This Family lives In/Near Bloomington, Indiana.
They were married August 22, 1968. They had Brooke in 1972 followed by Kari, Ashley, and Erin, and then they had Luke in 1980.
John Baxter- Physician. married to Elizabeth Baxter for more than 30 years . They have 5 children. 4 girls and 1 boy
Elizabeth Baxter- majored in Nutrition. Used to be meal Planner at hospital. Was in remission from Breast Cancer. The cancer came back, and the treatment and surgery were unsuccessful. She died after a few months.
Brooke West - Mom to 2 year old Hailey and 4 year old Maddie. About to get her Medical License to practice Pediatrics.
Peter West- Brooke's Husband. Top Internist at St. Ann's Hospital.
Kari Baxter Jacobs- Twenty Eight years old. Models part time for department store catalogs. Also teachers Sunday School, Church Choir, and Volunteers at the Musuem. Becomes pregnant with her first child. Gives birth to a daught, Jessie Renee, named after Kari's grandmother. Later marries Ryan Taylor. They have a son.
Tim Jacobs- Kari's Husband. Journalism professor. He is killed by a student.
Ryan Taylor- Kari's Teenage crush. Now her husband. Just came back to Clear Creek is now the coach at Clear Creek Highschool. Former Pro Football Player.
Ashley Baxter- 25 years old. Single Mom to Three year old Cole. She's an Artist. Spent a year in Paris. Marries Landon Blake, who has ALWAYS had a crush on her.
Erin- Kindergarten Teacher. married to Sam. They adopt 4 girls: Heidi Jo, Amy Elizabeth, Chloe and Clarisse.
Luke Baxter- Student at Indiana University. Plays Basketball on Intramural team. Marries Regan after finding out got pregnant shortly after 9/11. and gave birth to his son, Thomas Luke
Dirk Bennett- Angie's ex-boyfriend. college student
Pastor Mark Atteberry- Pastor at Clear Creek Community Church.
Landon Blake- Firemen. Has had a crush on Ashley since they were teenagers.
Dayne Matthews- Hot Actor from Los Angeles. He is actually John and Elizath's oldest son. Elizabeth got pregnant with him before they were married and put him up for adoption.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Redemption by Karen Kingsbury
# of book read so far this year: 45
Title: Redemption
Author: Karen Kingsbury & Gary Smalley
Date Finished: 8/20/2008
Genre: Christian Fiction
# of pages: 373
Series: Redemption Series Baxters 1
blurb: Kari finds out her husband, Tim is cheating on her with one of his students, Angie. She refuses to divorce him as he requests, and wants so desperately to work on their relationship. Tim soon realizes he really is in love with her and wants to be with her. Kari also finds out she's pregnant with Tim's child, thus another reason why Tim decides to come home to Kari. Tim's Student, Angela Manning, is devastated that Tim decides to go back to Kari, and in her heart Angie still believes Tim loves HER. Angie's ex-boyfriend Dirk, desperately wants Angie back and sees Tim as the only thing that ever came between them. Angie lies to Tim and tells him she's pregnant with his child. Tim goes to her apartment one last time to tell her goodbye and that he can't be with her. This ends up being the same night that Dirk plans to propose to Angie. Dirk runs into Tim on his way in to Angie's apartment. He shoots Tim 3 times and ends up killing him. He confesses what he has done and is convicted of Murder. Angie is able to confess to Tim that she really isn't pregnant and Tim asks her to tell Kari that he's really sorry and that he loves her.
personal thoughts/opinions: This was one of those books that leaves you wanting to read the next book NOW....which I luckily checked out the first two books in the series at the same time. I can already tell it won't take me long at all to get through this series. I thought they did a great job introducing us to each member of the family, and letting us into their lives. Though I did feel like there were some unanswered questions about Kari's brother sisters. What happened to Ashley in Paris? Why does Erin's baby always seem to be sick? What happened to Brooke and her husband to test their faith? What happened between Luke and Ashley? I really felt sorry for Ashley at some times. Then other times I really hated her? Personally I think Ryan and Ashley should be together? Although I can understand why he doesn't want to if he says he'd be imagining Kari every time he looked at Ashley?
What did you like best about the book? probably Tim and Kari's relationship...I wasn't expecting it to end the way it did though.
What didn’t you like about the book? I didn't like Angie AT ALL. I don't approve of anyone "cheating" on spouses or partners, and even worse, willingly "helping" someone cheat by dating married people.
why you read it? I had wanted to read the Forever Faithful Series, but found out that this series is connected and should be read before. I'm sure glad I read this book.
