The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

54. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
      Topic/Theme: an autobiography

Synopsis:
Few men could compare to Benjamin Franklin. Virtually self-taught, he excelled as an athlete, a man of letters, a printer, a scientist, a wit, an inventor, an editor, and a writer, and he was probably the most successful diplomat in American history. David Hume hailed him as the first great philosopher and great man of letters in the New World.
Written initially to guide his son, Franklin's autobiography is a lively, spellbinding account of his unique and eventful life. Stylistically his best work, it has become a classic in world literature, one to inspire and delight readers everywhere.

My Review:
Benjamin Franklin is known for being one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. As a polymath, he was an author, printer, political theorist, politician, freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. He is credited for laying or aiding in the foundation for several things including the first fire department in Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania (then known as The Academy and College of Philadelphia), the first public library (Library Company of Philadelphia), and Pennsylvania Hospital, the first hospital in the United States.

Ben Franklin started writing his autobiography for his son William. He wrote about parts of his life and he referred to it as memoirs instead of an autobiography. He talks about growing up in Boston, before running away to Philadelphia when he was 17 - to start over in a new city. Growing up in Philly, it was interesting to get to know more about Philly back then. Trying to establish himself in Philly, he became involved in several different avenues, including the newspaper and printing business and the postal service. He talks about the different positions he had in politics, including the time spent in the UK and France. Ben also was involved in making some changes to the Declaration of Independence.

There is no question that this book is unfinished. The American Revolution isn't mentioned because he felt that he couldn't talk about it for whatever reason. It's possible that he just ran out of time to write about it or didn't have the time to write about it. Benjamin Franklin wrote much of his autobiography from memory, especially about his childhood and the early days in Philadelphia. 

One of my favorite qualities about Ben Franklin is that he's always thought he could do better than what he was doing and that includes writing these pages. In doing so, he kept making changes to it from when he started writing it in 1771 until his death in 1790.

To keep this from going further, I have done a follow-up post about his thirteen virtues he lived by, which will be posted later today.

I want to point out that the picture I posted above of the book is my own copy that my grandmother had in the house.

Fun Fact: Ben Franklin never intended for this to be published.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

❤Meg❤

Kellie's Diary #1 (Thomas Jenner and Angeline Perkins) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

52. Kellie's Diary #1 by Thomas Jenner and Angeline Perkins
      Topic/Theme: graphic novel

Synopsis:

A series of diary entries through the eyes of a little girl as she tries to survive the end of the world.
What if the early 1990's didn't happen as we remember it? What kind of world would we live in today?
This story is told from the viewpoint of 9-year-old Kellie, a typical third-grade girl living her life as anyone else would, and she shares her daily activities with her diary. When the world crumbles and the dead walk, Kellie struggles to survive and find her way home, all the while sharing her tale with her diary.
This is an account of our hypothetical past, present and future.

My Review:

This was more of a novella, but this was what came up when I was looking for graphic novels. In a series of diary entries, nine-year-old Kellie gives her perspective of trying to survive a zombie apocalypse. Keep in mind, the writing style reflects that of a kid. She may not know that what she's seeing is zombies, but she is descriptive of her activities and what she sees. In this story, you have the option of reading it normally or as it's written in her diary (her own handwriting and diary pages).

This is book one in a series of Kellie's tales of living in a zombie apocalyptic world. I personally don't believe in a zombie apocalypse.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

❤Meg❤

Leaves of Grass (Walt Whitman) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

51. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman 
      Topic/Theme: book of poetry

Synopsis:

Leaves of Grass collects dozens of poems that Whitman continuously revised over the last years of his life. As a whole, they explores themes of love, nature, spiritualism, and the soul, declaring that the body is one and the same as the soul.

My Review:

First off, I'm not someone who reads poetry that much. Throughout Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman wrote his poetry in free verse and used a lot of metaphors. He pretty much wrote about anything and everything, from his love of nature to his views on faith (well, what he believed in) and so much more. The book is categorized into each of his themes. Poetry, to me, is like life: there are parts you like and parts you don't. Or in the case of this book, there were some poems that I enjoyed and some that I did not.

I was only really familiar with the poem, O, Captain, My Captain, before reading this. If you don't know, it was written about the death of President Abraham Lincoln. In this poem, the captain refers to Lincoln's assassination. The ship represents the war-weathered nation after the Civil War. And the "prize won" was meant to capture America's confusion after the Civil War ended.

Another popular and famous poem is Song of Myself. It's a lengthy poem. Parts of it is featured in John Green's Paper Towns. 

Here is the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia, PA:

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

❤Meg❤

Twelve Days of Christmas (Debbie Macomber) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

50. Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber
      Topic/Theme: first book you see in a bookstore

Synopsis:

Friendly and bubbly, Julia Padden likes nearly everyone, but her standoffish neighbor, Cain Maddox, presents a particular challenge. No matter how hard she’s tried to be nice, Cain rudely rebuffs her at every turn, preferring to keep to himself. But when Julia catches Cain stealing her newspaper from the lobby of their apartment building, that’s the last straw. She’s going to break through Cain’s Scrooge-like exterior the only way she knows how: by killing him with kindness.
To track her progress, Julia starts a blog called The Twelve Days of Christmas. Her first attempts to humanize Cain are far from successful. Julia brings him homemade Christmas treats and the disagreeable grinch won’t even accept them. Meanwhile, Julie’s blog becomes an online sensation, as an astonishing number of people start following her adventures. Julia continues to find ways to express kindness and, little by little, chips away at Cain’s gruff façade to reveal the caring man underneath. Unbelievably, Julia feels herself falling for Cain—and she suspects that he may be falling for her as well. But as the popularity of her blog continues to grow, Julia must decide if telling Cain the truth about having chronicled their relationship to the rest of the world is worth risking their chance at love.  

