Review: The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill

I have always found Julie Klassen to be a delightful author. Her books are well-written stories set in the Regency period, thoroughly researched, always with a touch of romance and mystery. 

And so, based on the author's previous books, I was excited to read and review The Innkeeper of Ivy Hills. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the book and finished only out of duty.

From the publisher:

The lifeblood of the Wiltshire village of Ivy Hill is its coaching inn, The Bell. But when the innkeeper dies suddenly, his genteel wife, Jane Bell, becomes the reluctant owner. Jane has no notion of how to run a business. However, with the town's livelihood at stake and a large loan due, she must find a way to bring new life to the inn. 

Despite their strained relationship, Jane turns to her resentful mother-in-law, Thora, for help. Formerly mistress of The Bell, Thora is struggling to find her place in the world. As she and Jane work together, they form a measure of trust, and Thora's wounded heart begins to heal. When she encounters two men from her past, she sees them--and her future--in a different light.

With pressure mounting from the bank, Jane employs innovative methods to turn the inn around, and puzzles over the intentions of several men who seem to have a vested interest in the place. Will her efforts be enough to save The Bell? And will Thora embrace the possibility of a second chance at love?

The characters in the book were flat and unlikeable. Jane was apathetic, Thora was critical, and Rachel was indecisive. Unfortunately, there were no redeeming qualities to these characters that made me want to forgive their shortcomings and cheer for them.  

There were many characters and storylines introduced. It took me at least a third of the book to sort everyone out and determine which characters were even important.  And many storylines were started, but not finished. This book is the first in a new series, and I'm assuming that many characters will be fleshed out and storylines continued in upcoming books. The storylines which were finished in this book- if Jane would save the Bell and if Thora would have a second chance at love - were anticlimactic.

I still appreciate Julie Klassen's writing style, but in this novel the characters and storyline failed to deliver.

I received this book free from the publisher via NetGallery in exchange for an honest review.

Author Spotlight: Jeanette Windle

Who she is....

Jeanette Windle grew up as a missionary kid in the jungles and villages of Columbia.  Her fiction books are suspenseful, detailed and very realistic which, according to her website, has "prompted government agencies to question her to determine if she has received classified information."  Jeanette is the editor of BCM World magazine and mentors developing writers.  She's also won a lot of awards which you can view on her full bio here.  

What she wrote...

International intrigue with a good dose of detailed historical and political narrative.

A full description of all of her books can be found here.   I am listing the ones that I have read with a few comments.

• Crossfire -  A drug cartel, the DEA and a very naive lady.  Setting - Bolivia.
• Firestorm - This is a continuation of the story from Crossfire.  Read Crossfire first.
• Veiled Freedom - An idealistic aid worker, a Special Forces veteran, an Afghani native and a suicide bomb.  Setting - Afghanistan. 
• Freedom's Stand - This is a continuation from Veiled Freedom.  Read Veiled Freedom first.  
• DMZ-  Colombian rebels with a Middle Eastern connection.  Setting - Colombian demilitarized zone.
• Betrayed - Environmentalists and endangered cloud forests of the Sierra de las Minas biosphere. Setting - Guatemala.
• Congo Dawn - Probably my least favorite of her books.  Setting - Congolese rainforest.

Why I read her books...

• She writes well and I can't predict the ending.  Or I predict wrongly.
• Even though her books are long - 300-600+ pages - there isn't any fluff.  Everything she writes is pertinent to the story.
• This author takes research seriously.  Not only is it impressive but it makes for a great read.
• I appreciate how she writes the characters' spiritual struggles.  The struggles are intensely real but she doesn't respond to them with pat answers that aren't really answers at all.  Instead, she points her readers to the truth of who God is and what His Word says.

Review: The Hardest Thing To Do

I read very few fiction books.  And the books I chose are almost never written in this century or even the previous.  However, when I was given the chance to review this book I accepted and I'm glad that I did!


