Diana Sharples's Running Lean ~ Reviewed

Running Lean
By Diana L. Sharples
Pages 400
Release Date Aug, 2013
Publisher Zondervan Publishing
ISBN 0310734975


Overview
In this YA debut from author Diana Sharples, love, self-esteem, and trust meld in a compelling story. Still reeling from the loss of his brother in Afghanistan, Calvin Greenlee pours himself into fixing his motorcycle and spending the rest of his time with his girlfriend, Stacy, who always has the right words to say. But when Stacy starts losing weight---a lot of weight---it's clear she has problems of her own. Calvin is determined to cure her---but could that only push Stacy further into danger?

Review:

Diana Sharple’s debut novel centers around Calvin and Stacey, two teenagers dealing with


tragedy and emotional turmoil. The passing of Calvin’s brother as a soldier in Afghanistan


leaves him with a hole in his life. A dark incident in Stacey’s past now leaves her with deep


emotional scars, along with serious self-image problems. So Stacey and Calvin mutually


fill the emptiness in their hearts with each other. However, Stacey’s self-image problems


morph into a life-threatening eating disorder. Calvin tries to be the knight in shining armor,


but she pushes his concerns away, in denial. Ms. Sharples does a fantastic job of portraying


both characters, writing from the two viewpoints. Readers feel sympathy for Stacey, though they


can’t help but yearn to shake Stacey out of her denial, longing for her to listen to her caring


boyfriend. Though somewhat monotonous in places, this book is a strongly written novel,


and enlightens the reader on the perils of eating disorders. It is a story of hope, but doesn’t


fail to portray how hard it can be for friends and family when someone they love suffers


through this disorder.

Reviewed by: Priya Mellott

Margaret Daley's Severed Trust ~ Reviewed

Severed Trust (Men Of The Texas Rangers V4)
By Margaret Daley (Author)
Release Date Oct 15, 2013
Publisher Abingdon Press
Series Men Of The Texas Rangers
Series Number 4
ISBN 1426761864
Overview
The day Sadie Thompson finds her high school student, Lexie, asleep in class and can't wake her is the day she realizes how entrenched a prescription drug ring is in her school. As Sadie is pulled into doing something about the growing problem, she becomes involved with Ethan Stone?a Texas Ranger who suspects the drug ring reaches far beyond the high school. Helping Lexie recover from the overdose, Sadie feels she is making a difference?until the 16-year-old's best friend dies from the apparent mixing of various prescription drugs. Lexie doesn't think her friend took her own life, but her relationship with her Uncle Ethan is precarious and she doesn?t know if either he or Sadie will help her discover the truth.

Review: 

Severed Trust is an intense read! It revolves around the mysterious death of a popular high school football player. Throughout the story, we learn about drugs and pill parties, the betrayal of friendships, and drugs being stolen from the elderly in a nursing home setting. Texas Ranger Ethan Stone has returned home to be near his sister and niece, only to find himself right in the middle of the investigation. It hits home when someone attempts to murder his niece, who has just but trying to help a friend caught in the middle of the whole mess.

This was a great read. I had a hard time putting it down. The story just kept building, and more things were thrown in the mix so you really didn’t know how it was going to turn out. When I finished the book, I was so surprised at the ending. I honestly had no idea where it was going. If you like something that’s going to keep you on the edge of your seat, this is a great book to read.

Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers

Krista McGee's Anomaly ~ Reviewed

ANOMALY

By Krista McGee

July 2013

Thomas Nelson

ISBN 1401688721

Back Cover:

Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds left to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid.

Thalli is different than others in The State. She feels things. She asks questions. And in the State, this is not tolerated. The Ten scientists who survived the nuclear war that destroyed the world above believe that emotion was at the core of what went wrong—and they have genetically removed it from the citizens they have since created. Thalli has kept her malformation secret from those who have monitored her for most of her life, but when she receives an ancient piece of music to record as her community’s assigned musician, she can no longer keep her emotions secreted away.

Seen as a threat to the harmony of her Pod, Thalli is taken to the Scientists for immediate annihilation. But before that can happen, Berk—her former Pod mate who is being groomed as a Scientist—steps in and persuades the Scientists to keep Thalli alive as a test subject.

The more time she spends in the Scientist’s Pod, the clearer it becomes that things are not as simple as she was programmed to believe. She hears stories of a Designer—stories that fill her mind with more questions: Who can she trust? What is this emotion called love? And what if she isn’t just an anomaly, but part of a greater design?

My Review:

We've all read them. You know. The ol' nuclear bomb destroys civilization as we know it except for a handful of survivors. This is one of those...and one worth reading.

Anomaly explores not only what it's like to be different, but to know you're different, way down to the marrow of your bones. We've all experienced this. Just think back to junior high. What's great about this book, though, is that it ends on a note of hope--and a cliffhanger. For yes, indeed, this is only the beginning of Thalli & Berk's adventure.

This story has elements of Logan's Run mixed with the teenage angst of The Outsiders. It's a quick read, yet a challenging one, forcing the reader to question their own self image. It's set in the future and somewhat technical, yet not science nerdy enough to turn off a non-techhie like me.

