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Do you live South of Tucson, Arizona?

You may want to stop in Sierra Vista, AZ on Feb 11, 2012 and check this out.

MEMOIR TO MYSTERIES

SATURDAY: 10a.m.- 4p.m.

FEBRUARY 11, 2012

Sierra Vista Library

Mona Bishop Room

3020 East Tacoma Street

Sierra Vista, AZ 85635

Directions: Hwy 10 South

Exit #302- Hwy 90 south

Take 90 Business loop to the left

Take Coronado Blvd to the right

Take Tacoma to the left

Library is on the right.

My review of Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

About the book:

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who has captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love—and face the hardest decision of his life.

My review:

This is by far my favorite story by Nicholas Sparks, with The Last Song being a close runner up. I actually watched the movie first and fell in love with the actors because they did such a great job portraying all of the emotion this story contains. Since I loved the movie, I got the book. This is the first time I can honestly say that I loved them both the same. The funny thing is there are some significant differences between the two, the ending being the most critical, yet I loved the way the movie ended and I also loved the way the book ended even though they were very, very different. I've never had that experience before.

Since this book was entirely in the first person POV of John, the only person's head you are ever in is John's. I think that was one of the things that made the book so poignant for me. It was so decidedly male in regards to the perspective of the story, but in this book Sparks shows a side of men that you can only experience from reading John's internal thoughts. You can't capture that on film, and that was what made the book so powerful.

This is a love story in it's purest form and I found it truly inspirational that John gained so much insight and maturity from his relationship with Savannah and their experiences. He learned from the pain as well as the good times, but for John, the painful lessons made him stronger and gave his life another layer to it that he embraced. That was truly inspirational for me. The way John concluded his thoughts about what real love is would make even the toughest of hearts melt. It wasn't sappy either, but truly insightful and touching. If you've never read Sparks before and you want to see some of his best work, start with this one. It's not depressing, but rather hauntingly beautiful, and I loved it!

Dear John was published by Grand Central Publishing/ Hachette and was released in 2006.

New giveaway! Now I'm giving away Cherry Blossom Capers!

To enter for a chance to win simply post a comment about mysteries. Do you like them? I was hoping to review this book before this giveaway but it hasn't arrived yet. Go ahead and enter. I'll select a winner using the Randomizer program next Sunday. Have a great week!

 
About the book:
Encounter mystery, mayhem, and murder near Washington, DC, alongside four professional females. White House assistant chef Tara Whitley works with an old flame, FBI agent Jack Courtland, to stop a plot to sabotage a state-dinner. Attorney Ciara Turner and her nemesis Daniel Evans have trials tracking down a judge’s murderer. Archeologist intern Samantha Steele and security guard Nick Porter are on the heels of a dangerous forger. Shop owner Susan Holland and renovator Vince Martini turn upside down her late uncle’s mansion while investigating a string of mysterious accidents. Will these sleuthing couples’ machinations move them into matrimony?

My review of The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano

About the book:

A prime number can only be divided by itself or by one-it never truly fits with another. Alice and Mattia, both "primes," are misfits who seem destined to be alone. Haunted by childhood tragedies that mark their lives, they cannot reach out to anyone else. When Alice and Mattia meet as teenagers, they recognize in each other a kindred, damaged spirit.

But the mathematically gifted Mattia accepts a research position that takes him thousands of miles away, and the two are forced to separate. Then a chance occurrence reunites them and forces a lifetime of concealed emotion to the surface.

Like Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night- Time, this is a stunning meditation on loneliness, love, and the weight of childhood experience that is set to become a universal classic.

My review:

This story was odd, but in some ways it compelled me to read on, and in other ways I found it a bit annoying. I'm thinking some of the story got lost in the translation from Italian because sometimes the words seemed a bit too abrupt. Plus, the point of view switched at times and seemed a bit irrelevant to the story as a whole. It gave me a bit of a depressed feeling at the end because what appeared to be a resolution I'd hoped for ended up being disappointing instead. I suppose it all goes with the theme of the book and the solitude between the two main characters. Yet at the same time they seemed to need each other. 

Mattia seemed to have some form of autism and Alice had a severe eating disorder and their lack of true communication made their situations worse, especially when they were apart. They seemed less dysfunctional when they had each other. At any rate, it was a rather strange and depressing story with a lot of telling. But it intrigued me enough to keep reading, so I did like it a little bit. I don't see the overall appeal that made it an international best-seller, but obviously it appealed to a whole lot of people. I could take it or leave it.

The Solitude of Prime Numbers was published by Penguin Books and released in March 2010.

My review of The Jerk Magnet by Melody Carlson

About the book:

When Chelsea Martin's future stepmother helps her transform from gawky and geeky into the hottest girl at her new school, Chelsea is pretty sure it's the best thing that ever happened to her. But her hot new look has a downside. She's attracting lots of guys who all have one thing in common: they're jerks. And stealing the attention of all the guys in school doesn't endear her to the girls either.

Chelsea finally finds a true friend in Janelle Parker, and a non-jerk, Nicholas, catches her eye. Janelle keeps telling her to be herself, but Nicholas is the only guy around who doesn't give her a second look. Can Chelsea and Janelle come up with a plan to get his attention? Or will Chelsea's new image ruin everything?

Teen favorite and bestselling author Melody Carlson helps girls uncover the real source of beauty in this true-to-life story of young love, friendship, and being yourself.