The Hardest Thing To Do is set in a fourteenth-century monastery.  The author skillfully draws the reader into the lives of the monks and their struggle with "the hardest thing to do."  For some monks, the hardest thing to do is to forgive an enemy.  For others, it is to see another person's point of view.  And for still others, the novices, the hardest thing to do is to close the door without making a sound.  


This book did not have me sitting on the edge of my seat, racing through it to see would happen next.  But that is a good thing.  In fact, I read it rather slowly because the writing was so good.  


In the following excerpt, the Abbot (basically the head monk) is wrestling with an important decision while his assistant, Brother Thomas, is angry with Abbot John over another matter.

Normally he (Abbot John) would have sought an opinion from Brother Thomas, but at the present time he felt reluctant to ask him anything.  As (Abbott) John sat at his table perusing this letter among so many others, Brother Thomas was cleaning the abbot's lodging in loud silence.  It is hard to rebuke a brother for silence.  Monks are supposed to keep silence. Rules are a convenient refuge at times.  

I love the last three sentences!  And the writing is like this all the way through.  


The Hardest Thing To Do is the fourth book in the Hawk and the Dove series.  I have not read the first three books but they have been recommended to me many, many times.  The author does provide a character list in the front and a glossary of terms which makes reading the book out of order doable.  If you can, start with the first book.  If you can't, read this book anyway.  It is a gem!


I received this book free from Crossway in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor

Sir Quinlan, a man plaqued with self-doubt and an annoying facial twitch, is not the type of man that most people would choose to be a great knight.  Indeed, his first attempt ended in utter failure.  However, he had an important quality that transcends any skill - a loyalty to the Prince and a willingness to give his life in service to him.  (For a more thorough description see the Amazon product description.)  


I'm not a big fan of stories with battles.  I tend to skim the battles to get to the dialogue.  However, I know so many people who love this series of books that I decided to find out what all the fuss was about.  What did I think?  I really liked it.


The author writes in an engaging style and is able to keep the book moving at a fast pace without losing the reader.  The battles are not long and drawn out (thankfully) but actually quite interesting to read.  A fair amount of the story builds on the first four books in the series and the previous series, The Kingdom series.  I had the nagging feeling that I was missing things because I had not read the previous books.  However, my husband had read all of the books and was always willing to fill me in.  (I think it was short sighted for Waterbrook Multnomah to offer this as a review book in their Blogging for Books program.  They should have offered the first book in the series, not the fifth.)


The story is an allegory.  If you flip to the end of the book and read the discussion questions and answers as you go, you will gain a better understanding of the whole story.  The author does a brilliant job of symbolically representing the vice of apathy through the use of ______________.  (Sorry, I can't tell you.  My husband says it is a spoiler.)    The author commentary in the back of the book explains his purpose for the story.

"Apathy is one of the deadliest sins.  The Lord has strong words of warning for believers who fall into a lifestyle of apathetic behavior.  Apathy spreads to others and hinders God's work.  It also destroys the witness of a believer by demonstrating  to the rest of the world that God's people appear to be no different than anyone else.

One might think the cause of apathy is laziness, and that is sometimes true.  But apathy more often results from spiritual blindness and worldly distraction.  One of the most frustrating challenges for a parent, teacher, or pastor is to motivate young people out of apathy and into a vibrant and productive Christian walk.  Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor attempts to accomplish this by showing the contrast between two knights who choose different paths- one of apathy and one of purpose.  There is great reward both here and in heaven for those who choose to live a life of purpose for Jesus Christ.  It is my heart that this book will encourage people of all ages to live such a life."  

The strength of this book lies not in the writing syle, or choice of words, or the original plot.  All of which are quite good.  No, the strength lies in the message that the author is communicating.  A message that we can all relate to.  What distracts me from serving the King?  It is a sobering question.


I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.

Books for Girls (and boys, too!)

Our library hides the good books.  Maybe not on purpose, but the books are hidden nonetheless.  Walter the Farting Dog is front and center on the shelf, but Angus Lost is no where to be seen.


And so, if you want a good book, you have to know what it is called and actively seek it out.


Here is a small sampling of some of our favorite authors and books.  (These are primarily chapter books.) 