I loved the relationship between Thalli & Berk. It's a little slow to ripen, but overall believable. I look forward to seeing what develops between the two in the next book, Luminary.

Overall, Anomaly is a definite thumbs up.

Reviewed by: Michelle Griep

Lisa Bergren's Glittering Promises ~ Reviewed

Glittering Promises (Grand Tour) 
By Lisa T. Bergren
Studio: David C. Cook
Pages 496
Binding Softcover
Release Date Oct 1, 2013
ISBN 1434764281

Description


Wealth cannot buy peace ... or direction. For Cora Kensington, the Grand Tour was to be the trip of a lifetime. She discovered the family she never knew she had, and may have even found the love she longs for in Will. And yet her life has just become infinitely more challenging ... Hounded by journalists chasing the beguiling story of the newest American heiress, Cora fights to remain true to her past, reconcile her present, and still embrace her future. But as Will struggles with her newfound wealth, she begins to wonder if their love is strong enough to withstand all that threatens to pull them apart. Complicating matters is the stubborn pursuit of Pierre de Richelieu and the increased demands on her time and attention. Cora must stand up for what she believes--regardless of how that might challenge current family and cultural norms--in order to remain true to who she really is. And as she glimpses the end of the tour, Cora knows it's time to decide Who and what defines her ... and who and what does not.


Review:


Glittering Promises is the final book in the Grand Tour series. We continue to follow Cora Kensington in her journey with her newfound family through Italy. They have just escaped a man that was trying to hold the family for ransom, but learn that he is still on the loose. The family has to take every precaution to keep everyone safe, especially Cora, as she is now known as the wealthiest woman in America, and everyone wants to know about her. In the meantime, she and Will have gone public with their relationship, but Pierre, who pursued her heavily in previous books, has not given up, and continues to put seeds of doubt in her head about whom she really loves. As her doubts and wealth begin to pull her and Will apart, new dangers arise that threaten to change Cora’s life forever.

I was SO excited to get this book! I’ve loved following Cora’s story. It was wonderful to finally see how everything turned out, although I was sad to see her go. There were a lot of twists and turns I wasn’t expecting, especially towards the end of the book. But it had an ending I was happy with. I would definitely recommend all of the books in this series. You won’t be disappointed.

Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers

Pamela Binnings Ewen's An Accidental Life ~ Reviewed

An Accidental Life: A Novel 

By Pam Binnings-Ewen 

Release Date Jul 1, 2013
Publisher Broadman And Holman
ISBN 0805464328
Overview
A New Orleans senior district attorney and his lawyer wife are caught up in a faith-testing courtroom battle involving the rights of infants born alive during abortions.

Review: 

An Accidental Life was a riveting read. I love a good legal drama and this novel provided that, as well as some investigative police work. The book follows a case from first hint of wrong to the final gasp in court. Set during the early 80's, tension was tightened because of the lack of computer guided investigation and even cell phones. 

The storyline is a dual focus and centers around two accidental lives. Rebecca and Peter are a career driven couple content to live child free. Peter begins looking into a case that involves a live birth abortion. As Ewen skillfully lays out the horrific facts (based on truth) of live birth abortions, Rebecca discovers she is accidentally pregnant. 

The subject matter made this a difficult novel to read. But the story was compelling. Be warned it's not for the weak in the knees. 

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Jan Watson's Tattlers Branch ~ Reviewed

Tattlers Branch
By Jan Watson (Author)
Release Date Sep 15, 2013
Publisher Tyndale House Publishers
ISBN 1414339151

Overview:

Lilly Corbett Still has grown to love her life as the small-town doctor of Skip Rock, a tiny coal community in the Kentucky mountains. Though her husband, Tern, is away for a few months at a mining job, Lilly keeps busy with her patients and her younger sister visiting for the summer.Her hands full, Lilly turns to her good friend and neighbor, Armina, to help keep things in order. But when a mysterious chain of events leaves Armina bedridden and an orphaned baby on her doorstep, Lilly must trust in God and her resilient country neighbors to help her uncover the truth.While working late one night, Lilly cares for a patient whose odd behavior sets her on edge, but she?s unaware of what a mess she?s found herself in until a break-in at her office puts her on high alert. Struggling between what is right and what is safe, Lilly discovers the strength of her neighbors, her God, and herself.

Review:

Tatler’s Branch follows a young doctor, Lilly Corbett Still. She is the doctor for the small town of Skip Rock, a small coal mining community in Kentucky. Her husband, Tern, is a doctor as well, but travels frequently to different mining towns. She is keeping herself busy with her patients and friends, as well as her sister, who is visiting her for the summer. Everything seems to be running smoothly until her good friend, Armina, is discovered ill and unable to move in her home, with no memory of what happened. To make matters more complicated, she is found with a baby that is not hers. As the story unfolds, we learn more about the turn of events that led to her memory loss and the baby.

