The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

I'm not really sure what originally drew me to this book.  I don't know anyone personally that had read it but I seemed to keep running into it on Shelfari.com and it has very high marks.  It took me a while to finally decide to read it because it has nearly 900 pages, and as I've said before, I am not the fastest reader.  Giving myself permission to take my time and not feel rushed I finally picked it up probably mid-March.  WOW!!!  I never felt rushed because there is so much action in this book that I had no problem getting through.  I {love} The Pillars of the Earth.  Being a historical fiction, it already had me captivated.  It is a book that, after finishing it, left me missing the characters and the story line.  I had to give myself some time before starting another book so I could 'come down' from this one.  I would HIGHLY recommend to everyone!!

This book tells the tale of a twelfth-century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.
Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time—the twelfth century; the place—feudal England; and the subject—the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape. Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters—into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.

Goodreads

Happy Reading!



The Hunger Games Official Trailer

I am just as excited about this movie as I am The Twilight series.  The concept of The Hunger Games is so original and well written that I have high expectations for the movie.  And from this trailer, it doesn't look like I'll be disappointed. 
Warren movie passes would probably be a GREAT thing the put on my Christmas list this year!! 

Let me know your opinion, whether you've read the books or not!! 

Can't wait!!!  Eeekkkk!!  :)

Stealing Jake by Pam Hillman

When Livy O'Brien spies a young boy jostling a man walking along the boardwalk, she recognizes the act for what it is. After all, she used to be known as Light-fingered Livy. But that was before she put her past behind her and moved to the growing town of Chestnut, Illinois, where she's helping to run an orphanage. Now she'll do almost anything to protect the street kids like herself.
Sheriff's deputy Jake Russell had no idea what he was in for when he ran into Livy--literally--while chasing down a pickpocket. With a rash of robberies and a growing number of street kids in town--as well as a loan on the family farm that needs to be paid off--Jake doesn't have time to pursue a girl. Still, he can't seem to get Livy out of his mind. He wants to get to know her better . . . but Livy isn't willing to trust any man, especially not a lawman.

Goodreads

I really enjoyed this book.  It was an easy read but kept my attention well enough to keep me wanting more.  Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres, so the characters and time period fascinated me.  Stealing Jake did remind me a little of Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.  It was nice to read a lighter book after some of the more intense books I seem to find myself reading most of the time!  I would recommend this book as a good read! 

Total Forgiveness by RT Kendall

Every once in a while you come across something that you feel way down deep that you were meant to share with anyone that would listen.  That's how I feel about this book, Total Forgiveness by RT Kendall.  This book uses scripture to show us how we are to live our lives in love and TOTAL forgiveness.  Every one of us has either been intentionally or unintentionally hurt by someone, this book lays out what forgiveness is, NOT what it's not.  I think there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about who and how we are to forgive.  This book will open your eyes and convict your very soul.  God wants us to live a life of freedom and the only way for that to happen is to freely give total forgiveness.

Goodreads:

"Release Them, and You Will Re Set Free." These were not exactly the words R. T. Kendall had hoped to hear during a painful situation when he had been terribly wronged! However, these words cut into his heart. He knew he couldn't ignore them and also be healed. When everything in you wants to hold a grudge, point a finger and remember the pain, God wants you to lay it all aside. You can avoid spiritual quicksand and experience the incredible freedom found in total forgiveness. Is total forgiveness easy? Of course not...but this book will give you a game plan...and the encouragement to cast out areas of unforgiveness that have kept you from enjoying the best God has to offer you. Learn what forgiveness is and what it is not. Uncover the physical, emotional and spiritual consequences of unforgiveness, and see why God adamantly encourages you to forgive others. Make the choice to forgive -- and step into a new dimension of freedom and inner peace.

I'm also attaching the link to RT Kendall's website.

Happy Reading!

Summer Reads

I love summer.  It reminds me of being a carefree kid, playing outside all day, enjoying family vacations and hanging with my friends.  I really miss those days but now I look forward to summer reading.  I get several book/book store related emails and I really enjoy checking out the new, and not-so-new, reads.  There are so many books I want to read...I only wish I could read faster!  That makes it really tough for me to fit in all the books I'd like to read. 

Well, I've narrowed it down to 4 books I'd like to read over the summer...
1. Don't Breathe a Word, Jennifer McMahon

Goodreads:

On a soft summer night in Vermont, twelve-year-old Lisa went into the woods behind her house and never came out again. Before she disappeared, she told her little brother, Sam, about a door that led to a magical place where she would meet the King of the Fairies and become his queen.

Fifteen years later, Phoebe is in love with Sam, a practical, sensible man who doesn’t fear the dark and doesn’t have bad dreams—who, in fact, helps Phoebe ignore her own. But suddenly the couple is faced with a series of eerie, unexplained occurrences that challenge Sam’s hardheaded, realistic view of the world. As they question their reality, a terrible promise Sam made years ago is revealed—a promise that could destroy them all.

