Book Review: And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry

Posted on April 11, 2013 · 2 Comments

andthenifoundyouAnd Then I Found You
by Patti Callahan Henry
Publication Date: April 9, 2013
St. Martin’s Press

Amazon Synopsis:

Kate Vaughan is no stranger to tough choices.

She’s made them before. Now it’s time to do it again.

Kate has a secret, something tucked away in her past. And she’s getting on with her life.  Her business is thriving. She has a strong relationship with her family, and a devoted boyfriend whom she wants to love with all her heart. If Kate had ever made a list, Rowan would fill the imagined boxes of a perfect mate. But she wants more than the perfect on paper relationship; she wants a real and imperfect love. That’s why, when Kate discovers the small velvet box hidden in Rowan’s drawer, she panics.

It always happens this way. Just when Kate thinks she can love, just when she believes she can conquer the fear, she’s filled with dread. And she wants more than anything to make this feeling go away. But how?

When the mistakes have been made and the running is over, it’s time to face the truth. Kate knows this. She understands that a woman can never undo what can never be undone. Yet, for the first time in her life she also knows that she won’t fully love until she confronts those from her past. It’s time to act.

Can she do it? Can she travel to the place where it all began, to the one who shares her secret? Can the lost ever become found?

And Then I Found You gives new life to the phrase “inspired by a true story.” By travelling back to a painful time in her own family’s history, the author explores the limits of courage, and the price of a selfless act.

My Thoughts:

And Then I Found You is an amazing, heartwarming book which is based on the real-life story of the author’s sister. Kate and Jack (characters in our book) were childhood sweethearts who were destined to spend their lives together. However, things do not go to plan when Jack ends up marrying someone else and Kate finds herself pregnant … with Jack’s baby. Faced with unimaginable decisions, 22 year old Kate (and Jack) decide to give their baby up for adoption in hopes to give her a better life than the one they could provide for her.

Thirteen years later, Kate is on the verge of getting engaged to her beau of four years, Rowan. However, things just do not seem “right” with him. She wants to love him and spend her life with him, but there is always the nagging feeling in her heart that keeps drawing her back to Jack and the “what ifs” surrounding their relationship. When she receives a friend request on Facebook from someone named Emily Jackson, her life begins to take an unexpected turn.

Emily Jackson is a thirteen-year-old girl living in New York who is prompted by her best friend to start looking for her birth parents. Adopted at birth, she has always had nagging questions regarding her identity and worth. Emily uncovers some information which leads her to finding Kate on Facebook.

Reuniting over the discovery of their daughter, Kate and Jack are forced to confront the past and face an uncertain future.

This is truly a wonderful book. The fact that it is based a real-life story makes it even better because true life is stranger than fiction, as the saying goes! I’m thrilled for the author’s family that they were able to reunite with the child they were wondering about for so long.

Kate and Jack are awesome characters. I really felt for each of them. I engaged with their story and felt their emotions. Kate was a bit stand-offish and I did not completely understand Jack’s motives for what he did at times, but that can be said for any one of us humans, I think! Overall, a great story with a heartwarming theme of redemption and hope. I would highly recommend this book.

And Then I Found You is the April Selection for the SheReads Book Club!
Click the banner below to head on over to their site and participate in the discussion!

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Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

*****

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Audiobook Review: Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

Posted on February 21, 2013 · 5 Comments

level2Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
Publication Date: January 22, 2013
Format: Audio CD
Rating: 3 stars
Genre: YA Dystopian
Source: Review copy from the publisher

Amazon Synopsis

In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.

Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.

My Thoughts

The audio narration by Jenna Lamia is outstanding. She is the perfect choice to read this novel. Her voice and inflections are on point; the character voices distinct. She made listening to the book an enjoyable experience.

However, I had a very difficult time staying focused on the story itself. And, honestly, it might just be me. This is not the typical genre of book that I read. I wanted to read it only because the author is a fellow book blogger. The storyline is not one that I would normally gravitate toward, so I may have brought some preconceived biases into my reading experience that are not fair.

