Nights of Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks

Publisher

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks comes a tender story of hope and joy, of sacrifice and forgiveness-a moving reminder that love is possible at any age, at any time, and often comes when we least expect it. At forty-five, Adrienne Willis must rethink her entire life when her husband abandons her for a younger woman. Reeling with heartache and in search of a respite, she flees to the small coastal town of Rodanthe, North Carolina, to tend to a friend's inn for the weekend. But when a major storm starts moving in, it appears that Adrienne's perfect getaway will be ruined-until a guest named Paul Flanner arrives. At fifty-four, Paul has just sold his medical practice and come to Rodanthe to escape his own shattered past. Now, with the storm closing in, two wounded people will turn to each other for comfort-and in one weekend set in motion feelings that will resonate throughout the rest of their lives.

My review

Sparks has outdone himself again! Beautiful love story! This is definitely a book I would read BEFORE you see the movie. The movie WILL DISAPPOINT YOU!!

WARNING: This book will make you cry! This book will also make you reevaluate yourself and your own relationships!!!

AMAZING STORY!!!
5 out of 5 stars!

Her Four-Year Baby Secret by Alison Roberts

Her Four-Year Baby Secret (Mills & Boon Medical Romance)

A father for her son .... Single mom and paramedic Fiona Murchison will do anything to shield her little boy from the glare of the world s media. No one knows that her late husband, celebrity racing driver Al Stewart, has an heir, and Fiona is determined to keep the child safe.... All is at risk, though, when a charming new surgeon arrives in Town, and Fi immediately recognizes him as Al s brother Nick! The time has come for Fi to confess her four-year-old secret. Nick is overjoyed to discover he has a nephew, and Fiona is relieved to know that Nick, too, will do anything to protect this little family from the world including loving them as if they were his own.


My review-

This book was a great quick read. I needed something that you did not need to read in to or too in depth and this was a great refreshing read for me.

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

This is a book which could be spoiled for the reader if too many details of the plot are given. Suffice it to say that it is a beautiful love story with several emotional ups and downs. It also illustrates the importance of choices and the effect that our choices have on our life. Nicholas Sparks is one author who consistently touches my emotions, and I was really weeping at the end of this one. Read and enjoy!

The choice is not one I thought it would be....

The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta

I saw this review posted on another site and felt the same way:

"From beginning to end, this book is a blatant attack on Christianity (and a confused one at that). Either the author is adept at creating ignorant and intolerant characters or he is himself seriously confused about salvation. I don't recall a single reference to the Bible that seemed even remotely interpreted correctly. The "pastor" in the story is not by any accounts even ordained, but began to lead a congregation after having a violent tirade regarding the morality of technology in the Best Buy (before he'd even cracked open a Bible). The things he says seem more cult-like than Christian. I kept hoping there would be some sort of redemption here, but it never happened.

The main female character is an extremely intolerant sex-ed teacher who feels like her life's work is being attacked by those wanting to promote abstinence. I suppose we're supposed to link the efforts of the school board to engage in an abstinence training as the influence of fundamentalist Christians, but none of those individuals even claimed to be Christians.

The main male character apparently wanted to join the church as a way of diverting his attention from his self-destructive and self absorbed behaviors. As if claiming to be a Christian is all it takes to remove oneself from harmful influences. Then, when he reverts to those desires, he blames God for not stopping him, completely excusing his own culpability."

My Comments:
I was very surprised at the blatant Christian Bashing this book is. I would not recommend this book to another Strong Evangelical Christian.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Synopsis

Jodi Picoult, bestselling author of My Sister's Keeper and The Tenth Circle, pens her most riveting book yet, with a startling and poignant story about the devastating aftermath of a small-town tragedy.

Sterling is an ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens--until the day its complacency is shattered by an act of violence. Josie Cormier, the daughter of the judge sitting on the case, should be the state's best witness, but she can't remember what happened before her very own eyes--or can she? As the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show--destroying the closest of friendships and families. Nineteen Minutes asks what it means to be different in our society, who has the right to judge someone else, and whether anyone is ever really who they seem to be.

My Comments:
I loved this book. I really enjoyed how the author was able to tell the story from many different perspectives. Also the ending is not what you think it will be when you start. I like being tricked... It makes it feel like reading the book was worth while.

Queen Esther & the Second Graders of Doom by Allie Pleiter

Teaching Sunday school at her brother’s church in the Bay area was supposed to help former champion athlete Esther “Essie” Walker understand boys—the better to raise her newborn son as a stellar example of manhood. Fat chance! Enter the eight-year-old male psyche: awful jokes, disrespectful behavior and general mayhem. Essie, the queen of control, finds herself in a brand new world of chaos.


The pressure builds on all fronts—Sunday school class, husband’s job, church dramatic pageant, aging parents, finances—until Queen Esther has one royal meltdown. God, it seems, has makeover plans for Essie’s competitive nature. Her characteristic control is in very short supply as she gains a better understanding of the nature of imperfection, the value of motherhood and the virtues of a messy but connected life.

My Comments:
This book will have readers laughing out loud at the silly antics of the second-grade boys in Essie’s class. Highly recommended for anyone who is in the mood for some comic relief from their chaotic life, if only for a few short hours.

Bygones by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc (April 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1597894044



Good book. Great for a fast read. There are funny parts and parts that anyone can identify with. There are also parts that make you cry. It is an inspirational story and I can not wait for book #2.

Gods In Alabama by Joshilyn jackson

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (June 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446694533


The book is well written, and a real page turner. There are many laugh out loud funny lines, and it's one of those books you can easily read from start to end in one sitting.

Bygones by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Publishers Info:

Widower Marie Koeppler and her grown daughter Beth reluctantly return to the Mennonite community Marie abandoned twenty-three years ago. Soon after their arrival in Sommerfeld, a series of mysterious thefts raises the community's suspicions against the ""outsiders."" Can Marie prove their innocence, or will she be forced to flee once more? Henry Braun thought he'd gotten his love for Marie out of his system, but soon begins to wonder if she's stolen more than his heart. When it's all said and done, can Henry and Marie let bygones be bygones, or has their love been doomed from the start?

My Review

Great Amish story by a "new" author. Not a typical Amish story which makes it a breath of fresh air.

4 out of 5 stars

God's in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson

Publishers Review:

For 10 years Arlene has kept her promises, and God has kept His end of the bargain. Until now.
When an old schoolmate from Possett turns up at Arlene's door in Chicago asking questions about Jim Beverly, former quarterback and god of Possett High, Arlene's break with her former hometown is forced to an end. At the same time, Burr, her long-time boyfriend, has raised an ultimatum: introduce him to her family or consider him gone. Arlene loves him dearly but knows her lily white (not to mention deeply racist)Southern Baptist family will not understand her relationship with an African American boyfriend. Reluctantly, Arlene bows to the pressure, and she and Burr embark on the long-avoided road trip back home.
As Arlene digs through guilt and deception, her patched-together alibi begins to unravel, and she discovers how far she will go for love and a chance at redemption.

My Review

Great book! I can't wait to read another one by Jackson. This book will help men relate to women and women to better understand themselves. Beautiful book!

4 out of 5 stars