The Choice (Lancaster County Secrets #1) by Suzanne Woods Fisher

The Choice is the first book of the Lancaster County Secrets (#2 is The Waiting, #3 is The Search-yeah I know out of order again, seems like I can't go in order, can I? Well, that's 'how I roll' apparantly. heehee)

Our lovestruck heroine Carrie Weaver, has plans to basically run away with her amour, charismatic Solomon but, as Providence would have it, there is a death in the family just before they are to leave. Carrie is faced with many life choices, as we all are, and the consequences of them are weighty, as in our own.

This is a great teen read, simply because the teen years are such an critical time for life choices. Do I go to college or a trade school? Do I stay at home or move out? What do I believe about God? My family needs this but I need that.....What seems like an unassuming choice can have devastating or fantastic consequences and life has many of those same unassuming choices to deal with.

As a nurse, I liked the subplot of Carrie's hemophiliac little bruder Andy. As a descendant of German immigrants, I'll always enjoy the Amish language inserts.

You Changed My Life by Max Lucado from Booksneeze

Thanks to Booksneeze for sending me a copy of this pretty little book. My review is just that though, mine. As gift books go, this is a good one. It takes Chicken Soup for the Soul type stories and adds in the Bible verse that corresponds to it. However, as gift books go, well, I'm too practical for them, I guess. They become dust collectors in my house and there is enough of that already. Unless, I had a completely life altering event happen, then I'd be happy to give this particular book to someone. It's a great little hardback with glossy paper and a nice dust cover but the best part are the Bible references added. I'd be finding the story that hits me just right and making a little note to the person that affected me so on that page...just to make it more personal.

Forgotten by Melody Carlson from NavPress

 Buy It Here 

Please take my personal review of Forgotten with a grain of salt. This is my first review for NavPress. The way this program works is that when you sign up to review for them, they offer you a few books to choose from, I believe it was 3. I prefer Christian Historical Fiction/Romance but that category was not available.
I had a hard time with Forgotten being written in first person. I picked it up thinking, “I committed to this review, so let’s get reading.” The very first page caught me and before I knew it, I was a third of the way through the book which was good. Then it slowed down, for me, because of the first person narrative mainly. The other characters were not as well developed as I would’ve liked either as this was written for teens.
I began to wonder: Where this book was going to end up at? Was she possibly going to attempt suicide? Where was God in this book except to criticize Adele’s Christian friends? Why would a teen want to read this as opposed to a classic that deals with the same issues? The story deals with all my questions eventually. It wraps up quite quickly, however, which was disappointing too, and made me think, “Is this how teens today expect a book to end, abruptly and neatly tied up with a bow?” My last question to myself is, “Would I let my teen read this book?” I have to answer, "I doubt it," because there is so much classical literature that addresses the issues of abandonment, neglect, society’s responsibilities toward the poor and homeless, social stigmas, etc. and does a better job of it, too. That's why they're called classics afterall, right?
I’ve had a hard time writing this review because, well, who would want to give a negative review? I’ve not read this author before and as stated earlier, this genre would not have otherwise interested me.

Goodness Gracious Green by Judy Christie

http://www.amazon.com/Goodness-Gracious-Green-Judy-Christie/dp/1426700555

As I live in a small southern city, I am always intrigued to learn what an author might write about my little part of the world. Will they portray all southerners to be uneducated, unshod and poor or ‘socially educated’ (in the ways of ‘all things polite’) or as they really are? Me? I’m highly educated, love shoes, middle class and hopefully ‘socially educated’, too, really. LOL

Lois, the main character, hails from Ohio and moves to Louisiana to run a small town newspaper. The story begins after she’s spent just enough time in the Deep South to decide to stay. Then things start happening…
I look for 3 main factors when enjoying a book. Does the story have depth or can I tell you what’s coming next? Will the character’s relationship with God inspire me? What’s the temperature of the romance?

Goodness Gracious Green is a great story! I really had no idea what would happen next and I have to love that-keeps me glued to my seat and the book, you know? What would be next, after the fires, the vandalism? And how about that hot topic—all those Mexicans getting across our borders? How do you deal with them? It wasn’t too heavy either. I don’t want to read a political expose’ during a romance novel. At the beginning of each chapter is a snippet from our fictional newspaper, which is a great touch, and I loved each one!
Although the characters are church going folks and talk about praying more and did pray, I don’t see Lois as a character that would inspire me per se’, although I shared her fears and struggles. It was a story about living out our convictions as Christians. She has to stand up for justice despite potential consequences on more than one occasion and I love that.
This was a light romance for sure and that was ok for me. I’ve read a few heavy titles recently and needed a light read. The ‘heat factor’ was friendly, not even lukewarm really. The romance took a backseat to the real story, which again, was riveting.
If you’re looking for a light read that keeps you riveted, Goodness Gracious Green will do just that.

The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B002KS3ASE/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&n=133140011&s=digital-text
I grew up in a large city where, on the river, Heritage Weekends were held during the summers. Each week a different nationality was featured with the various foods, dance, music of that heritage was enjoyed. The local university had an engineering school where many people from other lands came to get an education, so they could return home and make life better. I became enamored with all things Indian. I made friends with several folks from India, immediately loved wearing saris, and enjoyed so many new foods. When I saw Sari Shop Widow in the Kindle store under the Christian Romance tag, I just knew it was for me.

The main character is a young adult widow who lives with her parents who help her run her upscale sari boutique. As I am very traditional in my own worldview, I love the arrangement for her and for them.

When I’m reading, I’m usually looking for, first of all, a good story, then some heat between the characters and God’s influence on them.

I was not disappointed for the most part. The story has depth, I feel like I know the characters personally. She struggles with the future of her shop, honoring her parents, living her life in her way…..all the same struggles that most of us have. Her parents struggle with the same things that I struggle with as a parent of two beautiful daughters. I have the same intrusive family members that she has and struggle to put up with. The story was not predictable either, which I really appreciate. I mean, I can still enjoy a story even when I know what’s going to happen next, but it is way better when a surprise or two are thrown in there.
The ‘heat factor’ was certainly there! Ooh boy howdy. That’s all on that for now.
Here’s where the book let me down-through no fault of its own though. I love technology as much as the next 21st century gal but the Christian tag on this book was off. While there are many Christian Indians, this family was not. The ‘rich uncle’ did his rituals at 4am, which was humorous to be sure, but God had no influence on them. God’s name was vainly spoken a few times and one character used many expletives in his daily speech. I can only assume that because the word God was used in the book that the tag of ‘Christian’ was added.
Now, back to the ‘heat factor’… Because this is not a Christian book and most of America is promiscuous, I can’t fault the premarital sex from my personal worldview. I wouldn't have written premarital sex in. It's much hotter to see the struggle to abstain, than to see the characters give in.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book with the limitations noted above. If you can live with the language and the really spicy stuff, then by all means, you will love this book!