On... Going Solo by Roald Dahl

Dahl's writing has always intrigued me. There are many times when I would not recommend one of his books to someone else or certainly to kids because of some of the crassness in his writings.

He has a captivating writing style though and when he avoids some things that are simply unpleasant I enjoy his writing such as with this book Going Solo. This book is a partial autobiography and centers on Dahl's time as an RAF pilot during the first years of WWII. My opinion? Pretty great book.

On... Escape by Lorena McCourtney

This book fell into all of the conventional patterns. I knew from the beginning the ultimate outcome of the book. Of course... i ddi look at the end like I usually do but even without that I could have told you just from reading the back of the book exactly what happened... perhaps not the details of what happened it the middle but for the most part there was no real unexpected development.

While this book doesn't sink to Gilbert Morris levels (in my opinion) it does dangle perilously close. I'll read the other books of hers on my list and hope that those books are better than this one. (The other books I own of hers I enjoyed much more than this one.)

On... Second Opinion by Hannah Alexander

Once again the writing duo of Hannah Alexander doesn't fail to disappoint. I love everything medical... one of the reasons I almost went into the medical profession... and the way that Alexander weaves together multiple stories works. I don't always like multiple story lines or too many characters and sometimes Alexander gets dragged down with too many.

While I probably won't ever purchase any of these books they are an enjoyable read and I don't mind spending time reading them.

On... A Season of Grace by Bette Nordberg

This book wasn't on any of my lists. I simply walked into the library last week and started looking up and down the aisles for different books that were on my list. I picked this book up because I have read a couple other books by Ms. Nordberg and enjoyed them. (I think I own those two books but I can't remember).

This book intrigued me because of the weighty subject Ms. Nordberg dealt with... AIDS. AIDS and homosexuality are difficult concepts for a Christian to grasp. So often we state the "love the sinner, hate the sin" mantra but don't practice it. Instead, Christians go around wiping down keyboards because the sister of a man who has AIDS played there.

Ms. Nordberg did a commendable job dealing with complicated physical symptoms and complicated spiritual emotions and reactions. While her writing style is not on the level of some of my absolute favorite authors I did enjoy this book. (I know it's picky but using "Even though" to start two paragraphs with only one small paragraph in between them is a bit distracting).

On Gypsy Rizka by Lloyd Alexander

Such a cute and fanciful book. I love how Alexander created such a lovable character that in the end chose to love all of those who when looking at her at first didn't love her.

Lloyd Alexander remains one of my favorite authors.

On... The Gawgon and the Boy by Lloyd Alexander

I have always loved Lloyd Alexander's books. In fact, the name of one of his characters made its way to one of mine in my first attempt at a novel, my only fantasy.

I revisited Alexander several months ago with The Arkadians and loved the book. For some reason when I picked up this book I kept expecting Roald Dahl's style. I found myself pleasantly surprised. I absolutely loved this book and the fantastical journeys that David entered on all with only his imagination.

I can't wait to pick up Gypsy Riska... the next book on my list.

On... The Solitary Envoy by T. Davis Bunn and Isabella Bunn

For me this book got off to a rough start. I couldn't really get into the book and feel like the Bunns could have left the beginning part out and referred to it as a memory or spent less time establishing Erica's natural accounting ability.

I almost threw in the towel and let my opinion of the book go down the tube but after a brief break where I read four other books (:D) I picked the book back up and got caught into the much stronger main plot of the story that began about a third of way into the book.

While I wouldn't purchase this book or add other books by T. Davis Bunn to my list I won't mind reading the books that are already on my list.

I find myself actually looking forward slightly to the next book in the series.

On... the rebirth of a computer

Two weeks ago my hard drive unexpectedly decided to take a permanent trip to that better place for computer parts. Because the following week was my last week at my two jobs I focused on finishing well and settled for using my mother's computer until I could take my computer to the apple store to be fixed.

So five days after the hard drive died I took the computer to the apple store, found out what was wrong with my computer and turned down a $120 recovery service fee. (The repair was free because of the wonderful applecare warranty.) The technician told me that my computer would likely be ready Monday or Tuesday of the following week. I didn't realize until later that I would be out of town when my computer was ready.

Once we arrived at the hotel I checked my phone and found a message from the technician saying that my computer was ready. I think that we could have picked up the computer before we left but instead I recovered her three days later on Thursday.

I am so absolutely happy to have my computer back. I also took advantage of the completely clean slate to install the Leopard operating system onto my computer. Today started the long trek back to normalcy by adding all of my information like music and documents that I can recreate in addition to learning the new and really cool features of the Leopard operating system. I feel like I'm using a computer from the future! Not really but the features are awesome.

Oh... I got the added bonus of having the front piece around the keyboard replaced. It had cracked so while they had my computer they replaced it for me.

In the two weeks since my computer stopped working I have read many books but did not bother to write reviews because of the added hassle. Since I'm on vacation until June the reviews will recommence and will most likely become daily as it is my goal to read at least a book a day.

