Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury

# of book read so far this year: 33
Title: Like Dandelion Dust
Author: Karen Kingsbury
Date Finished: 6/16/08
Genre: Christian Fiction
# of pages: 384
Series: ~~~~~~
blurb: Joey is a little boy who's 5 years old and Adopted. His birth mother, Wendy, gave him up for adoption when she had him because his father was in prison for beating her. She gets pregnant right after he goes to prison. She doesn't tell him she's pregnant, instead she forges his signature on the adoption papers. 5 years later, when he gets out of prison, she tells him the truth. He insists they must get their son back and take him away from the only home and the only parents he's ever known. This is obviously very upsetting news to Joey's adoptive parents. They come up with a plan to flee the country while their Haiti on this mission trip with the church. In the end, Wendy's husband starts abusing her again, so Wendy decides to drop the case and that Joey is really better off with his adoptive parents, because no matter how many times Rip gets sent to prison for abusing her, she will continue to take him back every time.
personal thoughts/opinions: I really enjoyed this book. It did make me have second thoughts on whether I really want to adopt a child when I'm older. I hated Rip, and I thought Wendy was pretty selfish most of the time too. I didn't really like Beth...she tried too hard to shove religion down everyone's throat and expected everything to be just perfect.
What did you like best about the book? probably the subject matter. I love reading stories about adoption, whether it be fiction or non-fiction.
What didn’t you like about the book? probably some of the characters
why you read it? because I had read the back cover and the blurb caught my attention
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own? I found it on my own when I was shopping
Would you recommend it to others? I already have
Do you want to read more books by this author? yes I definitely plan to
Does it remind you of other books you’ve already read? yes, somewhat of A Theory of Relativity, and this non fiction book I read
Did you find it hard to stay interested in this book? not at all...I only wish I would've picked it up and read it sooner.
Was this book what you expected? I think it exceeded my expectations
What book are you planning to read next? I have started Down By the River by Robyn Carr

I gave this book a 5/5!!

Just Over the Mountain by Robyn Carr

# of book read so far this year: 32

Title: Just Over the Mountain

Author: Robyn Carr

Date Finished: 6/13/08

Genre: Romance

# of pages: 376

Series: Grace Valley Trilogy
blurb: Some of the big things that happened in this book were: June's old Beau, Chris Forrest has seperated from his wife and returned to Grace Valley along with his two little hellion sons, 14 year old twins Brad and Brent. They always seem to be getting into trouble. There question of whereabouts of Myrna's dad surface again after bones are found under her bushes outside. It is then discovered that this birdwatcher named Paul put them there to set her up. June ends up Pregnant and Jim returns for good, and the secret of their relationship is finally out! Susan Stone becomes a nurse at the clinic, which causes a lot of tension between her and John in the beginning, but they soon kiss and make up. Justine, Sam's wife, was recently diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, and then believes she is pregnant, so she stops all of her treatment. Unfortunately, this turns out not to be true and ends up costing her her life. The Mulls are learning to survive in non-isolation and have moved to town. The two kids have started going to school and are doing well. Clarence is having a harder time than the rest of the family. Jurea has reconstructive surgery on her face and the changes are just too much for Clarence to handle. So, he goes back to the forest, but he soon starts to come around. Oh, and Blythe and Daniel have always seemed like such a nice couple but decide to confess after everyone thinks Daniel's having an affair with Sarah, that they are in fact brother and sister.
personal thoughts/opinions: WOW! I DEFINITELY liked this book better than Deep In the Valley!!! So many things happened in this book. I'm so glad Jim is here to stay and can't wait to hear more about their pregnancy and getting married. I didn't really like Sarah in the beginning, but when I got to the TWIST in the story, my feelings changed and I felt that Blythe was being pretty selfish. I also thought that Susan and Julianna were being pretty catty for being PROUD of running Pastor Wickham out of town. I wanted to reach through the pages and strangle Chris....I CANNOT Stand parents who let their kids get away with murder!!! I thought it was pretty chauvanistic for John not to want Susan to work and wanted to strangle him on a few occasions too. And Honestly, I could've done without the whole Myrna storyline.....that just didn't seem to fit this perfect little town.
What did you like best about the book? how there were actual STORYLINES....In the first book in the series everything seemed to run together.
What didn’t you like about the book? Some of the people....I wanted to strangle some of them!
why you read it? because I recently read this author's other series and wanted to try this one too.
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own? It was recommended to me by friends in Bookloversgroup (online group on yahoo)
Would you recommend it to others? yes I definitely would
Do you want to read more books by this author? yes
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! I can only hope that the next book in the series will be as good as this one was.
Was this book what you expected? yes, maybe it even exceeded my expectations
What book are you planning to read next? While I track down, Down By the River, the third and last book in the Grace Valley Trilogy, I will Like Dandelion Dust by Karen Kingsbury. I've been wanting to read that book FOREVER!

