Monday, July 25, 2011

Through the Fire

By: Shawn Grady

My 2nd e-book! I do have to say that I'm not sure I'm sold on e-books. There are pros and cons. The convenience of not having to carry a big book around with you is a plus. But I do love watching how far I am getting in a book. With an e-book you see the percentage of the book you have read but I love seeing the pages turn! I also am not one to pay for books, which is why I go to the library but this is one of 12 I found free through my Kobo app. So I will read whatever I can get free. The other nice things about e-books is you can get a book in minutes!

Through the Fire is about a fireman, Aiden. He used to hear the fire, like his father once did. But a killed Aiden's dad and he doesn't believe it was an accident. Now a string of fires are happening that seem to be on purpose and Aiden is caught in the middle. He doesn't know who he can trust.

The book starts out with a fire that goes wrong, so you are hooked from the first couple of chapters. But then I felt like the intensity was so high in the beginning that the middle seemed to progress slowly. I wanted to find out what happened so I kept with the book. It does pick up again and your are caught up again guessing who is starting the fires.

I do think the book it is worth reading. I liked the story line, I just wish it had kept up with the intensity of the drama from the beginning. Especially after the last book I read, In Plain Sight, which had to guessing chapter to chapter. I will definitely look for more books by this author and do recommend reading this book.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Hide in Plain Sight

by: Marta Perry

This is my first e-book that I have read. I have an itouch (my mother's day and birthday present combined) and ran across an app called Kobo. I thought I would try it out and found some Christian fiction novels for free!

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. Hide in Plain Sight takes place in Amish country. When Andrea's sister, Rachel is in a car accident Andrea is forced to leave the city to go back to the family farm to help her grandma with the last minute details needed to open their home into a B&B, called The Three Sister's. Andrea is torn between what she thinks is best for her grandma so she can return to her life or help with her grandmother's dreams and stay.

Things are not all the same as they were when Andrea was a kid. Neighbor kids have all grown up, her grandfather has past away, her grandma has a new tenant on the property, Calvin, and not everyone in town is happy another B&B will be opening. Andrea has to learn who she can trust, especially when someone is entering their property at night to frighten her.

This book was a great mystery. You also get wrapped up in the characters that you want to keep reading to find out what happens. I was guessing until the very end! Another friend of mine read this book and liked it just as much as I did. She even looked up other books by this author to find out that this book is in a series. The first one of 3 based on the Three Sister's; Andrea, Rachel and Lisa. I can't wait to read the other two!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Kiyo's Story


by: Kiyo Sato

I am doing the summer library reading program. They give you a bingo sheet with various things to do through the summer. Each time you get a bingo you turn it in and get put into a drawing. One of the bingo squares is to read a biography.

My family went to the County Fair this year and I ran across a table about writing. Kiyo was there with her book. I barely met her, had not heard of the book before but I took a flier that day.
When I saw my bingo card I figured I would read her book!

This story is about Kiyo's family. How her father came to America from Japan, how he married her mother and settled in Sacramento, of all places! It's so funny to hear her write about driving down Franklin Blvd. when it was nothing but country!

Her father worked on farms when he moved here and then was finally able to owned his own farm growing Strawberry's. She tells stories about their family growing up. Kiyo was the oldest of 9 children! In Dec. 1941 Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and life changed for the Sato family. Kiyo was in College at this time but those who used to call them friends would no longer talk to her family. They were searched by the military and many husbands were taken away because they were suspected of being enemy traitors.

Only months later they had to evacuate their home to a "relocation camp" (not to be called a concentration camp). She tells of her story of packing, taking 9 children on a train and ending up in the heat of the summer in AZ! (I can not imagine!)

A few months later Kiyo is the first in the concentration camp to be released to go to College and is sent to Michigan where for the first time she is away from her family. Years later her family is also allowed to move to Colorado work a sugar beet farm.

This story is Kiyo's first book that she has every written and I believe it is one worth reading. I truly love hearing about people's journeys in life. Kiyo always mentions a saying her mother would always say; "Moh sukoshi gaman o shite" Persevere a bit longer. This story is about true perseverance of the Sato family to survive and prosper in America.

I wish I had read this book so that I could have spoken with Kiyo Sato at the County Fair, I will try again next year! You will have to read it to find out what happen's to the Sato family! Enjoy!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Justifiable Means

by: Terri Blackstock

This is the 2nd book in the Sun Coast Chronicles. The first book was
Evidence of Mercy. Larry Millsaps is in the first book investigation a plane crash. (You can see my post on that book in the archives, under May). I have already read 3 other series by Terri Blackstock, her books are always worth reading.

This book follows Detective Larry Millsaps through an investigation of Melissa Nelson, who was attacked. When they interview her she knows the person who attacked her, Edward Soames and has evidence to convict him. As they investigate Soames, he has a rap sheet that doesn't help his plea of innocence. But as they keep digging they also find that Melissa has a past of her own. Who is telling the truth?

I kept going back and forth with the evidence; thinking I knew what was right, then second guessing. As you read on the mystery gets really good and I was up late finishing the book to find out what happens. Terri Blackstock has enough mystery to keep you guessing and you get hooked on the characters. She even brings back the characters from book one. Which I like, you can follow them through the series. I think this book was better than book one and I can't wait to read book three!