Forbidden

by; Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

I LOVED this book. I'm so excited to have read this book at this time. I was getting in a reading slump having read so many thick, in depth books. I needed something to really enjoy. I was a little nervous since I haven't liked Ted Dekkers last few books, I am so happy that I enjoyed this one. I had no idea this is the first book in a series. It's the first time I've read a book that didn't already have the series finished! And I can't wait til the 2nd one which doesn't come out til 2012! Ugh...the wait!

If you have read the Circle Trilogy I don't know why you wouldn't like this series. It reminds me a lot of it yet has it's own story line. Forbidden is about the world after the Chaos. Rom is confronted by an old man, who calls himself a "Keeper". He tells Rom that his father did not die but was killed protecting a secret. He hands Rom a box and gives him instructions on how to protect it and run. As Rom runs he turns back to see the old man killed by the sword. What is going on?

There is a truth in the box that holds the key to the earths future. A new soverign is about to reign the world but they are living by the Order, and blinded by the lie of that Order. He discovers that the only emotion the world is living on is fear. The human race no longer can have any other emotion, until now. It is Roms call to help expose the truth!

This book is so great! I am excited to also look into Tosca Lee's books, since she co-wrote the book with Ted Dekker. I will have to say that at the beginning of the book there were some emotions described that I could have lived without and at the end it gets pretty gory but it's all part of the story. As a whole I would highly recommend this book to read!!!

The Edge of Recall

by: Kristen Meitzmann

If were not for the fact that my online book club through Goodreads, Christian Fiction Devourers, was reading this book for the month of October, I would not have read this. Or would have put it town after about 1/4 way into the book.

The main character Tess, builds Labyrinths, which has a meaning behind it. (She explains how Labyrinths, unlike mazes that take you around and back out where you started, they take you to the center and lead you out to another path, the future.)

As I read the book I was annoyed by Tess' character. She has a hard time trusting people in her life, especially men. And since most of the characters in this book are men, she has a hard time trusting all of them. She ends up taking a job with an old friend from her past, Smith and his assistant Bair. Smith and Tess' have a rocky relationship, given that she once had feelings for him and he had let her down in her dream to build Labyrinths. But when a dream job opens up with him to build one, she takes it.

The relationship with Tess and Smith is frustrating. From Tess' inabliity to trust and Smith's inablity to commit. To add to the story line, there is a "monster" that is stalking them on the property. He is moving equipment and stealing things in hopes of discouraging them from being there.

This "monster" only plays into part of Tess' past with labyrinths, which she has nightmares about. Tess has a therapist that helps her work through her memories of her father and labyrinths that are at the edge of recall.

When Tess and Smith are confronted face to face with the "monster", Smith is fighting for his life while Tess is getting closer to the mystery of her father and the reason she can't trust.

There are so many components in this book. Relationships, a cruel boss, the Labyrinths, Tess' past, her father, it's just too much. Tess' character only gets better once she discovers the truth behind her father and the memory she had forgotten. And even then she has such a 180 degree turn it doesn't seem realistic to change that drastically, that fast. I wished her character had been that way from the beginning.

The monster was just to odd to begin with. They took that part of the story through twists and turns of ghost stories and Tess' imagination, I wasn't fond of this character in the book at all. Though the mystery that finally comes out at the end of the book was good, it was over shadowed by everything else. The best part of the book was the last 10 pages!

I would not recommend this book. It isn't awful, it's just wasn't a story I enjoyed. Though I can tell others in my reading group did like it. I'm not sure I would discount this author, I might try another one of her stories. Maybe one with a topic that interests me would be better. I do have to say; it's not on the top of my reading list at this time.

Relentless

by: Robin Parrish

Another in depth book! I'm gonna have to read some easy reads pretty soon!

Relentless starts out with; Collin Boyd. He see's himself walking down the street. Someone that looks just like him is wearing his clothes, carrying his briefcase. How is this possible? Collin looks at his reflection in the window to see someone else looking back at him. Someone he has never seen before.

Now Collin is trying to find out who he is. His license says; Grant Borrows, he has a new apartment, a new life. He has a ring on his finger that won't come off, someone is now trying to kill him and he has discovered he was created for a destiny he never knew about or asked for, until now. He is now running against time to discover the truth and the pace is Relentless!

This book reminds me a lot of Ted Dekker's, Circle Trilogy. Very interesting story line. You don't know where it's going or what will happen. I didn't realize until the very end that this book is the first in the Dominion Trilogy. So now I am looking forward to continue the story line with book two. I recommend this book. If you like Ted Dekker you will like this book. If you like story lines that aren't the norm, you will like it as well...

The Truth Teller

by: Angela Hunt

This book is 422 pages, I'm not sure if it's because of the size, story line or both but it took me quite a while to finish!

The truth teller starts out with Lara, a young grieving widow. Her husband died of cancer just 6 months before and she has had a hard time moving on. She is a nurses assistant and decided that since her husband had prepared for the future she wants to have his baby even though he is now gone.

The parallel story line is about a man named, Devin Sloan. He is a scientist that wants to use the DNA of a newly discovered Ice Man from years ago to help make the human race more pure.

