Tree Swing Reading

Review of "The Muir House" by Mary DeMuth

Description:

'You'll find home one day. Sure as sweet tea on a hot afternoon.' Words from Willa Muir's sketchy childhood haunt her dreams and color her days with longing, regret, and fear. What do the words mean? Willa is far from sure. When Hale Landon places a ring on her finger, Willa panics, feeling she can't possibly say yes when so much in her past is a mystery. Bent on sorting out her history, Willa returns to Rockwall, Texas, to the Muir House Bed and Breakfast, a former funeral home. But the old place holds her empty memory close to itself. Willa's mother utters unintelligible clues from her deathbed, and the caretaker of the house keeps coveted answers carefully protected. Throw in an old flame, and Willa careens farther away from ever knowing the truth. Set in a growing suburb of Texas, The Muir House explores trauma, healing, love new and old, and the life-changing choices people make to keep their reputations intact.

My Thoughts:

Mary DeMuth writes very powerful fiction. She doesn't hold back on the rawness of the emotions of her characters.  I am always moved by the depth of the emotion of the writing. The only complaint I have is that sometimes this book depressed me.  The depth of the darkness of Willa's emotions seemed a bit tedious for me sometimes. I wanted to shake her to have her see that she couldn't get so lost in the questions of her past or let it ruin her future. I wanted there to be some things that made her happy too. Some sense of hope for her future.  That's just my take on it.  The descriptions are very strong, but the plot was slow for me and I found Willa to be a bit too self-absorbed and depressing, though the other book reviews I've read make me question myself a bit on this since so many really, really liked the book. Sometimes my own emotions play a factor in my experience with a book and my own "funk" that I was in may have tainted my viewpoint.  The writing is very emotive and good. Check it out and see what you think!

Book Bullets:

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre: Contemporary

Part of a Series: no

Publication year: 2011

Publisher: Zondervan

 

Let it Snow Book Giveaway! Day 1: "Just Between You and Me" by Jenny B. Jones

"Oh the weather outside is frightful..."

It seems much of the country is dealing with a lot of snow these days.  We are getting up to 7 inches again today. For the most part, I am ok with it because I have my sewing projects and my books to read and, as long as I don't have to drive in it, I'm content to be home.

So, for me, winter is a great season for reading!  And, in honor of that, I am having a week-long giveaway!  Every day for the next week, I will have a book to give away.  I hope you will find something you would like to read!

Those rules again:

1.) To enter the drawing for a book, just answer my random question for the day in the comments of the post.

Today's question: Are you getting lots of snow where you live?  Do you like snow?

2.) Be reachable by email should you win, so I can let you know.

3.) Enter by January 27, a winner will be selected the following day.

4.) Come back again tomorrow!

Today's book:

Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones

Description:

A novel of losing fear and finding God.

Maggie lives life on the edge, seemingly unafraid of anything. But the image she so carefully constructed is coming undone.

Her job as a videographer takes her around the world. She tells people’s stories, especially those of impoverished children. That’s when she feels most alive, like she’s making the world better.

But when a secret from her past resurfaces, Maggie gets a call that sends her home. Her dad desperately needs her help. Her estranged sister has run off, leaving 8-year-old Riley in his care. She returns reluctantly, hoping to help her niece. There she reconnects with Cooper–a once awkward and shy, now handsome, veterinarian. Her feelings skyrocket when she’s with him, but she’s afraid if she shows him her true self, he’ll reject her.

An honest, hilarious journey that will transform Maggie–if she just learns to trust more and fear less.

My Thoughts:

It has been a few years since I read this book, but I remember well that it is a good book! Jenny B. Jones always delivers!

 

Comment if you want me to bring back book giveaways

Hi!

I've got a pile of books to give away again, but the response to my book giveaways has been way down the last few times, so I'm wondering if I should continue.

I'd love some feedback.  If I have any readers left who want to win free books, please post a comment and let me know!

Thanks!

Review of "Less Than Dead" and "The Ends of the Earth" by Tim Downs

I've been reading about bugs!  I finally got a chance to pick up where I left off in the "Bugman Series" by Tim Downs and read books 4 and 5 of the series.

