This Weekend's Book Blog Hop!

Every week Crazy-for-Books hosts the Book Blogger Hop. Participants answer a question and then visit other blogs of fellow participants. This week's question is:

If you could physically put yourself into a book or series... which one would it be and why?" 

My answer: I would love to be in Francine River's Redeeming Love.  I wouldn't want to be the main character. Just a secondary character is gets to watch it all happen.

What about you?

The Shadowed Mind by Julie Cave

All men are created equal. Or are they? One of America's core beliefs is about to be challenged. There's a killer on the loose who is intent on making a point. Those deemed unworthy – the prostitutes, mentally ill, alcoholics, and homeless – are all lower on the evolutionary scale and ought to be eradicated. Former FBI Agent Dinah Harris is hired by the mysterious Detective Samson Cage to assist in the investigation and gets a crash course into the world of neo-eugenics. As a recovering alcoholic, staying sober is hard enough. But when the killer targets her personally, the stakes are higher than ever before.

The Shadowed Mind by Julie Cave is the second book in the Dinah Harris trilogy. In my opinion, it is better than the first book though I do recommend reading them in order. Dinah Harris is a deeply intricate character that captures and holds the attention of the reader. Half-mystery and half-suspense, this book keeps the reader guessing about the killer's identity. There is also a sub-plot that doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Dinah's part of the story until the very end. I am always impressed when an author writes so well that I can't predict who did it until the chosen moment of revelation.

I applaud Cave for her boldness in tackling the topic of neo-eugenics. In way of warning, I think that politically liberal readers will probably take offense at some portions of this book. The book takes obvious stabs at prevailing liberal philosophies. From mocking evolutionary beliefs to quoting Obama's “no longer a Christian nation” statement, the author attacks ideologies and defends her own. Personally, I agree with the author's beliefs. I just feel it necessary to warn of the prevalent conservative bias that may cause some readers to discard the book rather than considering Cave's argument.

I recommend reading this book with an open mind.

Click here to read an excerpt from The Shadowed Mind.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from New Leaf Publishing Group as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

And the winner is....

Sandy G. is the winner of my blog's giveaway of The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello.

Hope you enjoy the book Sandy!

Francine Rivers Giveaway

Tyndale is giving away a complete Francine Rivers library on their blog. Click here to enter.

Her Mark of the Lion series is awesome!

Love On Assignment Book Giveaway!

Reviews by Jane is giving away Love on Assignment by Cara Lynn James.

Click here for details!

Hurry! Giveaway ends April 1st!

Book Blogger Hop

Each week the Book Blogger Hop asks a question for book bloggers to write about, then asks its participants to visit linked blogs. This week's question is:

Do you read only one book at a time or do you have several going at once?

My answer: I usually have one fiction and one non-fiction/devotional going.  I don't like to have more than one fiction book in process at one time.  However, by reading some sort of non-fiction book, I can have another book going while I read my fiction.  Currently, I am reading From the Library of A.W. Tozer: Selections from Writers Who Influenced His Spiritual Journey.

What about you?

A Love of Her Own by Maggie Brendan

April McBride may be a spoiled rich girl with a life of ease, but she is passionate about horses. When she arrives in Lewistown, Montana, she finds Wes Owen training a horse and immediately objects to his method. Fortunately for Wes, April is nearly late for her brother's wedding and must save further objections for a later time. The ensuing encounters between April and Wes are no less dramatic and confrontational. Strangely enough, April's feelings toward Wes move from frustration to intrigue. Will April look past the obvious differences between Wes and herself to find a common ground?

Normally, I absolutely love a well-written historical romance. However, A Love of Her Own by Maggie Brendan is what I would call an “okay” book. It was diverting enough, but very predictable. I enjoyed the romantic moments of the book and April's transformation from spoiled child to kind young woman. However, I felt the story lacked authenticity. Some situations/things just seemed too convenient while others seemed downright strange. Unfortunately, I never really felt like the book grabbed me and drew me in. I recommend renting A Love of Her Own from the library before buying.