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own? I found it on my own. I'm trying to read all of Karen Kingsbury's books.
Would you recommend it to others? definitely!
Do you want to read more books by this author? I plan to read the rest of this series, and the other series that are connected, as well as all of her other books!
Does it remind you of other books you’ve already read? In a way it reminds me of the Cape Light Series.....,John Baxter reminds me of the Pastor from that series.
Did you find it hard to stay interested in this book? not at all
Was this book what you expected? yes
What book are you planning to read next? I think I will continue with this series and read the next book "Remember"
blurb: Kari finds out her husband, Tim is cheating on her with one of his students, Angie. She refuses to divorce him as he requests, and wants so desperately to work on their relationship. Tim soon realizes he really is in love with her and wants to be with her. Kari also finds out she's pregnant with Tim's child, thus another reason why Tim decides to come home to Kari. Tim's Student, Angela Manning, is devastated that Tim decides to go back to Kari, and in her heart Angie still believes Tim loves HER. Angie's ex-boyfriend Dirk, desperately wants Angie back and sees Tim as the only thing that ever came between them. Angie lies to Tim and tells him she's pregnant with his child. Tim goes to her apartment one last time to tell her goodbye and that he can't be with her. This ends up being the same night that Dirk plans to propose to Angie. Dirk runs into Tim on his way in to Angie's apartment. He shoots Tim 3 times and ends up killing him. He confesses what he has done and is convicted of Murder. Angie is able to confess to Tim that she really isn't pregnant and Tim asks her to tell Kari that he's really sorry and that he loves her.
personal thoughts/opinions: This was one of those books that leaves you wanting to read the next book NOW....which I luckily checked out the first two books in the series at the same time. I can already tell it won't take me long at all to get through this series. I thought they did a great job introducing us to each member of the family, and letting us into their lives. Though I did feel like there were some unanswered questions about Kari's brother sisters. What happened to Ashley in Paris? Why does Erin's baby always seem to be sick? What happened to Brooke and her husband to test their faith? What happened between Luke and Ashley? I really felt sorry for Ashley at some times. Then other times I really hated her? Personally I think Ryan and Ashley should be together? Although I can understand why he doesn't want to if he says he'd be imagining Kari every time he looked at Ashley?
What did you like best about the book? probably Tim and Kari's relationship...I wasn't expecting it to end the way it did though.
What didn’t you like about the book? I didn't like Angie AT ALL. I don't approve of anyone "cheating" on spouses or partners, and even worse, willingly "helping" someone cheat by dating married people.
why you read it? I had wanted to read the Forever Faithful Series, but found out that this series is connected and should be read before. I'm sure glad I read this book.
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own? I found it on my own. I'm trying to read all of Karen Kingsbury's books.
Would you recommend it to others? definitely!
Do you want to read more books by this author? I plan to read the rest of this series, and the other series that are connected, as well as all of her other books!
Does it remind you of other books you’ve already read? In a way it reminds me of the Cape Light Series.....,John Baxter reminds me of the Pastor from that series.
Did you find it hard to stay interested in this book? not at all
Was this book what you expected? yes
What book are you planning to read next? I think I will continue with this series and read the next book "Remember"
Friday, August 15, 2008
Hannah's Hope by Karen Kingsbury
# of book read so far this year: 44
Title: Hannah's Hope
Author: Karen Kingsbury
Date Finished: 8/14/2008
Genre: Christian Fiction
# of pages: 162
Series: Red Glove Series
blurb: Hannah is 15 years old and is the daughter of Jack and Carol Roberts, who are both politicians and seem to make their work a higher priority than spending time with their only daughter. They break the news to Hannah that they won't be coming home for Christmas. Hannah is crushed....she's been really lonely. Carol decides it's time to finally tell Hannah that Mike isn't her real father; that she left Hannah's real father, Mike, when Hannah was 4 years old, because she felt that she was too grown up for him. Now, Mike was an officer in the Army. He was sent on a mission and almost died. Hannah recorded a message that would air on the country music video channel. And it was by pure luck that Mike happened to see it. In the meantime, Hannah was able to find out where Mike was stationed and get ahold of him. They were reunited at last.
personal thoughts/opinions: I didn't care for Hannah's mom and her husband at all. I thought they had their priorities all wrong. Other than that it was the perfect feel-good story.
What did you like best about the book? It was a nice QUICK read. I finished it in one evening.
What didn’t you like about the book? probably the parents
Who was you favorite character/least favorite character and why? My least favorite character was Hannah's mom
why you read it? I have been trying to read all of Karen Kingsbury's books.