On... Never Too Late by Michael Phillips

I kept waiting for the plot to kick in. This book weaved in and out of the characters life. The first hundred pages skimmed the early life of Seffie or Josepha touching down on certain key incidents in her life. Once Josepha joined the rest of the characters I couldn't see a need for the book to continue.

I skimmed through the rest of the pages as quickly as I could. I couldn't see the worth of spending precious time reading the book. I've never been this disappointed with a Michael Phillips book before.

On... The Way of Women by Lauraine Snelling

I don't know quite what to think about Lauraine Snelling. I enjoy her books but so many times throughout the books I stumble across something that jars me out of the world surrounding, in this case, the eruption of Mt. St. Helens twenty-eight years ago.

I think that the biggest problem I have with her stand alone novels is the number of characters whose lives she tries to weave together. While I appreciate an author that can weave together seemingly disparate lives of characters there comes a point where the number has to stop increasing.

At the beginning of this book I had to flip back a couple of pages on a few different occasions to figure out whose life i was looking at. Snelling did bring things together in the end...albeit in a somewhat stretching manner. I felt haunted by the tie that Snelling left dangling. That touch makes this book a book I thoroughly enjoyed.

On.. From Dust to Ashes by Karen Hesse

Wow... what a book. I knew nothing about this book before I picked it up and started reading. I'm not usually a big fan of poetry but the free verse Hesse utilized tore at my heart. I felt so much for the young girl's heart ache, her terrible pain, the daily heartache she had to endure with the weather, with the loss of her mother.

I can't imagine a more powerful book. I want to add this book to my personal library as soon as I can. I am so in love with this book... so much so that I can't put together a coherent review. :D

On Betrayed by Jeanette Windle

I absolutely love Jeanette Windle's books. I eagerly anticipate the next book never knowing when she'll come out with another one. I didn't even know that this book had been published until I found some reviews of it while I was on a book purchasing spree. :D

Windle utilizes her background as a missionary kid growing up in Latin America as an excellent base for her novels. I have such a heart for Latin America that I took to her books as soon as I read Firestorm I knew nothing about her when I picked up that book from the shelf but the cover looked great and the synopsis on the back set my mouth to watering.

I held my breath, figuratively, while I read this book because one of the reviews of Betrayed stated that the book was good even if it had a few plot turns that stretch the imagination... or believability. I kept on the look out for them and even though I found a couple things that seem like really big coincidences nothing that Windle used in this book seemed unusual for her style. I kind of like those seeming implausibilities and for Windle they certainly seem to work.

I have to admit that read the last page and kept wondering how things would work out to achieve that ending (which I wanted of course :D) and found myself very pleased with the way things unfolded. I hope that Windle uses the opening she created to write a sequel of some sort for this one. I like the characters and would like to see a little more romance between the Vicki and her man which shall remain nameless for those who want to read the book. (Giving away his name kind of ruins the plot twist... granted, it didn't for me but...)

I highly recommend this book. Two thumbs up!

On ... Kingscote by Linda Lee Chaikin

I have always loved Chaikin's books and have yet to be disappointed. This is the third book in the series of which unfortunately I have not read the first. I picked up the second book at a used book sale for less than a dollar and while it took me a little while to get all of the characters and their relationships straightened out I still enjoyed the book.

When I started reading this book and connected it to the above book I ran upstairs to make sure that I wasn't reading a book I had already read before. That's happened twice so far during this challenge and may happen again. :D (One of the books I just picked up from the library I have the distinct feeling that I've already read before).

Even though Chaikin does things in her books that turn me off to other writers (namely Gilbert Morris) like have multiple characters and weaving from pov to pov I still enjoy her books. The plots are absolutely crazy but so insanely cool and romantic (not in the lovey dovey sense but...) that I want to go back to India during the time of British colonialism just so I'll have a character like Jace Buckley sweep me off my feet. :D

In the end, all of the plot twists that stretch the imagination work and Chaikin manages to weave into the story a very strong witness for Christ... not just yelling preaching fire and brimstone. (read... Gilbert Morris)

This book definitely receives a solid thumbs up from me.

On Seeds of Hope by Kristiana Gregory

I have never been disappointed with any of the books in the Dear America series. I love the idea of reading someone's journal and getting a glimpse into someone's life. Though these journals are not probably what would have been written... much more storytelling has to be done than is usually done in a journal.
Now I'll admit... sometimes on trips my journal entries will approach story telling but these books always make me want to pick up my journal and start writing similar things (though about my life) in there.
This book told the story of Susanna Fairchild as life takes a terrible turn when on their way to Oregon her mother is swept overboard and her father, a doctor, succumbs to a touch of the gold rush fever. Susanna, at age 15 and then 16 is a little older than some of the characters portrayed in other Dear America books so perhaps the idea of her falling in love is not so unusual. :D I thought it was at first but I kind of wanted it to happen anyway. :D

On... The Giver by Lois Lowry and The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

I finally got around to reading The Giver after my sister's raving reviews. If I remember correctly, this is her favorite book. I can see why. Lowry crafts a hypothetical world designed to protect people from every possible worry or care but in the end place all of that pain on one person so that they (the rest of the people) won't have to bear it.