I give Just over the Mountain 5/5!!!

Some Kind of Wonderful by Debbie Macomber

Basically John McFarland blackmails Charles Lovin into sending his daughter Judy to John's island. Once she arrives there, they fall in love, but it takes them forever to admit their feelings. John is quite the beast and lashes out to Judy on several occasions. Judy eventually gets a letter from home saying her brother is getting married and decides she wants to go home. However, John refuses to allow her to leave, which forces Judy to change her mind about him and ignore him at all costs. He finally agrees to let her go home, and it isn't until Judy gets home that she realizes how much she really loves John. She ends up going back to the island to marry John.

My thoughts:

In the beginning of the book, I wasn't so sure. But I stuck with it, and ended up liking it. I really liked Judy and I could definitely see her with a house ful of kids someday. I didn't really have much of an opinion about her family, because I didn't read much about them. However, I think the sister in law really helped Judy to realize her true feelings. Now....my feelings on John are somewhat mixed. I did think he was pretty selfish and arrogant, and there were times when I wished I could reach right through the pages and strangle him. BUT, I also saw a really sweet side. It was obvious, as much as he denied it, that he really loved Judy and lived to make her happy. I was tought when he built the school and the Doctor's office. I figured they would end up together, but the story should've ended with their wedding. SO thats MY review. I don't regret reading it....I plan to read ALL of Debbie Macomber's books someday and now I can cross this off my list. As far as ratings go, I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Deep In the Valley by Robyn Carr

# of book read so far this year: 30

Title: Deep In the Valley

Author: Robyn Carr

Date Finished: 6/6/08

Genre: Contemporary Romance

# of pages: 378

Series: Grace Valley Trilogy.
blurb: We got to know the residents of Grace Valley. Grace Valley is set in California, near the Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity Counties. This is only a few hours away from where I live? Grace Valley is a very small town, where every knows each other and watches out for each other. Some of the main characters in this book were Tom Toopeek, June Hudson, her dad Elmer Hudson, the Craven family, and John Stone. John is new to Grace Valley and he's the OB-GYN. June has doubts about him in the beginning and suspects he has a past that includes Sexual Assualt charges,. Luckily, discovers she was wrong. June meets Jim, an undercover DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) Agent who shows up once in awhile. Gus Craven is an abusive father and husband, and his wife ends up killing him in self-defence.
personal thoughts/opinions: I must say I was a bit disappointed. I liked the Virgin River Series muchbetter. I will definitely read the other two books. I wrote out a list of all the characters so I could remember who's who (in another entry).I really did like all the characters though....well except for Gus Craven. And I noticed there sure seemed to be a lot of blame and accusation going on?
What did you like best about the book? I like the small town feel and how everyone knows each other.
What didn’t you like about the book? I noticed there seemed to be a lot of accusation and blame going on in this book.
why you read it? I loved the Virgin River Series so much that I was excited to read this series too.
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own? It was recommended to me by Bookloversgroup (online group on yahoo.com)
Would you recommend it to others? yes I would
Do you want to read more books by this author? definitely
Does it remind you of other books you’ve already read?
Did you find it hard to stay interested in this book? not as much as the Virgin River series did
Was this book what you expected? ummmm I really didn't know WHAT I was expecting, so yeah I guess so.
What book are you planning to read next? between the time I finished the book and the time I posted this entry. I have started the second book in the Grace Valley Series, Just Over the Mountain and also started and finished Some Kind of Wonderful by Debbie Macomber.

