bring on the blessings by Beverly Jenkins

Ms. Jenkins shares a very inspirational story that one can only imagine would occur in fiction. This story centers around a woman by the name of Bernadine Brown who comes into a fortune. She chooses to use this money to bring good to people. She decides to buy a small town that is in trouble and she has great plans on how to make this small town, rooted deep in history, thrive again. This is a story of faith, hope and dreams. It was a feel-good story, with a few deeply sad tid-bits thrown in that added depth to the story appropriately. The end of the book left the reader expecting a follow-up, which I hope happens I would love to see where all of the characters end up next.

Forever Lily by Beth Nonte Russell

Forever Lily is a beautifully written story following the path one mother takes to adopt her first daughter, Lily. The path to bring Lily home is an unusual one in comparison to what one might assume when imagining an adoption. Beth Nonte Russell agrees to travel to China with her friend Alex to help her adopt and bring home a little girl from an orphanage there. From the start of the journey we are able to pick up on the anxieties and insecurities Alex faces in relation to the adoption. Alex panics and decides, after a roller coaster of emotions, that she can't adopt the little girl. By this point Beth relizes that she can't leave this little girl behind. This story follows the ups and downs of both "mothers" outward reactions as well as the interpretation of feelings through Beths narrative. I was very impressed with the authors ability to share this story without "bashing" Alex- it seems like that would have been an easy thing to do. However, Beth is able to share this story and state just the facts leaving emotions out when sharing Alex' outward reactions to situations. This is a very moving story that leaves you feeling that justice was served in the end and that teh happy ending occured for this little baby girl.

firefly lane by Kristin Hannah

Firefly Lane-wow, take a deep breath and get yourself ready for this one. This story is an excellent read if you are in the mood and ready for an emotional heavy, friendship roller coaster type of book. This story, beautifully written by Kristin Hannah, describes a tumultuous relationship between two best friends, unlikely as they seem at first. The ups and downs of "TullyandKate" as they are referred to in the story, are the background, the basis of the story. Along the path of their friendship we are also touched by the impact of the mother daughter relationship and how that can shape us. This is a long one with 479 pages but worth the read. I had difficulty during some parts but that was due to my own impatience in wanting to complete the book. At times it seemed a bit word heavy in certain descriptions of things but it all weaved together in the end making you wish there was a way to extend the story line. Ms. Hannah also brings in excellent references to pop culture that allow the characters to become more alive as teh reader relates to the events and styles. One of my favorite style-references is when Kate is throwing an outfit together quickly since she was so caught up in the lifes of those around her that she forgot to get dressed herself and she wonders to herself if stirrup pants are still in style. I would recommed this book to someone who has the time to dedicate to this story, giving it the proper time it deserves rather than trying to rush through as I did. I think I will go back and read this story again sometime since there is so much to it that I know as a reader you would gain more from it with each new read.

the tutu ballet story and illustrations by sally o. lee

This is a cute story about forest animals coming together in a ballet class. Each animal/student in the class has a preferred move and talent within the class. Their teacher, Ms. Berry, finds each students unique quality and incorporates them into a recital. This story is simple with a deeper meaning hidden within if you choose as the reader to dig deeper into the story presented. The words themselves are a bit difficult to read on certain pages due to the fact that they blend in with the illustrations. The strength of this book lies in the beautiful illustrations which are created according to the copyright page description, as being "rendered in watercolor and pen and ink on paper." I think that any beginning ballerina would enjoy this story as they can imagine themselves practicing the moves and being in a recital themselves.

When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall

I really enjoy this authors style of writing. "When the Soul Mends," is the 3rd (and I believe the final) book in this series. The main character, Hannah, struggles with many fall-outs due to a tragic, life-changing event that happened in her life. She has to struggle to discover who she really is, what God is calling her to be, and what will ultimately serve her purpose. She faces many ups and downs along the way and learns about forgiveness and trueness to self. This is a wonderful story about self-discovery and love.

One Perfect Day by Lauraine Snelling

This book was a very good read- I read it in 2 days (took that long only due to other responsibilities that demanded my time). This is a very emotional topic that touches upon many different emotionally charged topics. The story begins with the character Nora's desperate attempts at creating the perfect Christmas for her family. The focus on perfection quickly looses its importance when tragedy strikes the family.
The author uses the back-and-forth writing style that I enjoy very much. We next meet Jenna who is a single mother of a 20 year old daughter awaiting a heart transplant while quickly loosing her strength in life.
This story takes very emotional, tough subjects and presents them in a way that allows the reader to both grieve and rejoice with the families.
I enjoyed reading this book and plan to recommend it to friends for use in a book group. I also plan to investigate more books by this author.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

I enjoyed this book. The topic presented is a very emotional one- that of the french occupation of Jews during the 1940's. This story traces the path basically surrounding one certain apartment and its occupants. The story tells of the different responses of each person and how they were affected.
It was one of those stories that you wish for a different outcome than the one you know is coming- but still as a reader I was hopeful for the good in people. This book would make an excellent book group read. There are many aspects/emotions that could be explored in a group discussion. I also enjoyed the writing style of the author- she presented the story in a back-and-forth manner telling a little bit about the past and present families.