My Review:

This was one of my favorite Christmas stories I have read. When Julia starts getting aggravated with a neighbor, she tries to come up with a way to handle the situation. With the help of a friend, they come up with the idea of killing him with kindness. At the same time, a company that Julia's applying for couldn't decide on whether to hire her or another person. The company decides that the position will go to whoever can get the most views and comments on his or her blog. Julia decides to call her blog, the Twelve Days of Christmas, as a way of recording how her twelve days of kindness campaign with Cain goes. Of course, it goes without saying that the twelve days are the twelve days leading up to and including Christmas. The kindness campaign doesn't get off to a great start, but she's determined to not give up. The blog, on the other hand, is a hit. Slowly and surely, Julia begins to crack his shell. She soon realizes that there's more to him than meets the eye. As much as they hate to admit it, they start to feel attracted to each other and they start having dates. As the blog continues to grow each day, Julia struggles to come clean about how she's been chronicling not only her kind acts, but their relationship as well. Once the media gets involved, Cain finds out by accident and everything that they have worked for comes crashing down, as Cain thinks she was only putting on an act. In Cain's defense, he has struggled with the hurt and pain of a past relationship in which he was taken advantage of, among other things, and has a hard time trusting others. He also has struggled to come to terms with his mom's death and I can't blame him. I can't imagine how much it hurts to lose a parent or a child. It's a grief that goes on and on. While they start fixing things, Cain's grandfather becomes the hero in salvaging their relationship. 

The Twelve Days of Christmas was another heartwarminging tale from Debbie Macomber. She has this way of keeping a truth of reality to her characters. It can be hard to capture the essence of real life situations and what people really go through. Debbie never fails to deliver. The overall theme was that people aren't always what they seem. We don't know what a person is going through and have no place to judge based on how they act or seem like on the outside. 

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

❤Meg❤

Mystic Summer (Hannah McKinnon) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

49. Mystic Summer by Hannah McKinnon
      Theme/Topic: book that takes place during summer

Synopsis:

A chance run-in with a college boyfriend puts a young woman’s picture-perfect life in perspective in this warm-hearted and lyrical novel.
Since finishing graduate school, Maggie Griffin has worked hard to build an enviable life in Boston. She’s an elementary school teacher in a tony Boston suburb, a devoted sister, and a loving aunt. With her childhood best friend’s wedding quickly approaching and her own relationship blossoming, this is the summer she has been waiting for. But when Maggie’s career is suddenly in jeopardy, her life begins to unravel. Stricken, Maggie returns home to seaside Mystic, Connecticut, where she expects to find comfort in family and familiarity. Instead, she runs into Cameron Wilder, a young man from her past who has also returned home, and whose life has taken a turn that puts Maggie’s city struggles in harsh perspective. When tragedy strikes for Cameron, Maggie is faced with big decisions as she weighs what matters most and strives to stay true to the person she’s become.
Set against the gorgeous backdrop of a New England summer when past and present collide, Mystic Summer is a gorgeous novel about looking back, moving forward, and the beauty that blooms when fate intervenes.

My Review:

Since this is about summer, don't we wish it was summer again? Okay, let's back to the review now. A light and easy read and you could even read this at the beach. At the beginning, Maggie has everything going for her. But in the drop of a hat, all that changes when she gets laid off from work. That one piece of news makes Maggie rethink everything else in her life and her thoughts of having a great summer goes out the window. It doesn't help that she's the only one who hasn't gotten married yet out of her close friends and she feels left behind in a way. While Maggie tries to take the time to deal with her situation, she runs into a former boyfriend, who just happens to be back in their old hometown as well. Cameron has his own issues to deal with and has no choice but to put his daughter first in his life. Just when they think they're back on good terms, Cameron's daughter's health problems get in the way, causing Maggie to question whether she's getting back together with him for all the wrong reasons, as her way of coping with losing her job. Maggie believes that they can recreate what once was, despite that they have grown and have had to face their own hardships. Sometimes fate can intervene, but only if you're willing to work at it, just like in every other relationship. A great read and it's good to see how much a person can change and grow in a short amount of time.

Throughout this story, Maggie struggles to come to terms with losing her job. She tried to find different ways of avoiding the situation and not trying to fix things. Going through hardships is a part of life. And it's okay to feel depressed and upset, as long as you don't let it control you. Did it take Maggie a little while to feel confident that she would find another job? Absolutely. I also wanted to say that it's okay to take a step back and reexamine your life every now and again. We learn, grow, and change everyday, every year and it's good to let go of what's not working anymore. 

After reading Mystic Summer, I now want to visit Mystic, Connecticut. I enjoyed how descriptive it was described.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

❤Meg❤

The 7 Habits That Will Change Your Life Forever (Adam Houge) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

48. The 7 Habits That Will Change Your Life Forever by Adam Houge
      Theme/Topic: self-improvement book

Synopsis:

Becoming a highly spiritual Christian needs to be the goal of every believer. Love in itself is an action and should be practiced habitually by everyone. We through love should be fervently seeking the Lord, and cherishing one another. We must be constantly portraying the heart of God toward one another on a habitual basis.

In this book we will distill the best habits down to the seven most productive ones. If practiced properly, they will carry over into every other category of life and drive you to become a highly spiritual Christian.

