Uptown Girl's Book Nook

Oldies...at least for me

2008-03-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

Lately I've read a lot of books which is no surprise of course but I'm on a kick of re-reading books I haven't read in years.

Such books are:

"The Golden Filly Series" by Lauraine Snelling
The Race
Eagle's Wings
Go For the Glory
Kentucky Dreamer
Call for Courage
Shadow Over San Mateo
Out of the Mist
Second Wing
Close Call
Winner's Circle

Comments: I loved this series as a teen and still do even years later except I'm still not happy with the ending of the series, sadly. The books are a quick and easy read but deal with a lot of issues and well, I still need to have Kleenex's nearby.

"Mark of the Lion" Series by Francine Rivers
Voice in the Wind
Echo in the Darkness
As Sure as the Dawn

Overview of Series: This classic series has inspired over half a million readers. Journey back to the crumbling Roman Empire and meet Haddassah, a young slave girl; Marcus, a handsome aristocrat; Atretes, a brave gladiator; and Rizpah, a beautiful young widow. The gospel of Christ is the only weapon they have to battle the immorality that surrounds them –will they be wise enough to use it?

Comments: I'm just into the first book of the series but will be whipping through them pretty quick! Thanks to a church book exchange I was able to get my hands on these books of which I've been wanting to add to my collection for some time.

Speaking of which, time to go read a couple chapters...

book review rant

2008-01-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

I have a beef about book reviews. (And in my world, a lot of the ones I read are for Christian books). Why do people have to absolutely rip apart books looking for everything possibly wrong with it? I understand having an opinion or reaction to a book but I find sometimes people go a little far.

In some ways I also think it’s worse when it’s a religious book because if it isn’t following scripture (when used in the story line) to a ‘T’ some people find it unacceptable. This goes along with the fact that everyone interprets faith differently which in turn affects how a person reads something whether that be scripture or a book. It bugs me that people seem to think that if we don't produce books exactly to our religious standards that is is misleading or "dangerous".

Ever have a book that just blew you away? Or even just one small part of the book made you wonder? It's a great feeling isn't it? Why can't a novel be just a novel - a great story that has the potiential to open your eyes just a wee bit more?

My rant was spurred by reviews on a book that I think is quite amazing. At first I was super annoyed by the negativity of the review but then I realized - the reviewer does not truly understand the grace of God which caused them to miss many vital areas reminding us the kind of relationship we can have with Christ.

Regardless of this one review, this book still has an amazing message and people are buying the book like candy...spiritual candy of course :P

The Shack Review - Update

2008-01-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

I talk about this book all the time, so why not blog about it again?
--
"The Shack" by William P. Young is a phenomenal hit! I can't get over the amount of response this book is getting not to mention the word of mouth promotion!

Examples:

Ranked on Amazon.com today - #81 in books
Ranked on Amazon.ca today - #164 in books

I'm seriously excited about how well this book is selling/circulating! The book has an amazing message that the world needs to hear and be reminded of.

What's also fantastic is that according to William's website he will be visiting my area of the world in April! Talk about awesome!

If you have not read this book - please pick up a copy and read it!

time to play ketchup, i mean catchup

2007-12-21T08:15:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've been slacking on keeping this updated with the books I've read in the past couple months so here goes:

December Reads:

Surrender Bay
by Denise Hunter
Comments: This books was an enjoyable read! It made me long for summer days long past. As in true chicklit fashion the story ending was predictable but the journey to get there was good to read.

Healing Stones
by Nancy Rue& Stephen Arterburn
Comments: I am definitely excited to read more books by these authors! The book was filled with so much emotion and battles which it made a fantastic read!

Sky Blue
by Travis Thrasher
Comments: This is the second book I've read by Travis Thrasher and I'm still not a huge fan. His writing is a real challenge to my brain and I have a hard time really grasping what exactly is going on. It's an interesting novel but just not my "cup of tea".

Hollywood Nobody
by Lisa Samson
Comments: What a great little novel! The book is definitely geared to a younger (teen) audience but it was cute and fun to read. Plus it is about Hollywood gossip and blogging which are two things of interest to me.

