Book Reviews

I have been known to review books for publishers for free…here’s the results.

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Book Review – Skid – Rating: 8 out of 10

0
3 years ago
by Lundie in ,

skid book coverSkid, by Rene Gutteridge

How I came to read this book:

Through WaterBrook Multnomah Books.

Score Summary

  • Content: 8
  • Writing Style: 8
  • Re-readability: 7
  • Busy Mommy Scale: 9

Content

The story in Skid was really enjoyable. There were many characters, and I wandered happily along with the ventures into each of their lives. This book is the 3rd in a series, coming after Scoop and Snitch, with the main character being one of a group of brothers and sisters. Reminded me a little bit of Dee Henderson’s O’Malley Series, but with a much lighter, simpler tone. I have not read the first two in this series.

Writing Style

I hope this isn’t taken as an insult, but this book almost felt like one of the old episodes of Love Boat — where a group of strangers mix and mingle, cross paths occasionally, with separate mini-dramas within the main story.

Re-readability

By itself, I probably wouldn’t reread, but as part of a series, I’d like to read the first two, and pick it up again, to get the full effect.

Busy Mommy Scale

This one wasn’t too hard to read bits at a time. I never felt the need to block out solid reading time to get the “full effect” of the drama. It was a fun read, rather than a moving one.

Book Summary

Blissfully unaware that Atlantica Flight 1945 from Atlanta to Amsterdam is about to make aviation history, First Officer Danny McSweeney focuses his energies on navigating the turbulent personalities of an eccentric female captain, a co-pilot with a talent for tactless comments and conspiracy theories, and a lead flight attendant with an outsized attitude that definitely exceeds the limits for carry-on baggage.

On the other side of the cockpit door, the unscheduled in-flight entertainment includes a potbellied pig, a jittery diamond courier, and the recently jilted Lucy Meredith, whose personal mantra of “What Would Oprah Do?” will be challenged by the sudden appearance of her ex and his new traveling partner. On her left sits Hank Hazard, whose unusually polite but constant requests–prompted by his covert role as a spy for the airline–test the limits of the crew’s customer service.

But as Lucy and the rest of the crew discover, Hank’s odd behavior is linked to a quiet faith that may play a key role in the fate of everyone on board. Especially when an unexpected traveler sets this already bumpy flight on a course toward the unfriendly skies.

Author Bio

Rene Gutteridge Author PicRene Gutteridge is the author of twelve novels, including the Boo series, the Storm series, and the novelization for The Ultimate Gift, as well as Scoop and Snitch, the first two Occupational Hazard novels. She lives with her husband, Sean, and their two children in Oklahoma City.

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Book Review – The Warriors – Rating: 8 out of 10

1
4 years ago
by Lundie in ,

Book Review – The Warriors – Rating: 8 out of 10

The Warriors CoverThe Warriors, by Mark Andrew Olson

How I came to read this book:

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

Score Summary

  • Content: 10
  • Writing Style: 8
  • Re-readability: 8
  • Busy Mommy Scale: 6

Content

I seem to be getting/picking a lot of these spiritual realm books lately. And yet another book that is part of a series that I am coming in late for. This book follows The Watchers.

I really enjoyed this book for two reasons – it blended spiritual warfare with legend and reminded me of the Left Behind series just a bit. And it pulled off a “Lundie Ending.” :)

Writing Style

I may be crazy, but I feel like I’m seeing a difference in the way men and women write. This had a much more masculine feel – more Tom Clancy than Dee Henderson (who writes about military types)

Re-readability

I would like to read the first book in this series, but I’m not sure if I would re-read this one. I will be keeping it, however, as I will definitely recommend it to friends.

Busy Mommy Scale

Great book for weekend reading! Not so good for a page here and there. This book is making me re-assess whether an average score really has value, as not all great books are great for busy mommies…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

MARK ANDREW OLSEN whose novel The Assignment was a Christy Award finalist, also collaborated on bestsellers Hadassah (now the major motion picture: One Night With the King), The Hadassah Covenant, and Rescued. His last novel was the supernatural thriller The Watchers.

The son of missionaries to France, Mark is a Professional Writing graduate of Baylor University. He and his wife, Connie, live in Colorado Springs with their three children.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A failed recon mission deep in the tunnels of Afghanistan has provoked a demonic onslaught that had been brewing for centuries. The mission’s sole survivor is reformed black ops assassin Dylan Hatfield, and he once again teams up with Abby Sherman, now at the helm of the Watchers, an ancient spiritual force. Uncovering and preventing a secret wave of death whispered across cyberspace and threatening to be unleash against civilization will require another level of spiritual power and expertise–the Warriors.

Journeying across the Alps of Europe through the multilayered history of warfare in the unseen world, Dylan and Abby uncover an age-old stone engraving that rouses the church’s Warriors to action, placing them dead center in one of the fiercest spiritual battles of their time!

And once again they are reminded: This is all part of a vast and perpetual war, a war beyond all human conflicts, one that has engulfed heaven and earth since before the dawn of history….