Books/series

• The Moffets (series)- Eleanor Estes
• All of a Kind Family (series) - Sidney Taylor  A Jewish family living in New York prior to WWI.  Great way to introduce Jewish holidays in a story format as the book details how the family celebrates.
• Happy Little Family (series) - Rebecca Caudill  I just found out that this book is one book in the "Fairchild Family Story" series.  Caudill also wrote "The Best-Loved Doll" which is one of my favorite picture books for little girls.
• Flat Stanley (series) - Jeff Brown 
• Mr. Popper's Penquins
• Homer Price - Robert Mccloskey  Look for more books by this author, too!
• Understood Betsy - Dorothy Fisher
• Captive Treasure - Milly Howard (BJU Press)
• Just So Stories - Rudyard Kipling
• The Miller Family series  These are not available from the library so I have linked them.  My girls love them and teach character qualities from a Biblical perspective.  My good friend, Kris Hage, wrote a workbook that goes with the series.
• Emily's Runaway Imagination - Beverly Cleary (I wouldn't recommend all of her books but this one is good.)

Authors

• Patricia St. John
• Alice Dalgliesh
• Clyde Robert Bulla
• Lois Walfrid Johnson A Minnesota author.  Series include Viking Quest and Adventures in the Northwoods.
• Francis Hodgson Burnett 

Booklists

Five in a Row

Beyond Five in a Row 
Paula's Archives - History Books
Paula's Archives - Science
1000 Good Book List
Sonlight


I rarely agree with everything that an author writes.  For example, the Miller series (which we love!) listed  above is written and published by Mennonites.  The stories in the books have spurned great discussions regarding some of our different beliefs.  I encourage you to keep an open dialogue with your children about what they are reading.

Review: Attack at the Arena

  Attack at the Arena is Book 2 in The Imagination Station series from Focus on the Family.  Cousins Patrick and Beth, with the help of Mr. Whittaker's mysterious invention, are whisked away on time a travel adventure that takes them to ancient Rome.  The search for a silver cup, the bird loving Emperor Honorius, a wise monk and the Roman arena set the stage for this story.


This book was a surprising gem.  It skillfully blends adventure and history at a level that can be easily read by a young child.  (The Flesch-Kincaid grade level is 2.3.)  It is reminiscent of the Magic Tree House series in the writing style and basic format.  However, where the Magic Tree House comes from an evolutionary and pluralistic worldview, The Imagination Station series is distinctively Christian.  We are currently studying ancient Rome in our homeschool and this is a perfect addition!  I assigned two chapters today and they read the whole book in one sitting.  


There is currently one other book available in this series (Voyage with the Vikings) and two more that are yet to be released (Revenge of the Red Night and Peril in the Palace).


I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  But, rest assured the opinions are all mine!

My January Reads

Every January I (try to) read Pride and Prejudice and Mere Christianity. Let's see, why do I do this? If I analyze it, I would say:

• Both authors are English
• The English drink a lot of tea
• I drink a lot of tea in winter
• Therefore, I read their books in January.

Hmm, maybe I need to read a book on logic next. Anyway, I've started to note the words in Pride and Prejudice that I don't know. I'm up to chapter 10 (of 61). Here is my list thus far:

1. supercilious - Now you would think this would be a fun word, but it actually means "displaying arrogant pride, scorn, or indifference."
2. pique- to excite (interest, curiosity)
3. satirical-characterized by satire (which is the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule and the like)
4. pedantic- ostentatious in one's learning
5. insipidity- the state of being insipid (lacking in qualities that stimulate, interest or challenge)
6. indolent-having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion

Now, I have no idea where I would use these words because if I used them in normal conversation I would appear pedantic. :-)

And now, a quote:

This is a conversation between Mr. and Mrs. Bennett after Mr. Bennet pronounced his daughters the "silliest girls in the country."

"'I am astonished, my dear' said Mrs. Bennett, 'that you should be so ready to think your own children silly. If I wished to think slightingly of anybody's children, it should not be of my own however.'

'If my children are silly I must hope to be always sensible of it.'"

Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 7