The Shack by William P. Young

This book is one of the most thought provoking novels I have ever encountered. I am short on formal theological education so many parts of the book were difficult for me to understand. Despite that, I was completely compelled by the messages. Many of the ideas portrayed match my own but there were certainly new theories to mull over and try on. Some may only eventually fit into my belief system while others clicked in place immediately. I always enjoy a book that challenges the way I think and forces me to examine and question existing beliefs and behavior patterns. I rarely read or listen to a book more than once. Young's story will be an exception to that rule many times over.

You will find an official plot line description at: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1812457.The_Shack.

A Hell of a Woman by Ron Hummer

This book, a suspense novel on one level, also integrates the difficulty and injustice of non-compete agreements. The difficulty with this novel is that both pieces lose impact as a result of the integration. Hummer clearly knows a great deal about non-compete agreements and the disservice they deliver to people forced to sign them. He has an impressive amount of knowledge to share but it gets lost in the plot of the story he creates around it. The message he shares about non-competes would be more effectively delivered in a non-fiction account specifically titled toward the subject of these limiting agreements. I believe that readers looking for a suspense novel will be frustrated by the split attention in the plot line and people looking for more information about non-competes will miss out on the information and insight Hummer has to offer, overlooking this book as thriller fiction, not an insight into non-compete agreements.


You will find an official plot line description at:
http://www.amazon.com/A-Hell-Woman-ebook/dp/B007SAFTL0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1336540959&sr=1-1.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Just the title of this book made it feel magical. The idea of a night circus was so enchanting that I held off reading it, saving it like a dessert or a good bottle of wine.

There are parts of this novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the descriptions of the circus and the midnight dinners. I loved the characters, varied and multi-faceted, the twins and Bailey easily becoming my favorites.

I struggled with the story line. Even now I struggle with the thought of if there even IS a story line? I couldn't figure out what was going on until just past the halfway point and there are elements that I never found out. Once I thought I had a general idea, through a great deal of guessing and conjecture, I wasn't invested enough to care. I passed the climax of the plot (was there one? a climax or a plot?) with barely any notice as I scanned quickly over it to get back to an 'interesting part'. As the story drew to a close, I just wanted to return to Widget, Poppet, and Bailey. My attention wandered  during this read so I was relieved once finished. My first thought was to give it two stars but remembering the descriptions of the circus and the endearing characters, I think I'll give it three...


You will find an official plot line description at: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9361589-the-night-circus.

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

I have got to read more of Lionel Shriver's work. I LOVED The Post Birthday World and I was struck dumb by We Need to Talk About Kevin. Of the two, I prefer The Post Birthday World. Frankly, I'm a pansy, so I enjoyed the safe world of relationships, snooker, and gourmet popcorn over school shootings, maternal instinct, supposed parental failure, and guilt. What I cannot dismiss is the incredible, inventive, and unorthodox ways Shriver develops to deliver her story to the reader. As I mentioned, I have read only two of her novels and both of them were written in a style and format that I have never previously encountered. One is nothing like the other but they are both endlessly fascinating in terms of form and format. We Need to Talk About Kevin got a little too wordy for me at times but at the close of the novel I understood better why that worked for the main character. Run-on sentences be damned because I was gripped and horrified and sickened the whole way through. This does not have a feel-good ending and although I stayed up until 3:00 am on a school night to finish the tale I felt depressed and horrified when it was all over. I am a devoted admirer of Shriver's writing and she was completely successful in creating a story that grabbed me, shook me, and still has not let go days after I turned the final page. So 3 stars instead of 4 just for giving me nightmares ;0), but smashing writing in my opinion. 


You will find an official plot line description at: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46365118. 

The Fiddler's Gun: Letters by A.S. Peterson

This supplementary novel to The Fiddler's Gun was my favorite part of both The Fiddler's Gun and The Fiddler's Green. Peterson really lets his wit fly in this short little addition. I laughed out loud more than once and fell even more madly in love with the crass and crazy Fin Button. If you read the other two, don't let this one pass you by. I smile just thinking about it.

You will find an official plot line description at: 
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11358495-the-fiddlers-gun-letters. 

Fiddler's Green by A.S. Peterson

I couldn't help falling for Fin Button :0). The majority of this story is fun and adventurous but there are some heartbreaking turns of the plot that had me reaching for the kleenex. This is not a comedic work by any means but it is light and enjoyable reading. I can imagine that Fin Button easily captures the hearts and the imaginations of older elementary school children. I will look forward to sharing this tale with my niece and nephew several years from now.

You will find an official plot line description at:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9379864-fiddler-s-green.