Leota's Garden by Francine Rivers

This book was highly praised by a friend of a friend so I was really planning on liking it.  I've really been enjoying the other books by Francine Rivers so I was hoping for another book that I would equally enjoy.  While the beginning and the middle were well written and I really got into the story, the end was certainly lacking something.  I don't know if it's just the lack of closure at the end of the book that bothered me or what.  I just felt like it was missing something and that missing something has annoyed me for days now. 

I don't want to give away too much of the book so I won't go into it much.  But I do have to say that after watching one of the characters grow so much, it was frustrating not to see what happens with him in regards to his faith.  And well, yeah there was other stuff that just didn't end well for me either.  The start was great but I would have loved to see it end differently.  Maybe it was just too much like real life where things just don't get resolved in a timely manner or how I would like them too, but it certainly hasn't sat well with me. 

Unafraid: Mary (The Lineage of Grace Series #5) by Francine Rivers

The story of Mary is one that every Christian child grows up hearing.  It is the story behind the birth of Christ and the parents that raised him.  This story looked into how she might have felt and brought the story to life in a way that is a bit more current then just reading it out of the bible.  I know she took quite a few liberties with changing some stuff around and filling in blanks that didn't happen so it's important to read this along with the actual scripture to understand that not all of the things in the book are scripturally accurate.  It's important to remember that this is a fiction book, so not everything is completely true.

The question that sticks with me the most from our book club on this book was, "If you were Mary, what would you have done?"  I know Mary had a difficult life, but there is no part of me that questions I would do what God was asking of me.  I mean, how can you say no to God when you know everything He does is for a reason?  No matter how difficult your life may be, He knows what He's doing.  Live for Him and you will be rewarded beyond anything that can be provided on this earth.

The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

It seems I've been reading all sad books recently, so when I picked this up I was afraid for more sadness.  Nicholas Sparks does have a tendency to write sad stories, and they don't even always get a happy ending.  So I was pleasantly surprised when this ended up fairly happy, sure there are still the sad moments you come to expect but as a whole the book had a nice warm fuzzy feeling.  I loved it, it is a book I'm bound to read again someday.  It was a quick easy read and it certainly held my attention. 

Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks

 

I got this book at half priced books for only a dollar, seemed like a good deal so why not pick up another book.  I generally find Nicholas Sparks books to be quick easy reads that make me think and normally make me cry.  This one was no different.

This book really touches on the it's better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all sentiment.  I couldn't agree more.  

It was a great book, a very easy book to read and fairly short.  I finished it in a day.  I started it at lunch and then read the rest when I got home and I even went to bed at a decent time that night.  I always love a story that keeps me reading.  The only down side to the book is it is sad, as are most of his books I've found.   Though normally he has a little happy in with the sad, this one just leaves me with an all over sad feeling.  I guess I can count myself very fortunate that I haven't had to deal with the loss of someone I love from my life (from them leaving or passing away).  I know so many people that have had to deal with this kind of loss and I praise the Lord he has been so good to me.  

I think I really could use a happy book right about now.  But alas, I started another Nicholas Sparks book so we'll see.