Seven In February...A Recap

I read seven books in the month of February.  They were all from the romance genre since I am participating in the Cupcakes War Reading Challenge, and it's genre for February was of course romance.  To read my thoughts on any of the books below just click on the link below the book.

Redeeming Love...Powerful!
Photo Source:  Goodreads

My Thoughts On The Notebook
Photo Source:  Goodreads

My Thoughts On Like Water For Chocolate
Photo Source:  Goodreads

My Thoughts On Home Front By Kristin Hannah
Photo Source:  Goodreads

My Thoughts On The Romance Novel, One True Love
Photo Source:  Goodreads

My Thoughts On Bluegrass State Of Mind
Photo Source:  Goodreads

My Thoughts On Daughter Of Joy
Photos Source:  Goodreads

I had hoped to finish The Thorn Birds by the end of February bringing my total to eight, but I just couldn't fit it in.  I'm hoping to finish it in the next few days.  I'm really looking forward to March and a month of mysteries.

Two More For This Month And Planning For March...

We had a really busy weekend, so I got very little reading done.  I did make some progress on The Thorn Birds, and I continue to like this book very much.  My goal is to finish The Thorn Birds and Daughter of Joy by the end of February bringing my romance total for the month to eight books, and my total for the year so far to sixteen.

Next month I'll be reading mysteries...March is Mystery Month for the Cupcakes War Reading Challenge 2012 which is hosted by Brenda at Curling Up With a Good Book.  I've started downloading books to my Kindle Fire and searching out books that I may want to read.  There are a couple I'm pretty sure I will read to kick off mystery month.

They are...

This one will be a group read for the reading challenge.
Source:  Goodreads

Source:  Goodreads

My Thoughts On Bluegrass State of Mind

Source:  Goodreads

From Goodreads...
McKenna Mason, a New York City attorney with a love of all things Prada, is on the run from a group of powerful, dangerous men. McKenna turns to a teenage crush, Will Ashton, for help in starting a new life in horse country. She finds that Will is now a handsome, successful race horse farm owner. As the old flame is ignited, complications are aplenty in the form of a nasty ex-wife, a boyfriend intent on killing her, and a feisty race horse who refuses to race without a kiss. Can Will and McKenna cross the finish line together, and more importantly, alive?

Kathleen Brooks
Source:  Goodreads

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I'll just start out by saying...I don't care for the cover of this one.  I don't feel it does the book justice.

I liked Bluegrass State of Mind.  I thought the story was good and the characters were very likable as well.  It wasn't  just a romance either.  There was a bit of mystery and suspense thrown in.  I enjoyed how the book related the slower paced life of the south.  The dialogue was a bit stiff, and it could get a little cheesy from time to time.  But over all it was a good book.  I liked it well enough that I will be reading the next two books in the series.

Source:  Goodreads

Source:  Goodreads

What I'm Reading Now...

I was planning on reading Home Front by Kristin Hannah next, but I finished Like Water For Chocolate yesterday afternoon, and I haven't gotten my hands on a copy of Home Front yet.  It's checked out at the library at the moment, and I'm sure there's a waiting list anyway.  So I looked through my bookshelves and came across The Thorn Birds.  It's been a recommendation on Goodreads for me for a while, and since it's considered a romance and it's been on my TBR (to be read) list for a long time I figured I'd read it now.  It seems like every book I've read lately has been on my TBR, which is a very good thing since my TBR list is forever long.  It feels nice to finally be making some progress on it.  Now if I would just stop adding books I might be able to tell  (:

The Thorn Birds is a long book, over 600 pages I believe, so I will probably read other romances while I'm reading it.  I'm setting a goal for myself of at least 50 pages a day on this one in hopes that I will make steady progress and finish by the end of February.  

I'm hoping to purchase Home Front today, and start reading it as well.

My Thoughts On Like Water For Chocolate

Source:  Goodreads

From Goodreads...

"Earthy, magical, and utterly charming this tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico became a best selling phenomenon with it's winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit."

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When I picked up this book I really didn't know anything about it.  I heard good things, and since I'm reading romance this month I thought I'd give it a try.  I was really surprised by what I found.

As you might expect there is "love" in this book, but I think food played just as important a roll.  There were lots of recipes and directions for preparing the meals.  I really enjoyed this about the book.  As a wife and mom who cooks most every night for my family, I can certainly understand how food can be used to show love.  I feel really great when I cook a meal that I know is good for my family and tastes good too.  I just want them to know that I care enough to put forth the extra effort.

But for all the love and good food in the book, there is just as much tragedy and darkness in this book.  Most of the darkness is thanks to the main character, Tita's, mother.  She was an evil woman!

If you are looking for a light, airy, romance...this book is not for you.  If you are looking for a truly interesting book with a little bit of everything...love, romance, food, magic, pain, tragedy, jealousy, scandal...then I'd say give Like Water for Chocolate a try.

Redeeming Love...POWERFUL!

Source:  Goodreads

From the back cover...

     "California's gold country, 1850.  A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep.
     Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal.  Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive.  And what she hates most are the the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.
     The she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father's heart in everything.  Michael obeys God's call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally.  Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel's every bitter expectation, until despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw.
     But with her unexpected softening comes overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear.  And so Angel runs.  Back to the darkness, away from her husband's pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny:  Her final healing must come down from the One who loves her even more than Michael does...the One who will never let her go.
     A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God's unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love."

Francine Rivers
Source:  Novel Pastimes

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"Love the Lord your God, and love one another.  Love one another as he loves.  Love with strength and purpose and passion and no matter what comes against you.  Don't weaken.  Stand against the darkness, and love.  That's the way back into Eden.  That's the way back to life."

(Source:  Redeeming Love pg. 462)

If I could use just one word to describe this book, it would be...POWERFUL!

I loved this book.  From the epilogue to the prologue I was hooked.  I couldn't put it down.  It's full of passion and betrayal and unconditional love.  There are parts of the book that are very hard to read, making me sick with the horror of what was happening, and there were chapters where I just wanted to slap Angel and scream at her..."Open your eyes!".  But then I'd remember that 8 year old girl and what she'd suffered and my heart broke for her.  There were times when I was on the edge of my seat anticipating the break through Michael was so lovingly urging her toward, and there were times of beauty and laughter.

But I think the main thing I took away from this book is...To love anyone the way you should, the way they deserve to be loved--your husband, your child, your mother, father, sister, brother, friends--you have to love God above all else.

I think anyone who enjoys a good story will enjoy this book, but if you love romance novels, Redeeming Love is must read!

A Little More Than Halfway...

Source:  Goodreads

I'm now on page 266 of 464, and I'm loving this book.


At the beginning of each chapter there is a heading.  Most are from The Bible, but not all.  I was particularly touched by the heading for chapter 15.  It is from The Bible.

Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?  Up to seven times?"  Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.     Matthew 18: 21-22