Island of the Red Mangroves

In a nutshell, this is the story of a mixed race young woman in Jamaica, 1753.  It includes a lot of historical fact woven into the story.  It is drawn from the history of Jamaica and the slaves who lived there.
Deirdre is the daughter of an Englishwoman and a slave.  Hence, there is your story.  She is raised by her mother and stepfather and grows up well-loved by both in a privileged environment.  Her parents have slaves but they are the best treated and cared for slaves on the island.  This leads to a little animosity on the part of the other plantation owners.  However, they are still well liked.  Deirdre comes of age and falls in love with a young doctor, Victor.  They marry and depart for Saint-Domingue on Hispaniola.  Their hope is that Deirdre can live a life free of the stigma that a mixed background brings her.  There is another protagonist in this story who also wishes for a new life.  She is not privileged and not cared for.  I will stop there, in case you are inclined to read this book.
I was not so much intrigued as I read this.  It did not have the character development that I look for to make the characters seem real and absorb my attention.  It is well written, though not deep.  It is one of many stories from history that are much the same.  If you love Caribbean history and are eager to always read fiction about it, then you will like this book.  I love settings in a tropical locale and I love history, but this just did not strike a cord with me.  In fact, I was not able to make myself read all the way through it.  I think when I saw the familiar story line taking place, my attention started to wander.  I am willing to say it is probably a good read for many but did not turn out to be my cup of tea.
This is my first read of a Sarah Lark novel and I am not sure I will try another one.  If you are a fan, you will want to pick up a copy of this and get started.
I give Island of the Red Mangroves three stars.  I received a free e-book copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  My opinion is my own.  My thanks to them for the opportunity to read and review.
You can read more about this book and author at NetGalley
Thanks for being here!
Jeri~

The Fold by Peter Clines

So, this is pretty much my first foray into to the (soft) science fiction genre.  This is not true science fiction.  It is written in an easy to read style, with a basic scientific concept being the plot.  That makes it easy to read for those of us who want to read something different but are not sure if we want to read science fiction.  That basic concept centers around the ability to fold dimensions so to be across the world quickly by stepping through something called the Albuquerque Door.  It's distance travel, not time travel.  The Door opens up a whole Pandora's box of dimensional possibilities; ie; alternate realities, which are mostly not good ones.  Hence, the story unfolds upon nasty things (beings?) coming back through the Door.  Hmmm, is that a spoiler?  Sorry.  Our protagonist Mike, is offered the opportunity to travel to the lab the Door is in and observe the process of the scientific team fine tuning it, whom, by the way, have been traveling over and back from one site, or lab,to another on the same property for some time and logging their trips.  They say it is ready to go but are quite secretive and somewhat defensive.  Oh, and this is a Dept. of Defense funded project.  They are under the threat of maybe losing their funding.  Probably because they will not give out their secrets.  I mean, if you hold the purse strings, you want the scoop on what your money is buying, right?  So, Mike is offered a summer job (he is a school teacher by trade) to observe and determine if the Door should continue to get funded. He has a photographic memory and never forgets anything--that's a nervous breakdown right there!  That is why his long time friend Reggie, the head of the finances for the project, recruits him.  Mike accepts the job, makes observations, reports to Reggie, but--along the way he finds something wrong with the Door.  Before he can figure it out and decide to report it to Reggie, things start to happen.  At this point, you will be halfway through the book.  When the action finally takes off it is a pretty good read and I kept seeing it as a movie while I was reading it.  I think it may be a better movie than a book.
The characters are a good assortment of scientific types with their odd quirks and are pretty believable.  One character continuously replies with the "F" word which grows old pretty quick.  She uses it so much, I felt a yawn coming on every time she began to speak.  The grammar is good in this book, which is a pet peeve of mine, so that is at least one star.  I did find the author writing about Mike's injuries as "fishhooks" of pain and referring to it like it was a new thing several times.  If something is an ongoing presence it becomes "the fishhooks" so the reader knows the same problem is still showing itself.  This always leads me to wonder "where was the editor?"  At any rate, I will not tell you what the "something wrong" is that Mike finds.  That really would be a spoiler and I wouldn't do that.  Also when I read the part that reveals the reason behind the team not revealing their secrets I thought, "Seriously?!? That's what all the secrecy is about? A team of scientists, one who is famously published, is no smarter than that...!?"  What a letdown.
It is worthy of reading, but no blockbuster here.  I really linger between three and four stars on this.  Definitely not four, but not so bad as three, so I give The Fold three and a half stars.  Those stars are for ease of reading and good sentence structure, not so much for a fantastic story with a killer plotline.
None the less, pick it up.  Everybody has different tastes.
I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.  These words are my opinion.
Thanks so much for being here!

