Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins

TITLE: Left Behind
AUTHOR: Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins
COPYRIGHT: 2000
TYPE: Christian
PAGES; 352
SERIES: Yes

REASON FOR READING: My mom’s been trying to get me to read this series forever!

Summary : {From Goodreads}
Piloting his 747, Rayford Steele is musing about his wife Irene's irritating religiosity and contemplating the charms of his "drop-dead gorgeous" flight attendant, Hattie. First Irene was into Amway, then Tupperware, and now it's the Rapture of the Saints--the scary last story in the Bible in which Christians are swept to heaven and unbelievers are left behind to endure the Antichrist's Tribulation. Steele believes he'll put the plane on autopilot and go visit Hattie. But Hattie's in a panic: some of the passengers have disappeared! The Rapture has happened, abruptly driverless cars are crashing all over, and the slick, sinister Romanian Nicolae Carpathia plans to use the UN to establish one world government and religion. Resembling "a young Robert Redford" and silver-tongued in nine languages, Carpathia is named People's "Sexiest Man Alive." (This reviewer, a former People writer, finds this plot twist plausible.) Meanwhile, Steele teams up with Buck Williams, a buck-the-system newshound, to form the Tribulation Force, an underground of left-behind penitents battling the Antichrist.

THOUGHTS/OPINION:
I thought this is a good book talking about the end of times. Most people tend to forget that this is fiction which means two people set down and wrote it. However, they based it off of facts in the Bible the book of Revelation. So with that in mind this is a Christian book and while it seems unbelievable to some to me it is what I would envision happening. And personally makes me hope I go in rapture so that I’m not sticking around to watch this happen to the world.
The book starts off with a pilot who is thinking of cheating on his wife only before he can he realizes people are missing from his plane. As they get closer to home they realize that millions of people around the world are missing. They just disappeared in the blink of an eye. All the children are gone as well which frightens those left behind.
Hence the title. Anyway this book sets up the series of what will occur on Earth before the Lord returns. I think it had some pros and cons. I do believe if you are curious as to what the whole rapture thing is about then I suggest checking out your bible then reading this book

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Keeping it going to see if I want the rest.

Review ~ Broken Wing by Judith James

TITLE: Broken Wing

AUTHOR: Judith James

COPYRIGHT: 2008

TYPE: Historical Romance

PAGES; 350

SERIES: No I don’t believe it is a series I might be wrong though

REASON FOR READING: Kristie kept talking about it and I didn’t want to be out of the loop

Summary : {From Goodreads}
Set during the chaotic beginnings of Napoleon's rule, this saga tells the story of Gabriel St. Croix, a street survivor searching for a place to belong. Abandoned as a child and raised in a brothel, he has never known friendship or affection. Hiding physical and emotional scars behind an icy façade, his only relationship is with a young boy he has spent the last five years protecting from the brutal reality of their environment. But all that is about to change. The boy's family has found him, and they are coming to take him home.


Sarah Munroe blames herself for her brother's disappearance. When he's located, safe and unharmed despite where he has been living, Sarah vows to help the man who rescued and protected him in any way she can. With loving patience she helps Gabriel face his demons and teaches him to trust in friendship and love. But when the past catches up with him, Gabriel must face it on his own. Becoming a mercenary, pirate, and professional gambler, he travels to London, France, and the Barbary Coast in a desperate attempt to find Sarah again. On the way, however, he will discover the most dangerous journey and the greatest gamble of all is within the darkest reaches of his own heart

THOUGHTS/OPINION:
I have to admit this book shocked me. Not something I would have normally picked up but I'm glad Kristie talked me into it. The budding love was fantastic. I was upset at how Gabe acted but I understood his actions and still loved him for it. Very, very good romance.

Things I enjoyed:
-The characters were strong in their own right. They both had a lot to work through and yet Sarah didn’t let it stop her from being a caring person. And even though it took more time for Gabe it still didn’t stop him from loving Sarah
-How strong Gabe was just to survive. And yet he still managed to let another person into his heart. Yes it took a while but that is what made the romance so sweet.
-OMG the romance was fantastic how they fell for each other and the struggles they had to overcome in order to be with each was a nice touch.
- The teaching him how to kiss scene priceless

Things I didn’t care for
- Okay I’m probably the only one who didn’t like the scenes where Gabe was a way killing to survive. Yes it was important to character growth but at the same time I just ended up skimming over those scenes. It did nothing to help me grasp the situation nor did it matter at the end to me.

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Passing on it for now will end up buying though.

SCORE: 9 out of 10

Anything Else: At first this book turned me off b/c its not my normal read but once I started reading it I fell in love with it.

Review ~ The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey

TITLE: The Fairy Godmother
AUTHOR: Mercedes Lackey
COPYRIGHT: 2004
TYPE: Fairytale Re-take
PAGES; 496
SERIES: 1st in the series
1. The Fairy Godmother

REASON FOR READING: Apparently I am on a fairytale kick

Summary : {From Goodreads}
In the land of Five Hundred Kingdoms, if you can't carry out your legendary role, life is no fairy tale…
Elena Klovis was supposed to be her kingdom's Cinderella—until an accident of fate left her with a completely inappropriate prince! Determined not to remain with her stepfamily, Elena set out to get a new job—and ended up becoming the Fairy Godmother for the land.
But "Breaking with Tradition" was no easy matter. True, she didn't have to sleep in the chimney, but she had to deal with arrogant, stuffed-shirt princes who kept trying to rise above their place in the tale. In fact, one of them was so ornery that Elena could do nothing but change him into a donkey.
Still, her practical nature couldn't let him roam the country, so she brought the donkey—er, the prince!—home to her cottage to teach him some lessons. All the while keeping in mind that breaking with tradition can land everyone into a kettle of fish—sometimes literally!
And so begins a whole new tale…

THOUGHTS/OPINION:
This is a different telling of Cinderella and what could have happened. It tells that all fairytales are really happening but due to the Tradition that is forcing them alone. With the help of wizards and Godmothers (as well as bad) they are happening one way or another. Unless a very cunning Godmother can redirect the Tradition in a way that still satisfies the storyline.

