You had me at Goodbye by Tracey Bateman

Summary: Dancy Ames loves books. She is an editor for a publishing company is even working on her own novel. When Jack Quinn, her brother's best friend, sweeps in and takes her job, Dancy is at a loss for what exactly to do next. Should she work on her book, keep working for free at the little coffee shop, or just mooch off of her rich parents who are reuniting? Add a long lost half brother and a brother who is getting her dream condo, and Dancy's life is pretty much in turmoil. Will she surrender to the plans God has for her or keep fighting for what she thinks she wants?




My thoughts: I enjoyed this book. I love stories about people who fall in love with someone they've known all their lives. In addition to the love story, the storyline of Dancy's relationship with Nick, who fills the role of father since Dancy's dad is self-absorbed, is a strong one. Brandon, Dancy's long lost brother, is a nice supporting character.

Find the book on Amazon: You had Me at Goodbye

Reality Check by Jen Calonita

Summary: Charlie (short for Charlotte) and her three friends become the stars of a new reality teen TV show featuring their lives in a small town. When the cameras start rolling, the girls' friendship is tested as they find out that reality TV is more like "scripted" TV. Relationships are strained, and friendships are broken as the girls juggle their TV persona with their true feelings. Is the luxury of fame worth the price of your self-worth?

My thoughts: I'm a huge Jen Calonita fan. I like how she balances Hollywood life with normal girls. Many teens idolize the reality stars they see on TV, and this book gives a fictional inside look at how things on "reality" TV aren't always what they see.

The book also delves into the dilemma of how much of yourself do you have to give up to be famous. The end of the book has a powerful message as Charlie and her friends have to decide if the price of fame is too high.

Reality Check on Amazon Check out the book on Amazon!

Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers

I loved this book! Francine Rivers is always impressive, and I loved how she dealt with both the relationship between Marta and her father and then Marta and her own daughter. Growing up with an abusive father determined to keep Marta in her "place", Marta flees and works hard to create a life for herself. Set in the early 1900s, Marta must overcome obstacles for women in general in addition to the shackles that bind her to her family.
When she falls in love and has her own daughter, Marta becomes much like her father: hard and unrelentingly demanding on her daughter, who is meek and mild. While Marta fears her daughter will be limited in life because of her shyness, Hildemara must learn to be her own woman just like her mother did years before.
One of the most powerful bonds in life is the one between a mother and a daughter. It can either be one of the most beloved relationships or one of the most toxic, and this novel is a beautiful portrayal of that relationship from both sides.
I can't wait to read the second book in the series.

Find this book on Amazon: Her Mother's Hope on Amazon.com

Writing a Book

When I taught language arts, I loved writing stories with my students. I had my students each "publish" a book through StudenTales Publishing, and I used to love writing the stories and having my friend Jessica illustrate them for me. Now that I'm out of the classroom and in the library, I've missed writing. So, around Thanksgiving, I started writing a book. I've written about 15,000 words so far, and I'm enjoying it.
Even if it never gets published, it's fun to write. We'll see what happens. :)

Perfectly Dateless by Kristin Billerbeck

In Kristin Billerbeck's first YA book, she shares the story of Daisy, a sheltered teen, who just wants a prom date. I was very excited about this book since I have been a fan of Kristin's for several years and since YA books are my favorite (teaching middle school does that to you). I was slightly disappointed. The plot line of a sheltered young girl wanting to fit in is a great start, but the book didn't have much spark. It took me a few weeks to finish because I just wasn't that interested in the characters or what would happen to them.
The qualities that make Kristin such a great writer (unique voice and colorful characters) aren't in this book. Daisy isn't well-developed, and the high school private school is unrealistic (at least compared to my private high school experience).
Another reason Kristin is one of my favorite authors is that she doesn't "preach" in her books, but this book felt like there was an agenda, which is annoying, especially to teens.
Overall, the book is pretty good. Writing adult chick lit is different from writing YA books, and I think Kristin's second YA book will be much better!

Double Shot by Erynn Mangum



Double Shot starts where Latte Daze ends: Maya and Jack are engaged and now planning a life together. Maya must plan a wedding (planning not being her strong point) in just a few short months while figuring out what God has planned for her and Jack. A possible move away from her family and friends along with complications with Kate’s pregnancy (I won't spoil what happens) teach Maya to trust God even when His ways don’t make sense on her sticky notes.




