Graham, writing Chief Inspector Barnaby and Sergeant Troy as complete opposites made the whole partnership believable and interesting. Furthermore, allowing the reader to have the back story on some of the village people and their secret resentments of each other helped make the village people seem more real and three dimensional to the reader. Therefore, I had no choice but to give The Killings at Badger’s Drift five stars and a grade of an A. I believe it to be an excellent read.  If you like mysteries, especially ones set in English villages, I recommend The Killings at Badger’s Drift and the rest of the Chief Inspector Barnaby Mysteries by Caroline Graham.  Read them and you will be transported in different scenic English villages, and you may even develop a soft spot for Sergeant Gavin Troy.



Parents:
Language: Some strong language
Adult Content: Sex scenes, Alcohol use, Adult Subject Matter, Heavy topics
Violence: Murder




Great Expectations by Charles Dickens




Great Expectations
Author: Charles Dickens
Published By: Signet Classics
Date Published: February 3, 2009 (first published 1861)
Genre: Classics
Pages: 528
Recommended Age: Young Adults, Adults
Reviewed By: Me
Rating: A/5






I borrowed this book from the library.

Summary:
Pip is an orphan living with his sister and her kind husband. Pip is hired by Miss. Havisham as a companion for her and her adopted daughter, Estella. During his time with Miss Havisham creates a desire in Pip to rise above his station in life and to become a Gentleman.  Pip gets his wish fulfilled when a mysterious benefactor provides him with "great expectations" and the means to be schooled as a gentleman.


My Thoughts:
I enjoyed the book very much.  It was well written and the characters were well developed.  Pip was a cute adorable child being raised “by hand” by his mean and abusive sister, who was only known as Mrs. Joe Gargery.  It really irked me the way Mrs. Joe Gargery would be verbally, emotionally, and physically abusive to her little brother and her husband.  She would even beat them with a device she called The Tickler.  What kind of name is “The Tickler” for something used to bring pain to someone?  I can only imagine that she got pleasure from dishing out the abuse.  I know she enjoyed causing that fight between her husband and their employee.

Pip disappointed me deeply as he settled into the life as a gentleman. He enjoyed the life of leisure and luxury so much that he spent his money foolishly, as if there was no end to it. Pip also turned into a snob and threw away everything he once loved and valued to pursue his own selfish wants.  As my mother would say, he “forgot where he came from.” When Pip discovers the identity of his benefactor he is highly disappointed and filled with shame.  All he can think about is what Society would think instead of being grateful.  I grew to be ashamed of Pip.

As for Mrs. Havisham, I felt sorry for her. I kept thinking if she lived during this time she wouldn’t let one man ruin her life and drive her inside.  She would think her the best revenge would be to live her life to fullest and let the man see what a good thing he gave up.  Instead she let her run away groom send her down into madness and train her adopted daughter to not to love.  She realizes to late the damage she has caused her beloved daughter and the hell she has sentenced her to. It is truly sad.

I also noticed how Charles Dickens used shades of the color Yellow a lot throughout the book, and not in a flattery sense.  For example, when he first introduced the color it was to describe Miss. Havisham’s wedding gown. He described it as  white-yellow. Dickens did that to show the reader how old the gown was and that it was losing its whiteness.  I made the reader actually see how sad Miss Havisham and her environment were.  The color Yellow came to represent something old and ugly.

I enjoyed Great Expectations so much I gave it 5 stars and a grade of an A.  Charles Dickens did a fantastic job weaving a tale of mystery and morale values.  If you enjoy reading the Classics or clean, wholesome stories about morality and human weaknesses, I recommend Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.


Parents:
Language: None
Adult Content: None

Violence: None


The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore




The Other Wes Moore
Author: Wes Moore
Published By: Spiegel & Grau
Date Published: April 27, 2010
Genre: Autobiography/Biography, non-fiction
Pages: 233
Recommended Age: Young Adults, Adults
Reviewed By: Me
Rating: C/3





I borrowed this book from the library.

Summary:
Two boys with the same name are born within blocks of each other.  One grew up to be an honored veteran that works in the White House, while the other is serving a life sentence for murder.


My Thoughts:
I liked the way Wes Moore told his story and the story of the other Wes Moore. The way Moore told the stories made the book flow nicely.

 I personally think the other Wes’s mother should be a shamed of herself by being more concern with how young she still looked and about going to the clubs to pick up a new boyfriend than being with her two boys. It made me dislike her right from the start. I believed that played a lot in the direction her sons took. 

They had no true guidance or decent role models, but at the same Wes should be hold accountable for his own actions. He knew right from wrong and yet he still chose the immoral path. His brother Tony disgusts me with his lack of remorse, which makes me wonder if he even has a conscience.

I liked Moore’s mother because she was so determined that he get on the right tracked that she begged for donations to send him to a good military school when she saw the path he was heading down. She risked her pride to save her son. That’s love.

I gave this book three stars and a grade of C because I liked this book, but it did nothing for me. It did not move me emotionally in any way.  I did like that in the epilogue Mr. Moore told us what had become of the key players in both of the boys’ lives. It tied up many close ends.


Parents:
Language: Some swear words
Adult Content: lots of drug use and selling of drugs, Adult Subject Matter, Heavy topics

Violence: gang violence, shoot outs.


The Hancock Boys by Thomas William Simpson




The Hancock Boys

Author: Thomas William Simpson
Published By: Bantam
Date Published:  February 29, 2000
Genre: Suspense
Pages:  528
Recommended Age: Mature adult
Reviewed By: Me
Rating: A/5





I borrowed this book from the library

Summary:
Two twin brothers at a young age decide to share one life.  They share the same career, wife, and family until one starts to lose his sanity.

My Thoughts:
I really, really loved this novel.  Simpson came up with a tale that keeps the reader riveted.  I could not put this book down, and when I was finished reading it I just sat in stunned shock.  At first, I didn’t like their wife because I couldn’t believe how stupid she was that she didn’t know one twin would come in and pretend to be her husband for periods at a time, but everything comes together in the end, leaving the reader amazed.

I gave this book five stars and a grade of an A+.  This book was just off the charts and liked it so much that I wrote the editor and publishers of the book telling them how much I liked it and thought it would make a good move.  I loved it that much.  I have never written editors or publishers of books before, but I felt compelled to do so on this one.  It was that good.



Parents:
Language:  swear words
Adult Content: Sexual Content, Adult Subject Matter, Heavy topics
Violence: violent murder and suicides



The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold




The Lovely Bones

Author: Alice Sebold
Published By:  Little, Brown & Company
Date Published: August 29, 2006
Pages: 384
Recommended Age: Adults
Reviewed By: Me
Rating: D/2





This book is from my own collection.

Summary:
It’s a sad story about a murdered young girl who from Heaven watches her family deal with her death and how her murder gets away.


My Thoughts:
I didn’t care for this book. This book was very boring. If I was grading it on it’s boring-ness it would get an A, but I am not.  It’s surprising this was on the best seller list at all.  I feel I should be compensated for the time I lost reading this book instead of reading another more interesting one.

I did like the father of the dead girl.  He never wavered in trying to find out the truth and wanting justice for his daughter’s death.  I can’t say the same for the mother.  She just wanted to forget it about and try to start a relationship with the handsome police office.

This book is mostly likely a fantasy, because we do not know what Heaven is like.  Everyone has a different perception of what the After-life will hold.  I gave this book 2 stars and grade of D because it started out well, but after the first 2 chapters it plummeted.   If you like the book What Dreams May Come, then I would recommend this book, other than that, I would say stay clear of it.


Parents:
Language: none
Adult Content: Sexual Content, Adult Subject Matter, Heavy topics
Violence: Violent Rape and murder scene



In the Garden of Beast: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson




In the Garden of Beast: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin
Author: Erik Larson
Published By: Crown Publishing Group
Date Published:  January 1, 2011
Genre: Contemporary Non:Fiction
Pages: 365, Kindle edition
Recommended Age: mature adults
Reviewed By: Me
Rating: C/3





I received this book from Amazon.  It was one of Amazon’s free Kindle books they were giving away on a particular day.


Summary:
When none of the regular government politicians will take the post as the American Ambassador in Germany during the time of Hitler’s reign in 1933, William E. Dodd, a mild-mannered history professor from Chicago is given the post.  Professor Dodd brings along his wife, son, and audacious daughter, Martha.  Through Ambassador Dodd’s letters and journals and through Martha’s journals Erik Lawson tells the reader what Berlin was like during 1933 and 1934.


My Thoughts:
In the Garden of Beasts was okay.  I liked being able to “see” what Germany was like through an American’s eyes.  It shows that Hitler and his army treated anyone horrible that didn’t fit his view of the perfect German or follower.  Even Americans staying in Germany for one reason or another was treated badly.  It’s sad that a lot of people, mostly the Germans saw nothing wrong with how the Jews were treated; for example the one man telling Martha why a woman was being dragged through the street.  It was because she was planning to marry a Jew. He was blasé about it; the man said it as if she deserved the treatment and was even disgusted that the woman would marry a Jew. It disgusts me that there were people like that.  They actually believed that Jews were evil and were the cause of all their problems just because one man said so. It makes me wonder if these people were already subconsciously racists and were relieved to show their hatred for another race and culture that was different from theirs?  Or were they easily manipulated and brain washed and not able to think for themselves?

I really didn’t care for Martha Dodd at all. She had to be an embarrassment for her father.  I found her to be a self-indulgent slut who disrespected her parents’ home by bringing all those men in the house and having sex with them up in the family library. I also did not like that she had turned a blind eye to what was truly going on in Germany, even when reports were coming in about Americans being attacked.  She always took the Nazis side, saying things like, “well, they must have done something” and she was also known to say she approved of what Hitler was doing.  She believed Hitler was making Germany a better place. It was only when the injustice started hitting too close to home and affecting her friends did she open her eyes.  I found her to be a very selfish, “it’s about me me me me” kind of woman.

I gave In the Garden of Beasts three stars and a grade of C because I really didn’t like it all that much. I didn’t like that the last 25 percent of the book was reference pages; it made the book seemed quite short in my opinion. Yes, I know that references must be included in any non-fiction work, but Erik Larson could have made the book longer somehow.  It might have helped if it was more detailed orientated and more descriptive. In the Garden of Beasts seemed to just list the basic facts, pulled from journals and letters. It was quick and to the point. 

It also seemed to talk more about how other people in America’s government was against Ambassador Dodd from the beginning, because he wasn’t rich and didn’t live flamboyantly like they thought an Ambassador should live. It seemed that the other government officials were constantly trying to put Ambassador Dodd in a bad light and embarrass him. They cared less about what Hitler was doing to fellow human beings.  All they wanted was to be on good “party” terms with the German government and retrieve back the money Germany owed America.  It also made the American President a push over, who listen to the men around him and did not follow his gut.  I was quite disappointed in the President, as I was in this book.  If you “see” what Germany was like through an American’s eyes, I recommend In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson.


Parents:
Language: some
Adult Content: some sex, heavy topics about the treatment of Jews and Americans in Germany
Violence: Some violence against Jews and Americans




Updates

I've been away for awhile, but I'm back.  I am making some changes to my blog to make it even better. I will still post reviews of the books me and others read, but now I have added genre pages for your convenience. Now, you can find listings and reviews from Amish Romances to Merrytime (Holiday) reading. I posted a new book review earlier, and I will have more in the days to come.  Happy reading!!!!

A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolf




A Vintage Affair
Author: Isabel Wolf
Published By: Bantam Books
Date Published: June 29, 2010
Pages: 346
Recommended Age: Adults
Reviewed By: Me
Rating: B/4






I borrowed it from the library

Summary:
Phoebe Swift owns a boutique dealing with vintage clothing called Village Vintage.  She is also dealing with the loss of her best friend and her guilt over the part she played in her friend’s death.  While at an elderly Frenchwoman, Thérèse Bell’s apartment looking through old clothes she may buy she comes across a child’s sky-blue coat, an item which Bell is stubbornly reluctant to part with.  As she becomes friends with the dying Thérèse, Thérèse tells her the story of why she will never part with the coat. Hearing the tale, Phoebe discovers a connection between herself and Thérèse, one that will heal her own pain and help her to love once again.

My Thoughts:
I am surprised that I actually like this book. When my book club voted on what book to read this month, I had voted against this book and was disappointed it got majority of the votes.  It didn’t seem like a book I would choose to read on my own…a book about clothes, really? 

It is well written and easy to read. Yes, it talks a lot about clothes. It talks about the designer, the year the clothing was made and the costs, but it also tells the history of who last wore the dress, pants, or even the accessories like a purse. It seems that some of the clothing gave the women courage to do things they felt they couldn’t do on their own, like blow the whistle on their bosses, or break up with an overbearing and bossy boyfriend.  Some of the stories are quite touching such as the story of the Jewish girl during WWII, which has a big part in making the book more interesting for me as I am fascinated by stories of WWII and the plight of the Jewish people during the war. A Vintage Affair is emotionally tugging and I found myself crying towards the end of the book.

I gave A Vintage Affair four stars and a grade of B because I enjoyed the book and found myself actually wanting to finish it, and not dragging my feet, kicking and screaming through it because I had to have it read for my book club. If you like contemporary fiction, I recommend A Vintage Affair by the internationally bestselling author, Isabel Wolff.

Parents:
Language: none
Adult Content: Talks about concentration camps from WWII and other forms of death, some sex

Violence: none