Things I enjoyed:
-Elena was a good strong character she knew enough to take care of herself and she was going to no matter how bad her life had been.
-The fact that Cinderella got a chance to be something other than the same old same old was refreshing. The plot was good and strong and I enjoyed watching how Ms. Lackey made her world work and function.
-I like the twist on the fairy tale stories and I liked the explanation of why there are so many.
-The secondary characters were fantastic! I enjoyed the Brownies and the mirror both added just enough magic to the story to make it really cool but not childish.

Things I didn’t care for:
- I didn’t care for the way the fairies are the ones that played a big role in Alexander’s transformation. If he would have come to the conclusions on his own I would’ve been okay but it just was strange one page he was an ass (for lack of a better term) on the next not.
- Also there was no real reason to have this story turn into a romance. Did it add a little extra yeah but not enough to matter.
-The sex scenes are kind of boring and pointless. We didn’t need to know that about them she could have skipped over the scenes and been just as good. Instead they kind of took away from the story and I ended up skipping them

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Passing on it only b/c it was a library book. I may end up buying it though.

SCORE: 8 out of 10

Anything Else: If you like fairy tales you will really enjoy this book it takes a twist on fairy tales and makes them even more interesting
*******

Review ~ Night's Rose by Annaliese Evans

TITLE: Night’s Rose

AUTHOR: Annaliese Evans

COPYRIGHT: 2009
TYPE: Fairytale Re-take
PAGES; 384
SERIES: 1st in the series
1. Night’s Rose

REASON FOR READING: I love the story of sleeping beauty and had to see what she did with the fairy tale.

Summary : {From Goodreads}
For nearly one hundred years, Rosemarie Edenberg has worked tirelessly to wipe the dreaded ogre tribe from the earth. Now the tribe has gathered in London to work a spell that will destroy the scourge of their kind, the one they call the Briar Rose.


Two magnetic men will unite to aid Rose--her mysterious fey advisor, Ambrose, and the vampire Lord Shenley, an earl of scandalous reputation and even more scandalous appetites. One will save her, one will betray her, and both will challenge her to face the past that haunts her.


Once upon a time, she was ensnared in the mists of enchantment, cursed to sleep one hundred years. But this beauty wasn't awakened with a kiss and has never known happily ever after. But with the help of her handsome allies, Rose may find it yet.

THOUGHTS/OPINION:
I have always enjoyed the story of sleeping beauty. So when I found out that this was the main fairy tale this book centered around I got really excited and couldn’t wait to read it. It had some really good parts that I enjoyed.

Things I enjoyed:
-I liked that all the characters were fleshed out.
-Watching Rose’s background come out with the legend of sleeping beauty was heartbreaking (b/c of what happened to her) and yet very well played I really enjoyed the twist on the story.
-I liked that Rose was such a strong character. She was able to fight and yet knew that she wasn’t always able to do it alone.

Things I didn’t care for:
- I have to admit I didn’t care for who she picked it seemed to me he tricked her in a way like the other one did (granted the other man in the picture did something horrible that was way worse) still he tricked her.
- I ended up skipping a lot of the battle scenes after awhile they became the same scene

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Passing on it.

Anything Else: If you like fairy tales you will really enjoy this book

Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher

TITLE: Proven Guilty

AUTHOR: Jim Butcher
COPYRIGHT: 2007
TYPE: Urban Fantasy
PAGES; 496

SERIES: 8th in the series
1. Storm Front
2. Fool Moon
3. Grave Peril
4. Summer Knight
5. Death Masks
6. Blood Rites
7. Dead Beat
8. Proven Guilty
9. White Night

10. Small Favor

11. Welcome to the Jungle

REASON FOR READING: Come on I’ve read them all up to this one so I had to complete the series.

Summary : {From Goodreads}

The White Council of Wizards has drafted Harry Dresden as a Warden and assigned him to look into rumors of black magic in Chicago. Malevolent entities that feed on fear are loose in the Windy City, but it's all in a day's work for a wizard, his faithful dog, and a talking skull named Bob.

THOUGHTS/OPINION:

We are back in Chicago with Harry picking up where he left off in the last one. This one involved the Carpenters which I love to learn about. If you remember or you might not the dad Michael is a White Knight of the sword. This one also reminded me of an episode of Charmed where movie characters are coming to life so that kind of ruined the whole OOHHH factor However, the twist at the end was pretty good and I enjoyed it so that helped redeem the book.

Things I enjoyed:

-Uh duh Harry! He’s the best wizard EVER!!! *clears throat* Okay let’s be more specific. He is loyal, trusting, honest and well just wants the good guys to win even if that means getting his butt kicked. (Still sticking with this statement from the last review)

-This plot helped move the whole story further and I can see where we are heading with it.

-I really enjoyed watching the Carpenters come together as a family and seeing Charity being knocked down a peg. I also enjoyed learning why Charity hated Harry so much.

-I also enjoyed the humor Harry has the best one liners ever.

Things I didn’t care for:

- Like I said the plot didn’t wow me like it could of considering that I’ve seen it before on Charmed. However, it did have a nice twist to it that did redeem it.

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Passing on it only b/c it was a library book and sadly enough I haven’t kept any of the series.

SCORE: 6 out of 10

Anything Else: You need to read the series to understand the complex nature of this book. Too many of the sub plots are taken from other stories in the series