November Reads:

First the Dead
by Tim Downs
Comments: I really enjoy Tim Downs novels! I love that it's like watching an episode of CSI without annoying commercials. I really appreciate the fact that Tim used the setting of Hurricane Katrina to base this novel on - makes it seem that much more real. It's well written and with the added splash of sarcasm and wit throughout the novel it makes for a great read.

Without a Trace
by Colleen Coble
Comments: This is first book I've read by Colleen and I enjoyed it! The plot and character developement was fantastic which made for a great read! I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

The Shack Review

2007-11-29T10:16:00.000-08:00

This is my thoughts immediately after I put the book down....

WOW.

God spoke many things into my heart from this book and one line I cannot get out of my head is "He is fond of you". So many times we lose sight of the fact that not only does God love you, He LIKES you. So many parts of this book hit home for me and I cried my way through it and even after. I'm left with so much hope and truth that my heart is overwhelmed with emotion that tears stream down my face. Everyday He is my life, in Me. He guides me, directs me and talks to me. I am His child loved and cared for regardless of my own decisions.

It's hard to describe what impact this book will have on me but I know it will and already is. There are only a few books I've read that have really spoke to me - this is now #1 on my list!

October Reads and Comments

2007-11-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

Adam
by Ted Dekker
Comments: I haven't read a Ted Dekker book in a while so I picked this one up. It's an intense and dark book dealing with a murder and demon possession. Again, I would only recommend the book to Dekker fans who love his style of writing.

How to Be a Grown Up
by Margaret Feinberg and Lief Oines
Comments: Found this on the shelf in our office so it's a bit dated. What a hilarious book though! The book discusses very random topics about growing up and I chuckled my way through this fairly small book

My Hand Came Away Red
by Lisa McKay
Comments: Now I know what all the hype is about this book - it's fantastic! Not only was it fascinating to read about the worst ever mission trip, but the character development and emotions emitted through out the book makes you feel like you are on the journey with them. One of the best books I've read this year!

Around the World in 80 Dates
by Christa Ann Banister
Comments: Typical chick-lit involving a Christian girl who can't seem to pick the right guy and ends up on a lot of dates. Nothing amazing about the book but slighly amusing.

Bad Idea
by Todd & Jedd Hafer
Comments: I had read a good review of this novel on a blog so I decided to pick up the book. Right off the bat I would not recommend this book to conservative Christians as it deals with some subject matter some might find uncomfortable - self injury, alcohol, etc. In some ways this book is a very realistic inside story to the mind of 18 year old teenager (or so I would assume) but may be too "real" to some people.

Talk of the Town
by Lisa Wingate
Comments: I enjoyed reading this book. It was cute, amusing and just a "feel good" book.

After the Leaves Fall
by Nicole Baart
Comments: This is a fantastic book for a first time author!! It was an intensely emotional book that made the crisis the main character was going thru, very real. I really enjoyed the writing style of this author and am looking forward to her next week!

Book Stats to date:

2007-10-12T06:42:00.000-07:00

35 books (week 43/54?)

10,630 pages

34 books were new

1 re-read from previous year

34 christian

2 non-fiction

My Hands Came Away Red by Lisa McKay

2007-10-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

This book has left me speechless and I'm not sure why. Reading about the adventure was very fascinating but what happens to the teens when they get back gripped my heart the most. This book hit me emotionally, maybe I feel for Cori or I'm just too empathetic?

Besides how this book impacted me, it was also fantastically written!

High Recommendation.

Books Read in September

2007-10-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

Here is the list of books I finished last month:

Symphony of Secrets
Sharon Hinck
Comments: An okay book, nothing special. More interesting if you know anything about music - especially if you have played an instrument before.
Pages: 212

Rematch
by Erynn Mangum
Comments: LOVED it! It was light, funny and just a good read. Plus I'm famous since she quoted me in the endorsement page.