My Review:

As you can see from above, I chose this book as a self-improvement book. It seemed to have a great concept, but honestly, I was let down. The whole idea about this book is the best seven ways to become a better Christian. I have nothing against that as I was born and raised Catholic and Catholicism is a form of Christianity. While the seven habits are practical, the author made it sound like a lecture. It felt that most of the information was being forced on to me, making the book drag on in the process. In doing so, it lessened the effectiveness of what he was trying to say, the points he wanted to make. It didn't help that there was a lot of repetition of certain things throughout the whole book. Not to mention that some points he was trying to make contradicted each other. 

The Seven Habits are:

1. Love

2. Self-awareness

3. Pursuit of wisdom

4. Pursuit of truth

5. Avid listener

6. Tasteful tongue

7. Committed to a life of good

Once again, all seven habits are good concepts. It was just the way they were explained and broken down that was the problem.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

❤Meg❤

The Thorn (Beverly Lewis) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

47. The Thorn by Beverly Lewis
      Theme/Topic: book set in your home state
     

Synopsis:

Lancaster County, with its rolling meadows and secret byways, may seem idyllic, but it is not without its thorns. THE ROSE TRILOGY is the stirring saga of two Amish sisters on the fringes of the church, and the unforeseen discoveries that change their lives.
Rose Kauffman, a spirited young woman, has a close friendship with the bishop's foster son. Nick dresses Plain and works hard but stirs up plenty of trouble too. Rose's sister cautions her against becoming too involved, but Rose is being courted by a good, Amish fellow, so dismisses the warnings. Meanwhile, Rose keeps house for an English widower but is startled when he forbids her to ever go upstairs. What is the man hiding?
Rose's older sister, Hen, knows more than she should about falling for the wrong man. Unable to abandon her Amish ways, Hen is soon separated from her very modern husband. Mattie, their young daughter, must visit her father regularly, but Hen demands she wear Amish attire--and speak Pennsylvania Dutch, despite her husband's wishes. Will Hen be able to reestablish her place among the People she abandoned? And will she be able to convince Rose to steer clear of rogue neighbor Nick?

My Review:

Every rose has its thorn. I think everyone's familiar with this old adage that means that despite how perfect something may seem, it still has its flaws. The Thorn is based on exactly that. 

In case anyone doesn't know, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is known for its Amish population. The Amish, like everybody else, have their secrets and flaws and people make mistakes. And then there are those who struggle with that lifestyle and faith. In this story, Hen was one of those. She felt too secluded and grew tired of the ways of the Amish. Doing so, she fell for the wrong man and married an Englishman. After marriage and having a daughter, Hen feels drawn back to the lifestyle that she wanted to get away from. 

On the other side of this, Rose has always stayed true to the Amish lifestyle. This was especially true after Hen abandoned her family. Rose didn't want to see her parents disappointed again. Although Rose is courted by an Amish male, she can't help but feel a growing attraction to the town's rebel. Nick is the bishop's foster son, who feels like he has been forced into the Amish instead of being born into it. And feels like he doesn't belong and has no problem showing it. As much as Rose tries to avoid Nick to prevent herself from going down the wrong road, he keeps showing up in times of need. 

Troubles arise for both sisters and they both try to figure out where they belong in society: either within the Amish or away from it. They both want to please their parents, but also be happy with their own needs and wants, their own lives.

In Amish, "Pennsylvania Dutch", the time of figuring out who they want to be is called rumspringa. By definition, rumspringa means a period of adolescence in which boys and girls are given greater personal freedom and allowed to form romantic relationships, usually ending with the choice of baptism into the church or leaving the community.

The Thorn depicted a more truer reality to what people go through. Who hasn't questioned who they are, what they believe in, what makes them happy? And which family doesn't have their problems and secrets? Perfection doesn't exist and this book proved just that. Sometimes it takes being away from something to realize how much you miss it and how much you cherish it. I mentioned above how Hen and Rose wanted to please their parents. Most of us want to do just that. The realization is all the same and I'm going to give you this gentle reminder. Parents just want their children to be happy, no matter what path they choose, what they believe in, etc. 

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

❤Meg❤

The Iron Heel (Jack London) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

56. The Iron Heel by Jack London
      Theme/Topic: dystopian novel

Synopsis:

A dystopian novel about the terrible oppressions of an American oligarchy at the beginning of the Twentieth Century, and the struggles of a socialist revolutionary movement.

My Review:

Jack London wrote a dystopian book mainly to showcase his socialist views. It lacked character growth and development. Most of it was the characters arguing with each other about their opinions on government and the country's development. It was basically one character who felt different than most people and let his opinion known and instigating those arguments with everybody else. There was no real plotlines except for them strongly expressing what they thought about the events the country was going through and the decisions the government made back then. Since this is supposed to be dystopia, it isn't based on actual events (except for the San Francisco earthquake). It was very slow-moving and compared to other works by Jack London, it wasn't good quality writing like he usually wrote.

Oligarchy: the government of a few; a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

❤Meg❤

Petty Cash (Kimberly Vargas) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

55. Petty Cash by Kimberly Vargas
      Topic/Theme: book with a blue cover

Synopsis:

This is the romantic office comedy that human resources warned you about. Florida resident Rebecca Blake works as an assistant to a group of psychologists. She is strikingly beautiful and athletic. People see her as a nice, likable girl who is fine in her role but who could never really aspire to more at the company. Rebecca is told in her performance review that in order to get promoted, she is going to have to work on her credibility. As part of her career development plan, she is sent to a behavioral training course (nicknamed 'Club Detention') at company headquarters in Virginia. In error, she is partnered with Foster Diamond, who has the highest intelligence scores in the company. Even though he is a genius, Foster has own issues around interpersonal skills, attitude and his perception overall. Rebecca and Foster have nothing in common, but between his weakness for her beauty and her admiration of his intellect, they forge an unlikely bond. During the course they find that by pooling their respective strengths, they may be able to improve their careers. Sooner rather than later, their startling natural chemistry begins to take their partnership in another direction, and they must face their glaring differences or part ways.

