Book Review Archive 1

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (*****)

I never read these books as a child, but thoroughly enjoyed them. I was very sad when it was all over and ended up reading them a second time. I could listen to them over and over again and not tire of it. I felt strangely drawn to the movie and the books. I can't explain why. I saw The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe movie before I read the books, but this was not one of those times when you hate the movie after reading the book. It made me love it more and I could watch it again and again (& have). I am really looking forward to the Prince Caspian movie. I had long wished they had created more movies, but I assume the reason that they didn't create the first one (The Magician's Nephew) is that it wasn't as action-packed as the others, though by leaving it out, it does leave holes, such as where the witch came from and who the old man in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is. I hope that they continue making them. I am really impressed that they left the cast the same--that would have ruined it for me because I have come to picture those actors as the Pevensie children. The Final Battle made me cry. I know it was a happy ending, but I didn't expect it to end like that and I was also confused about Susan. Also, in the audio books, they have an all-star cast reading the books, such as Alex Jennings, Patrick Stewart, Lynn Redgrave, Michael York, Kenneth Branagh.


Heritage of Lancaster County Series by Beverly Lewis (**)

I love Beverly Lewis, but I really didn't like this series. I don't think I ever really liked the main character, Katie Lapp. I think she just annoyed me because she was never satisfied and I didn't like the decisions she made. I think the other thing that I didn't like was how the series ended. Close to the end, things were going one direction and you think it's going to end in a far different way. Then it suddenly shifts and ends the way it OUGHT to, but it's such a sudden switch that you're left feeling even more wary of Katie Lapp.


Abram's Daughters Series by Beverly Lewis (*****)

I really loved this series. Leah is such a beloved character and you really feel sorrow when she suffers and joy when something good happens to her. I felt such anguish at how years seemed to slip by and Leah just kept on sacrificing for her family. It follows a number of years in her life and you just start to wonder how any person could suffer so much loss and still rely on God and have such supreme peace and joy. I wasn't really crazy about one of her twin sister's marriages--i won't say who she married, but it just seemed weird for her sister to marry this guy, though that sister was having issues anyways and in such a small Amish community, I assume there aren't many men to choose from. And I thought it was pretty easy to solve the big mystery of the books since there weren't that many Englishers in the book for it to have been anyone else. Other than that, these were some of my favorite books and I was sad when the series was over.


Annie's People Series by Beverly Lewis (***)

I liked this series. Not as well as the Abram's Daughters series, but much better than the Heritage of Lancaster County series. I figured out the mystery pretty easily. I didn't see how everything could work out so that everyone would be happy, but Beverly Lewis made it happen. Reading all of these books about the Amish people really introduced me to their way of life, which I had been ignorant of. It also endeared the people to me and I plan to read some Wanda Brunstetter and other authors that write about the Amish.


The Camelot Caper by Elizabeth Peters (**)

This was a strange book. It was different than other books I have read, but it was really kind of funny. Sort of tongue-in-cheek humor. Anyways, since it made me laugh often, I'd say it was a good book. Because of this book, I decided to start an Elizabeth Peters series with the heroine Amelia Peabody.


Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson (****)

I really enjoyed this book. It gave me a look into the mind of my son, which heretofore has been a mystery to me. I was terrified with the thought of raising a boy because I don't know how they think and why they do the things they do and how to "train him up in the way he should go." This book helped me understand why he does what he does and how to let him be a boy. I began to understand why he is turning away from me towards his daddy and why that is important, even if it does break my heart. It helped me understand why roughhousing with his daddy is necessary and I shouldn't interfere, even if I am afraid they are being too rough. I think I will read this again (perhaps numerous times) to pick up items I missed and to thoroughly ingrain it in my head.


The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (***)

I saw the movie before I read the book and I think that actually ruined the BOOK for me instead of the other way around. Though the book and movie follow the same plot, I think things are ordered differently and presented differently and in a lot of ways, I am sorry to say, I preferred the movie version! Especially the ending.


Lisey's Story by Stephen King (***)

Pretty different from Stephen King's normal stories--not as weird. I liked this one okay. It's about a dead writer's wife. The thing I like about her character is that she is an unlikely heroine. She isn't exactly a strong, courageous, memorable, charismatic person in the traditional sense.


