http://birdienl.livejournal.com/ (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
birdienl.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
christianreader2015-09-06 04:21 pm
birdienl.livejournal.com) wrote in christianreader2015-09-06 04:21 pm
Entry tags:
My August reads
Pamela Mingle - The pursuit of Mary Bennet 4,5/5
No doubt every fan of Pride and Prejudice has wondered what would happen to the remaining Bennet sisters after the end of the book. Pamela Mingle has written a story about the most neglected Bennet sister, Mary. Upon hearing about Kitty's 'almost-bethrotal', Mary resigns herself to the fact she will remain the unmarried Bennet daughter and take care of her parents forever. But then she gets a chance to stay with her sister Jane and meets the kind and intelligent Henry Walsh.
Jane Austen sequels are tricky. As fans, we all want more of her world, but often we are dissapointed with the way modern writers write about our beloved characters. Luckily, I really liked Pamela Mingle's outlook and writing style. I also liked her realistic development of Mary. She is not suddenly transformed into a second Lizzy or Jane, but a unique and different character, recognizable from her scenes in P&P, but more mature.
Elizabeth Gaskell - The Moorland cottage 3/5
Maggie Browne is the sweet daughter of a deceased clergyman. Her mother dotes on her brother Edward and asks Maggie to sacrifice her own happiness to help him.
Continuing on with my 'reading the remaining Elizabeth Gaskell works'. This story was part of the second 'series' of the Cranford adaptation and I really loved it there. The story in the novella is quite a bit different from the adaptation, but I actually liked the adaptation better (shock,horror!). There was more of the sweet courtship between Maggie and Frank in the series and the ending was less weird and unrealistic.
Carla Laurano - Five days in Skye 4/5
Andrea Sullivan is a hospitality consultant and has just lost her company a big client because she rejected his advances. She has to succeed on her next job if she has any chance of climbing in the company. Her next job is a small hotel on the remote Scottish island of Skye owned by celebrity chef James MacDonald. Andrea believes she knows James' 'type' and has her opinions of him all ready, but they will be severely shaken on her five days in Skye.
If you don't want to go to Skye after reading this novel, you must have a heart of stone! Such great descriptions of the country and it's customs and Carla Laurano doesn't even live in Scotland! And you will no doubt fall in love with James MacDonald, one of the best hero's of contemporary Christian literature I've read in quite a long time. Why I didn't give it 5 stars then? I couldn't easily identify with heroine Andrea, but that's just because she is such a very different character from me.
Kiera Cass - The Elite 4/5
Unexpectedly, America Singer is one of the six girl's left in the televised competition for the heart and hand of Crown Prince Maxon. Though she has grown to like Maxon, does she really want to be queen? And what of her first love Aspen, who she still has feelings for?
I was actually pleasantly surprised with this book. I went through it in one day and really liked the character growth of America, Maxon and Aspen compared to the first novel. There was a whole lot of 'love triangle' going on in this book, so people allergic to that might not like this so much.
Jody Hedlund - Rebellious heart 4/5
Susanna Smith is an intelligent and compassionate young woman in Colonial America. She knows her life will consist of marrying a suitable man, but she wants so much more. When she rescues a young contract servant from her pursuer, Susanna comes into contact with lawyer Benjamin Ross, who dreams of having an impact on the world. But with his background as a farmer's son, his hopes for this and for winning Susanna's heart are low.
I really like Jody Hedlund's portrayal of famous historical couples and I did like both Susanna and Benjamin in this fictional portrayal of John and Abigail Adams. Susanna was intelligent and passionate about justice, though sometimes a bit hot-headed and naïve. She and Benjamin where really well matched. The historical background was vivid and rather new to me, not having read much works set in pre-Revolutionary War America. I did think the romance was a bit too physical for my liking. Really, two such intelligent characters could have long romantic conversations without immediately falling into each others arms right?
Thomas Hardy - A pair of blue eyes 3/5
Elfrida Swancourt, a minister's daughter in a remote village falls in love with architect Stephen Smith redesigning her father's church. But her family think him below her and they have to court in secret. With Stephen abroad in India, Elfrida meets a more suitable man and lets herself be courted by him.
Rather typical Hardy and as such, quite infuriating at times. His heroines are just so maddeningly naïve! I think he writes men better than women and as such, I actually liked Stephen and Henry and especially their interactions at the end of the novel. And the descriptions of the Wessex countryside were really great too.
Hannah Brencher - If you find this letter 4/5
Hannah Brencher tells the story of how she came to start the platform More Love Letters which aims to spread handwritten notes all over the world to encourage people.
I loved the first half of this book, but only liked the second half. The first half was a very recognizable and realistic portrait about how young adults can sometimes get lost in the hustle and bustle of life and about how real relationships are very important. I bookmarked dozens of quotes from this first half and would nod and 'uhuh' all through reading it. The second half got a bit mushy and repetitive and although I really admire Hannah for all she achieved, she sometimes got a bit self-important and smarty-pants about it.