My Review:

I selected this book for two reasons: one would be the requirement of having a blue cover and second, I thought the plot was unique. I don't believe that there are many office romance books out there. Rebecca gets sent off to a behavioral training course (who knew that even existed) to work on her credibility, making sure that she has the drive to get promoted within the company. For the time there, Rebecca gets paired with Foster, the genius of the company. However, Foster always ends up at Club Detention for attitude and personality issues. As they don't have anything in common, they get off to a rough start. They end up forming a sort of partnership, using the other's strengths to make changes in themselves. Foster doesn't adapt easily to Rebecca's suggestions at first, but eventually she becomes a positive influence to him. Due to their time spent together, they start a romance and discover slight things in common. It's a relationship that has its ups and downs, but comes to a head when an ex of his gets in the way. Foster has to prove once and for all that he's the one for Rebecca. 

Here's my take. While I do believe that opposites attract, Rebecca and Foster literally had nothing in common. Foster was domineering and did things according to his own agenda. To me, a relationship means an equal partnership and each person's opinion matters. I couldn't really see them together or making it as a married couple. This was just alright; the story didn't have the magic spark that I like to have in a book. There were numerous mistakes throughout as well.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

❤Meg❤

41: A Portrait of My Father (George W. Bush) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

53. 41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush
      Topic/Theme: political memoir

Synopsis:

Forty-three men have served as President of the United States. Countless books have been written about them. But never before has a President told the story of his father, another President, through his own eyes and in his own words. A unique and intimate biography, the book covers the entire scope of the elder President Bush’s life and career, including his service in the Pacific during World War II, his pioneering work in the Texas oil business, and his political rise as a Congressman, U.S. Representative to China and the United Nations, CIA Director, Vice President, and President.  The book shines new light on both the accomplished statesman and the warm, decent man known best by his family. In addition, George W. Bush discusses his father’s influence on him throughout his own life, from his childhood in West Texas to his early campaign trips with his father, and from his decision to go into politics to his own two-term Presidency.

My Review:

First, I just need to clarify that I kind of cheated by choosing this book for the above topic. Technically, it's not a memoir since George W. Bush wrote this about his father, but it's his viewpoints and a little bit is about how his father's decisions in office influenced his own decisions as President. 

Second, my review is not going to be based on what my political party is or my own political beliefs. I'm not someone who would read a political based book in general. Regardless of my registered party, I don't classify myself as a Democrat or Republican as there are issues that I agree with and don't agree with on both sides. 

Since I was really young during George H. W. Bush's presidency, I don't remember his four years in office. From that perspective, I enjoyed learning about his political years. I did like how George Bush wrote about his father's life as a whole. So much of the choices and decisions that we make as an adult are influenced by our upbringing or how we were raised. And that extends to any of the Presidents, past, present, and future, except that they have an entire country who are affected by those choices. It was interesting to get to know more about both of the Bushs' lives, whether that be politically, family life, and everything else in between (well at least when it pertains to #41).

While I can say that I enjoyed reading this book, I can't necessarily say that I liked every decision George H. W. Bush made. No matter the President or a person in general, there's always going to be things I like about what they do and things I don't like. No one is perfect and mistakes do happen. And there are times when the decisions we make don't work out the way that we wanted them to or how we thought they would turn out. 

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

❤Meg❤

Angela's Ashes (Frank McCourt) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

46. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
      Topic/Theme: New York Times bestseller

Synopsis:

“When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood.”

So begins the luminous memoir of Frank McCourt, born in Depression-era Brooklyn to recent Irish immigrants and raised in the slums of Limerick, Ireland. Frank’s mother, Angela, has no money to feed the children since Frank’s father, Malachy, rarely works, and when he does he drinks his wages. Yet Malachy — exasperating, irresponsible, and beguiling — does nurture in Frank an appetite for the one thing he can provide: a story. Frank lives for his father’s tales of Cuchulain, who saved Ireland, and of the Angel on the Seventh Step, who brings his mother babies.
Perhaps it is story that accounts for Frank’s survival. Wearing rags for diapers, begging a pig’s head for Christmas dinner and gathering coal from the roadside to light a fire, Frank endures poverty, near-starvation and the casual cruelty of relatives and neighbors—yet lives to tell his tale with eloquence, exuberance, and remarkable forgiveness.

My Review:
Frank's writing style was a little different from what I'm used to. It did take a little while to grasp that, but once I did, I came to appreciate it. It's a great narration of what it was like to grow up in a time of poverty and the additional challenges of dealing with the alcoholism of his father. Alcoholism is a disease. For Frank's father, it was his way of coping with deaths in the family, especially that of his daughter, among other troubles. It was interesting to read about what life was like in the 1930s and 40s in Ireland. Poverty can affect each and every country and everyone of all backgrounds. Just like the US has experienced the Great Depression and other economic crises, Ireland has also had its fair share of problems. It was such a good attribute of Frank's to be able to write so descriptively of those hard times. To be able to overcome those challenges was incredible. Anything is possible if you're willing to work hard and keep fighting through by not giving up.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

The Tour (Jean Grainger) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

45. The Tour by Jean Grainger
      Topic/Theme: book that takes place in Europe

Synopsis:

Every week, Conor O'Shea collects a new group of American visitors from Shannon Airport, from where they embark on a high end tour of the Real Ireland. But this particular tour, with its cast of unintentionally hilarious characters, presents even seasoned tour guide Conor with dilemmas that render him speechless for the first time in his life. Among this eclectic group are Corlene, a gold digging multiple divorcee on the prowl; Patrick, a love starved Boston cop; Dylan, a goth uilleann piper; Dorothy a poisonous college professor who wouldn't spend Christmas; Elliot, a wall street shark who finally shows his true colours. Then there's Ellen, back on Irish soil after so many years after so many years, to discover a truth no-one could ever have guessed at, least of all herself. And that's just a few of the colourful cast. The locals they meet on their journey, - West Brits, passionate musicians, Ukrainian waitresses and Garda high flyers all help to make this a tour no-one will ever forget. And of course, there's Conor O'Shea in the thick of it all, solving problems and mending hearts, but what about his own? 