I rated this book 3.5/5

Who's Who In Grace Valley

Grace Valley sits in the corner of three counties: Mendocino, Trinity, and Humboldt counties. It's population is 1,565.

June Hudson- Grew up in Grace Valley. Town Doctor. Daughte of Marilyn and Elmer Hudson. Member of Quilters Circle

Jim- Undercover DEA Agent. June's "Secret" boyfriend

Elmer Hudson- Retired Doctor. June's dad. Member of Poker group.

Myrna Hudson Claypool- Elmer's sister. 84 Years old. Raised Elmer since he was 2 years old. Lives in the Hudson Family Home. Writes Fiction. Member of Poker group.

Charles Hudson- Myrna and Elmer's Dad. Rich banker from San Francisco.

John Stone- forty years old, new to Grace Valley, OB-GYN. Wife's name is Susan and they have a 6 year old daughter named Sydney.

Mull Family- Clarence Mull- Father, Jurea- Mother, and Children, Clinton (16), Wanda (13). Clinton looses his foot after being stepped on by a donkey.

Tom Toopeek- Police Chief. Married to Ursula for 18 years. Children are Tanya (15),

Ursula Toopeek- 8th grade teacher. Member of the Quilters Circle.

Philana and Lincoln Toopeek- Tom's parents. Philana is member of the Quilter's Circle.

Gus Craven- mean old man!. He and his wife, Leah, have five sons. Lives in Farm in upper Mendocino County near the Humboldt County line.

Ricky Rios- Thirty years old, Deputy police officer.

Corsica Rios- Ricky's mother. County social worker. Member of Quilter's Circle.

Lee Stafford- Thirty years old, Deputer Police Officer.

Charlotte Burnham- 60 year old Nurse. Married to Bud. Has 6 children.

Jessica Wiley- Clerk-receptionist in the Drs office. Twenty Years old. got her GED and will soon start school to become a nurse or Physician's Assistant. Youngest member of Quilter's Circle.

Christine Baker- sixteen years old. Married to Gary and pregnant with her first child. From Down River.

Johnathan Wickham- Pastor of Grace Valley. Has lived in Grace Valley for less than a year. Moves away from Grace Valley after offending a lot of women.

Burt and Syl Crandall- Own the Bakery. Burt is member of the Poker group.

Mike and Julianna Dickson- deliver their 5th baby. Julianna is best friends with Susan Stone.


Mikos Silva- Lives on a farm between Trinity and King Mountain Ranges. has 3 children, 2 boys and a girl...Greg, Stuart, and Maria. recently lost his wife. 78 years old. Has some heart problems.

Judge Forrest- town Judge. Judge is member of the poker group.

Birdie Forrest- Judge's wife. Marilyn Hudson's best friend. June's Godmother. Member of Quilters Circle.

Chris Forrest- Judge and Birdie's son. New to Grace Valley. Seperated from his wife Nancy. Father of twin 14 year old boys, Brad and Brent

Jerry Powell- local psychologist. Has lived in Grace Valley for a few years.

George Fuller-

Sam Cussler- owns the gas station. Marries Justine. Member of poker group.

Amelia and Endeara Batstow- TWINS. Myrna's maids and cooks

Charlie McNiel- Liaison/Nurse for the VA office.

Laura Robertson-

Greg Silva- Mikos' son. Policeman in Redding.

Justine- Owns the Flower Shop. Youngest of five girls.

Standard Roberts- Justine's father. Owns the flower field.

Harry Shipton- new pastor in Grace Valley.

Blythe and Daniel Culley- led everyone to believe they were husband and wife, but eventually confess that they are brother and sister. The own a Horse Breeding/Boarding/training business on their ranch.

Sarah Kelleher- Artist. Has lived in Grace Valley for 10 years. gets engaged to Daniel.