Abby Sherman is headed back to Israel, where a Watcher, the Sentinel of Jerusalem, lies dying. In her last breaths the old woman tells Abby of an ancient document prophesying humanity’s full-scale entry into the ongoing conflict between armies of heaven and fallen angels.

Dylan Hatfield has decided to answer a summons from his old boss and join a secret operation, its mission to reconnoiter the Afghani tunnel complex from which Osama bin Laden escaped in 2001. What he discovers sears his very soul and likely will end his life.

Abby learns of the peril facing Dylan, and she sends out a call for intercession on his behalf. Her frantic email message sets in motion a series of harrowing events, propelling the two on a new mission and quest–one where the stakes are the lives of millions!

The Warriors is packed with high-octane action, featuring exotic international locales, with characters in a clash against spiritual “principalities and powers” with eternal consequences, The Warriors is a story that will enthrall, enlighten, and engage its readers.

If that piques your interest, you can read the first chapter HERE

“Olsen, one of the better writers in this subgenre, delivers powerful, action-packed plots that delve into mystical paranormal worlds.”
~Library Journal, Feb. 2008

“Olsen delivers an entertaining thriller likely to be enjoyed especially by fans of the spiritual warfare genre.”
~PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Book Review – My Soul To Keep – Rating: 8.25 out of 10

2
4 years ago
by Lundie in

My Soul To Keep Book CoverMy Soul To Keep, by Melanie Wells

How I came to read this book:

I was offered this book to review by the publisher, Multnomah Books, a division of Random House.

Score Summary (Avg: 8.25)

  • Content: 9
  • Writing Style: 10
  • Re-readability: 8
  • Busy Mommy Scale: 6

Content

This book is the third in the Dylan Foster series. It follows When the Day of Evil Comes, and Soul Hunter. I prefer to read all books in a series in order, but I wasn’t aware it was until I was a few chapters in.

My Soul To Keep is another novel that includes physical manifestations of the spiritual realm, both good and evil, from a Christian perspective.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to read this book at first because I can’t stand reading, hearing or seeing stories about crimes committed involving children, but unlike primetime television, it didn’t cross the line of good storytelling by horrifying me.

Writing Style

Straightforward. Easy to get into. Style didn’t get in the way of the content. Very nice.

Re-readability

It was an enjoyable book, and it’s rating a bit higher than it normally would on its own because I hope to acquire the first two of the series and would plan to re-read it to get the whole story.

Busy Mommy Scale

Unfortunately, like any good fiction book, unless its written in single page chapters, tends to rank low on this scale. I read this during a weekend when I could afford to sit and enjoy.

Book Summary

My Soul to Keep by Melanie Wells
Genre: Fiction/Suspense – Released 2/19/08 – ISBN 978-1-59052-428-2

As nasty as I knew Peter Terry to be, I never expected him to start kidnapping kids. Much less a sweet, funny little boy with nothing to protect him but a few knock-kneed women, two rabbits, and a staple gun…

It’s psychology professor Dylan Foster’s favorite day of the academic year–graduation day. A day of pomp, circumstance, and celebration. And after all the mortar boards are thrown, Dylan and some of her best friends will gather around a strawberry cake to celebrate Christine Zocci’s sixth birthday. But the joyful summer afternoon goes south when a little boy is snatched from a neighborhood park, setting off a chain of events that seem to lead exactly nowhere.

Police are baffled, but Christine’s eerie connection with the kidnapped child sends Dylan on a chilling investigation of her own. Is the pasty, elusive stranger Peter Terry to blame? Exploding light bulbs, the deadly buzz of a Texas rattlesnake, and the vivid, disturbing dreams of a little girl are just pieces in a long trail of tantalizing clues leading Dylan in her dogged search for the truth.

Book Review – Change and Cherish Series – Rating: 7.75 out of 10

1
4 years ago
by Lundie in

A Clearing in the Wild, A Tendering in the Storm, and A Mending at the Edge

by Jane Kirkpatrick

How I came to read these books:

This is a three book series, though the third book is the one that is now being released. I was given the opportunity to read all three. Though “A Mending at the Edge” can be read on its own, I highly recommend reading the first two in the series first.

Score Summary

  • Content: 8
  • Writing Style: 10
  • Re-readability: 7
  • Busy Mommy Scale: 6

Content

These books are fiction based on historical records of a real woman, Emma Wagner Giesy. It reminded me a lot of the Little House on the Prairie books I read over and over as a child. Emma, however was a member of a religious group that lived communally.

Now that I have finished the full series, it was a really good story. I had a hard time through the middle book (not unlike Empire Strikes Back) because the middle of any good story is where all the real struggle is. Because I have the tendency to carry into real life the emotions of the books I am reading, I was somewhat depressed while reading the middle book. Emma had a very hard life. She made many decisions I wouldn’t have, which made it harder for me to read as well. Overall, though I am very glad to have read it.