I enjoyed the story and the hypothetical presented. I won't go so far as to say that it's my favorite book but I did like it.

In most cases I wish that I had read the book before I saw the movie based on it but in this case I am glad that I saw the movie first. I don't think that I would have wanted to watch the movie if I had known about the major twist that I caught only one allusion before hand too in the book. (I caught this only because I already knew what was coming).

While I don't agree with Paterson's worldview the book is excellent.

(On a completely side note... that last sentence took me quite a while to get right because of the motorcycle revving up the road right beside the house. I don't think that I like motorcycles.)

On... Halos by Kristen Heitzmann

I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't help flipping pages away from the end to see how certain things would turn out. I know that technically one is not supposed to do that but I can't help it. With good books I always sneak a peek to the end to see how things will turn out in the end. :D

Alessi is such a believable character. I fell in love with her and with Steve as well.

I can't come up with a decent review because I love the book so much!

On... Flyboys by James Bradley

When I started reading this book I thought that the Flyboys Bradley referred to were the Flyboys of WWI... like the movie. No, the Flyboys Bradley describes in this book are those of WWII.

Bradley begins the book with a brief overview of the history of the relationship between Japan and the United States. I treated the book with skepticism at the beginning wondering when Bradley would get around to talking about the Flyboys. I understood the background Bradley explained in his first book, Flags of Our Fathers. After all, he was talking about his father, along with several other men of course. The background Bradley gives his readers in this book while connected to the main story did seem somewhat extraneous though.

As I progressed through the book I became amazed with how objectively Bradley dealt with the facts of the war. He described the worst and the best of the Americans as well as the best and the worst of the Japanese. it's hard to hold sympathy with either side when both treat the others as if they weren't even human.

I am not an active anti-war campaigner but after reading about the atrocities of war committed by both sides I can easily see how a person can become such. So many people perished because of the egos and foolishness of a men.

I could hardly put the book down when it ended. Bradley spent many pages talking about the horrible deaths suffered by many of the Flyboys held as POWs by the Japanese after the fall of Iwo Jima. One compassionate Japanese officer when he learned that this Flyboy, Warren Earl, under his care had been ordered to be executed in such a brutal inhumane way, protected him as much as he could up until the moment of his death. Bradley alluded to something that this officer planned to do to remember this Flyboys memory but Bradley did not say then what it would be. Instead Bradley kept this precious bit of information until the very last sentences.

Bradley called this officer, Iwatake, first in his search for the Chichi Jima Flyboys. These are the words that Bradley heard. "Hello, this is Warren."

On The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

I added this book to my list due to the recommendation of one of my favorite authors, Angela Hunt.

I found myself utterly fascinated by this book. Fforde weaves together the worlds of all of these different books and a changed "what-if" history. I have always wanted to be part of the stories that I read and Fforde opens a door with a brilliant idea that I never even conceived.

I found myself confused at points but that confusion could have been averted most likely by slowing down and reading slower but I was so into the book that I didn't want to. I loved how Fforde weaved in all of these classics from literature, books that most people probably don't even know exist. I absolutely love how big of a crime plagiarism becomes.

The only downside to the book was the, in my opinion, inappropriate naming of one of the characters a curse word spelled with just two letters differently but pronounced the same. A few other curse words were sprinkled throughout the book but nothing that I couldn't deal with.

On... Stoner's Crossing by Judith Pella

Growing up I thoroughly enjoyed Judith Pella's books, specifically those she cowrote with Michael Phillips... the Stonewycke series and also another of her series which shall remain nameless because I can't remember the name off the top of my head.

I knowo better than to judge a book by its cover because I have been proven wrong in the past but just looking at the cover brought up memories of Gilbert Morris' books and while this book did not approach this level in the least I did find myself disappointed. I'm finding that a lot with authors that I loved as a kid and return to other books of theirs years later.

Another fact that worked against me was the fact that this book is the sequel to another book and many of the relationships I didn't understand. Pella included enough twists and turns to keep me interested in the book.

I wouldn't recommend the book though but there's nothing to make me slam the book. I'm pretty neutral on it.

On... American Sphinx by Joseph J. Ellis

This book focused on the character, the words of Thomas Jefferson. I absolutely love history and found this book right up my alley. Sometimes historiographers fill their books with boring facts told in boring ways but Ellis is not like that.

My last semester of college I took a class on the Early National Era of America and obviously Jefferson played a big role in that class. I also wrote my paper on his writings and views about education so I had to read a lot about Jefferson and familiarize myself with the scholarly authors so it was quite a "thrill" to be reading along and come across a familiar name.

The only downside I could find about Ellis' style really wasn't all that big of a deal. He structured the chapters to deal with different time periods of Jefferson's life and usually began with a summary that focused on the end of the time period and then back tracked. I got a little confused but it was easily sorted out.

I loved the book and would recommend it to anyone who loves history.