An Unforgivable Secret (J.E.B. Spredemann)

Why I have this book: I got it for free on Kindle about four years ago.

This is such a badly written book. I'm not even sure why I finished it. I guess I wanted to see where it was going.

The writing was extremely shallow. The plot wasn't believable. The "love stories" weren't believable, either. As a reader, I didn't feel anything for any of the characters. I have no idea how it was published, although I see that the publishing company isn't one I've heard of before.

I rarely delete books from my Kindle cloud, but I did delete this one. I wouldn't want anyone else to waste their time reading it. I understand the point the author was trying to make, but the writing made it feel trite. That's unfortunate, because had it been written with more depth and more realistically, it would have been a meaningful story.

I gave it one star on Goodreads.

Clean, although it deals with fornication (a word she uses in the book several times) and abortion.

One Candle (Gale Sears)

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

I didn't finish it. There wasn't anything objectionable in it  — it just didn't keep my interest. The writing wasn't that great. The author was trying to share facts about a historical time and people through a fictional story, but I would have rather just read the history if the fictional story isn't compelling. I figured I can learn the history an easier way.

Clean.

Two books I listened to on audio...

Okay, so last week I had a "staycation" all alone at home for several days. During this time, I listened to two LDS romance novels through the DBS+ app.

Off the top of my head, I don't really remember the titles. One was about lies and breakfast at Tiffany's, and the other might have been called "Healing Hearts" or something. I don't even care enough to look them up because it doesn't matter. Here's what I learned, though:

1) I'm probably not going to listen to fiction books anymore. While it was a nice way to pass the time while I worked on other projects, I didn't like the narrator's way of lowering her voice (both books had female narrators/readers) for the male characters. It just doesn't work. They all ended up sounding like they were blockheads.

2) I would rather put my own inflections and tones into what the characters say. I feel like I lost a bit of connection to them because I was going through a "third party's" interpretation of how they were saying things.

3) I don't think I can give these books a fair rating on Goodreads because I might have enjoyed them more if I was reading them myself rather than listening to audiobooks. Because of that, I didn't even add them to my Goodreads list.

Moon Over Manifest (Clare Vanderpool)

Why I have this book: I bought the print edition years ago at the recommendation of a friend. Another friend recommended it recently, so I borrowed the Kindle edition from the ebook library since it's easier to read at night on my Paperwhite!

I did like this book, although I only read it at night and it took me way longer than it should have. Still, it was a good story and just had a great way of coming together in the end. I gave it four stars on Goodreads.

Clean. I don't think there was any swearing... ? (I can't remember any.)

Where There's Hope: Healing, Moving Forward, and Never Giving Up (Elizabeth Smart)

Why I have this book: I bought it on Kindle because I'm happy to support the author and her foundation.

This is a good book. Kinda hard to read about the very difficult challenges people go through, but I appreciate their willingness to share their experiences and how they've dealt with them.

I also appreciate the "real" sound of Elizabeth's voice in this book. She's very down-to-earth and honest about her life, and it was interesting to see how her life changed after the traumatic kidnapping she experienced as a young teen. Even more interesting was to see how she has managed to live the life she wanted after she was rescued from that nightmare. I continue to be impressed by her.

I gave it four stars on Goodreads. There were lots of great thoughts that I highlighted.

Clean, although there is some description of assaults (including sexual) and other traumatic events.

Silent Souls Weeping (Jane Clayson Johnson)

Why I have this book: I've read another book by the author which I loved, and I am always interested in reading books on mental illness.

I only gave this three stars on Goodreads because, to be honest, I found it a little depressing. (No pun intended.) I'm going to listen to the audio version (free on DBS+) at some point to see if I like it better the second time around.

I don't know... I appreciate the author's desire to remove the "stigma" of mental illness, but I guess since she didn't really delve into treatments (on purpose), it was mostly stories of those who struggle. It didn't feel as hopeful as I thought it could.

I did love her chapter on missionaries who struggle with mental illness and the mission presidents who worked to help them have successful missions. If only every mission president was as concerned about the missionaries as they are about the "numbers." I felt very grateful for those mission presidents who gave those struggling missionaries the best mission experience possible.

I'll update this if I like it better after listening to it.

ETA: I did listen to it on audio, and I did like it better! I'm changing the Goodreads rating to four stars.

Clean. It does talk about suicide and has stories of people who chose to end their lives.

Jane of Lantern Hill (L. M. Montgomery)

Why I have this book: I bought it last year for a good price on Kindle because I've enjoyed other books by the author.

I liked this book a lot. It helped me realize why I have this desire for a cozy little home in the country with fresh air and old-fashioned values. I just love that idea.

Really cute book that made me want to read the Anne of Green Gables series again. (*happy sigh*) I gave it four stars on Goodreads.

Clean.