My Review:

Conor is at the center of this story, but an eclectic group of people make it even better. Getting to learn about Ireland through Conor's elaborate, but not overly detailed, explanations offered a nice change of pace. Each character brought something different to the table and with that came their own personalities. An assortment of personalities led to some clashes among the group, as they dealt with their own problems and reasons for being there. Conor, the seasoned tour guide, always goes the extra mile to help each of them with their questions and anything else they may need. Not to mention that Conor tends to help them solve their problems (by giving advice for example), showing that he genuinely cares about each member. In the process, he has to deal with his own troubles, but doesn't let it get in the way of everything else. He manages to keep everything under control, even the unforeseeable obstacles that arise. Jean Grainger did a great job at keeping all the main characters at the forefront of the story without getting confused or lost. As you get to know each member's backstory, you can't help but feel for them when they come to terms with some events in their lives.

Despite each character's unique personalities, I can't imagine this story without any of them.

Where would you like to visit someday? And what was your favorite vacation spot?

I would like to visit Australia, France, Ireland,  and England. My favorite vacation spots include Niagara Falls, Yellowstone National Park, and North Conway, New Hampshire.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Tara Road (Maeve Binchy) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

44. Tara Road by Maeve Binchy
      Theme/Topic: book from Oprah's Book Club

Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Maeve Binchy has captured the hearts of millions with her unforgettable novels. Binchy's graceful storytelling and wise compassion have earned her the devotion of fans worldwide--and made her one of the most beloved authors of our time. Now she dazzles us once again with a new novel filled with her signature warmth, humor, and tender insight. A provocative tale of family heartbreak, friendship, and revelation,Tara Road explores every woman's fantasy: escape, into another place, another life. "What if..." Binchy asks, and answers in her most astonishing novel to date.

My Review:

This was the first book I read by Maeve Binchy and she has an eloquent writing style. Most of this book took place on Tara Road (hence the title) and the people who live there or nearby. In particular, Danny and Ria's house was featured the most because they had people over all the time, some even without invites. Whether it was for talking gossip, business or just spending quality time with friends, there was always something going on. When Danny admits he has been having an affair and they get divorced, Ria still maintains that social life except the ones over for business. Of course, then it becomes all girl talk with the support of family and friends. As the story goes on, you learn that Ria's so called friends aren't always what they seem, well a couple of them at least. Everyone you read about are an eclectic and diverse group of people. I had a love-hate relationship with all of them. I can't imagine the boom without even one of them, though.

Ria can't accept that Danny's leaving her for someone else and has had that affair for quite awhile. We, the readers, can figure that out before he brings it up and all along, Ria thought she was living a perfect marriage, despite all the signs being there. Marilyn, in New York, has been having a tough time coming to terms s with her son's death and separation from her husband. By chance, she just happens to have Danny's number and wants to exchange houses for two months. Ria agrees to the deal and before you know it, everything set up. Danny and Marilyn's husband are reluctant for them to do it, but realize that they're going to do it regardless. They each want the opportunity to get away from it all and their respective places. Both of them are very similar, except that Ria is social able and Marilyn is more drawn to herself. They have no idea that they're going somewhere opposite from what they're used to. For two months, they go on a journey of acceptance, growth, friendship, and so much more. Isn't it funny how escaping to another place makes it easier to come to terms with any situation you may be going through? Sometimes all we need is a break from reality to heal in what may be a sad or stressful (or anything really) time in our lives.

This was an enjoyable read. I do have to admit that it took me a little while to get into it. It's a powerful book about overcoming hard times and the power of friendship.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Homicide by Hamlet (Lois Lavrisa) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

43. Homicide by Hamlet by Lois Lavrisa

Synopsis:

Annie Mae has one last job to do before she retires from a thirty-year career in academia: one week of summer theater camp. A camp she has worked at for so many years she could do it with her eyes closed. Easy peasy. Until a team leader is murdered and all hell breaks loose as everyone is a suspect and everyone has a secret. Will she find out the truth before she becomes the killer’s next victim? Or will death be her swan song?

My Review:

I chose this book for two reasons. First, I like mysteries and second, I like theater. Put them together and I'm sold. It seemed like a fun and light read. And I was right.

Annie Mae is working her last year as a team leader at a summer theater camp. It will also mark the end of her teaching for several decades at the college where the camp takes place. Each summer, a Shakespeare play (in this cae, it's Hamlet) is chosen for the students. The students recreate and act out scenes from it for a one act play competition. The purpose is to put a fresh and modern take to it and the students do all the work as in set and costumes, etc. For instance, Annie Mae's group chose rap, while another group chose ballet and so on. The team leaders are only there to assist if needed. For this particular year, whoever wins first place gets scholarships. 