Does She Look Natural
by Angela Hunt
Comments: I really enjoyed this book! I haven't read an Angela Hunt book in a while but after reading this one I am going a lot more of her's! She has an interesting sense of humour and somehow is able to have a book dealing with a topic most people wouldn't touch - funeral homes and all that it entails.

A Quarter Past Tuesday
by Jo Kadlecek
Comments: Nothing particular special about this book except for the controversial characteristics of the main character - a Christian who smokes and drinks. I was okay with it but I know others would not be happy with kind of person as the main lead in the novel.

Books Read in August - so far

2007-08-22T06:08:00.000-07:00

*Updated: August 28th

Desolation Highway
by James R. Coggins
Comments: Love that it was located in Canada! Nice change! The book was very interesting but I wasn't overly impressed with how simple the entire plot was, I guess I expected more twists and turns. It's a simple murder mystery type novel.

Homeland Insecurity
by Richard & Evangeline Abanes
Comments: Very intense book dealing with a racism and hate organizations. The book was well written and it had me hooked from start to finish so itwas a good read!

My Soul to Keep
by Davis Bunn
Comments: I really enjoyed this book! Maybe because I love going to the movies so much? It was very interesting to read a fiction story about how crazy the Hollywood movie industry is and the lengths people will go to for publicity! What I liked most about the book was that it was split into two different sides - it really worked for the plot of this novel. Interested in the movie making industry? Check this book out.

Books Read in July

2007-07-31T06:24:00.000-07:00

The Pawn
Steven James
Comments: What a fantastic page turner!! Definitely a suspense/thriller novel with some pretty gritty crime scenes which of course involve some gore. But you definitely get past it with everything that is going in the novel. The book keeps you guessing who they are after and it's not obvious either. Highly recommended to people who love this book genre.

Reconstructing Natalie
Laura Jensen Walker
Comments: I read this book last winter but decided to pick it up again since I loved it so much. Reading it the second time it didn't disappoint - still as great as the first time I read it! Perfect combo of wit, humour, struggles, friendships and love.

Idol Eyes
Mandisa with Angela Hunt
Comments: I really enjoyed reading this book because it interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes during American Idol. I found that her last couple chapters will very scriptural heavy so non-believers might not like that too much. I don't normally read biographies but this was written in such a simple dialogue I had no problem whipping right through it.

Sushi For One
Camy Tang
Comments: Interesting multi-cultural chicklit. Nothing special about this novel except having a peak into the Asian culture.

Moon Over Tokyo
Siri L. Mitchell
Comments: An improved book compared to "The Cubicle Next Door". After reading this book I wanted to travel to Tokyo to take in all the sights, especially the cherry blossoms. She is one of my favourite authors!

Books to list on sidebar

2007-03-22T13:09:00.001-07:00

Books I want to read:

Life, Libby and the Persuit of Happiness
Confessions of a Good Christian Girl
Thrill of the Chaste

Not-So-Stupid

2007-03-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

Today for a few moments I flipped through a book here at the office that I wish I could have given to my parents a couple years ago (except the book has just released this month):

Not-So-Stupid-Parents
Why Your Kids Think You're Weird and How to Prove Otherwise
by: Haley DiMarco

I think my parents could have definitely gained some insightful knowledge from this book...especially since they raised 4 daughters in the past 27 years. My poor dad. Too much estrogen in our house!

What I really like about this book is how real it is...not sugar coated but really tells parents that teens now are growing up in such a different world then they did. Even the difference between my older sisters generation, mine and the youngest. (Oh and the section about nagging? Enlighting!)

I don't know if I'll completely read this book but I do enjoy reading about other's perspectives of parents today.

read between the lines

2007-03-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

So I'm a bit of a nerd - I LOVE to read. When I find the time that is...especially late a night when I should be sleeping. Today at work I though.."hmm, maybe I should start a book blog since I read so much" and alas here I am.

Here you will find out what I'm currently reading, blurps about what I think of a book I've read or just random posts about interesting books.

I'm also in a reading contest with a friend right now. It's already March and I'm only at 2,200 pages.... (about 200 pages behind)