The Last Promise

"The Last Promise" by Richard Paul Evans

I like this author and have read a number of his books.  He writes feel good, easy read novels.  This novel takes place in Italy with an American girl named Elianna.  Everyone thinks she is living a fairy tale life but in reality her wanering husband is hardly ever home and she is left to care for the severly asthmatic son alone.  Elianna may be lonely but she is happy being a mother until a mystery man, Ross Story, comes to live in the same villa.  Ross has a past he's trying to forget but Eliana might just be the one who can break down his walls.  This story invloves loss, and love.  "If everything I have suffered was the price to bring you to me, then it was worth it."  Such sweet words and I believe that Jesus would say the same.  The cross?  Worth it to have you in heaven. (That's not in the story but I thought I would throw it in there as it sounded like something Jesus would say and it really all comes back to Him anyway.)

The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle that Set Them Free

"The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle that Set Them Free" by Hector Tobar

A riveting story of how 33 men were trapped over 2,000 feet underground for 69 days.  This book tells the personal story behind each of these men, how they came to be in the mine that fateful day, how they survived 17 days before being found, surviving a total of 69 days, and the stuggle of being a hero.  The book details these mens lives and what has happened since their rescue.  It is truly a miracle they survived and was a story heard around the world.  It took a nation coming together with many others to complete their rescue.  It took a bond of 33 men to survive in inhuman circumstances for so long.  This is in intimate look into the lives of these men and the tragedy they survived.  It is a book well worth reading and will leave you marveling at the miraculous.  

The Competition

"The Competition" by Marcia Clark

This isn't my normal read but it looked intriguing and it was.  It is a mystery involving a high end lawyer and an FBI agent who are investigating a school shooting.  It is a bit graphic so I caution you there, but it is a book that will keep you on your toes thinking you know who did it only to be guessing again.  I liked the book for the mystery and how it kept me guessing.  I enjoyed the banter of the characters and how they tirelessly researched the case to solve it.  It was an interesting look into crime and how they are solved.  I recommend this book if you are looking for a mystery with unexpected twists. 

A Golden Voice

"A Golden Voice" by Ted Williams with Bret Witter

This book is about the YouTube sensation Ted Williams.  He was a homeless man with a "golden voice"  Someone took a video of him on the street doing his radio voice and put it on YouTube and it went viral.  Literally a day later he was being flown to NY to appear on the Today Show.  The story is more about his fall and life as an addict and homeless man than the fame.  It is a truth telling book of what happens when addiction takes over a person's life.  It gives a real look into homlessness and the struggle to survive.  Ted has faced a lot of demons in his life and by the grace of God he has been able to put those demons to rest.  Another honest book with redeeming love flowing through it.  Ted speaks about never giving up hope, there is always hope even in the darkness.  We serve an amazing God who never lets us go and will go into the muck and mire to bring us into the Light.  An inspiring story that our prayers are heard and there is always another chance to do right.

The Light of the World

"The Light of the World" by Elizabeth Alexander

This is a memoir written about the loss of the authors husband.  It is a book filled with such love and joy admist the loss.  The author captivates her love with her husband so well in it's pages.  It is about treasuring that love and being able to go on and overcome the loss.  It is a deeply moving book that left me being so thankful for the time I have with my husband and family.  "In all marriages there is struggle and ours was no different in that regard.  But we always came to the other shore, dusted off, and said, There you are, my love."  That is what it is about.  We are fooling ourselves if we think there won't be struggle, but always returning to each other and being reminded of our love for one another is how to overcome those struggles.  "To be a parent is to be terra firma, to stand, is to be planted in the earth."  We have to be the strong ones, showing our kids courage even in fear.  We are our childrens examples that even when struggles come we will stand firm and we will overcome.  This firm foundation enables them to stand firm in their lives.  "You cannot stop your birthday from coming, so you might as well celebrate being alive."  "When I was with him, I felt that there was suddenly enough time: to talk, to read, to think, to sleep, to make love, to drink coffee or tea, to practice yoga, to walk.  I think that everyone felt that there was all the time in the world when they were with him."    I want to be this kind of person.  The kind of person where when people are with me they feel at peace, that time has stopped and they can just enjoy the right now.  I feel that this is a special gift we can give people in the hurriedness of this world.  I appreciated the book for the reality of struggles in all of our lives and that there is beauty in the midst of it all.  

Leaving Before the Rains Come

"Leaving Before the Rains Come" by Alexandra Fuller

This was an interesting book and a different read than my normal.  I didn't realize till about 3/4 of the way through the book that the author was writing about her life.  It is about her life living in Africa and then marrying a man from Wyoming and how much her life changes after marraige and her move to the states.  It is a book with tragedy and overcoming that tragedy.  The book tells how drastically different life in Africa is compared with to life in the U.S.  "The problem with most people is that they want to be alive for as long as possible without having any idea whatsoever how to live."  It's so true, we all get lost sometimes and forget what living is really about.  We all get caught up in the supposed to's or have to's and forget the beauty of connection and family and love.   "...there is nothing like the profound loneliness of early motherhood to make a person ache to be embraced by their person of origin."  Motherhood makes us all long for our mothers I believe.  Those early days of motherhood can be scary and make you feel all alone.  Yet becoming a mother makes us appreciate the woman we call mom and forms a bond that wasn't previously there.  "Easy is just another way of knowing you aren't doing much in the way of your life."  God doesn't call us to easy and really most things that are worth while take work.  These are the times that we have to have the biggest faith, when things are hard.  It is when we see God work and truly feel Him.  I don't agree with all of this book but it was an intereting read and I liked learning more about Africa and life there.  I appreciated the authors look at tragedy and being willing to overcome.

Chains

"Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson

I sped right through this book.  This is a story about a young slave girl sold to a family in New York with her sister during the American Revolutionary War.  America is fighting for freedom yet she is still enslaved.  The girls have lost their family, been taken to a new place, treated poorly, yet they must hold on to hope.  This story speaks of the unjustices America has comitted to people of color.  This story tells of the spirit of humans and the hope that we carry for a better life.  This book is written as a historical novel.  Many of the events in the story happened in our history.  I enjoyed this book for the hard look at the injustices that have occurred in Americas history and for the hope that we can all make a difference.