Truth Series by Mariah Stewart (***)

What ruined this series for me is that I accidentally listened to it out of order. So that gave away details from the book I missed and allowed me to know the ending before I ever started it. But, overall it was a good series. Each story has a different MAIN main character and story, but there is another minor main character that is in all of the books, with an underlying story line that carries over through all the books. The sad part is that I figured out that whole business in the first book, so it was frustrating to me that the character, who is a true crime writer (you'd think she'd be smarter than that) didn't figure it out until the fourth book. The narrator (Anna Fields) in the audiobook was really annoying. Her male voices made the FBI guys sound slow and stupid.


24 Hours by Greg Iles (***)

This was a pretty good book, lots of suspense. I thought it was a bit far-fetched that this could be such a perfect crime, that no one ever reported anything. But it is alarming, thinking what if this happened to you.


An Unacceptable Death by Barbara Seranella (*)

I wasn't all that crazy about this book. Maybe it was the main character, who seems very smart and confident, but if she was so smart and confident how was it that she was a prostitute and a drug addict in her former life? I think the plot was a little confusing too.


As Simple As Snow by Gregory Galloway (*)

This was a strange, strange book. It was very well written because I was really drawn in and mesmerized and hungering to find out how it ended and what happened. But it was a total letdown because you never find out what happens! In the book description, it basically tells you how it ends. In the beginning, the author tells you how it ends. But I thought there would be more to it than that and it would find some conclusion, but it doesn't. Read the first page and you really don't have to read anymore. In fact, I wouldn't recommend it because the rest of the book will just frustrate you. The ending, which I assume is supposed to reflect some monumental change in the main character's (the storyteller) life is ludricrous. So what that a middle class kid with weird parents got the guts to go visit his brother in Louisiana and might decide to live with him? That's not monumental! Who doesn't have weird parents? Who isn't bored with their life as a teenager? What kind of resolution is it for him to go visit his brother? I've read that the author has hinted that the mystery (that was left unsolved in the book) can be figured out. I wonder if you have to be familiar with the Goth lifestyle to be able to decipher the clues. The author has a website and you can sign up to receive clues by email, but they are so strange and off the wall that I can't figure out what they mean. I assume that things end up the way they were written in an fake obituary that the other main character wrote, but how do they get there? What happened? What do things mean? I have an inkling that this story may be based on a true story because there are many things that point to the author being the main character. And I know that real life doesn't always have a happy ending and that sometimes questions aren't answered. But that's why I like fiction--it always gets wrapped up with a nice little bow and you are left feeling satisfied. But this book left me feeling completely undone. If the mystery had been explained, it would have been a FABULOUS book. The thing that disturbs me is that this book has won young adult reader awards, but it has sex, drugs, and drinking in it (by teenagers) so I don't see how it is appropriate must-read for teens. I give it one star just because the book was so engrossing. I subtract the other stars for leaving me engrossed and not giving me a resolution.


Grievous Sin by Faye Kellerman (*)

I think this would have been a good book if it had gone on for a while longer. It ended with too many loose ends and no real resolution. At the beginning of the book, there seem to be two plot lines and you know that they will converge at some point in the book. The one plot line seems relatively normal, but the other one is really disturbing. There's a naked woman looking at herself in the mirror. A naked man comes into the room and she drops to all fours and he is ordering her to yell, "Give it to me!" So she screams this louder and louder. I was listening to this on my MP3 player and I became alarmed. Not only was this book sounding disgusting, but the narrator was screaming this and I began to wonder if the people around me at work could hear and wonder what in the world I was listening to. Eventually, it becomes clear that it isn't a sex scene, but he is injecting her with steroids. Still, the author went to great pains to make it appear pretty dirty and that put me off immediately. The plotline seemed good, but when it ended, I felt cheated.