It takes a turn for the worst when one of the team leaders is murdered. The person who got murdered happens to be someone who wasn't well liked and has sabotaged the other teams. As a whole, the judges and team leaders decide to keep the competition on for the students' sake. Her team chooses to still compete without a leader. While the police start looking into it, Annie Mae and her friends start an investigation of their own. It doesn't help that evidence points to one of her friends and one of the judges and Annie Mae wants to prove that they're innocent. Several days pass and it's competition day. Every team does a good job. It's bittersweet when the group without a leader wins and Annie Mae's group gets second. Later that day and after the awards part, we find out who the murderer is, as Annie Mae figures it out and confronts the person. It doesn't end well for him obviously. And finally, Annie Mae is ready to retire and do her own thing.

While this was a cozy mystery, there was one thing I didn't like. I was able to figure out who the murderer was early on and it came as no surprise for me when he was revealed. I like suspense and I would have liked to keep on guessing for a longer time. I did enjoy the story for the most part, though.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

To Dance Once More (Sherri Wilson Johnson) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

42. To Dance Once More by Sherri Wilson Johnson

Synopsis:

Debutante Lydia Barrington lives a carefree, protected existence on Live Oaks Plantation in Florida. While her sisters happily prepare for their traditional roles as women and talk of courting, Lydia dreams of adventure and independence. She counts the days until she can leave home to explore the world, to dance with cultured gentlemen, to explore politics and art, to leave behind the confining expectations of her family and community—and her God. Even her friendship with handsome Hamilton Scarbrough isn’t enough to hold her back…until they dance, and her heart considers love.
Confused by her heart's betrayal, Lydia struggles to gain her independence. Then she overhears a private conversation about a business deal that has everything to do with her future. Now she’s faced with the biggest decision of her life—to concede or to fight. Either choice will require great sacrifice…and, perhaps, countless rewards. In an attempt to escape her imminent destiny, Lydia scrambles to find a solution—at all costs. Amidst the trials that follow, as Lydia runs out of time, she learns the meaning of sacrifice, forgiveness, hope and faith.

My Review:

Before I get started, I just wanted to say that I usually don't like to read historical fiction. There was something about the synopsis that made me want to read it. It was a little slow and hard to get into in the beginning, but I got hooked after several chapters. What I appreciated was how Sherri captured and conveyed the late 1800s in impeccable fashion.

Back in the 1800s, the men worked, while the women took care of the household and children. And the children were raised and prepared for those traditional roles. It was also a time when the father chose and approved of who would marry their daughter(s). As I'm writing this, it reminds me of The Fiddler on the Roof - except that in that, they're Jewish and in this story, the family is Christian.

This is a great coming of age story. Lydia's sisters have always accepted their expectations and are ready and prepared when they come of age. Lydia, on the other hand, has been more restless and a dreamer. She would rather travel and experience other parts of the world than getting married off into what society wants her to do when she gets old enough. She has wanted freedom from the protected and sheltered life she has grown up in. 

Since this is also historical romance, Lydia has dreamed of marrying her childhood friend (also her twin brother's best friend). When she overhears that her father has made a deal to marry her to someone else, she's crushed and becomes more rebellious. At each of her sister's coming of age and community parties, there's dancing involved, hence the title. Dancing with Hamilton makes her fall in love even more with him, but knows it's not possible. Her mission is to become more determined to have one more dance with him and be with him for the rest of her life. When Lydia goes to visit family with one of her sisters, she discovers that they're not perfect either. Lydia also happens to fall in love with another guy, despite the warnings from her family. It leaves her feeling more conflicted than ever. Unfortunately, it ends in tragedy, leaving Lydia to sink into a depression like state back home and her family puts up with her demeanor for a little bit. At Lydia's coming of age party, she dances with all of the men who are interested in calling or courting her. After she gets over being selfish over the one she lost, Lydia realizes that she has no choice but to marry Frank. It's a deal that their respective fathers made as a bargain like thing. Frank and Lydia get married and put on an act to make it seem that they're in love and happy with each other. After Frank's father dies, they finally get the chance to end the marriage and get married to their original lovers. 

Throughout her journey of coming of age, Lydia gradually becomes a woman of grace and maturity. I also liked the fact that this was a female empowerment story in a way. Lydia has so many dreams that she wants to accomplish before starting a family and she gets the encouragement of her teacher. I wanted to remind you that we, as women or girls, can do anything we put our mind to. Never stop going after your dreams.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Forever Fredless (Suzy Turner) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

41. Forever Fredless by Suzy Turner

Synopsis:

Kate Robinson has spent the past two decades yearning to find her soul mate, the boy she found and then lost during a family holiday. Shortly after her twenty-eighth birthday, however, she inherits a fortune from an old family friend and becomes something of an overnight celebrity. Can her new-found fame lead her to him after all this time?

My Review:

Kate is only twelve when she meets her soul mate while on vacation. They meet very briefly before they are whisked away from each other. Not even getting enough time to get to know his name, Kate decides to call him Fred. Nearly twenty years later, she's still searching for him and no other man will do. Kate inherits a fortune from Uncle Sam, a longtime family friend, causing her to gain fame overnight. She uses it to her advantage to see if she can find Fred at last. Kate finds it what it's like to have people follow you around all the time, but with girlfriends who stand by her and some other twists along the way, she gets through it. After awhile, she gets away from it all and her fame gets forgotten. Kate finally decides what to do and finds peace at not being able to find Fred. This story ends with a great twist and it makes everything Kate went through worth it. It has a bittersweet ending. Forever Fredless is a refreshing read and a good example of what a chick lit is supposed to be.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Crossroads (Cathy Bryant) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

40. Crossroads by Cathy Bryant

Synopsis:

After a devastating divorce, a bitter single mom and atheist starts her own real estate company in the nostalgic and picturesque town of Miller’s Creek, Texas. Then her young daughter’s disturbing symptoms lead doctors to discover that her leukemia has relapsed. With her new life now turned upside down, Mara Hedwig struggles to keep her business afloat. And her daughter’s worsening condition forces her to rethink her beliefs about Carter Callahan and his God. Will Mara make the return to Christian faith in the face of life’s greatest challenge?