With out Lara's knowledge Devin Sloan teamed up with Dr. Braun (the man who helped with Lara's invetro). Just before delivery Lara discovers the hidden truth about the baby she is carrying and runs to protect both of them.

This book is slow moving. You go through Lara's struggle to move on from her husbands death, to her decision to do invetro. Though it is slow moving I was interested in Lara's life. When I first started I was worried the scientific side would be too in depth but it was easy to follow, which I was happy about. About half way through the book things start to pick up and about 3/4 way through the book you really want to know the out come of what happens to Lara and her child.

I have realized that large books like this take me more time to read than I'm used to. With this book you really get wrapped up in the characters and can't rush the story. I would recommend this book but you have to set aside some time to really be involved.

It seems that I have to go back and forth between in depth and easy reads because too many in depth books can be an over load for me! I just finished Riven not long ago and that was another in depth book. I need some easy reads!!! :P

Buried Sins

by: Marta Perry

Marta Perry is a great writer. In July I read the first book to this series called; Hide in Plain Sight. That book happened to be my first free e-book read and I loved it. Another friend read that book as well and found out that it was the first book in a 3 book series. Unfortunately I cannot find the 2nd book at the library but read the 3rd one anyway, which stands alone without having read the 2nd one.

I really liked it. Marta Perry has just enough mystery that keeps you guessing from page one! I was hooked from chapter one until the last chapter when you find out who is behind the mystery. I love that! You want to keep reading to find out and the book never looses it's intensity or gets boring.

Buried Sins is about the 3rd sister, Caroline, or as they call her Caro. Rachel and Andrea, Caro's sisters, have already moved back where they lived (in their grandparents home) when they were children. Caro doesn't have any memories of their grandparents home because they all moved away at a young age with their mother. Caro is forced back to her grandparents home when she finds out her husband, Tony, has died and may have been killed. She is being followed and decides she will be safer with her family, who she hasn't seen in a long time nor told them about her late husband.

Caro's troubles follow her and more secrets about her husbands past are being revealed. She is eventually forced to tell her family what is going on. Meanwhile, the local police chief, Zach, knows something is wrong from the moment she comes into town. As time goes by he is slowly starting to care for Caro as well as questioning who she is because of every thing that is going on around her.

Is Caro telling the truth. Is she innocent or guilty? Enjoy reading to find out. It's a great series!

The Marriage Wish

by: Dee Henderson

I have already read Dee Henderson's O'Malley series, which overall I really liked. I had heard of this book and since I already knew the author I thought I'd give it a try. I have to say that after reading my last book, Riven, which is more my style of writing I just wanted to get through this book. I have 5 other books checked out from the library that I want to get through before they need to go back so I don't know that I enjoyed this book as much as I think I could have.

The Marriage wish is about Scott, who makes a wish on his 38th birthday. He wants to get married and have a family. Only a few days later he meets Jennifer. He is immediately drawn to her but Jennifer is healing from the loss of her husband and has another secret that takes time her to tell him about. She doesn't want Scott to give up her dream but is Scott's love for her able to help Jennifer heal.

Half way through this book I was crying for Jennifer, her story is sad but you so desperately want her to heal from her past. This book is an easy read and easy to get involved with the characters to see what happens with Scott and Jennifer. Just when you think you know the end there is a twist that makes you keep reading til the very end.

I liked this book and would recommend for those that like a good story to unfold as you read. Another one of those Hallmark movie type of books!

Riven

by: Jerry B. Jenkins

I think I have to say this is one of the most intriguing books I have read in a long time. I really like Jerry Jenkins writing. I hadn't realized until half way through the book that Jerry Jenkins is co-author of The Left Behind series, which I really liked as well. There are only a few authors (or books) that I know that give you this kind of writing; Ted Dekker, Frank Perretti and a few of Francine Rivers books. They are more in depth and get you sucked into the story. I really like that kind of writing.

When I started the book I wasn't sure I would like it or even wanted to read it. One of the book groups that I joined on Goodreads was reading this for the month of August, so I decided to try it out. I like finding books I've never heard of.

Riven is about 2 main characters; Brady and Thomas. Brady is a teen who lives with his mother and brother. His mother is an alcoholic and doesn't take care of him and his brother. They live in a trailer park and Braden doesn't think much of himself. Thomas is a preacher. He is old fashioned and people/churches have used his good heart and work him hard but never appreciated him. He has been run out of many churches. Now Thomas is run down and looking for where God wants him to be.

Over the years Brady only gets worse, in and out of jail, becoming a criminal but in the back of his mind he is always wanting better he just doesn't know how to get it. In the mean time Thomas takes a job in prison ministry. When one day Braden and Thomas' lives meet.

This book is a big one, 526 pages! It took me a full week to read this one. Something about the story drew me in. The first half of the book you are following their lives as Brady is in school and Thomas is searching for a pastoral job. The 2nd part when Brady and Thomas' lives meet the story seems to fast forward.

At the end Brady has this idea that even when I read it almost made me not like the book anymore. But as the story played out you understood why he chose to do what he did. (Cannot tell you or it would spoil the entire story). Throughout the whole book I kept trying to figure out what the title Raven meant and it's not until the last few chapters you figure it out.

I would definitely recommend this book and I am going to definitely look up more books by this author.