My review:

I don't know what it is about Melody Carlson's YA books published by Revell that I love so much, but it probably has to do with the relevant, timely subject matter and how well she puts everything together in a story that anyone can relate to. If the rest of the series is half as enjoyable as this book was, then I'm reading them all. In fact, I read this story through in one sitting. I didn't get out of the chair until I'd turned the last page. Not even to take a break. That's a great book if I don't want to put it down for any reason.

I loved the theme in this book about how people treat each other based on outward appearances and that all people, good-looking and unattractive alike, have feelings that shouldn't be messed with based on preconceived notions people may have about them. I discovered when I was a teenager that acting like myself and having a brain didn't attract boys. But ramp up the appearance a bit and play the ditsy blonde, and I couldn't get them to leave me alone.

I've been at fault myself for judging people based on their outward appearance even as an adult. I assumed once back in the 1990s that our new pastor's young wife (who was my age) had plenty of friends because she was pretty and nice, only to find out everyone else thought she had plenty of friends, too, and for the same reason. Come to find out she had NO friends. Everyone assumed wrong. We ended up becoming friends and bonded over the movie "Sense and Sensibility" with some other ladies at church who had also judged incorrectly and we finally got to know each other. I'm glad we did.

What I enjoyed most about this book was how it showed that beautiful people have emotional insecurities too. While everyone says they want to be that way, the truth is if guys only wanted to date you because you were beautiful, and no one wanted to commit to you because they felt you were too pretty, you'd see it's a pretty lonely life. And no one likes to be surrounded by catty, competitive women, even as adults. So this book was a great reminder that even Christians fall into that trap, though I can honestly say that at my church I feel like we all blend very well and befriend each other with no biases, but I'm sure that's not always the case.

Regardless, we need to get to know each other on the inside first, and let that be the measuring stick we use to determine whether or not we want to get to know someone better or not. The Jerk Magnet did a great job at presented all sides and reminding the reader not to be shallow and judgmental, but to love each other as Christ loved us. And most of all, to give each other a chance. We're all flawed, but we're all loved by the same God. Because this book spoke to my heart and I couldn't stop reading it, it's making my favorite fiction list for 2012. So far what I've been reading has been amazing for 2012. I'm sure it won't stay that way forever, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

The Jerk Magnet was published by Revell and was released in January 2012. A copy of this book was provided for me to review by Revell for the purpose of reviewing it for the tour and giving an honest opinion. My tour post we be up later this week. The opinion posted above is entirely my own.

“Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

My review/endorsement of Walks Alone by Sandi Rog

About the book:

A Cheyenne warrior bent on vengeance.

A pioneer woman bent on fulfilling a dream.

Until their paths collide.

After fleeing her abusive uncle, Anna is determined to reach the city of her dreams. But White Eagle and his fierce warriors take her prisoner. Anna attempts a harrowing escape, but her savage captor is determined to have her at all costs and forces her to be his wife. Has God forgotten her, or does He have plans of His own?

A man with a boot in one world and a moccasin in the other, White Eagle is disillusioned with his faith after a minister leads a massacre on his peaceful tribe. Where is his God? He s definitely not with the white men who are slaughtering his people. But White Eagle also can t give in to the idolatry practiced by his fellow tribesmen.

Only the Truth can set him free.

And it s found in beautiful Anna s carpetbag.

My review/endorsement:

What an incredible, heart-felt novel! Rich with Native American culture, intrigue, and romance, Walks Alone held me captive to the end. So many desperate choices necessary for survival had to be made, but the things the hero and heroine feared most also made them stronger in the end. The variety of emotions they experienced and the developing love between them compelled me to read on, and more than that, they caused my eyes to well with tears a number of times. I felt the characters' pain and sensed their relief as their many trials made them stronger once they realized they were not alone, but that God was with them all along.

Walks Alone contains a lot of realism and spiritual depth, which made me think more about my own faith. Most of all, this is a story of unconditional love and finding true freedom in Christ. He wants us to come to Him because we love Him, not because we were forced. This novel is a beautiful portrayal of Gods love for us and shows us why He gives us the freedom to choose. I loved Walks Alone so much that it's making my favorite fiction list for 2012!

The kindle version of Walks Alone by Whitefire Publishing is currently available as of 1-15-12, however, the print version will not release until June 2012. So get a copy now or save your money and get the paperback! It's worth it either way.

Now I'm giving away Firethorn by Ronie Kendig

To enter for a chance to win this book, simply post a comment that answers this question... Do you enjoy military thrillers and covert operations books, and if so, why? I'll go first. I read Ronie's first book and it was crazy good and non-stop action. If this book is even half as good as the one I read, then it will be awesome. I never got a copy of this particular book to review, or I'd post one with it. Sorry about that. Maybe I'll get it later. At any rate, what's your answer? I'll select a winner next Sunday using the Randomizer program.


 


About the book:

Don your tactical gear and enter the world of black ops and espionage within the pages of Ronie Kendig’s thriller Firethorn. Former Marine Griffin “Legend” Riddell, a fugitive from injustice, finds it difficult to trust anyone. Covert operative Kazi Faron, the woman sent to free him, has a dangerous secret that may jeopardize her life, mission, and the only man she respects. As Griffin and Kazi race around the globe to save Nightshade, the danger mounts. Will they find the culprit sabotaging their black ops team? Can their newfound feelings and trust survive when Griffin and Kazi face truth and terror?