Jeri~

Sunshine Hunter (A Susan Hunter Mystery - Book I)

I am just discovering Chick-Lit, also known as cozy mysteries, from what I hear.  I have stayed away because I thought they were just so much fluff on top of a mediocre story.  I was wrong about that, I think.  Sunshine Hunter has good plot lines and the story-telling by Ms. Cochere is first rate. It had everything needed to keep me turning the pages to the end so that I could find out who was stalking whom (one of two central characters) and why.  I had no idea who the bad guy was until it was revealed near the end.  I could see the depth of character in Sunshine Hunter as I watched her battle back and forth with decisions and situations.  She attracts trouble like white on rice!  As I read, I could see trouble about to  happen but the author writes the character so well, I could tell she never saw it coming!  Susan works in a weight loss center by day and a racquetball club at night.  As the story goes, she takes off for Florida with a friend for a week after finding out that her boyfriend is married.  She just needs to get over him and clear her head.  See, this is why I have never read these kinds of stories!  Is that a cliche plot-line, or what?!  However, there is murder, stalking, accidents, car chases, mysteries abound.  She ends up in the Gulf of Mexico on a flaming fishing boat!  I am telling you, check this out. It is light and breezy, easy to read and the perfect beach read, too. Lots of laughs and also lots of surprises.  I give Susan Hunter five stars!  I loaded this as a free read on my Kindle app, it is not a new release.  
This is Book One--I am checking out the rest!   

Thanks so much for being here!
Jeri~

The Choosing

In this debut novel from Rachelle Decker, we are transported to a future that is not one we would want to live in; but there is hope even in this for a better one.  We meet Carrington Hale, for whom life will be wonderful, every young woman's dream, if she is chosen.  If she is not, that will be her fault, as will the outcome of not being chosen.  She will spend her life as a Lint, the lowest level of this futuristic society, knowing that she is there of her own doing.  If you like dystopian stories, this is one for you.  I like them and I liked this book.  I knew from the time I held it in my hands that I would enjoy reading it.  The cover is a beautifully done satin finish heavyweight paper.  The inside is printed on quality paper, making it easy to hold in your hand.  It gave me that familiar feeling that I had a good read in my hands and I was anxious to start. I was not disappointed.  It is absent of multiple plot layers, which can be a refreshing change.  There is one story with multiple characters and Ms. Decker is able to keep the intensity going. Just when I thought I knew what was coming, I was surprised.   I would like to see more development of the secondary characters plot line and see that woven into the big picture with more depth. This novel does have that, but not to the detail that I think makes an even more intriguing read. The writing lacks the maturity that a seasoned author would provide but this author will come to that maturity as she writes, I feel certain.  It is easy to read, well written dialogue and narrative descriptions. My heart goes out to Carrington as she struggles to find her self-worth while having her unworthiness drummed into her psyche daily.  You know that I will not tell you more. You will have to read it for yourself!  I appreciate the references to God as our all loving Father and the assurance that we are worth being saved.  I would like to see a little more about humanities need for salvation, and the perfect sacrifice, Jesus.  I have a feeling that may be developed as these characters find their way.  None the less, this is an excellent debut novel, and is also a good book for young adults. It would be excellent even if it were not her first book;  it's that good.
I give The Choosing four stars!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Tyndale, in exchange for an honest review.  These words are my opinion.