An ex-military operative struggles with the return to civilian life while coping with his rebellious teen-aged daughter. During a house-search, Carter meets Mara, a headstrong Realtor who wants nothing to do with his God. But when Mara’s little girl is diagnosed with leukemia, the clock begins ticking for him to convince Mara to return to a life of faith. Just as he seems to be making headway, circumstances beyond his control throw his efforts into a tailspin. Can Carter learn to rest in the sovereignty of God?

My Review:

Mara is trying to get her real estate business off to a good start after getting over a bitter divorce. Relatively new to town, she's determined to make things better for her five year old daughter, Ashton. Just as she's starting to get her life back on track, Ashton's leukemia relapses. From everything Mara's been through, she has lost faith in God and doesn't know what to believe anymore. Meanwhile, Carter is also raising his teenage daughter, Chloe, on his own. He's a police officer trying to get his life together after dealing with post traumatic stress disorder after fighting in the war. Chloe's in a bit of a rebellious phase after getting abandoned by her mother and starts getting into the wrong crowd. 

Mara and Carter meet by chance when he becomes one of her clients. Their personalities clash just a bit at first, but they become friends. Not knowing what else to do, Carter asks Mara to take Chloe under her wings. Unfortunately for Chloe, Mara recognizes that she's bulimic (Mara used to be as well and can see the signs in Chloe). Once Chloe promises to stop and get better, Mara let's her be an assistant. Bad habits are hard to break, however, and after a little while, her secret comes out to Carter and they finally work together to overcome that.

Mara and Carter soon start a budding relationship. Obviously, they have their problems and you can't help but wonder if it was doomed from the start. For starters, they have their hands full with their respective daughter: trying to open up the communication lines with Chloe and get her back on track and dealing with treatment and side effects for Ashton's cancer and a not so good looking prognosis. Mara gets overwhelmed when she meets Carter's family. And of course, they deal with what could be a deal breaker for Carter: that Mara doesn't believe in God and is headstrong about it when it's brought up. Carter feels like Mara was put in his life for a reason, making him determined to bring her back to her faith no matter how long it may take. It takes some time, but Mara faces her fears and becomes vulnerable. When we go through hard times, we tend to break away from faith and hope (and it's perfectly understandable). It's always possible to go back to it, but it doesn't happen overnight. Everything works out and Carter and Mara realize that they're meant to be together. Don't worry, things work out for Chloe and Ashton as well.

For me, I felt that Ashton and Chloe were the glue that kept the story together. I believe that if it wasn't for them, Mara and Carter would not have survived their relationship. Chloe and Ashton were close to each other from the start. When Ashton became sick again, it helped bring about change in Chloe. Chloe felt abandoned by her mother and dealt with body image issues (hence the bulimia), but once she had someone like Mara in her corner to tell her like it is and not give up with her, Chloe was able to open up more and make those changes she needed to heal. Ashton was my favorite character. As much as she had been through and was going through, Ashton never gave up and remained as upbeat as she could. She seemed wiser than her years and showed good character and personality.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

Confessions of a Transformed Heart (Nancy D Sheppard) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

39. Confessions of a Transformed Heart by Nancy D Sheppard

Synopsis:

     When Mark and Nancy Sheppard began missionary service in Liberia, Nancy had no idea what God would ask of her. Their idyllic first term was followed by the Liberian Civil War and a nightmarish year working among Liberian refugees in the Ivory Coast. Conditions were difficult, expectations overwhelming and the tensions of the war at their doorstep. Fear, self-pity, resentment and depression haunted her. God used Nancy's difficult decision to follow her husband's leadership and remain in refugee work to begin an amazing spiritual journey—one that led to a clearer understanding of biblical womanhood as well as a deeper relationship with the Lord and with her husband.
    The book chronicles Nancy's journey to true peace in the midst of very difficult circumstances. As God teaches her about genuine service, submission, sincere prayer, reverence and humility, she is totally and completely transformed. The scenarios are unique to Nancy, but every seeking Christian can fully identify with the spiritual lessons.

My Review:

I felt that this book was just okay. Nancy and her husband, Mark, have been involved in missionary service for years. This book chronicles their time spent in Liberia, told from her perspective. It goes without saying that they saw things that you can't even imagine. While Mark was able to adapt quickly to their new surroundings (not saying that it was easy for him, but in that he felt called to be doing missionary work), it took Nancy longer to come around. I get that being around war (civil war for their area that they were in), violence in general, working with refugees, and other horrible things, and all the while trying to constitute change for the better, isn't easy. Change can be difficult to accept for some people (as in Liberia's case of turning against what was normal for them), and Nancy was one of them. It drove her down a path of self-pity, resentment, and depression. At times, though, it can!e across as being selfish - only thinking about what she was going through and not what anybody else was going through, including her husband. While Nancy was doing her work at home, Mark was in the middle of all of it and I imagine that it was harder for him. For a few chapters, it seemed like the same thing over and over again.