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own? Well I found it by looking at Karen Kingsbury's backlist of books she's written.
Would you recommend it to others? yes I definitely would
Do you want to read more books by this author? DEFINITELY! I brought several of her other books home from the library the other day.
Does it remind you of other books you’ve already read? not so much
Did you find it hard to stay interested in this book? not at all
Was this book what you expected? yes
What book are you planning to read next? Sweet Talk by Susan Mallery and Gideon's Gift also by Karen Kingsbury, and also part of the Red Glove Series.
blurb: Hannah is 15 years old and is the daughter of Jack and Carol Roberts, who are both politicians and seem to make their work a higher priority than spending time with their only daughter. They break the news to Hannah that they won't be coming home for Christmas. Hannah is crushed....she's been really lonely. Carol decides it's time to finally tell Hannah that Mike isn't her real father; that she left Hannah's real father, Mike, when Hannah was 4 years old, because she felt that she was too grown up for him. Now, Mike was an officer in the Army. He was sent on a mission and almost died. Hannah recorded a message that would air on the country music video channel. And it was by pure luck that Mike happened to see it. In the meantime, Hannah was able to find out where Mike was stationed and get ahold of him. They were reunited at last.
personal thoughts/opinions: I didn't care for Hannah's mom and her husband at all. I thought they had their priorities all wrong. Other than that it was the perfect feel-good story.
What did you like best about the book? It was a nice QUICK read. I finished it in one evening.
What didn’t you like about the book? probably the parents
Who was you favorite character/least favorite character and why? My least favorite character was Hannah's mom
why you read it? I have been trying to read all of Karen Kingsbury's books.
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own? Well I found it by looking at Karen Kingsbury's backlist of books she's written.
Would you recommend it to others? yes I definitely would
Do you want to read more books by this author? DEFINITELY! I brought several of her other books home from the library the other day.
Does it remind you of other books you’ve already read? not so much
Did you find it hard to stay interested in this book? not at all
Was this book what you expected? yes
What book are you planning to read next? Sweet Talk by Susan Mallery and Gideon's Gift also by Karen Kingsbury, and also part of the Red Glove Series.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Summer By the Sea by Susan Wiggs
# of book read so far this year: 42
Title: Summer By the Sea
Author: Susan Wiggs
Date Finished: 8/13/2008
Genre: Contemporary Romance
# of pages: 407
Series: n/a
blurb: Rosa Capoletti had her heart broken 12 years earlier when her boyfriend, Alex Montgomery, left her without any explanation, right when her father was in a horrible car accident, leaving him death. He has now returned to Winslow, after his own Mother committed suicide. During this summer, they learn a lot about the past and about what really happened that night. Rosa must also come to terms with the fact that her father is growing older and starting to need more help. Rosa and Alex finally rekindle their feelings for each other, though neither of them want to admit their true feelings at first.
personal thoughts/opinions: I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it went back and forth between present time and the past (this book was set in 2004 or somewhere around there). I was hoping Rosa and Alex would get married or he would at least propose to her. I loved the way the book opened with the scene in the restuarant...probably irrelevent as far as the story goes, but I still liked it.
What did you like best about the book? I don't think there was a single character that I DIDN'T like...a nice change.
What didn’t you like about the book? that it ended. I was hoping to see Rosa and Alex get married
Who was you favorite character/least favorite character and why? Rosa and Alex
why you read it? probably Alex's Ex-fiancee, but even she wasn't too bad.
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own? After I read The Ocean Between Us, I found Susan Wiggs' complete list of books. So, I found it on my own. I got the urge to actually read it after several people in one of my book groups began talking about it.
Would you recommend it to others? yes
Do you want to read more books by this author? I definitely want to read more books by her...I plan to read all of her books.
Does it remind you of other books you’ve already read? It reminds me of Summer At Willow Lake, and that series in that it alternated between the past and the present.
Did you find it hard to stay interested in this book? not at all
Was this book what you expected? yes...well I did expect Alex to at least propose to Rosa....there were a lot of unexpected twists though.
What book are you planning to read next? The Surrogate by Judith Henry Wall
blurb: Rosa Capoletti had her heart broken 12 years earlier when her boyfriend, Alex Montgomery, left her without any explanation, right when her father was in a horrible car accident, leaving him death. He has now returned to Winslow, after his own Mother committed suicide. During this summer, they learn a lot about the past and about what really happened that night. Rosa must also come to terms with the fact that her father is growing older and starting to need more help. Rosa and Alex finally rekindle their feelings for each other, though neither of them want to admit their true feelings at first.
personal thoughts/opinions: I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it went back and forth between present time and the past (this book was set in 2004 or somewhere around there). I was hoping Rosa and Alex would get married or he would at least propose to her. I loved the way the book opened with the scene in the restuarant...probably irrelevent as far as the story goes, but I still liked it.
What did you like best about the book? I don't think there was a single character that I DIDN'T like...a nice change.
What didn’t you like about the book? that it ended. I was hoping to see Rosa and Alex get married
Who was you favorite character/least favorite character and why? Rosa and Alex
why you read it? probably Alex's Ex-fiancee, but even she wasn't too bad.
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own? After I read The Ocean Between Us, I found Susan Wiggs' complete list of books. So, I found it on my own. I got the urge to actually read it after several people in one of my book groups began talking about it.
Would you recommend it to others? yes
Do you want to read more books by this author? I definitely want to read more books by her...I plan to read all of her books.
Does it remind you of other books you’ve already read? It reminds me of Summer At Willow Lake, and that series in that it alternated between the past and the present.
Did you find it hard to stay interested in this book? not at all
Was this book what you expected? yes...well I did expect Alex to at least propose to Rosa....there were a lot of unexpected twists though.
What book are you planning to read next? The Surrogate by Judith Henry Wall
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Maggie's Miracle by Karen Kingsbury
# of book read so far this year: 42
Title: Maggie’s Miracle
Author: Karen Kingsbury
Date Finished: 8/12/2008
Genre: Christian Fiction
# of pages: 167
Series: Red Glove Series
blurb: Megan (Maggie) is a busy New York Prosecutor, and is a single mom of Jordan. Her mother also lives with them. Maggie’s husband died of a heart attack, and even before then, they had a very distant relationship. Her husband was really only interested in Jordan. Jordan really wants a “daddy” and is desperate for a role model. Maggie finds out about this program that pairs willing adults with children who are grieving the loss of a loved one. That’s how they meet Casey. Casey lost his wife when she was in labor with their son. It’s been two years and he’s still having a tough time moving on without her. Casey and Jordan become great friends, and the program ends up being really good for both of them. Best of all, Casey and Maggie meet and develop a connection. They also soon discover (on Christmas Day!) that they knew each other when they were teenagers. Casey is the one who told Maggie to “Hold out for real love, because real love never fails”. Maggie and Casey end up getting married, and she later gets pregnant with a baby girl.
personal thoughts/opinions: This was such a sweet story. It’s one of those stories that leaves you with a great, warm feeling.
What did you like best about the book? The story itself. The moral of the story that you should never give up on finding true love and that Miracles really can happen.
What didn’t you like about the book? I only wish that it would’ve been longer
why you read it? I’m trying to read every book by Karen Kingsbury
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own? Well it only caught my attention because someone in one of my bookgroups mentioned it. But since I’m trying to read all of Karen Kingsbury’s books, I think I would’ve found it sooner or later
Would you recommend it to others? Definitely!!
Do you want to read more books by this author? Definitely!! I brought home a whole stack from the library and have more on hold.
Does it remind you of other books you’ve already read? It reminds me of the Richard Paul Evans books, the Donna Van Liere Christmas Blessing Series, and Debbie Macomber’s Angel books.
Did you find it hard to stay interested in this book? Not at all. I finished it in LESS THAN 6 HOURS
Was this book what you expected? Yes, maybe even more
What book are you planning to read next? Still reading Summer By the Sea by Susan Wiggs.
blurb: Megan (Maggie) is a busy New York Prosecutor, and is a single mom of Jordan. Her mother also lives with them. Maggie’s husband died of a heart attack, and even before then, they had a very distant relationship. Her husband was really only interested in Jordan. Jordan really wants a “daddy” and is desperate for a role model. Maggie finds out about this program that pairs willing adults with children who are grieving the loss of a loved one. That’s how they meet Casey. Casey lost his wife when she was in labor with their son. It’s been two years and he’s still having a tough time moving on without her. Casey and Jordan become great friends, and the program ends up being really good for both of them. Best of all, Casey and Maggie meet and develop a connection. They also soon discover (on Christmas Day!) that they knew each other when they were teenagers. Casey is the one who told Maggie to “Hold out for real love, because real love never fails”. Maggie and Casey end up getting married, and she later gets pregnant with a baby girl.
personal thoughts/opinions: This was such a sweet story. It’s one of those stories that leaves you with a great, warm feeling.
What did you like best about the book? The story itself. The moral of the story that you should never give up on finding true love and that Miracles really can happen.
