December Reads

December Reads

After completing my final exams I was in no mood to read anything that required any brain power last month.  :)  (I will be sure to make up for this deficit in January.)  My reading in December was incredibly sporadic and really only included about two or three days while we were traveling.  I get really bored on long car trips so I always pack along a few fiction books.

Like a Flower in Bloom by Siri Mitchell:  After devouring Mitchell's book The Messenger I jumped at the opportunity to read another one of her books.  This book was different than I expected.  Surprisingly I thought this book was actually very funny.  I found myself laughing out loud.  I also enjoyed all of the science and botany that the author included throughout the book.  She did a great job of weaving it throughout the story.  Spoiler alert: The only thing I really didn't like about the book was how utterly predictable it was.  The book builds a little slowly and then ends exactly as I predicted it would from page two.  Overall a nice light fiction read perfect for an eleven hour car ride!  Please note that I did receive a review copy of this book from Bethany House.  All opinions are my own.

The River by Beverly Lewis: I have read a number of books by Lewis and have loved almost everyone of them.  This book was so different from the other 15 or so books that I have read over the years from the same author.  Many of the scenarios came across as a little unbelievable if you have read any of her other works.  I did enjoy reading this book of two sisters who left the Amish world but would put it at the bottom of my list of favorites from Beverly Lewis.  If you are new to the wonderful world of Amish Fiction I would skip this one and look at some of her other works.

Child of Mine by David & Beverly Lewis: As I mentioned above I have read most of Beverly Lewis' books over the past ten years.  I thought it was so interesting and sweet that she wrote this book with her husband.  This was one of the books that I took along while visiting family in TX and I am fairly certain that I read the entire book in one day.  It was such a page turner!  Don't start reading this book until you have a little time to devote to it!  This story of heartache, love, betrayal, and forgiveness will leave you guessing to the very end.  This book was thrilling to read and exactly what I would expect from Beverly Lewis.  I hope that the authors write another book together soon.

DIY Type: 50+ Typographic Stencils for Decorating, Crafting, and Gifting by Dana Tanamachi:  This book includes two sets of alphabet stencils and a few ideas on projects to make using the stencils.  The book includes a mere 14 pages filled with ideas.  I would say it is hard to call it an actual book since it is mainly just stencils.  You also have to cut out all of the stencils which makes the book pretty pointless in my mind.  I have a Cricut that will make a stencil much faster and easier than utilizing this book.  For a book that retails for over $20 I really do expect a lot more.  The ideas were incredibly common: decorate a pillow, make a banner, decorate a cake, paint a canvas etc.  I would call myself a "crafty" person who has made a few items using letters (mainly banners) but I just don't see this book earning a permanent place in my library.  Please note that I did receive a free copy of this book from Blogging For Books.  All opinions are my own.

I would love to hear what you have been reading.  What books do you plan on reading in 2015?