Change of Heart BY Jodi Picoult

# of book read so far this year: 29

Title: Change of Heart

Author: Jodi Picoult

Date Finished: 5/18/08

Genre: Contemporary fiction

# of pages: 447

Series: ~~~~~
blurb: Shay is accused of murdering Elizabeth and her stepfather, Kurt Nealon. He is sentenced to Death. Several years later, Elizabeth's sister, Claire, is dying of a heart condition, and Shay wants to donate his heart to her once he is executed. However, if he is executed by means of lethal injection, his heard will not be able to be donated. So, they petition to have him hanged instead. It is during the trial, though, that June, Claire's mom, finds out that Shay shot Kurt out of self-defense when he found him molesting Emily, and they started fighting, and Elizabeth got in the way and was also shot.
personal thoughts/opinions: I didn't like this book at all. I didn't like the way it went from person to person. I found that to be too confusing. I didn't like all the emphasis on religion. I thought that was way too drawn out. It took forever just to get at least halfway through the book and I found myself reading it just so I could be done with it and move on to the next book. I ended up skimming through the second half of the book. I was expecting something more like My Sister's Keeper, that would focus more on the background of the family.
What did you like best about the book? Unfortunately, with this book, it's hard to find even one thing
What didn’t you like about the book? probably the whole plot
why you read it? Well I've read several of Jodi Picoult's books before and enjoyed them. I was excited when I found out this book was going to be released, but I was really disappointed.
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own?
Would you recommend it to others? probably not
Do you want to read more books by this author? I definitely want to read more of her books. I really like her books, just not this one.
Does it remind you of other books you’ve already read? no
Did you find it hard to stay interested in this book? yes it was very difficult, which is why I skimmed through the second half
Was this book what you expected? no, I expected something more along the lines of My Sister's Keeper, that focused more on the family.
What book are you planning to read next? All We Know of Heaven by Jacquelyn Mitchard

Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber

# of book read so far this year: 28

Title: Twenty Wishes

Author: Debbie Macomber

Date Finished: 5/12/08

Genre: romance

# of pages: 360

Series: Blossom Street #4
blurb: a group of widowed ladies, who have become friends, get together one Valentine's Day and they each decide to make a list of 20 wishes to help themselves get through the grief of losing their loved ones. Anne Marie Roche, owner of Blossom Street Books, wants to learn to knit, fall in love, and do something good for someone else. She becomes a lunch buddy to Ellen, who lives with her grandmother. Then, when Ellen's grandmother gets sick, Anne Marie takes care of her while grandma is in the hospital. Eventually Grandma goes hom and Ellen goes back to live with her grandma. Then, grandma dies and Ellen goes back to Marie as a foster child, and Anne Marie soon decides to adopt Ellen. Once the adoption is final Anne Marie and Ellen take a trip to Paris, which was another one of Anne Marie's Twenty Wishes. Barbie, who works in a dress shop, lost her husband and father in a plane crash, and she has twin boys. Her wishes include taking Bellydancing lessons and falling in love again. She runs into a guy named Mark in the movie theater, who is in a wheelchair and turns out to be really grumpy. It is because of Barbie's persistence that they fall in love with each other. Lillie, Barbie's mom buys herself a red BMW, and falls in love with a guy who works in the car dealership. Eventually, they also fall in love.
personal thoughts/opinions: I thought this a was a cute book...it wasn't as good as I thought it would be but I still liked it. It made me want to make my own list of wishes, and I now have 12...I'm aiming for 20 wishes just like these ladies did.
What did you like best about the book? I liked the idea of making a list of wishes and remember to enjoy life
What didn’t you like about the book? the book was a bit slow in the beginning. And I was hoping there'd be more mention of the characters from past books in the series. I also noticed that the book concentrated on Anne Marie, Lillie, and Barbie, and hardly at all on Elise.
Who was you favorite character/least favorite character and why? My favorite character was Barbie and I loved reading about how she always tried to follow Mark around. That sounds like something I would do!
why you read it? I love Debbie Macomber and I've read all the blossom street books so far and I wanted to read this one too!
Was this book recommended to you or did you find it on your own? I ALWAYS keep up with Debbie's new/upcoming releases so I found out about this one on my own.
Would you recommend it to others? yes I would
Do you want to read more books by this author? oh I definitely plan to. I have several of her books in my collection at home waiting to be read, and there are several upcoming releases that I plan to read as well.
Does it remind you of other books you’ve already read? I don't think it does
Did you find it hard to stay interested in this book? no
Was this book what you expected? yes pretty much
What book are you planning to read next? Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult