Hearse and Buggy by Laura Bradford

Hearse and Buggy (An Amish Mystery #1)

Author: Laura Bradford

Published By: Berkley

Date Published: June 5th 2012

Genre: Mystery, Amish Mystery

Pages: 275

Recommended Age: Adult

Read and Reviewed By: Me

Rating: B/4

I borrowed this book from the neighborhood library.

Summary:

Claire Weatherly has divorced her husband and left New York for the Amish village of Heavenly, Pennsylvania. She opens an Amish specialty shop, Heavenly Treasures, and slowly makes friends among the Amish, including Esther, a young Amish woman who works in the shop.

When the store’s former owner, a unlikable man is found murdered Eli, the Amish man Esther is sweet on is the prime suspect. The new detective Jakob Fisher who was raised Amish and is now shunned by the Amish community tries to solve the case, but the Amish won’t talk to him so he relies on the help of Claire.

My Thoughts:

I really liked Hearse and Buggy by Laura Bradford, so much so that I plan on reading the next book in the series. I think Bradford did an excellent job creating the characters and presenting their backgrounds. I believe Bradford was being smart when she included Jakob’s pain and anguish over being shunned by his family. Yes, he knew what would happen if he left the Amish community, but it doesn’t lessen the pain any. How many of you have faced a difficult decision that you knew you had to make for whatever the reasons and ended losing love ones over. Showing Jakob’s pain to the readers made the storyline a bit realistic. If you love cozy mysteries, I recommend you reading Hearse and Buggy by Laura Bradford.  

Parents:

Language: None

Adult Content: None

Violence: None

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

Author: Vicki Myron

Published By: Grand Central Publishing

Date Published: October 7th 2010 (first published 2008)

Genre: Autobiography, Memoirs, Biography

Pages:  282

Recommended Age: Adult

Read and Reviewed By: Me

Rating: C/3

This book is from my own personal library.

Summary:

A kitten was only a few weeks old when he was stuffed into the Spencer Public Library’s book slot. The library director Vicki Myron petitioned the library board for permission to keep the kitten. The petition was granted and the kitten had found itself a home. The kitten was then given the name Dewey Readmore Books and the cat won the hearts of the town. For nineteen years Dewey charmed the town and the world with his personality as he ruled over Spencer Public Library.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book so much that after I had finished reading it I did a search for Dewey Readmore Books on the internet and spent time watching videos of a cat who knew he was king of a library. I liked how the author Vicki Myron shared the town’s history and her personal trials and triumphs. It made understanding her attachment to the cat easy to see. 

I recommend reading Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron, especially if one is a cat lover. It’s good light hearted reading that can make the reader chuckle at some points and cry at others.

Parents:

Language: None

Adult Content: None

Violence: None

The Things Book Lovers Would Wish Someone Would Say to Them

How would you like it if your boss said that 'your job was to read today and you could read any book you want for the eight hours you are at work'? That is on the list of twenty things a book lover would love to hear said to them. Read the rest on Goodreads blog post 20 Things All Book Lovers Wish Someone Would Say to Them posted by Hayley Ingarashi.

Dewey the Cat-CBS Sunday Morning

Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohlke

Saving Amelie

Author: Cathy Gohlke

Published By: Tyndale House Publishers

Date Published: May 16th 2014

Genre: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction

Pages: 453

Recommended Age: Adult

Read and Reviewed By: Me

Rating: A/5

This is from my own personal library.

Summary:

On a trip to Germany with her adoptive father Rachel Kramer is told by her old friend Kristine that her SS officer husband Gerhardt Schlick sees their child Amelie as a disgrace and not worthy of life because she was born deaf. Kristine pleads with Rachel to Amelie back to America with her raise her as her own because Gehardt plans to have her murdered. Rachel once dated Gerhardt so knows how cruel he can be. When she starts searching her scientist father’s documents she realizes that her whole life was a lie and she was an experiment for the Third Reich and now they plan to complete their experiment. With Gerhardt and the rest of the S.S hunting Rachel down she finds herself being helped by unlikely allies.

My Thoughts:

I just love, love this book.  I have a book hangover today because I was up until two in the morning reading this book. I could not put Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohlke down.  Gohlke has gained a new fan. It was a fast-paced book that kept you on the edge of your seat. I also loved how she handled the faith issue. I felt she made the characters who were not believers more realistic in their faith journey by the ways they came to accept Christ. In the beginning, Gohlke glazed over the faith talk in the beginning of the book enough to let the readers know who the true believers were and who were not. She did not over kill the faith talks as some Christian writers do. She made them coming to Christ as non believers more realistic. Introducing the beloved German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his book The Cost of Discipleship helped weaved Rachel and others faith journey into the storyline seamlessly. Gohlke did a fantastic job and I cannot wait to read more of her books and this is the reason I gave Saving Amelie five stars and a grade of A.  I loved it!

Parents:

Language: None

Adult Content: Talks about genocide and eugenics

Violence: insinuated beatings after the effect, insinuated gassing of innocent children

Her Brother’s Keeper by Beth Wiseman

Her Brother’s Keeper (An Amish Secrets Novel)

Author: Beth Wiseman

Published By: Thomas Nelson Publishing

Date Published: February 27th 2015

Genre: Christian Fiction, Amish

Pages: 300

Recommended Age: Adult

Read and Reviewed By: Me

Rating: C/3

This is from my personal library.

Summary:

A few years earlier, Charlotte Dolinsky’s brother Ethan left Texas and had found love with an Amish girl, named Hannah King. He told Charlotte he had joined the Amish community in Lancaster and was engaged to marry Hannah. Then last year he took his own life. Charlotte is determined to find out what caused her brother to take his own life and is certain that Hannah has the answers. Charlotte disguises herself as an Amish cousin of the King family and travels to Pennsylvania to find the answers she is seeking, believing the answers would give her peace, but her peace ends up coming from a source she didn’t even know she was looking for.

My Thoughts:

I liked this book, but something was lacking in it. I really could not tell if the author was trying to make this a romance or somewhat of a mystery. There was basically no romance going on. The reader knew who was interested in whom and who would up with whom. The mystery was what was Ethan dealing with mentally to make him take his own life at a time he should have been happy, but that story line was flat.  This book was mediocre in its story telling. If you are a Beth Wiseman fan and feel the need to read Her Brother’s Keeper go ahead, but if you have never read anything by Wiseman before do not make Her Brother’s Keeper your first read of hers; you will be disappointed.

Parents:

Language: None

Adult Content: Discussions about child abuse and suicide

Violence: None

All Caught Up

Today, I put up the final review of some of the books I read in 2015 and the years preceding. I didn't read a whole lot of books for pleasure in 2015 because I  had been reading mostly text books for my graduate classes, but I did get some books in that was for my pure enjoyment. The last review I posted for last year's books was Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and I highly recommend that book to everyone.

Tomorrow, I will post a review for the first book I finished this year. Yesterday, I started reading a book from the list on My Library page.  This book is set in Germany during WWII. If you haven't checked out My Library yet, feel free to do so.  I hope that you are enjoying My Reading Rainbow. I will try to keep up with it a lot better than I have been. If you are interested in writing book reviews for my blog as a guest blogger, feel free to message me at Theresa A. Mullins-Poet/Writer and I will send you a blog post template to follow. Blogging reviews for books is just for enjoyment and not for any compensation so if this is something you would be interested doing as a hobby then message me.

I hope you all are enjoying the start of the new year and the new year is treating you alright. I will be back tomorrow with another book review.  Later!

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Redeeming Love

Author: Francine Rivers

Published By: Multnomah Books

Date Published: May 9th 2005 (first published November 1st 1991)

Genre: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian Romance

Pages: 464

Recommended Age: Mature Adults

Read and Reviewed By: Me

Rating: A/5

This is from my own private library.

Summary:

This is retelling of the book Hosea in the Old Testament of the Holy bible.

Set in California’s gold country in 1850 Angel doesn’t trust anyone, especially men. She was sold into prostitution as a child and it’s the only skill she knows, she’s the best prostitute at the Pair-of-Dice. She meets Michael Hosea, a man after God’s own heart. God tells Michael to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally.  Angel agrees to marry him after she was beaten close to death by her Madam’s bodyguard. Her ice-cold heart fights against the love that God and Michael is offering her. Her heart slowly softens towards Michael and starts to love him, but with it comes feelings of being unworthy. She runs away a few times before she accepts the healing that can only come from the Lord.

My Thoughts:

I love, love this book. I deem it the best book I read of 2015. My pastor’s wife had me and others read this book for a women’s six week Bible study. After I read the prologue I practically threw it aside, thinking I could never read this book. Out of love for my fellow Sister-in-Christ I picked it back up and forced myself to read it, but once I made it past the harsh reality of the character’s childhood I could not put the book down. I read 464 pages within forty-eight hours.

I believe Rivers did a fantastic job recreating the story of Hosea. This is not an easy book to read.  It speaks of the harsh realities in this evil world that majority of us want to pretend is not happening (human trafficking, abuse, neglect, etc.), even me. This book is filled with a roller coaster ride of emotions. It’s also a spiritual journey that reader goes on with the heroine. The reader will read about God’s unwavering love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace. It’s a fantastic book to read with and discuss with your fellow sisters-in-Christ.

Parents:

Language: None

Adult Content: Some sex scenes

Violence: Rape of a child

Hiding in the Light: Why I Risked Everything to Leave Islam and Follow Jesus by Rifqa Bary

Hiding in the Light: Why I Risked Everything to Leave Islam and Follow Jesus

Author: Rifqa Bary

Published By: WaterBrook Press

Date Published: May 19th 2015 (first published May 5th 2015)

Genre: Autobiography, Memoirs

Pages: 226

Recommended Age: Adult

Read and Reviewed By: Theresa

Rating: B/4

This book is from my personal library.

Summary:

Rifqa Bary grew up in a devout Muslim family. When she was twelve she was invited to a Christian church by a schoolmate and decided to follow Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The next four years she desperately keeps her faith hidden from her family out of fear for her life. When she is sixteen her family discovers her secret and now she must flea for her life with the help of her Christian brothers and sisters. 

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this reading this book. It was well written and I learned a lot about the Muslim faith, at least a branch of it that can be very cruel to the women in their lives. It saddens me the way Rifqaa’s parents treated her after her brother damaged her eye, considering her unclean. Then treating her as the criminal when a relative rapes her, whisking her off to the United States before their Muslim community knew she was the victim of rape and being shamed out of their community. It’s discussing how some religions and/or cultures treat their women but claim to be a holy righteous group. I am so thrilled that Rifqa accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior and escaped that horrible life her parents were making her live. She deserves some happiness in her life and I pray that Lord continues to bless her. She’s a remarkable woman to live through all she lived through and still lets the peace of Lord shine in her life.

I recommend this book to everyone, especially to the people who believe that all Muslims are peaceful people that love and respect their daughters. Not all of them are peaceful people who respect others beliefs. There are some sects of Muslims who will kill their own kin if they leave the Muslim faith. Rifqa Bary’s story was truly a testimony to Jesus. 

Parents:

Language: None

Adult Content: a rape scene of a young girl, threats of violence

Violence: a rape scene of a young girl

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)

Genre: Autobiography, Memoirs

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

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

Genre: Christian, Non-Fiction

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)

Genre: Christian Non-fiction

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

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)

Genre: Christian, Non-Fiction, Autobiography, Memoir

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 4^th, 2012

Genre: Amish Romance

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

Genre: Christian Fiction

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

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.