Books

Travel Reads – January 2013

Since we were on our own in Miami for a long weekend I managed to get quite a lot of reading done.  Since the books I read were all really good, I thought I’d share them with you!

The Bridesmaid by Beverly Lewis
Amish Christian Fiction
3 out of 5 stars
I’ve steered clear of Amish country reads lately because I got burnt out on them, but this present-day set novel seemed like a good one to get me back in the setting.  Joanna is 27 years old and basically considered a spinster by her Amish community since she’s never wed.  Her sister, Cora, throws a fit when Joanna agrees to be a friends bridesmaid for the third time, thinking that this will seal Joanna’s single status forever.  As this story progresses we get to see some of Joanna’s longings (to write fiction and have a family) as well as some benefits and negatives of living an Amish life.
Beverly Lewis is a great writer and everything that I’ve read of her has been compelling.  I was sometimes frustrated with the overbearing control of the church leader’s in the book, but I assume that this is pretty true to life in the Amish culture.  I always enjoy reading about how the Amish live in present day situations.  It’s easy to forget that there are large populations of people who still cling to this way of life.
Overall, this was a very good book if you’re looking for a contemporary book set in Amish country.  The romance in the book is fulfilling and you will find yourself pulling for Joanna and rooting against some who seem to be working against her.
Sweet Waters by Julie Carobini
Contemporary Christian Fiction
4 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed a few of Julie Carobini’s books in 2012 (Chocolate Beach and Truffles by the Sea) and was interested to give this one a try.  Set mostly in Otter Bay, California, this is a coming of age story of sorts with the main character of Tara Sweet as a twenty-something who has just been dumped by her fiancé and persuades her sisters to move halfway across the country to their birthplace.
I found this book hilarious and a riveting read.  Along the way, Tara learns some surprising things about her parents and why they left Otter Bay so many years ago.  And her reactions to those pieces of news and the new people in her life made me think about how I would react if put in the same position. A portion of the book is a love story which is full of two people with large flaws to overcome, but isn’t that true of most relationships?
Read Sweet Waters if you’re looking for a book about fragile family dynamics, a family’s history, and an introduction to a new town in Otter Bay.  Julie has also written two other books set in Otter Bay (that I have not read), A Shore Thing and Fade to Blue.  I don’t believe that these books are a series, so much as books set in the same location about different people.  Julie’s writing is real and honest and is very good and I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a little bit of a heavier romance read.
The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden
Historical Christian Fiction
5 out of 5 stars
I read Elizabeth’s The Rose of Winslow Street last year and loved her style and writing.  So I added this book to my wish list a while ago and finally got around to downloading it for this trip.  I have to tell you that it did not disappoint!
Clara Endicott is a novelty in her time period, a female journalist.  And her pursuit of the truth to help others lands her in jail in London facing an extremely harsh sentence due to her American citizenship.  When her lawyer manages to extract her from the chargers and get her out of the country, we wonder if the craziness of her life is ending, when in reality it’s just beginning.
The Lady of Bolton Hill is a romantic, suspense novel set in historical Baltimore.  With interesting current event information on things from the railroad monopoly to low worker wages, you are drawn into the time period as well as the characters.  And you spend the novel trying to stay one step ahead and figure out the mystery of who is trying to do what as if it depends on you to solve the situation.  Definitely read this if you’re interested in historical fiction that is suspenseful.
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Science Fiction
5 out of 5 stars
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Science Fiction
5 out of 5 stars
I first heard about the Divergent trilogy on Kim’s blog 3 Peanuts.   I immediately added them to my wish list but wasn’t able to psych myself up for another series similar to The Hunger Games until this trip.  I downloaded Divergent and started it last out of all of the books I downloaded because I still wasn’t sure I wanted to get into something heavy.  But I was immediately drawn in to the story and purchased Insurgent as soon as I finished Divergent.  The only downside to reading these now is that the third book won’t be released until this coming fall and I’m anxious to know how it all turns out now!
These books are similar in feel to THG but aren’t nearly as brutal or as cold as THG can feel.  The main character is a sixteen year old named Beatrice/Tris, but the setting is more of a civilization that is trying to make the best civilization possible as opposed to ruthlessly asking teenagers to hunt each other.  Political control, war, famine, human nature, and more are all points that are brought up in these suspenseful novels, but the gore never went far enough where I was skimming sections like I did in THG.
If you are one who loves suspense but doesn’t like reading present day suspense because it hits too close to home (ME!) then these are great for you.  It’s easy to relate to the characters.  It’s easy to pick characters to side with and then be blindsided by someones actions later in the book.  And it’s very easy to get lost in the story.  These are both great books and I can’t wait for the third!
I’m updating this post to link to to Jones’ Design Company’s What I’m reading link party! Check it out!

what i'm reading
*This post contains affiliate links and falls under my link/review disclosures.  That being said, no one asked me to write this and I purchased all of these books myself.

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