With that said, there were parts of it that intrigued me … but I was left wanting more. There were other parts that went on and on … that I just wanted to skip over. Felicia Ward is a seventeen-year old girl who finds herself in Level 2, the stage between life on earth and Heaven. Felicia is dead yet she is stuck in this in-between world where she relives her life through countless memories. This is how the reader is introduced to Felicia’s back story – her life on Earth, so to speak. I was intrigued by some of her memories; others did not seem to move the plot forward in any meaningful way but instead showed a part of her character or an aspect of a relationship that helps us get to know her character a little better. Her relationship with her boyfriend, Neil, was adorable – how they met, their first date, etc.

The dystopian-esque elements of the book (the Level 2 parts) were just plain confusing to me. The Morati who oversee Level 2 are in the process of rebelling because they want to go to Level 3, but are forever stuck on Level 2. Then Julian, Felicia’s maybe-but-maybe-not love interest breaks in to free her and tries to get her to join the fight against the Morati. Julian was part of Felicia’s real life and they engaged in a relationship, but as far as Felicia in Level 2, it is all about Neil. Neil is her one true love. So, the premise of there being a love triangle was a bit flawed. The Neil/Felicia relationship seemed more real and emotional than the Julian/Felicia relationship.

The ending felt a bit rushed and contained some surprises that I am not sure make sense, but I am ultimately happy about.

Overall, a mixed read for me. Enjoyed some parts; other parts were confusing, but this could be because this is not the typical genre of book that I read.

Audio clip

My audiobook review copy was provided by Random House Audio. All thoughts are my own.

 

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Book Review: Miracle for Jen by Linda Barrick

Posted on January 28, 2013 · 2 Comments

Miracle for Jen by Linda Barrick
Publication Date: February 14, 2012
Format: Hardcover
251 pages
Related Links: Hope Out Loud
Synopsis from Amazon:

On the night of November 5, 2006, the Barrick family was driving home from church when their van was struck by a drunk driver. Fifteen-year-old Jen suffered multiple skull fractures and severe brain trauma and was not expected to survive the night. But against all odds, she did. As she lingered in a coma, doctors warned that if Jen ever woke up, she would be cursing and screaming in confusion due to her brain injuries. Instead, after five weeks she opened her eyes and began praying and praising God. Jen didn’t remember her middle name, recognize her parents, or recall that she had a little brother–but she remembered Jesus and every word to every praise song and scripture she had hidden in her heart before the accident. As any loving mother would, Jen’s mother Linda wanted God to heal Jen–make her like she was before. Normal. But a loving God had something else in mind–instead of making her normal, God is making Jennifer–and the whole Barrick family–extraordinary, miraculous. “Miracle for Jen” is the remarkable true story of a family who overcame tragedy and learned to trust God’s plan for their lives in a whole new way.

My Review:

Jennifer Barrick is a faith-full teenager who wants to be used by God in big ways. But, due to her quiet demeanor, she prays often for boldness to share her faith. One night, on the way home from a concert, the Barrick family’s lives are forever changed when they are involved in a horrific car accident which leaves Jen severely brain damaged.

The book is told from her mother, Linda’s, point of view, as this is ultimately a book about a family. The faith of the whole family is tested through this trial. Each member is affected differently by the accident, but, out of this tragedy, God reveals Himself in amazing ways. Jen is transformed into a bold vessel for Christ, sharing the light of His hope, love, and grace to others. Throughout her medical crisis and subsequent trials stemming from the brain injury, this book reveals how Jen’s relationship with the Lord is strengthened beyond anything imaginable. Her child-like faith and hope are contagious. She is not down and out about her condition – she is happy to be able to proclaim the love of Christ to others, if that is how God wants to use her. I’m just amazed by this young girl and her testimony. Her story is incredible.

There is some repetitiveness to the story, which is why I give it 4 stars instead of 5. The story is a bit choppy in places and does not flow well, but, as a whole, the story is amazing and one I highly recommend.

rating 4 star

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Book Review: Proverbs Prayers by John Mason

Posted on September 26, 2012 · 2 Comments

Proverbs Prayers
by John Mason
Publication Date: August 1, 2012
Publisher: Summerside
Source: Litfuse Publicity Group
*****

About the Book

Praying the Wisdom of Proverbs into Your Life Every Day

Experience God’s wisdom as never before and find encouragement, peace, answers, and a better life through this devotional prayer book.