What didn’t you like about the book? I only wish that it would’ve been longer
why you read it? I’m trying to read every book by Karen Kingsbury
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own? Well it only caught my attention because someone in one of my bookgroups mentioned it. But since I’m trying to read all of Karen Kingsbury’s books, I think I would’ve found it sooner or later
Would you recommend it to others? Definitely!!
Do you want to read more books by this author? Definitely!! I brought home a whole stack from the library and have more on hold.
Does it remind you of other books you’ve already read? It reminds me of the Richard Paul Evans books, the Donna Van Liere Christmas Blessing Series, and Debbie Macomber’s Angel books.
Did you find it hard to stay interested in this book? Not at all. I finished it in LESS THAN 6 HOURS
Was this book what you expected? Yes, maybe even more
What book are you planning to read next? Still reading Summer By the Sea by Susan Wiggs.
Rogue by Danielle Steel
# of book read so far this year: 41
Title: Rogue
Author: Danielle Steel
Date Finished: 8/10/2008
Genre: Contemporary Romance
# of pages: 305
Series: N/A
blurb: Maxine, a Psychiatrist who works with suicidal teens, is a busy mother of 3, living in New York City. Her ex-husband, Blake, is basically a grown-up kid with houses all over the world, and expensive toys and gadgets. He likes to have fun and doesn’t accept responsibilities as an adult. Maggie meets Charles, a physician, who is much more like her than Blake ever was. They fall in love and decide to get married. Charles does not feel comfortable around her children and can’t understand why or accept the fact that Blake is so involved in Maggie’s life. This creates a lot of tension between them, in face the night before the wedding, after a number of events, the wedding is called off, and Maggie and Blake end up getting-remarried, much to their childrens’ delight. Maggie’s children are Daphne, who’s 13, Jack, who’s 12, and Sam, who’s 6.
personal thoughts/opinions: I really enjoyed this story. I actually could see how opposites would attract with Maxine and Blake. I love what Blake did with the opening the orphanage. I’m so glad Maxine was able to appreciate that as well.
What did you like best about the book? The characters.
What didn’t you like about the book? I didn’t like Charles at all. I thought he was too uptight, and I felt like he didn’t give himself a chance to get to know Daphne’s kids, he just kind of barged in on them. I also didn’t like how he didn’t respect that Blake was a big part of their lives.
why you read it? Because I read all of Danielle Steel’s books.
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own? I keep up with all of Danielle Steel’s releases, so I found it on my own.
Would you recommend it to others? Yes
Do you want to read more books by this author? Definitely. I already know she has one more book coming out in 2008 and another coming out in early 2009. I can’t wait to read them.
Does it remind you of other books you’ve already read? Not really
Did you find it hard to stay interested in this book? Not at all
Was this book what you expected? Yes
What book are you planning to read next? Summer By the Sea by Susan Wiggs
blurb: Maxine, a Psychiatrist who works with suicidal teens, is a busy mother of 3, living in New York City. Her ex-husband, Blake, is basically a grown-up kid with houses all over the world, and expensive toys and gadgets. He likes to have fun and doesn’t accept responsibilities as an adult. Maggie meets Charles, a physician, who is much more like her than Blake ever was. They fall in love and decide to get married. Charles does not feel comfortable around her children and can’t understand why or accept the fact that Blake is so involved in Maggie’s life. This creates a lot of tension between them, in face the night before the wedding, after a number of events, the wedding is called off, and Maggie and Blake end up getting-remarried, much to their childrens’ delight. Maggie’s children are Daphne, who’s 13, Jack, who’s 12, and Sam, who’s 6.
personal thoughts/opinions: I really enjoyed this story. I actually could see how opposites would attract with Maxine and Blake. I love what Blake did with the opening the orphanage. I’m so glad Maxine was able to appreciate that as well.
What did you like best about the book? The characters.
What didn’t you like about the book? I didn’t like Charles at all. I thought he was too uptight, and I felt like he didn’t give himself a chance to get to know Daphne’s kids, he just kind of barged in on them. I also didn’t like how he didn’t respect that Blake was a big part of their lives.
why you read it? Because I read all of Danielle Steel’s books.
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own? I keep up with all of Danielle Steel’s releases, so I found it on my own.
Would you recommend it to others? Yes
Do you want to read more books by this author? Definitely. I already know she has one more book coming out in 2008 and another coming out in early 2009. I can’t wait to read them.
Does it remind you of other books you’ve already read? Not really
Did you find it hard to stay interested in this book? Not at all
Was this book what you expected? Yes
What book are you planning to read next? Summer By the Sea by Susan Wiggs
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