Check out what Coffee, Books, and Laundry had to say about it.  Sounds pretty exciting!

2. A Long Walk to Water, Linda Sue Walker

Goodreads:

A Long Walk to Water begins as two stories, told in alternating sections, about a girl in Sudan in 2008 and a boy in Sudan in 1985. The girl, Nya, is fetching water from a pond that is two hours’ walk from her home: she makes two trips to the pond every day. The boy, Salva, becomes one of the "lost boys" of Sudan, refugees who cover the African continent on foot as they search for their families and for a safe place to stay. Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way.

Easton, my 9-yr-old, read this book a couple months ago and had been asking me to read it ever since.  He says it's very good and it has actually gotten pretty high reviews.  I think it should be a quick read, even for me! 

3. Lone Survivor, Marcus Lattrell and Patrick Robinson

Shelfari:

On a clear night in late June 2005, four U.S. Navy SEALs left their base in northern Afghanistan for the mountainous Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader known to be ensconced in a Taliban stronghold surrounded by a small but heavily armed force. Less then twenty-four hours later, only one of those Navy SEALs remained alive.

This is the story of fire team leader Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Redwing, and the desperate battle in the mountains that led, ultimately, to the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history. But it is also, more than anything, the story of his teammates, who fought ferociously beside him until he was the last one left. Over the next four days, badly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell fought off six al Qaeda assassins who were sent to finish him, then crawled for seven miles through the mountains before he was taken in by a Pashtun tribe, who risked everything to protect him from the encircling Taliban killers.

Luttrell takes us, blow-by-blow, through the brutal training of America's warrior elite and the relentless rites of passage required by the Navy SEALs and transports us to a monstrous battle fought in the desolate peaks of Afghanistan.

After one of my dear friend, Becky from Becky's Babbles, highly recommended this book I just couldn't turn it down.  And since I've always wanted to read a book like this I thought Lone Survivor would be perfect!  You can go here and see what Becky has to say about it.

4.  100 Cupboards, Nathan D. Wilson

Amazon:

Twelve-year-old Henry York wakes up one night to find bits of plaster in his hair. Two knobs have broken through the wall above his bed and one of them is slowly turning . . .Henry scrapes the plaster off the wall and discovers cupboards of all different sizes and shapes. Through one he can hear the sound of falling rain. Through another he sees a glowing room–with a man pacing back and forth! Henry soon understands that these are not just cupboards, but portals to other worlds.

This is the first book in a 3-part series.  I've wanted to read it for a long time and I figure after the previous more deeper books on my summer reading list that this will be a nice break.  I'm hoping that by me reading it my kids will be more eager to read it. 

I can't wait to get started.  Let me know what books are on your Summer Reading List!! 

Happy 'Summer' Reading!!  :) 

Francine Rivers Library~~FREE

You could win an entire Francine Rivers library collection.  I can't think of anything better!!  She is an amazing, inspirational author; definitely one of my favorites. 

Check out the Tyndale House Publishers website by clicking HERE to see how to win.

Good Luck!!! 

Looking Up by Beth Moore

Life can be hard…sometimes to the point of feeling as though your struggles will never end and God isn’t anywhere near. In Looking Up When Life is Looking Down, Beth Moore shares a prosaic message of hope and deliverance taken from Psalm 40, helping readers discover they indeed are not alone and that God’s gracious provision of love and faithfulness is at work in their circumstances.
This lovely full-color gift book is based on Beth Moore’s best selling book, Get Out of That Pit.I

If you know Beth Moore, then you know she has an amazing way with revealing God's Word.  I have never read anything from her that didn't encourage or convict me in some way.  If you haven't read Beth Moore this small gift-style book is the perfect introduction. 

At one time or another we've all felt like we're in the pit of life, unable to find a way out.  Beth's book is full of godly insight on how we can get out of that pit and stay out...with God's help!!  She has a keen sense at looking at things in a positive light!  I strongly recommend this book to everyone!! 

Happy Reading!

Fall to Grace by Jay Bakker

If anyone ever had a reason to leave the Christian faith, Jay Bakker did.

At the age of only 11 his parents' global PTL ministry was engulfed by scandal and undermined by Christian backbiting -all of which played out in the 24-hour news media.

Disillusioned, Bakker turned to drugs and alcohol and left his childhood beliefs behind. But along the way, an interesting thing happened: Bakker came to understand, through his personal challenges and suffering (as well as the help of some friends), what God's grace was really all about.

In this book Bakker explores the true nature of grace--what it means for everyday living and the hot-button issues of our day. With disarming humility, poignant observations, and spot-on theology, Bakker both challenges Christians to reassess their understanding of salvation and encourages non-believers to see Jesus with fresh eyes.