One of the best things about this series is the relationships between characters. Maya’s family and friends are some of the best supporting characters I’ve read in a while, and this book left me wondering what will happen with Ethan, Andrew, and Jen. I hope these characters will pop up in later books. Erynn captures these relationships through her dialogue; the banter between characters feels authentic and makes the characters come alive.



Erynn Mangum ended the Maya Davis series with a burst of caffeine. This final book was the best in the series with Jack and Maya finally tying the knot. Erynn also accomplished what she does so well: writing a book that teaches a spiritual truth while still entertaining a reader with well-developed characters who are unique and funny.



**This book was given to me by NavPress for reviewing. (Thanks so much!)

Hurricanes in Paradise by Denise Hildreth

In Hurricanes in Paradise, four women meet on an island, and their worlds are forever changed when they must confront their pasts and learn to live again. Riley, a hotel manager, must deal with three high maintenance clients, each with a past of hurt much like her own. When their lives become linked, the women confront their past and learn to heal and to move on.


Denise Hildreth captures the personalities of strong yet vulnerable women perfectly. She tackles the painful situations of life gracefully. At times, there was a little too much drama: how many bad things can really happen to four women? The theme of forgiveness for the past and healing for the future was evident, but it could have been achieved with more realistic problems. (I don't want to give away the ending by being more specific!)

Overall, this is a good read. I would especially recommend it to a woman who is feeling the guilt of yesterday's mistakes!

Unlocked by Karen Kingsbury

My thoughts: This is Karen Kingsbury's best book. In this book, Karen delves into the world of autism. Instead of focusing on the debate on whether or not autism is a result of too many vaccinations (although Holden's mom believes that is the cause of Holden's withdrawal), she focuses on the family and relationship dynamics that are affected by autism.


Holden, the protagonist, is locked inside of himself. Through his thoughts, the reader gets a glimpse of the struggle between what he feels and what he can express. When he "meets" Ella, who is really his childhood friend, Holden begins to find a way to express himself: music. Their relationship develops despite educators who don't believe Holden can break out of his autism and bullies who prey on anyone who is different.

The novel also takes the reader into the strain stereotypes of autism put on families and even friendships. Ella's parents fear their daughter may "catch" the autistic traits Holden displays and therefore distance themselves from Holden's family. Holden's mother and father struggle to deal with the change in their son and drift apart from one another.

Music, the universal language, draws all of the characters together. Music often speaks for us when we can't find the words, and it is through music that Holden finds his voice.

My Little Phony by Lisi Harrison

Summary: In this installment of the Clique series, Claire has finally broken free from Massie's hold, forming her own group of friends and introducing a new "Clair-a" where people are free to be themselves.


My thoughts: This may be my favorite Clique book so far. I have always seen the underlining theme in the series: that girls in a clique are just like regular girls and are probably even more insecure. This book had that idea come full circle as Massie finally realizes what it's like to be on the outside looking in and what real friendship is. I'm looking forward to the last book in the series.


This series is a good read for middle school girls. It opens a dialogue about fitting in and what lengths girls will go to be popular.

Latte Daze by Erynn Mangum

Summary from back of book: Maya Davis already has many titles--Christian, barista, maid of honor (new), possible girlfriend (newer)--and her life is about to become even more complicated. Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, her ex-boyfriend proposes to her roommate and best friend, Jen. It's not long until their apartment becomes Wedding Central. As if that weren't enough, Jen's obnoxious mom moves in to help plan the wedding, and Maya's genius brother and sister-in-law announce that they're expecting. Then to top it off, there's the whole matter of Jack---is it love? Who wouldn't need a coffee break!

My thoughts: I am a huge Erynn Mangum fan. I've loved all of her books, and this one is no exception. Her writing voice is fun, and her characters are too. Erynn is also one of the best about including a spiritual concept or truth without sounding preachy. The new character of Ethan was a good addition to the cast, and I am eager to see what happens with him in book three. I also love that this book showed a little more depth in the relationship between Maya and her mom.
While I enjoyed the book (especially the development of Jen's mom), I felt this book moved a little slowly. There are a lot of subplots that could have been developed a little more instead of focusing on food/drink/movie details quite as much. The plot developed, but it didn't move as quickly as I would have liked until the end! The last chapter of the book was the best and left me excited about the release of the third book in the series.