I am pleased to include some Q&A from Rachelle Decker as well as a picture of her.  Enjoy reading some insight into her writing process.

 The Choosing is the first of a three-book series. What can we expect in the next two books?
More struggles with identity, but in different ways. Familiar characters dealing with fear and worry and forgiveness. We’ll walk with our characters as they continue to understand the true way of Aaron’s Father. More excitement, more romance (of course), and more self-discovery.

Did you discover anything about your own identity through the writing process?
I will steal a line from Ted Dekker on this one: “I write to discover.” They are one and the same. Even when I think there’s nothing left to discover, if I let myself be open to discovery, it almost always comes. So yes, I did. And I told my husband, if nothing ever comes of this book, it would still have been worth writing because of the way it impacted my life.

What do you hope readers will take away from the story?
I hope readers are filled with joy and power as they either realize for the first time who their Father is and what they are really worth, or as they simply remember this truth.

Thanks so much for being here!  See you soon!

Jeri~

Shadow of the Mountain - Exodus

"Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are able to overcome it" Numbers 13:30.  You know the rest; giants inhabited the land and Israel let their fear keep them from trusting God to take the land of Canaan for them.

Joshua and Caleb were the only two original survivors left of those who made the journey of the Israelites exodus from Egypt.  In this Biblical history novel, Cliff Graham tells the story of Caleb as he makes ready to attack the city that will be his inheritance.  He is an old man, but refuses to sit idly by and let younger men take the city.  This novel is written as Caleb would tell the story and I found it very engaging.  The battle scenes are realistic and lend a genuine air to the book.  The author does a good job of writing characters that are real to the time they in which they live.  I felt like I was there watching this story take place rather than reading about it several thousand years later.  That is a satisfying read.  

This is a war story and it tells of Caleb's experiences and how his life was shaped by the wars he fought.  It is somewhat graphic but I was able to grasp what the author was saying and lay aside the battle descriptions as I read.  There is very little written about Caleb in the Bible and the author builds his life before meeting Yahweh in a manner that seems as it could have happened.  This is an excellent story for a man to read, as well.  

I won't divulge the details, you must read it. It's just good.

Cliff Graham is a former soldier and officer in the United States Army and he knows how to write about military maneuvers.  He also knows how to write in that nugget of wisdom and knowledge that is gained by a life lived with much experience.

This is the first in Graham's Old Testament Saga.  I will be looking forward to the upcoming volumes.

I give Shadow of the Mountain five stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.  These words are my opinion.

I am promoting a fellow blogger today.  You can read there another view of this novel.  I have included a link below;

Marydee's Meanderings

Thanks for reading!  See you soon!

Jeri~

Book I of Old Testament Saga

In Firefly Valley

Amanda Cabot has written Book II of the Texas Crossroads series.  Once again, I have dropped unknowingly into the middle of what I see is going to be a good series.  Book I is  At Bluebonnet Lake and I intend to read it to bring me up to date on this series.  I typically like novels with a little bit of edge to them, maybe an old issue that needs resolved.  Or, mysteries and crimes to be solved.  I don't usually read about "everyday people" and/or romance.  But, this one is so much more than that.  What happens when you take a downsized career girl who left home years ago because her father deserted her and her mother and she goes home against her better judgement because it just so happens that her skills can be used there in a paying job, then add in her anger, self-esteem issues and  romance genuinely portrayed (no Cinderella stories here!) ??  I know, run-on sentence but I had to get it all out to give you the full picture. The author's writing guides us to see that this is a story of everyday people with everyday issues that are not common when they are happening to you.  This is life!  Sometimes at its worst, but always at its most real. Add in that the characters have a faith in God that sustains through doubt, trial and fire.  Amanda writes with a clarity that gives ease of reading.  She portrays characters that have human emotions and flaws and makes them real.  I read this in just a few days because I was interested in seeing how it all played out.  It hooked me.  This book is light enough to be a break from harsher, more complex plots, but deep enough to draw the reader in.  What else do you need?!  Excellent book and I highly recommend it.  I give In Firefly Valley five stars.  I have nothing to criticize here, constructively or otherwise.  How refreshing!  Read it;  you'll be glad you did.  By the way, Book III is in the works and scheduled for release in the spring of 2016.
I received a copy of this new release from Revell in exchange for my honest review.  These words are my opinion.
Read more about Amanda Cabot and her novels at Amanda Cabot