Fall to Grace is an eye-opener to the power and impact God's grace should have on our lives as Christians. While I don't agree with everything Jay Bakker writes I do agree with his overall message of grace. It's interesting to me that most, if not all, Christians would agree that God's grace is a gift freely given to all mankind through faith. But as soon as a controversial subject is mentioned, or someones sin is in question, grace seems to go out the window and in comes vengeance...with a vengeance!

Grace was not taught in the church much while I was growing up. I think the hush-hush of this topic has almost made it feel like it's something only given to the 'privileged'...whoever that may be. Anytime grace is mentioned the first thing I think of are two specific stories of Jesus. The first being the story of Jesus forgiving an adulterous woman (John 8:1-11) and then Jesus with the woman at the well (John 4:4-26). Jesus loved both of these women even if at the time they were considered social outcasts.

And this takes me next to the greatest commandment, Matthew 22:37-39. Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'

I guess I've stepped up on my 'soap-box' a little but I think what we all forget in the grand scheme of things to love people. We don't have to agree with what they do but God tells us we MUST love them. I would highly recommend this book. Grace is an amazing gift we're given but for some reason we either want to keep it all for ourselves or not even accept it at all. Fall to Grace is riddled full of scripture and sheds great light on the reality of grace.

If you decide to read this I would love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!!

Bible Study Magazine

I wanted to share with you something I just happened to run across while surfing the internet. It's a Bible Study Magazine that you can subscribe to, 6 issues for 1 year. I got my first issue in the mail last Friday and I'm very excited about it. I hope it will be a great tool for me to be more consistent with my daily studies. Something this awesome I just couldn't keep to myself. Check it out!!
This was the first issue I got. Can't beat Beth Moore.

Sweet Shabby Souls!

We met for our June book club in Bricktown at the Bricktown Candy Co. What a treat!! I love candy, not so good, and books, great!! So this was the perfect meeting place. My s-i-l, Catherine, was able to finally go with me. We had a good time...as usual!!
Natalie, Becky & Kelsie

Jeana, me & Catherine

Me & Catherine

I Love My Shelfari!!!

Have you ever noticed the little bookshelf to the side of my blog? It's a Shelfari shelf and it holds the books I am currently reading. Sometimes there may be more than two books that I've got going so you'll see 'previous' and 'next' buttons underneath the shelf that you can click on. Try it out...
When I was younger I didn't enjoy reading very much, although I think I did read all the Sweet Valley High books, if anyone remembers them. Now, I LOVE to read...I just wish I were a faster reader. It's coming along though.
Shelfari is a website that allows me to keep track of all the books I've read, plan to read, and am reading. It's like I can 'collect' all the books I want and IT'S FREE! Wahoo!! I enjoy checking out what my friends are reading and what they think of the books they read. I can spend a good amount of time shuffling through books; it's about as good as being at the book store (almost).

Check it out...shelfari.com

My username is Kelly T.

Happy Reading!!

Giddy with Excitement

The story is set in post apocalypse times what used to be North America is now 12 Districts known as Panem which is under a dictatorship dominated by television. The base of this dictatorship is in a city known as Capital. Once a year as a highlight 24 (two from each district) teenagers are drawn by lottery to play the Hunger Games in what is called “The Arena” in these games there is only one unspoken rule you may not eat the dead players. The 24 teens must fight each other – at the end of the game the losers will die and the winner gets a life of comfort.
The heroin is Katniss Everdeen from the 12th district, living in very poor conditions in a mining community known as Seam. Volunteers to take her little sisters place when her sister’s name is called, although there hasn’t been a winner from the 12th district in thirty years. Fighting to stay alive while battling with emotions and feelings she has for two of the other contestants Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne.

I've read The Hunger Games and am almost finished with it's sequel, Catching Fire. Throughout reading them I continually kept seeing this in my head like a movie...I guess that means it's a pretty darn good book. I did a little searching this afternoon and found they ARE going to be made into a movie. There is NOTHING boring about these books and you never know where the next page will lead. I am so excited to see these on the BIG screen!! Yippee!!!

Summer Reads

I completely love to read, which at one point in my life I couldn't stand to read a book. I get so much gratification out of finishing a book...even the not-so-good ones. I keep track of what I read, have read, and want to read on Shelfari. It's a lot of fun for me to go and see what I've read and get suggestions from others on what I might want to read!

So, here are a few books I hope to finish over the summer...

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy; after all, they have just won a life of safety for themselves and their families . But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.










Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours. Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life. Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

A dystopian thriller follows a boy and girl on the run from a town where all thoughts can be heard—and the passage to manhood embodies a horrible secret. Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him—something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.