Intensity by Dean Koontz (****)

I am not really a Dean Koontz fan. Mostly I can't figure out what the hype about him is all about. I think my aversion to his books has been that the endings are a little lame. The climax has just happened and then the next scene is much later and everything is all tied up in a neat bow, but you didn't get to follow along with how the characters got there. I think your adrenaline is high from the climax and the ending is sort of a letdown. You aren't given the opportunity to ease out of the tension. It's like the equivalent of saying, "and then she woke up and discovered it was all a dream." That's a cop-out. But, I haven't read many of his books, so maybe others are better, but for what I have read (that were highly acclaimed), I've not been terribly impressed with his work. But this was an exception. I really liked this book. It was quite alarming. And this ending wasn't abrupt. There is an explanation of how the characters go on after the climax. There were 2 movies based on this book--neither of them are worth your time! One was called "Haute Tension" or "High Tension"--it was a French movie and it followed the book plot for quite a while, then it shifts and takes a whole different direction. It was a pretty disgusting film. The other one was a made-for-TV movie called "Intensity." The casting job was the worst part of it. They cast John C. McGinley in the bad guy role. That's the obnoxious doctor from Scrubs, the gay cop in Wild Hogs--he does not fill the role of a crazy killer! I mean he seems crazy, but not controlled like the character in the book was. Reading the book, I pictured the bad guy as a big, strong, muscular, even handsome and confident man. McGinley is more annoying. It's like hiring a mosquito to play a lion!


The Bad Place by Dean Koontz (***)

It's been a while since I read this book, and my memory is so bad that I can't remember much about it. Which tells me that it wasn't a favorite or it would have stuck out in my mind. I think I liked it, but it wasn't necessarily a favorite. Somewhat disturbing if I remember right.


The Anniversary by Amy Gutman (***)

This was a pretty good book. And very hard to guess the outcome. It's about a woman who is trying to start a new life after her ex-boyfriend is executed for being a serial killer. Years later she starts receiving mysterious notes and gifts.


Kill Me by Stephen White (*)

To be fair, this is the 14th book in a series and I haven't read the other 13, so it could be that I just jumped in the middle of a series and was confused, but I didn't like this book. It was extremely strange and a little hard to follow. It is an interesting concept to think of hiring someone to kill you if you become terminally ill so that you don't suffer. But what happens if you change your mind? That's exactly what happens in this book


Skeletons by Kate Wilhelm (***)

This was a pretty good book. It's a disturbing look into the KKK atrocities back in the 50s (I think that was the timeframe in the story). I couldn't believe however how the main characters try to cover up an accidental death. You just want to cringe.


Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm (0)

Since I liked the other book I read by Kate Wilhelm, I tried this one. I quit. It was about cloning and death and disease (worldwide collapse of everything) and even some incest. I decided it wasn't interesting me, so I stopped reading.


Carolina Moon by Nora Roberts (***)

I liked this book. It was a mystery that I couldn't figure out until the end. A woman returns to her hometown where her childhood friend was murdered. There's also a made-for-TV movie of this one, which was okay too.


This Side of Married by Rachel Pastan (0)

Didn't like this book at all. It's supposed to be a rewrite of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, but it was nowhere near Pride & Prejudice. Jane Austen was the daughter of a preacher and in that time period, things were proper and a reputation was taken seriously. This book makes fun of people who DON'T have sex. Like there is something terribly wrong and disturbed with a person who waits until marriage. Even with that aside, I just really didn't like the book.


Sisters by Danielle Steel (***)

This was a good book. Such tragedy that I nearly found myself in tears. But the 4 sisters who are very different, but extremely close, pull together and support each other. I totally didn't like how things ended up with their dad, but other than that, it was a good book. One thing that ticked me off was how they poked fun of Christians. It was a minor part, but still rubbed me wrong.


Seasons of the Heart Series by Janette Oke (****)

Another of my favorite authors, this was a great series. It follows a young farm boy from age 12 through to his adult-hood in the early part of the 20th century, when cars and washing machines were new-fangled gadgets. It was nice to read a story from a boy's point of view, instead of the usual female point of view. The narrator on the audiobook, Marguerite Gavin, is very good. Some of these narrators drive me crazy because when they change their voices to match characters, it comes across sounding stupid, especially when the character is the opposite sex. But Ms. Gavin does an excellent job. She also narrates Beverly Lewis novels, which probably has a lot to do with why I like both so well.


