Shadows of the Past

Twenty years have passed since Taylor's dad disappeared with nary a trace. Now, as a psychology professor and part-time profiler, she decides to re-visit her dad's case. As Taylor becomes more and more involved in the cold case, things take a turn for the worse and she must try to find the connection between past and present.
While I like the mystery part of this story, I did think some of the romance was a bit over the top. Still, it is totally worth the time! The plot has a lot of delightful twists to it, which makes it a good mystery.:)

Water Walker

When thirteen year old orphaned Alice Ringwald is taken from her foster parents by a strange man who claims her mother is still alive and wants to see her baby girl, Alice's world is forever changed. With the FBI involved, Alice suddenly disappears without a trace.
Five years later, Alice begins to have dreams where she meets the Outlaw and is called the water waIker, which challenges her to really look at her situation and stand up to adversity.
While I liked this one better than the first book in The Outlaw Chronicles, as the story line was (in my opinion) more likeable, it isn't a favorite. Still, I liked the conclusion, and will say that fans of Ted Dekker will be delighted to read this series!

Top Ten Tuesday

Ten Favorite classics

1. A Tale of Two Cities. I think this is my favorite Dickens, thus far, though I need to read Bleak House, since that very well might shoot up to the top of my favorites by him.

2. The Scarlet Pimpernel. This was one of the first classics that I actually got into. It's a shame that the sequels aren't easier to get a hold of! Well, that isn't true, I should say they weren't easy to get a hold of when I was a teen. Now, they are available online for a kindle!

3. Les Miserables. I love this story, since it is such a powerful story of forgiveness.

4. A Picture of Dorian Gray. It's weird, but I love Oscar Wilde. His stories show a depth of morality that he just didn't get in real like. I think Ravi Zacharias' book about him goes along well with Wilde's stories.

5. Shirley. My favorite Bronte sisters novel.:)

6. Persuasion. If you haven't read Jane Austen, I suggest you start here.;)

7. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The nice thing about Sherlock is that his stories are great for boys to get into.

8. Till We Have Faces. Everyone knows about Narnia, but not as many are familiar with Lewis' story about Cupid and Psyche. I love it!

9. The Phantom of the Opera. The book is pretty much always better than the movie. That is true with this one.;)

10. Far from the Maddening Crowd. I don't know why, but I like the tragedy that goes along with Hardy's novels.     

A Draw of Kings

The third and final book in The Staff and The Sword series, the dark forces are gathering against those in Illustria and it seems like there is no way for light to win. Knowing that the herb women in his home town have predicted that one of them will die, both Errol and Liam try to prepare for the worse. In the wake of the king's death, one of them will take the throne and heal their broken country.
I like the conclusion to this wonderful series. It was nice to have Liam in this story, since you don't get the chance to get to know him so well in the first two books. I also like how with both the second and third book has multiple adventures, since the main characters go separate ways to prepare for war. Something I thought was fun is how the author describes the different languages used.:) While I am sad that this series is over, I thought that this was a wonderful conclusion to the series. Well, with the exception that the ending is a tad rushed and could of had a bit more explaining. But, I still highly recommend it!

A Broken Kind of Beautiful

With her twenty fifth birthday approaching and her big contract up, Ivy Clark finds herself desperate to stay on top of the modeling world. When the only job that comes her way is to model wedding dresses for her step mother, it's with a reluctant heart that Ivy agrees. Back in her father's home, where she felt anything but loved, Ivy starts to open herself to relationships with Davis Knight, the fashion photographer turned church maintenance man, and his sister Sara. Could her brokenness turn into a blessed thing of beauty?
I loved this book! It was beautifully written. The characters came alive, so much so that I found myself tearing up at times and then cheering them on at other points. Another wonderful thing about this book is that it has well developed secondary character. But, the best part is the incredible spiritual journey that will leave you looking at your own life to evaluate whether you are living like you believe you've been redeemed. And that's what amazing fiction does, it gets you thinking and has you remembering the characters long after you finish the final page.

Top Ten Tuesday

Top ten popular authors I have never read
1. Stephanie Meyer
I just never got into the whole vampire vs. werewolves thing.

2. John Grisham
I just know he isn't as awesome as Todd Johnson, so why bother?

3. E. L. James
I rather think her books are degrading to women and show a twisted version of love.

4. Margaret Mitchell
As much as I find the Civil War era interesting, the movie adaption of Gone with the Wind was enough for me.

5. Dan Brown
Not interested in his idea of Christ being married.

6. Anne Frank
Somehow, I missed this one in school.

7. Stephen King
My imagination is active enough, thank you very much.;)

8. Rick Riordan
Just haven't taken the time to investigate his novels.

9. Tom Clancy
Military genre just isn't my thing. I read Storming the Black Ice  recently. While it had enough going on, I realized I shouldn't pursue any more like it.

10. Terry Pratchett
I've heard good things from fellow book lovers, but haven't tried one of his novels.

A Stillness of Chimes

When her mom suddenly dies at a young age, Laura Gantt returns to Georgia to go through all her parents belongings. With her mother's passing, rumors have surfaced of people seeing her father, a man who supposedly drowned 12 years before. As Laura, and her old beau seek to find answers to the mysteries surrounding Laura's family, more secrets come to light.
While I thought this book was well written, I didn't care for some parts of the story. The author tackled some hard themes, and did a wonderful job with them, but I liked her other two books better. Still, she writes beautifully and her stories are well developed.