CHRIST IN YOU

This new release by Eric B. Johnson gives his instruction for living out the reality that Christ is in you, as a believer, and you (we, us, me) should live like it.  His central theme is that God trusts you more than you trust yourself.  

I will tell you right up front, I see good ideas in this book about living like you know that Christ is in you and claiming the power of that knowledge, but I do not wholly subscribe to the author's thought process behind that fact.  This work is well written.  It is easy to read and is not a long book.  All good things for a reader who has a TBR stack and has this title in that pile.  My review of the book based on those things alone would be four to five stars.  

I will give you my thoughts on the subject matter and let you make your own decision about reading "Christ in You" which is what I always attempt to do on this blog.  

Mr. Johnson begins his introduction with the story of his own "rewiring" by God in a few areas of his life.  This took place over a period of about ten years.  He relates that it did not happen overnight but through a series of small instances such as a scripture that stood out to him, or a situation that he was in or an experience that he had.  This rewiring is what led to his writing of this book.  He states our need to love humanity as Christ did, not just as an obligatory action that we choose because the Bible instructs us to love others.  He states, "True love is not obligatory, rather, it comes from a deep place in your heart."  Love for humanity does not always come from a deep place in your heart.  Love for humanity, also known as having a burden for the lost, comes from God who plants that burden in your heart when you live from the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who indwells believers.  I say that to say this;  many times feeling follows action.  If we act out the love we know God wants us to have for our fellow human beings, He blesses that effort and in that blessing comes a genuine love for all human beings as He created us in His image.  That is the love of God, perfected in His children.  

The section on The Intent of Grace stresses the importance of our living not as "sinners saved by grace" which is a common thought, but to live as saved people, no longer sinners. Citing I Tim. I: 8-13,  he states (pp. 96) that "...I believe what Paul is saying is "I was a chief sinner, but because of Christ's death and resurrection, I am now a righteous person through Him."  Our righteousness is a work in progress, daily striving to attain that perfection in Christ.  Becoming a Christian does not cause God to instantly make us righteous. 

Mr. Johnson has a section in this work entitled "Co-Laboring with God" which is a good idea and a good goal.  He states (pp.116) "It is fun to see how God allows the ideas of His people to become part of His plan."  God does not take your ideas and make them part of His plan.  His plan was put in place before the creation of man.  The author quotes Ephesians 2:1-10 which says "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  I am not seeing our ideas in that.  I do see God calling us to join Him where He is and do the works that He has prepared beforehand because they are the best work we can do.  

I am disappointed that this book only talks about being put on earth to do good.  We were first put here to be companions to God.  We blew that but our loving Heavenly Father put a plan in place for us to be able to have that companionship with Him once again.  Our charge is found in Matthew 28:19-20.  Reaching out to others with the love of God by serving the unlovely and sinners such as ourselves is what brings us the reality that Christ lives in us and that God trusts us more than we trust ourselves. 

These points I have mentioned are but a few from the book that stood out to me as I read. 

I give "Christ In You" three stars.  It is worth the cover price but must be read with discernment and an eye to scripture.  

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Chosen, for the purposes of review.  These words are my opinion.

Thanks so much for being here!  See you soon!

Jeri~