The Light Between Oceans (M.L. Stedman)

Why I have this book: It's our book club book this month. I bought it for my Kindle.

I liked this book very much. (It is always so nice to read books that are not just "fluff" books. Hence my previous post with my decision to dispense of books that are just "good" and stick to books that are "better" and "best.") This book was deep and emotional and engrossing. I was able to get to know each character in depth, even many of the peripheral characters. Very well-written.

I highly recommend this book.

There is a handful of swearing, including one use of the "F-word" and some taking of the Lord's name as an exclamation of emotion. There is a suggestive, but not graphic, moment described with a married couple. (Really, just one sentence.)

Update on Inspired Reads and some deep thoughts... ;)

So the website with all the Christian freebies... inspiredreads.com... ?

When I first started using it, it had three free books every day, then about two "hot deals" offerings.

A few weeks ago, it started having two free books, and a few hot deals.

Today there is one free book. The rest are hot deals.

I don't know if it's going to keep having only one, but in some ways, I'm okay with that. I was kind of getting tired of the hit and miss of free Christian literature. Even if the book was enjoyable, there is still only so much "fluff" that I can read. I still have tons of those freebies on my Kindle, waiting to be read. So... it's okay that there's only one free book. Lately, I haven't really been downloading too many of them, anyway. I'm trying to be selective so that my time spent reading is worthwhile.

I'm reminded of a talk by Dallin H. Oaks. He says there are often choices we make between "good, better, and best." When it comes to books, I see it like this:

Good - It was fine, not damaging, light reading, no real impact on my life other than the time invested in reading. Books in this category often aren't really well-written.

Better - Still entertaining and enjoyable, but adds a benefit to my life. Brings a satisfying feeling of gratitude that the time spent reading it enriched my life in some way. It may be in a simple way - like it gave me a genuine chuckle, helped me learn a bit about history, etc. Books in this category are generally well-written, and often have a moral in addition to the entertainment factor.

Best - Stretches me, opens my eyes to the world around me. Improves me in some way, as in making me more grateful, more aware, more compassionate, etc. This type of reading is often the most difficult, but it is worth the effort.

I am probably going to go through the freebies I've downloaded (that haven't been read yet) and decide which probably will fit into the "good" category and delete them. I know it's hard to say in advance if they are "good" or "better", but I'm going to give it a good shot. There are so many books to read in this world... I'd rather spend my time in the "better" and "best" categories.

Have a New You by Friday (Dr. Kevin Leman)

Why I have this book: I would love to be a new me by Friday! I can't remember if this was a freebie or if I bought it (if I did, I'm sure it was cheap.)

I was a little surprised by the "plan" of becoming a "new me"... the author talks about birth order, personality, love languages. Stuff like that. Then you're supposed to take that information and sort of get an idea of why you are the way you are, and then take baby steps to change the things you want to change.

It sounds boring, but it was actually interesting to read and while I wouldn't say I fit into his birth order mold, I could find myself in some of the things he said. Over all, I liked the book.

I'd probably pass it along to the library or to a friend if it was a print book. I did make some highlights and took some notes, but I probably wouldn't read it again unless I was specifically looking up something.

Clean. There are a few references to physical intimacy.

Drops of Gold (Sarah M. Eden)

Why I have this book: I saw it while browsing the LDS section of Amazon. It was inexpensive, so I bought it.

It was pretty good. It had the same sort of plot line as old Harlequin Romances... predictable conflict, secrets to be revealed, everything works out in the end, etc. It was well-written, and there was enough depth in at least one of the conflicts to keep it from being too shallow, but really, it was a simple and predictable romance.

If it was a printed book, I'd probably pass it on to friends.

Clean.

Until Forever (Darlene Shortridge)

Why I have this book: It was a freebie.

Gaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Ugh, SO glad this one is done. Honestly, I checked my progress at 76% percent of the book (on my Kindle) and was just ready to run outside and scream that I still had to read 24%.

I did have one quote that I really liked from this book: "God wants our firsts, not our leftovers." I really liked that thought. In other words, our time spent in study and worship and tithe and so on should be our first priority... not just if/when we have time or money or whatever.

But other than that, I really wanted to put the book down and go running and screaming. That's all I'm going to say. Ugh, ugh, ugh from both a literary standpoint and the over-the-top religious tone. (I'm a Christian and love books that promote faith... but this was too much for me.)

That's all. I won't even keep it on my Kindle.

Clean.

The Well Lived Laugh (Rachel St. John-Gilbert)

The Well Lived Laugh: Designing a Life That Keeps You Smiling is the complete title of this book.

Why I have this book: It was another freebie from inspiredreads.com. (Btw, they seem to be only offering two free books a day now. And since I'm still being picky, I'm going days in between finding a book I want to download. Still, it's worth checking out!)

I liked this book. I get the impression the author is maybe a Christian motivational speaker... ? In any case, she has a cute sense of humor and I enjoyed her words. I could relate to her musings and agreed with a lot of her points. The premise is examining so many of the expectations we and/or society put on women (and men) and making the choice to let go of the things that cause pressure and stress so we are free to enjoy life more.

I highlighted quite a few words in this book and it's a keeper for me!

Clean.

Key Lime Pie (Josi S. Kilpack)

Why I have this book: Because I still love this series.

What can I say? I've been eyeing the next book in the series, trying to decide if I can justify buying it now or not...

I can't believe I waited so long to read these books. I've never been a big mystery/suspense fan, but I am hooked on Josi's Culinary Mysteries.  :)

Interesting tidbit: Did you know you can spell "eyeing" either as "eyeing" or as "eying"...?   Did you know that spell check underlines it when you spell it "eyeing" and not when you spell it "eying"...?

I think "eyeing" looks better.

Anyway, Key Lime Pie is definitely another keeper. I don't think I'll wait too long to read the next one.

Clean.