Description:

When a grave is discovered on the property being excavated for the new Patriot Center mall--property that is owned by the front-running candidate for the next presidential election--the FBI immediately becomes involved. Nick's services are requested to help determine if this is a forgotten graveyard or evidence of foul play. But when the cadaver team the FBI has secured can't find any more graves, Nick follows local legend to a bizarre woman named Alena who keeps to herself in the mountains and trains the best cadaver dogs.

Description:

Dr. Nick Polchak is called to a farm community in eastern North Carolina to investigate a murder. The victim is the owner of a failing organic farm who had developed a drug problem, and the police think his murder is drug-related.

Nick finds the remains of a bale of marijuana scattered in the tomato fields--but the South American marijuana seems to be strangely infested with a common North Carolina insect: the tobacco hornworm. To further confound the mystery, the bugs are infected with a fungus from Asia. Nick suspects the man wasn't killed because of the marijuana, but because of the insects it contained. He then discovers that a vicious agricultural scheme is underway to cripple the U.S.'s corn and ethanol production. But just how far will these terrorists go in their quest?

My Thoughts:

If you like "CSI"-type shows, you will enjoy these books. I have been a fan of the poor socially akward, coke-bottle-glasses-wearing Nick since I read the first book in this series.  He is adorable in the funniest way.  And the other people in the books are fascinating as well.  With the "Bugman"books, you get to go on the case along with Nick, using bugs and their science to help Nick solve crimes along with the other specialists in his life.  I love that there's sparks of romance in his life now too. 

A great series, especially for those who like the long-running CSI.  I think Nick even reminds me a Grissom a bit.

Book Bullets:

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Genre: Suspense

Part of a Series: yes, books 4 and 5 of the "Bugman Series"

Publication year: 2009

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Favorites of 2011

I finally have a chance to share my favorites of the books I read in 2011!  I love going through my blog posts from the year and finding the ones that were my top choices.

I find that my favorites from the year are mostly in the youth genre. I guess this is because I read a lot in that area because I was hoping to find good choices to add to our church library in that category and because my oldest is always looking for good books to read. I've found that even though some of these are categorized as "youth," they are excellent for adults too!

Here are my favorites, in no particular order:

Marta's Legacy by Francine Rivers

 

 

 

 

 

The Homelanders Series by Andrew Klavan

 

 

 

 

 

The River of Time Series by Lisa T. Bergren

 

 

 

 

 

The Queen by Steven James

 

 

 

 

 

The First Gardener by Denise Hildreth

 

 

 

 

 

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

 

 

 

 

 

What were some of your favorites?

Back to Routine

It's been quite a holiday season in our household!  I decided to make waaaayy too many of my gifts and got behind and then stressed and then had all my health problems that come with stress.  Lesson: make a few gifts over the whole year, not in the last 2 weeks before Christmas!   I know, duh, right?  But easier to say now than do...

My kids are finally heading back to school tomorrow. We've had a long break and it feels really late to be coming out of Christmas vacation, though of course our "politically correct" school calls it "winter break." Anyway, I am excited to get back to the routine of our lives, but dreading the constant go-go of our schedules too. 

I've been letting fear rule my heart too. My youngest is battling some big fears in her life and I can't help but feel like I'm being sucked into them.  It's so hard for a mother's heart to watch horrible anxiety manifest itself in your baby.  It is my constant prayer for her to find peace from her fears.  My oldest is approaching teenagedom and faces all the pressures and issues that are part of middle school.  I pray for her constantly too.  And my husband appears to have been swallowed by his job.  He is so busy.  I miss him but am trying to be understanding and supportive and thankful that he has a job.

Through all this I am still trying to get a handle on who I am supposed to be. I am trying to be content in my multiple-personality-type approach to life right now as I bounce from role to role.  Or, more aptly, try to keep all the plates spinning at the same time.  Some days the frustration with all these roles leads to a depression, especially after a really busy season like Christmas was for us.

I've been reading very little lately too.  I am trying to be calm about my own lack of enthusiasm in this area, and recognize that it ebbs and flows like all my other pursuits and passions.  This seems to be the key for me right now. Just riding the tide and not fighting it so hard.

So, now you're all caught up on where I've been.  How are things with you?