Books read in August: 7
Books read in 2015: 38
No doubt every fan of Pride and Prejudice has wondered what would happen to the remaining Bennet sisters after the end of the book. Pamela Mingle has written a story about the most neglected Bennet sister, Mary. Upon hearing about Kitty's 'almost-bethrotal', Mary resigns herself to the fact she will remain the unmarried Bennet daughter and take care of her parents forever. But then she gets a chance to stay with her sister Jane and meets the kind and intelligent Henry Walsh.
Jane Austen sequels are tricky. As fans, we all want more of her world, but often we are dissapointed with the way modern writers write about our beloved characters. Luckily, I really liked Pamela Mingle's outlook and writing style. I also liked her realistic development of Mary. She is not suddenly transformed into a second Lizzy or Jane, but a unique and different character, recognizable from her scenes in P&P, but more mature.
Elizabeth Gaskell - The Moorland cottage 3/5
Maggie Browne is the sweet daughter of a deceased clergyman. Her mother dotes on her brother Edward and asks Maggie to sacrifice her own happiness to help him.
Continuing on with my 'reading the remaining Elizabeth Gaskell works'. This story was part of the second 'series' of the Cranford adaptation and I really loved it there. The story in the novella is quite a bit different from the adaptation, but I actually liked the adaptation better (shock,horror!). There was more of the sweet courtship between Maggie and Frank in the series and the ending was less weird and unrealistic.
Carla Laurano - Five days in Skye 4/5
Andrea Sullivan is a hospitality consultant and has just lost her company a big client because she rejected his advances. She has to succeed on her next job if she has any chance of climbing in the company. Her next job is a small hotel on the remote Scottish island of Skye owned by celebrity chef James MacDonald. Andrea believes she knows James' 'type' and has her opinions of him all ready, but they will be severely shaken on her five days in Skye.
If you don't want to go to Skye after reading this novel, you must have a heart of stone! Such great descriptions of the country and it's customs and Carla Laurano doesn't even live in Scotland! And you will no doubt fall in love with James MacDonald, one of the best hero's of contemporary Christian literature I've read in quite a long time. Why I didn't give it 5 stars then? I couldn't easily identify with heroine Andrea, but that's just because she is such a very different character from me.
Kiera Cass - The Elite 4/5
Unexpectedly, America Singer is one of the six girl's left in the televised competition for the heart and hand of Crown Prince Maxon. Though she has grown to like Maxon, does she really want to be queen? And what of her first love Aspen, who she still has feelings for?
I was actually pleasantly surprised with this book. I went through it in one day and really liked the character growth of America, Maxon and Aspen compared to the first novel. There was a whole lot of 'love triangle' going on in this book, so people allergic to that might not like this so much.
Jody Hedlund - Rebellious heart 4/5
Susanna Smith is an intelligent and compassionate young woman in Colonial America. She knows her life will consist of marrying a suitable man, but she wants so much more. When she rescues a young contract servant from her pursuer, Susanna comes into contact with lawyer Benjamin Ross, who dreams of having an impact on the world. But with his background as a farmer's son, his hopes for this and for winning Susanna's heart are low.
I really like Jody Hedlund's portrayal of famous historical couples and I did like both Susanna and Benjamin in this fictional portrayal of John and Abigail Adams. Susanna was intelligent and passionate about justice, though sometimes a bit hot-headed and naïve. She and Benjamin where really well matched. The historical background was vivid and rather new to me, not having read much works set in pre-Revolutionary War America. I did think the romance was a bit too physical for my liking. Really, two such intelligent characters could have long romantic conversations without immediately falling into each others arms right?
Thomas Hardy - A pair of blue eyes 3/5
Elfrida Swancourt, a minister's daughter in a remote village falls in love with architect Stephen Smith redesigning her father's church. But her family think him below her and they have to court in secret. With Stephen abroad in India, Elfrida meets a more suitable man and lets herself be courted by him.
Rather typical Hardy and as such, quite infuriating at times. His heroines are just so maddeningly naïve! I think he writes men better than women and as such, I actually liked Stephen and Henry and especially their interactions at the end of the novel. And the descriptions of the Wessex countryside were really great too.
Hannah Brencher - If you find this letter 4/5
Hannah Brencher tells the story of how she came to start the platform More Love Letters which aims to spread handwritten notes all over the world to encourage people.
I loved the first half of this book, but only liked the second half. The first half was a very recognizable and realistic portrait about how young adults can sometimes get lost in the hustle and bustle of life and about how real relationships are very important. I bookmarked dozens of quotes from this first half and would nod and 'uhuh' all through reading it. The second half got a bit mushy and repetitive and although I really admire Hannah for all she achieved, she sometimes got a bit self-important and smarty-pants about it.
Books read in August: 7
Books read in 2015: 38