For the official summary, please read summaries of each book down below.

Writing Style

A lot of historical information written in a way that I enjoyed it. That says something.

Re-readability

I’ll hang on to these books, mostly so I can share them. I might re-read them someday. While she did so many things that were contrary to my way of thinking, I did learn a lot about service and servanthood that I know I need to take to heart.

Busy Mommy Scale

Not horrible, but really does warrant the time to be able to sit down and at least absorb a chapter at a time. I did read most of it in a page here and there, but I felt almost disrespectful. It’s so much better when you can fully get the word pictures in each scene, rather than having to scramble back a few pages or paragraphs to pick up momentum again.

Book: The Change and Cherish series
Author: Jane Kirkpatrick
Summary: The Change and Cherish series follows the story of feisty Emma Giesy

A Clearing in the Wild

A Clearing in the Wild CoverSpirited young Emma Wagner chafes at the constraints of her 1850s religious community, which values conformity over independent thought, especially in women. Skeptical of the colony’s growing emphasis on preparing for “the last days,” Emma clashes with their increasingly autocratic leader—and faces the unexpected consequences of pursuing independence.

A Tendering in the Storm

This lyrical novel, based on an historical figure of the 1800s, follows the spirited and intelligent Emma Giesy, who achieves her goal of separating her family from the repressive religious community in which she grew up. But unexpected and dire consequences leave her family—and her faith—struggling to survive.

A Mending at the Edge

A Mending at the Edge CoverThis richly textured novel, the third in the acclaimed Change and Cherish series, follows the historical figure of Emma Wagner Giesy, who chafes under the restrictions of her 1860s religious colony. When her bid to belong in her unique way unravels her most precious relationships, she seeks new ways to stitch meaning into her life.

Author Bio:

Jane Kirkpatrick is the best-selling author of two nonfiction books and fourteen historical novels, including the popular Kinship and Courage series. Her award-winning writing has appeared in more than fifty publications, including Sports Afield and Decision. She’s won the coveted Western Heritage Wrangler Award, an honor shared by such writers as Larry McMurtry and Barbara Kingsolver. Jane is a licensed clinical social worker as well as an internationally recognized speaker. She and her husband, Jerry, ranch 160 acres in eastern Oregon.

Book Review – When Zeffie Got a Clue – Rating: 7 out of 10

0
4 years ago
by Lundie in

Book CoverWhen Zeffie Got a Clue, by Peggy Darty

How I came to read this book:

I recently joined the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, and this book is currently on tour. Coincidentally, it’s published by WaterBrook Press – another group I have done blog tours with. Just loving every minute of it!!

Score Summary

  • Content: 9
  • Writing Style: 9
  • Re-readability: 5
  • Busy Mommy Scale: 5

Content

This is a new author for me. It’s a nice leisurely story. I was kept in suspense, which was good. I usually end up guessing mysteries ahead of time. This book is the third in a series. I will probably try to purchase them, though I prefer not to know endings ahead of time. I do love “back story”. I loved the characters. I enjoyed my time reading, spending time in Summer Breeze.

Writing Style

Easy to read. A lot of adjectives. I know it’s important to set a picture in the first few pages, but it slowed me down, trying to make sure I got all the bits envisioned before proceeding. You never know what pieces are important when reading a mystery.

Re-readability

I’ll keep this around for a while, especially if I end up buying the two predecessors, because I like sets, but I doubt I will feel the need to read this one again in the future. It’s probably one I’d pass on so others can enjoy.

Busy Mommy Scale

This kind of book is better suited for weekends and evenings. Though the chapters weren’t huge, it’s hard to read mysteries in bits and pieces.

About The Author:

Peggy Darty is the award-winning author of twenty-seven books, including two other cozy mysteries set in Summer Breeze, Florida: When the Sandpiper Calls and When Bobbie Sang the Blues. She has worked in film, researched for CBS, and led writing workshops around the country. Darty and her husband call Alabama home but spend a great deal of time in Colorado, Montana, and on Florida’s Emerald Coast.

About The Book:
It’s an ordinary afternoon in Summer Breeze, Florida, when a young, wide-eyed girl steps into I Saw It First, the trash-to-treasure shop Christy Castleman and her Aunt Bobbie have opened. Clutching a jewelry box, Zeffie Adams tells Christy she needs money to pay her grandmother’s medical bills, prompting Christy to offer this curious visitor more than the jewelry box is worth–or so she thinks.

But complicated questions form when Christy rips out the box’s lining and uncovers a clue to a cold case murder mystery from eight years ago. Despite warnings from her family and handsome boyfriend Dan Brockman, Christy decides to do a little detective work of her own. After all, the infamous murder happened close to her grandmother’s farm. How risky could it be to take the jewelry box back to the Strickland plantation and ask around about it?

Soon Christy finds there is more to the small box than someone wants her to know. A jewelry theft. A mansion murder. Dangerous family secrets buried in history. Can Christy convince others to let go of the past before it’s too late?

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