Click here to read an excerpt from A Love of Her Own by Maggie Brendan.

The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello

A cruise to Alaska promises plenty of time to delight in nature's beauty. The majestic mountains and geological opportunities beg to be enjoyed. Or so FBI Agent Raleigh Harmon thinks. Raleigh's plans to mine for gems and relax on her vacation go horribly askew when a passenger is murdered aboard the cruise ship. The ship's security chief enlists Raleigh to assist in the investigation. To complicate matters, Raleigh's mother's health quickly digresses, her aunt's friend's behavior annoys everyone, and Special Agent Jack Stephanson joins the investigation. With only five days to solve the murder, Raleigh struggles with the challenges before her. Will she solve the murder? Will her mother recover? And Stephanson is not quite as bad as she remembered...

The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello is the fourth book in her Raleigh Harmon series. I did not have the advantage reading the previous books. However, enough information was given that I had sufficient background information on Raleigh and the supporting characters. I suspect there would have been more information about her fiance in the previous books. The book ended with several loose ends. Raleigh's mother's health and Raleigh's relationships with her fiance and Jack Stephanson will likely be addressed in the next book.

I enjoyed reading The Mountains Bow Down. Kudos to Giorello for creating a plot that was catchy and unpredictable. Raleigh's character is especially well-written. I appreciated that Giorello's treatment of Raleigh's mother's illness was sadly authentic, but also sympathetic. The only character I disliked was the very New Age Claire. It is reasonable that the author meant for this to happen as Claire is deeply integrated into the story. I just found her annoying.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy mystery and suspense fiction.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from BookSneeze. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Mountains Bow Down Cruise Giveaway

Sibella’s celebrating the release of The Mountains Bow Down with a blog tour, a Cruise prize pack worth over $500 and a Facebook Party! Don't miss a minute of the fun.

One Grand Prize winner will receive:

• A $500 gift certificate toward the cruise of their choice from Vacations To Go.
• The entire set of the Raleigh Harmon series.

Click here to read my review of The Mountains Bow Down.

To enter click one of the icons below. Then tell your friends. And enter soon - the giveaway ends on 4/1! The winner will be announced at Sibella’s Raleigh Harmon Book Club Party on FB April 5th, 2011! Don’t miss the fun – prizes, books and gab!

About the Facebook Party: Join Sibella and fans of the Raleigh Harmon series on April 5th at 5:00 pm PST (6 MST, 7 CST & 8 EST) for a Facebook Book Club Party. Sibella will be giving away some fun prizes, testing your trivia skills and hosting a book chat about the Raleigh Harmon books. Have questions you'd like to chat about - leave them on the Event page.

The Mountains Bow Down Giveaway

What you can win: A free copy of The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello. (Special Note: I am not giving this away because I did not like it. I'm giving it away because I accidentally got two copies of the book from two different book review programs.)

How to enter: For your first entry, use the form below. If you comment on this or any other post on my blog, you get an extra entry. If you become a follower of my blog, you get an extra entry. (To become a follower, click the link at the top of the page that says "Follow."  You may have to be logged into Blogger to see this link.)

How it works: One winner will be picked randomly on Tuesday, March 22nd. If you win, I will email you to get your mailing address and will then send the book to you.

Eligibility: Open only to residents with mailing addresses in the US.

To read my review of The Mountains Bow Down, click here.

To enter The Mountains Bow Down cruise giveaway, click here.

___________________________________________

	*** This giveaway is now closed. ***

The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello

A cruise to Alaska promises plenty of time to delight in nature's beauty. The majestic mountains and geological opportunities beg to be enjoyed. Or so FBI Agent Raleigh Harmon thinks. Raleigh's plans to mine for gems and relax on her vacation go horribly askew when a passenger is murdered aboard the cruise ship. The ship's security chief enlists Raleigh to assist in the investigation. To complicate matters, Raleigh's mother's health quickly digresses, her aunt's friend's behavior annoys everyone, and Special Agent Jack Stephanson joins the investigation. With only five days to solve the murder, Raleigh struggles with the challenges before her. Will she solve the murder? Will her mother recover? And Stephanson is not quite as bad as she remembered...