Many people read a chapter a day from the book of Proverbs as a regular devotional practice. They consider it their favorite book in the Bible because its daily practical guidance offers tools to make the right choices and have the inner strength to stand against pressure, size up a situation and know how to respond, make fewer careless mistakes, and avoid unnecessary trouble.

In these pages, readers will find a chapter from Proverbs followed by a heartfelt prayer that includes all of the insights from that chapter. In a mere thirty-one days they can pray all of the wisdom of Proverbs for their lives.

*****

My Thoughts

In this 31-day devotional book, John Mason lays out an effective way to pray through the Proverbs. Each day, the proverb is presented in the NASB translation which is then followed by a prayer. This is an easy, but dynamic, way to add value to your study of the Proverbs or just as a supplemental resource for a daily proverb reading. It is a book that can be used over and over again. If you do not prefer the NASB translation, then you can read the day’s proverb out of your own Bible and then go to this book to read John’s prayer. Or you can read the NASB and your preferred translation for deeper meaning and understanding of the text. There are many ways this book can be used, but it is a great resource that I would definitely recommend.

Blog Tour Schedule: http://litfusegroup.com/author/jmason

 *****

Meet John

John Mason is an author with over 1.2 million books in print, including “An Enemy Called Average”, “You’re Born an Original- Don’t Die a Copy”, and “Let Go of Whatever Makes You Stop”.

He is the founder and president of Insight International, an organization dedicated to helping people reach their dreams and fulfill their destiny. John is in great demand as a speaker throughout the United States and abroad.

Find out more about John at http://www.freshword.com.

*****

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Audiobook Review: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

Posted on September 11, 2012 · 5 Comments

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
by Matthew Dicks
Publication Date: August 24, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: ARC copy from BEA (print and audio)
*****

My Thoughts

Jamin. Jumbly. Cynthia. Sarah.

I was an imaginative kid. I had not one, but FOUR imaginary friends. We did everything together. But, alas, they faded away, as many imaginary friends do. I never really thought about them having their own lives. But, this book has made me think of imaginary friends in a whole new way! Budo, the lead character in Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend is unique as far as imaginary friends go. He’s been alive for five years! He’s helped Max, his human friend, navigate the world of home and school for a long time. Max is special. From Budo’s description, the reader is led to believe that Max has autism. So, Max has relied on Budo and Budo loves Max. They are best friends. Budo helps Max make decisions, keeps guard while he goes to the bathroom, and tells him if his mom kisses him one too many times before she goes to bed. Their relationship is special and, as a reader, I felt it. Even though Budo is a figment of Max’s imagination, Budo came alive on the pages.

But when Max’s teacher kidnaps Max and no one sees it but Budo, he must figure out a way to save Max before it is too late! But, in doing so, Budo realizes that by saving Max, it might mean the end of himself. As long as Max believes in him and needs him, he will continue to exist. So, Budo is torn between wanting to help Max get away and wanting to save himself, because Max will eventually stop believing in him.

This book is heartfelt, at times laugh-out-loud funny, and at times sad. I would have loved a bit more detail on Mrs. Patterson’s (Max’s teacher) motives for kidnapping Max. There were some hints and I can make my own conclusions, but I wanted more about the WHY she did it. The audiobook narration is top notch and this is one of those books that I would definitely recommend listening to. It is phenomenal. Here is a clip for your enjoyment:

http://media.us.macmillan.com/video/olmk/macmillanaudio/MemoirsOfAnImaginaryFriend.mp3

And thanks to Macmillan Audio, I have one AUDIO CD copy to give away to USA residents! Just fill out the form below with your name and e-mail address. That’s it! Giveaway will end one week from today on Tuesday September 18 at 11:59pm EST.


 

Tell me about your imaginary friends – did you have one (or two, or three, or four?)? What was his/her name? What did you do together?

 

*****

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