My Name is Resolute (Nancy E. Turner)

Why I have this book: I stumbled upon it on Amazon, then a local book club that I've attended from time to time chose it for one of their picks. I had read the author's earlier books (These is My Words and sequels) and loved them, so when the price dropped to $9.99 from $14.99 (why so high???) for the Kindle edition, I bought it.

Oh, my goodness. You. Must. Read.

I absolutely loved this book. Loved it.

I can't even put it into words. For me, it's one of those books that surrounds you while you read and then settles into you and stays with you long after you finished reading it.

There is a handful of swearing in the book, and some instances of women being forced into sexual relations (not descriptive). There is a short passage of a husband and wife on their wedding night that is slightly descriptive.

Running with Angels (Pamela H. Hansen)

Why I have this book: I started out with the paperback edition years and years ago, and have ended up with a Kindle edition. I reread this book every few years.

I appreciate the story of Pam's weight loss/marathon training/dealing with trials and loss. The more I experience life, the more I appreciate it. I'm sure it was very therapeutic for her to write all her emotions down (and I think it's more about emotions than weight loss), and it offers a glimpse into what this saying means: "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

I love that there isn't some grand moment when Pam "saw the light." It was more how she just kept taking steps in a positive direction and learns to take care of herself in the midst of taking care of others.

Clean.

The Gifts of Imperfection (Brenè Brown)

The rest of the title: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be, and Embrace Who You Are

Why I have this book: It was recommended by a friend several years ago. We were going to read it as a group, but I'm not sure what happened with that idea. In any case, I bought it at the time and have been looking forward to reading it ever since I read Daring Greatly by the same author.

One thing I love about Brenè Brown is that her books don't sound like a textbook. It's like having a conversation with your friend while out on a walk. She shares her own imperfections and embarrassing situations and her own reaction to the awkward moments that we all have. I highlighted so many thoughts in the book.

Here's my stand-out quote from this book:
"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

There is some swearing in this book.

Paperboy (Vince Vawter)

Why have this book: I borrowed it from the ebook library.

This book has quite a list of awards attached to it. You can see the list on Amazon.

At 80% through, I could honestly say I LOVED this book. Loved it. At the end of it, I would say I loved it, but I think it could have ended at the close of Chapter 19 and I would have found it more satisfying. That's just me, though.

It's recommended for Grades 6-9, and while I think there are some kids at those ages who would appreciate the story, I think mid-teen to adult is a better fit. Some parts have a subtle depth that younger readers might not grasp. It could be one of those books that should be read again as an adult if one reads it when younger. Am I making sense? I guess I'm just thinking I might not have felt the same about it had I read it years ago.

In any case, I highly recommend it. I particularly loved Mr. Spiro. I could say more, but no spoilers.

I love how the author's name and the protagonist's name are so similar.

I don't recall any swearing until the last few chapters. Then I think there were about three swear words (two of which were "hell," which may or may not qualify.) There is one creepy scene with a drunk woman, but younger readers might not get it. I'm not even sure I get it. haha...

The Wife Maker (Karey White)

Why I have this book: Because I have loved the whole series. (This is the third book… and I'm excited that there is a spin-off of sorts about one of the characters coming in the future!)

I really have loved this series. (Did I already say that?) It hasn't been predictable like most books in this genre. This third book seemed shorter than the others (it is, but not by much), and sometimes I felt a little annoyed at the stubbornness and pouting of one of the characters… but it all came full circle for me as "things" were explained. Then I started rooting for him again. (Oh, how I've gone back and forth with these characters!)

I will continue to watch for new releases by this author, for sure.

Also… her books are reasonably priced, and for the ones I've checked, she has allowed the "Lending Enabled" feature for Kindle. That's nice!

Clean.

Alice's Tulips (Sandra Dallas)

Why I have this book: Because I have read other books of the this author's and enjoyed them. It was one of my Amazon Gift Card purchases.  :)

I am so torn on this one… Just FYI, the whole book is a series of letters from the protagonist to her sister.

What I liked about the book:

* The way it shows the protagonist growing and maturing through the years.

* The relationship between women and how they need each other and defend each other.

* The quilting theme.

* It definitely kept my interest, and as the story went on, the depth of the characters increased. I was pretty well invested by the end, especially because the main character became more mature and likable as it went on.

What I didn't like:

* The sexual comments. I just don't think women would converse quite like that back then. It was only a handful of times, but it was so unneeded and actually surprising (and disappointing) in a book like this.

* The protagonist's voice seemed to change through the book, even sounding a bit more educated. Is it just because she has matured?  It just seemed an unlikely change, since she wasn't at school or anything.

So… I liked the book in general, but I really wouldn't recommend it to anyone simply because of those few lines throughout the book that were sexual in nature. They were just weird and inappropriate and unnecessary. And it makes me leery of buying more of the author's books. (I think I do have one more of hers that I already purchased. I hope it is clean.)

Sexual assault is briefly talked about at one point. There is also some light-hearted (but yucky) sexual comments in the written conversation between the two sisters.

A fun new challenge...

So I was looking at the many, many books on my Kindle, wondering what to read next. So many choices!!! So I thought, "I wonder if I can read a book for every letter of the alphabet…" I looked through all my books in my cloud, and sure enough, I have at least one book for each letter of the alphabet that I haven't read yet… except X, Y, and Z.

So here's what I'm going to do…

When I'm stumped for what to read next, I'll go off the next letter in the alphabet. (I'll make a chart on the right to keep track.)  It doesn't mean every book I read will go in order. I might have a book club book to read, or more than one book in a series… so I'm not being strict on going in alphabetical order. I'll just move to the next available letter when I'm stumped… like I am today.

I might take some time to fill in some of the titles I've already read this year if I need to round things out as the year goes on.

So… starting with "A"… right on my Home Page of my Paperwhite, I have two books that start with A: Alabama Moon and Alice's Tulips. Whichever shall I choose…???

(First world problems.)