Missionary work is done in terms or installments. It means that a year of time is spent in whatever country they are needed in (for Nancy and Mark, it was Liberia and the Ivory Coast) followed by a year back home. During one of these visits home, Nancy finally confronted her demons, so to say. Faced with a tough decision to either continue being a missionary or giving it up, Nancy left it in God's hands. Mark gave her the choice and realizing that he wouldn't be happy doing anything else, she decided to stick with it. Nancy then started her spiritual journey and transformation of learning the true meaning of doing God's work and living according to His word. It was a slow process, but things can't change overnight. When she started going through that process, she was able to become closer to not only God, but her husband as well. Did I mention that Nancy went through all of this while raising a family? It was during this time that her story became more interesting. 

I definitely learned a lot more about missionary work and what it entails. I kind of wish to hear from Mark's perspective as well. I read this as an eBook and it was an interactive version. I didn't care too much for that. It was bothersome for me. My only other small complaint would be that the chapters didn't always flow freely into one another. All in all, there were some good parts and not so good parts reading this, which is why I said it was okay.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

To Protect and Serve (Staci Stallings) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

38. To Protect and Serve by Staci Stallings

Synopsis:

     To save others' lives, they will risk their own.
     Houston firefighter, Jeff Taylor is a fireman's fireman. He's not afraid of anything, and no situation is too dangerous to keep him on the sideline if lives are at stake.
     Lisa Matheson runs a semi-successful ad agency that's on the brink of falling apart. Her employees are incompetent and her schedule has become exhausting. When she takes on a client with a brilliant idea for a big conference, she thinks that maybe, finally this is her lucky break. However, the fire station wasn't what she had in mind for finding conference speakers. When she falls for a handsome but shy firefighter, it's possible that life might just be going her way for a change. The only problem is she can't control Jeff and the death wish he seems to have.

My Review:

     Jeff is a firefighter, whose mission is to save and protect as many lives as he can. I really liked getting to know more about the life of firemen. We always hear in the news the stories of them putting out fires, saving lives when they can, and serving the public. And just like police officers, we sometimes hear about losing them in the line of duty. But we don't get to see the other side of things - what firefighters go through when they lose one of their own or can't save someone despite taking every measure possible, or even how they separate their work life from everything else. It was interesting and insightful to see that perspective. When it comes to police, firefighters and even paramedics, they can be bothered by what they see and do when they get called to serve the public. It can be hard separating that from their personal lives. As the story progresses, you can see why Jeff wanted to become a firefighter and why he wants to protect and serve the community. He has a bit of a sad background and it was heartbreaking to see that side of him come out.

     Lisa owns an ad agency, but has trouble letting go of control and taking no for an answer (the latter of which you'll understand when you read the book). When her work unexpectedly takes her to a firehouse, the last thing she expects is to start falling for a guy she just happened to meet a couple days earlier and finds out that he works at the aforementioned firehouse. They both have reservations about falling in love due to past history. We get to see how Jeff and Lisa try to combine both of their lives together and overcome their own concerns together. With Jeff, that would be wanting to keep his work life separate and opening up about certain things, and for Lisa, it would be learning to give up some control and let others in. We also get a glimpse of what it's like to be a significant other of a firefighter, especially when it comes to losing a comrade.

     While reading To Protect and Serve, I realized how dangerous it can be for a firefighter. Granted, I've always known that, but I found out more in depth. Just like police officers, they don't know if they're going to make it home alive to their family after their shift. And vice versa for their families. This issue was tackled somewhat in this story. I liked that although Lisa worried about Jeff's well-being and safety on the job, she realized that she couldn't tell him to give up his dream. Coming to that realization wasn't easy, but it was interesting to see her go through that process.

This is a light read. Here are two quotes from the book that I liked:

"You have this moment and only this moment. What you do with it is your choice."

"Life's not easy - for anybody. The wind and the waves are right there all the time waiting to knock you over, but the point is you have to step out of the boat anyway. You have to trust God enough, to believe that He sees the bigger picture and would never let the wind and the waves get the better of you."

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥

The Glass Castle (Jeannette Walls) Book Review

2016 Reading Challenge

37. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
      Topic/Theme: book recommended by a family member

Synopsis:
     The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family.
     The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.

My Review:

Jeannette wrote about her experiences growing up in a dysfunctional and poverty-stricken family as prose. I'm typically not a fan of prose because to me, it lacks that special pizazz as in fiction to keep the story flowing a bit better. I did appreciate Jeannette's ability to recall her childhood memories with vivid detail, as well as not being resentful to her parents. This memoir is a perfect example that not everyone grows up as fortunate as others. Growing up with an alcoholic father and a mother with a probable mental disorder and not wanting to raise a family, Jeannette and her siblings learned how to fend for themselves. I liked how she talked about good memories when her father was sober as well as the bad times when he wasn't sober and was destructive. Alcoholism is a disease and we, as society, need to realize that. I think it's hard for people who haven't been through it or known someone who has to relate and understand it.  In Jeannette and her siblings' case, they were able to overcome their peculiar childhood and be successful when they got older. I don't necessarily agree with how they were raised, or lack thereof, by their parents. Even as their children became successful, their parents still preferred to be poor and homeless despite offers from their grown children. If they want to keep being that and doing nothing to change that, then so be it, whatever - as long as they're happy I guess.

What I enjoyed more about this book was the symbolism behind the glass castle. Jeannette's father always told her that he would build the family a glass castle after finding gold, or means to do that, as a way of living life without authority and live in better prosperity. After reading this, I could clearly tell that that was never going to happen and obviously, it didn't happen. To me, the glass castle symbolized something to look forward to, like the good after the bad. It could also mean all the times that Jeannette's father let her down. I feel like you can interpret in any which way you want to after reading the book.

Happy Reading and Keep on Writing!

♥Meg♥