The Mountains Bow Down by Sibella Giorello is the fourth book in her Raleigh Harmon series. I did not have the advantage reading the previous books. However, enough information was given that I had sufficient background information on Raleigh and the supporting characters. I suspect there would have been more information about her fiance in the previous books. The book ended with several loose ends. Raleigh's mother's health and Raleigh's relationships with her fiance and Jack Stephanson will likely be addressed in the next book.

I enjoyed reading The Mountains Bow Down. Kudos to Giorello for creating a plot that was catchy and unpredictable. Raleigh's character is especially well-written. I appreciated that Giorello's treatment of Raleigh's mother's illness was sadly authentic, but also sympathetic. The only character I disliked was the very New Age Claire. It is reasonable that the author meant for this to happen as Claire is deeply integrated into the story. I just found her annoying.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy mystery and suspense fiction.

To enter this blog's giveaway of The Mountains Bow Down, click here.

To read an exercpt from The Mountains Bow Down, click here.

For details about The Mountains Bow Down cruise giveaway, click here.

To visit the blog tour for The Mountains Bow Down, click here.

About the author: Sibella Giorello grew up in Alaska and majored in geology at Mount Holyoke College . After riding a motorcycle across the country, she worked as a features writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Her stories have won state and national awards, including two nominations for the Pulitzer Prize. She now lives in Washington state with her husband and sons. Find out more about Sibella and her other books at her website: http://www.sibellagiorello.com/.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Acquired Tastes

Romantic fiction was my favorite thing to read for years. I avoided standard fiction that lacked romance. It just didn't appeal to me like romance did. Lately, thanks to several blogger review programs, I've been reading more fiction.  Surprisingly, I'm loving it. 

Fiction without romance has definitely been an acquired taste, but I now love regular fiction almost as much as romantic fiction.

Just in case you're looking for recommendations, some of my favorite (non-romantic) fiction books include:

The Brotherhood by Jerry B. Jenkins (Crime/Suspense)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Science Fiction)

Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury (Abortion/Healing)

Hunter's Moon by Don Hoesel (Mystery/Suspense)

Healing Sands by Nancy Rue & Stephen Arterburn (Healing)

When a Woman Lets Go of Her Fears by Cheryl Brodersen

Fear comes in many forms. Avoiding a potentially dangerous situation represents a healthy fear. However, unhealthy fears like fears of rejection or loss often cause women to live with worry, stress, and without confidence. In her book, When a Woman Lets Go of Her Fears, Cheryl Brodersen shares stories from her own struggle with fear, exposes fear and its effects, and shows women how to move past fear into faith and victory.

When a Woman Lets Go of Her Fears is not the type of book to sit down and read from beginning to end in four hours. It took me several months to read this book as I read only a few sections each day. While not everyone would want to read it as slowly as I did, I recommend reading no more than a chapter a day. Reading each day about the same topic has a way of enforcing the information and spiritual lessons into one's memory.

Though I think the book could have used a bit more humor, the author effectively connects with the reader by sharing her personal struggles. I loved the story of the “pity biscuits.” I won't give away any spoilers, but it was a situation that I could completely relate to.

Brodersen packs information, doctrine, and plenty of encouragement into the book. I found the content of the book to be Biblically correct. The questions at the end of each chapter were relevant and thought-provoking. I recommend this book to any woman struggling with fear and lack of confidence.

Click here to read an excerpt from When a Woman Lets Go of Her Fears.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Harvest House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Congrats to...

Congrats to Sarah!

She is the winner of The Life Ready Woman book giveaway.  Hope you enjoy the book, Sarah!