This was a nice story. I believe it is the second book in a series, so I wish I had read the first one to get some of the back story, but I didn’t have a difficult time following this one. It was an enjoyable storyline and as always, I loved the time period. I would very much like to read the first book in the series to see how Lilly got to where she was in this book.

Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers

Terri Blackstock's Truth Stained Lies ~ Reviewed

TRUTH STAINED LIES

By Terri Blackstock

Published by Zondervan

ISBN#978-0-310-28313-3

305 Pages

Back Cover: 

When truth doesn't make sense, will lies prevail? Cathy Cramer is a former lawyer and investigative blogger who writes commentary on high-profile homicides. When she finds a threatening note warning her that she's about to experience the same kind of judgment and speculation that she dishes out in her blog, Cathy writes it off as mischief . . . until her brother's wife is murdered and all the 'facts' point to him. The killer has staged the crime to make the truth too far-fetched to believe. Working to solve the murder and clear her brother's name, Cathy and her two sisters, Holly and Juliet, moonlight as part-time private investigators. Juliet, a stay-at-home mom of two boys, and Holly, a scattered ne'er-do-well who drives a taxi, put aside their fear to hunt down the real killer. Stakes rise when their brother's grieving five-year-old son is kidnapped. As police focus on the wrong set of clues, the three sisters and their battered detective friend are the only hope for solving this bizarre crime, saving the child, and freeing their brother.

Review: 

Terri Blackstock pens another eye opening thriller! This time she takes a look at blogging and how technology we use every day can be used against us, even ensnare us like a mouse in a trap.

Our justice system is supposed to be one that says we are innocent until proven guilty. Unfortunately in many cases the media has made people guilty before they’ve had a chance to prove their innocence.

Cathy Cramer is a retired lawyer who has been on a personal mission to see that justice is done in her community. She calls it as she see’s it on her blog no emotions and/or judgment held back. She writes for her readers and tells them the truth as she sees it.

Cathy receives a note on the wind shield of her car it says, “Guilt or innocence is not something to be judged by a two-bit blogger with a drama-loving readership. Maybe it’s time you saw first hand how speculation ruins lives. Judgment that has nothing to do with truth. See how it feels.”

This note didn’t faze her. She got threats all the time. She thought nothing of it; until life has she knew it changed.

I was quickly drawn into this story and cared for her characters and their wild situation. Terri has a way of making you the reader stop and take a look at our fast paced ever changing world in a whole new light. Wow!

If you are into suspense with a faith message naturally interwoven into the story, I recommend this read. It will change the way you think about several things. It will have you read this statement with renewed hope and something more, “The truth is the truth no matter how it looks…tell them that.”

Words typed in an email and sent into cyper space can’t be taken back and they can never be erased. It’s there forever! Think about that as you grab this book to take on vacation with you! Wow!

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent

TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!

Michael Neale's The River ~ Reviewed

The River

By Michael Neale

Published by Thomas Nelson

ISBN#978-1-4016-8848-6

301 Pages

Back Cover: 

You were made for The River . . ."

Gabriel Clarke was mysteriously drawn to The River, a ribbon of frothy white water carving its way through steep canyons high in the Colorado Rockies. From deep within, Gabriel's passion for The River was undeniable. The rushing waters beckoned him to experience freedom and adventure.

But something was holding him back-the memory of the terrible event he witnessed on The River when he was just five years old-something no child should ever see.

Chains of fear and resentment imprisoned Gabriel, keeping him from discovering the treasures of The River. He couldn't leave his past behind and remained trapped, afraid of the life awaiting him.

In this compelling story, Gabriel learns that letting go of the past means giving himself totally to The River-heart, mind, body, and soul.

Review: 

I’m thankful for the review copy of a book that felt like hanging out with a good friend. It also reminded me of how important water is to our lives; without it we quickly die, with it we thrive.

Take a peek at how the author describes The River, “it’s wild, free, and untamable. It’s foaming, twisting and thundering. There are places where the water shoots down into crevices and canyons and creates this amazing thunder and then there are places where the water settles into pools of complete calm…I love being with The River.

The River is Alive. The River is timeless, and its moving all over the world…The River can be known but not fully, therein lies the mystery. The River has a voice, and I love the way it sounds. When I’m with The River, I just know it’s where I’m meant to be. It touches something deep inside my soul. It connects me to a bigger story in some indescribable way…when I’m with The River, I feel Alive…I can tell you this from my journey: the more you experience The River, the more you want to stay closer by.”

The River definitely reminds me of our relationship with God our creator. I’ve given you a taste of the many pages this author writes about The River. This is a unique novel like Dinner with a Stranger and that of Tuesdays with Morrie. I think what the prologue says pretty much sums up the essence of this book. It’s a novel not to be rushed through but savored. The author states, “Every now and then, you have an encounter with someone who simply changes your life…you can’t get his (or her) story out of your head and heart.

It’s hard to explain how powerful stories can resonate within us on many levels but it’s often because of the way they speak with passion, heartache, or even joy. Maybe it’s the way they unknowingly reach into our heart of hearts with their words.”

This is one such story! You won’t forget The River or this journey!

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent

TBCN Where Book Fun Begins