Prairie Legacy Series by Janette Oke (*****)

Probably a favorite of mine. At first I was concerned because the main character, a 13-year-old girl named Virginia, is kind of annoying to me. And her friend Jenny--well, you just want to slap her. But, all 13-year-olds are hideous! And she soon turns to God and you begin to admire the character. The series follows her growing up and adulthood. You alternate between laughing and tearing up. Toward the end, I bawled. I mean, I went through multiple Kleenexes and had a headache when I was done weeping. I kept trying to tell myself that it was a book and they always turn out okay in the end (well, except for As Simple As Snow), but it was very emotional. I think it will touch moms. I highly recommend this series.


Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (*****)

I had never read Jane Austen novels until recently, but have decided that she is among my favorite authors. Pride & Prejudice was my favorite of her books. I was immediately drawn into the story and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. Mr. Collins provides an abundance of humor for the story. I have since watched several movie versions and enjoy the story thoroughly.


Sense & Sensability by Jane Austen (***)

Probably my fourth or fifth favorite of Jane Austen novels. Still a good book, but not as great as the three that I like better.


Persuasion by Jane Austen (****)

My second favorite Jane Austen novel. I felt so sorry for Anne, the heroine. Her family was so wretched and I so hoped that she would reunite with Captain Wentworth, but he just seemed to ignore her.


Emma by Jane Austen (****)

Probably my third favorite of Jane Austen's novels. I was thrilled to find that it is what the movie Clueless was based on. I always liked the movie Clueless and now I feel justified. Okay, it is stupid and air-headed, but it was based on classic literature! It did sort of ruin the book for me because as soon as I figured out the correlation, I knew how it would end. But it was still very enjoyable


Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (***)

Not sure where this one ranks. Maybe fourth or fifth or maybe even higher on my hierarchy of Jane Austen novels. I found Henry Tilney to be very funny, so I liked his character immediately. I really hated his father though. Probably the only thing I really didn't like, which is pretty common of Jane Austen's novels, is how you're almost at the end and nothing has been resolved. Then she quickly ties it all up in a whirlwind of almost postscript, rather than dialogue and moment-by-moment events.


Jane Austen's Charlotte by Jane Austen & Julia Barrett (**)

This was a partial novel that Jane Austen didn't finish before she died, so Julia Barrett took it upon herself to finish. I didn't like it much at all. Jane Austen had wanted to call it "The Brothers" I think, but her family always referred to it as "Sanditon" but Julia Barrett presumed to change it to Charlotte. I thought Sanditon was the most appropriate. I found it pretty dull.


Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (***)

I'm not sure if this one would have been better if I had listened to a traditional reading or not. This audiobook was a drama, so there were different voices for the characters. Sometimes that makes the story better, but other times, I think it hinders. And if it isn't done properly, it makes it into a joke. This was a nice story, though not among my favorites.


Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (**)

I did not like this story much at all. Correction, I liked it all along until near the end. I was so frustrated that I had invested that much time into such a long novel only to have it end up differently than I thought it would. And Amy's choice of a husband REALLY bugged me too. And that he could seemingly change his affections that quickly and cause a potentially awkward situation.... My best friend originally shared my opinion somewhat, but she says that in the books to follow (Little Men & Jo's Boys), it becomes clear that things worked out as they should. I am so disappointed, I don't really have the desire to read those books at this time. Right now I am still pouting!


Lord of the Flies by Sir William Golding (***)

I read this book in high school for an English class, but I liked it so I decided to read it again. It's not a long book and probably more for young readers, but it is a good read. In the audiobook, the author read it and he had a really bornig reading voice. It's a very disturbing look at how little boys would act if there were no authority present.


101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith (****)

I know it's a children's story, but I have always loved it. I don't think the original book is all that childish. There are a lot of British terminologies that young children would not understand. There is more to the story than what Disney created in the animated movie. The audiobook version that I listened to was horrid, though. It was a shortened version and it was a dramatic presentation, complete with characters breaking into song. It was a bit alarming!


The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson (****)

I loved this story when I was a kid. In college, I was on a drama team and we performed this for a children's home and in a mall. I played the part of "mom." Such a poignant story. Short too.


The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson (***)

Since I liked The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, I decided to listen to this one too. I think the first one still holds my heart because I have "history" with it, but this one was good too. And it has a good message.


The Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson (***)

Another good one, though still can't displace Best Christmas Pageant Ever in my number one slot. The narrator in the audiobook versions of these three titles is Elaine Stritch. My friend said her voice was annoying, but I enjoyed her reading because I remember her from the Cosby Show (she was Rudy's teacher), so that makes it more enjoyable for me.


The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (*****)

One of my favorites. A friend recommended this one to me and I fell in love with it. I had never heard of it before, but it is an Audie award winner. It is based on a Grimm fairy tale, but the author felt there was a lot missing from the story, so she filled in all the blanks. The result is a beautiful story. It is more appropriate for older kids--there is one part where they tell the story of the wives of the soldiers ripping their clothes to bare their chests and tell the soldiers that if they don't win the war, the enemy will come and ravage them. It is the visual reminder that they need and they go on to defeat the enemy.

The story is about Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree. She learned to speak to the birds as a child. Her mother, the queen sent her to marry a prince in the next kingdom. On the journey, her lady in waiting and her faithful men attempt to kill her and take her place. She escapes them, but by the time she makes it to the city, the imposter has already arrived. She gets a job caring for a geese in the palace, pretending to be a peasant girl. She also begins to learn the speech of the wind, which tells her about everything it has seen and touched.

The audiobook version I listened to enhanced the experience because it was a dramatic presentation with actors and sound effects. It greatly added to the story and was extremely well done. I loved this book and will listen to it again and again.


Socks by Beverly Cleary (***)

Okay, it's an old one from my childhood, but it was fun to listen to it again. It's the story of a cat and how he views life with his family. The audiobook was read by Doogie Houser (Neil Patrick Harris)!


Charlie & the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (***)

I loved the Willie Wonka movie when I was a kid (not terribly crazy about the Johnny Depp version), so I thought it would be fun to read the book. It was.


Charlie & the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl (**)

This is the sequel to Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and this story begins right after the other one ends. It is very strange. It was funny, but mostly because it was so stupid. It was full of little one-liners, puns, etc. It's good for a laugh, but not a major literary work.


Fudge Series by Judy Blume (****)

These were my favorite books as a kid. Listening to them again was enjoyable now that I am a parent and have a son about Fudge's age. It was hilarious when I was a kid and still humorous as an adult. I don't care for Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great as much as I like the other two books.


The Bunnicula Collection by Deborah & James Howe (****)

Another of my favorites as a child. I still have a few of these books on my kids' shelf. The audiobook version had commentary from the author and it was sad to hear how his wife had begun writing these books with him, but died of cancer after the first book. He said the idea for the book was likely from when he was trying to think what the silliest animal to be portrayed as a vampire might be. A bunny is what he came up with. I find Chester to be so hilarious. He tries so hard to be above everyone else and smart and refined, but he is just plain crazy and delusional!


Are You There God, It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume (**)

I thought I hadn't read this as a child, but once I got started, I remembered it ("We must, we must, we must increase our bust!"). It's a pretty good coming of age story--not for younger readers (mostly about female development and puberty), though the way that the grandparents (who are Christians) act bugs me to no end.


Junie B. Jones Series by Barbara Park (****)

I have not read all of these books that focus on Junie B's kindergarten and first grade years, but the ones I have read are hilarious. My daughters have been reading them in school (since they are in kindergarten and first grade) and I have bought them a few and even downloaded one on audiobook. Junie B is such a funny kid and we crack up every time we read one.


The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman (****)

This was one of the textbooks in a college class I took, but before we could get to it, I ended up quitting school and never read it. I wish I had. I'd only been married 4 years then. This year we will celebrate our 13th anniversary and I wish I had had this knowledge back then. It helped me understand my husband and myself much better. I recommend this book to any married couple, but it can help anyone. Everyone speaks their own love language, so if you want to express love to anyone (friend, parent, child, significant other), you should read this book.

Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (****)

I more or less read this in high school. i had trouble reading on command, even if it was a book I was interested in. I wanted to read this, but couldn't, so I ended up reading the condensed version, I think. Anyways, I have read it since then and love it. It's such a great story of love. I don't know that I have ever heard of such an example of love from such an unlikely source. I also find the French Revolution interesting, so that makes it enjoyable too, if enjoyable is not too insensitive of a word when used in conjunction with the Guillotine atrocities.