Little Bee by Chris Cleave

WE DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS BOOK. It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this: It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific. The story starts there, but the book doesn't. And it's what happens afterward that is most important. Once you have read it, you'll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds.








the other half lives by Sophie Hannah

Ruth Bussey knows what it means to be in the wrong - and to be wronged. She once did something she regrets, and was punished excessively for it. Now Ruth is trying to rebuild her life and has found a love she doesn't believe she deserves. Aidan Seed is a passionate, intense man who has also been damaged by his past. Desperate to connect with the woman he loves, he confides his secret: he killed a woman called Mary Trelease. Through her shock, Ruth recognises the name. And when she's realised why it's familiar, her fear and revulsion deepen. The Mary Trelease that Ruth knows is very much alive...

HAPPY READING...

Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers

The first part of unforgettable epic family saga about the sacrifices every mother makes for her daughter and the very nature of unconditional love. On the eve of the First World War, fiery Marta Schneider leaves Switzerland and her difficult childhood behind, determined to find a new life on her own terms. Barely out of her teens, Marta is haunted by a devastating loss that fuels her ambition to one day own a hotel. From the cramped quarters of a French housekeeping school to the portrait-lined halls of a stately English manner, Marta becomes a hard working domestic who has little time to dwell on what might have been. Instead, she draws her strength from what could be. Then, Marta meets Niclas Waltert, a man just as determined as she to forge a better life in a new place. Niclas captures her heart and together they endure the harshness of life as tenant farmers on the vast prairies of Winnipeg, Canada, before following the promise of the American dream and migrating to the agriculturally rich Central Valley of California. Marriage and motherhood bring both joy and heartbreak, as Marta must surrender her long-held ambitions for the sake of her husband and children, including her daughter, Hildemara, upon whose shoulders her own hopes now squarely rest. Only the strong survive and Marta is determined to raise a daughter as strong as she. But as Hildie reaches young womanhood and another war is fast approaching, those hopes become too heavy a burden for Hildie to bear. Born with a heart to serve others, Hildie pursues her calling as a nurse, something Marta can’t understand. Marta’s years of hardnosed parenting have left Hildie still hungry for her mother’s love…and now for her mother’s respect. Amid the drama of WWII, Hildie falls in love and begins a family of her own. She wants her daughter, Carolyn, never to doubt her love—but the challenges of life conspire against her vow and the only person who can come to her aid is the person she remains so desperate to please: Marta, her mother. With hallmark touches of brilliant prose and gripping characterizations, Her Mother’s Hope is a rich, moving epic about faith and dreams, heartache and disappointment, and ultimately the resilience and tenacity of love. ~Francine Rivers website

I feel like I sailed right through this book. It was so easy to read and continually kept my interest. In my book, Francine Rivers can do no wrong. I love how she brings the lives of others right to you so vividly. This is another 'GREAT' by FR and I'm already anticipating the second book, Her Daughter's Dream, in this series. I recommend this book for anyone...5 stars!!

Dear John

Dear John, by Nicholas Sparks, is about a young man, John, who grows up with a closed off father which causes a rift between the two. John decides to join the military to get away from his life that seems to be going nowhere. On one of his times of leave he returns home and soon falls in love with a girl, Savannah, who is staying in his home town building Habitat for Humanity homes. Their time together is short but they are both sure they have fallen deeply in love. They both look forward to the end of his duty in 18 months and decide they can hang on while he's away. They write and call regularly, never doubting their love for each other. Towards the end of his time 9-11 happens and he decides to re-enlist, which soon begins putting a strain on their relationship.

Nicholas Sparks is the master of the 21st Century fairy tale and this book is no exception. He has a knack for letting us into the deepest part of characters lives. Dear John is a great love story and how real life can get in the way. I definitely cried when I was done. Nothing can replace true love. I haven't seen the movie yet but this is one I think I'll be renting. If you haven't yet, pick up this book, it's a fast read!!

Happy Reading!

The Help

Set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What a great book, especially for someone who didn't experience those times. I loved the characters, they came to life for me and I could see this book being played out in my head the whole time. I enjoy books that take me into another society and time and that's exactly what The Help did. This book is a light read with a heavy theme; I had no problems forging through. I'm excited to say this book is scheduled for the big screen in 2011.

Happy Reading!!

The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. When his mom tells him the truth about where he came from, she takes him to the one place he'll be safe--Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island). There, Percy learns that the father he never knew is actually Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon Percy finds himself caught up in a mystery that could lead to disastrous consequences. Together with his friends--a satyr and other the demigod daughter of Athena--Percy sets out on a quest to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

This series was recommended to us by our friend, Ellen. Parker read it at the beginning of the school year and enjoyed it. I'd been wanting to read it so after we heard they were making it into a movie I decided to move it up on my reading list. It was a very quick read and continuously entertaining. Now we just need to go see the movie. I can't wait to start the second book!

They also have this "character companion" for the series. This will be great to have to keep everyone straight throughout.

HAPPY READING!