Slices of Life by Judy Baer

Enjoyment Score 1
A cute book about small town life at a bed and breakfast called Grace Chapel Inn located in Pennsylvania.

Faith Score 3

Purpose Score 2
I consider the strong faith displayed by the characters in this book to be the purpose.

Page-turner Score 2

Tearjerker Score 1

Book Review Scores

Below is a description of each review category. Each category is rated on a scale of 1-3. Each score is based solely on the opinion of the reviewer.

Enjoyment Score

The enjoyment score is a measure of how much I personally like a book. A 1,2 or 3 is an acceptable score. I read fiction books for enjoyment. If I am not enjoying or cannot get into a book, I usually don't finish it. I will not review any books that I do not read completely. Also, I do not want to use this site to berate any books. Many times I read great reviews for a book and then find that I don't enjoy it. As I've said in an earlier post, we all have different tastes and this site contains reviews of books that I like and enjoy.

1 A good book and I recommend it to readers.

2 A great book and I highly recommend it to readers.

3 A fantastic (exceptional, outstanding, terrific, etc.) book and I highly encourage you to read it.

The next two scoring categories are Faith and Purpose. Neither category has a good or a bad score associated with it. Both of these categories are to inform the reader about the content of the book.

Faith Score

There are many types of books labeled "Christian fiction." If you pick up a Christian fiction book, you know that the book will not contain crude language, graphic violence or explicit sex scenes. One thing that can vary widely in Christian fiction books is the amount of faith (I am using the term "faith" to include faith, christian principles, the gospel message, etc.) displayed in each book. I have read multiple articles and posts expounding on Christian fiction in general. I find that there are basically two schools of thought on this subject. You either like Christian fiction because of the faith displayed in a book or you don't like Christian fiction because of the faith that is displayed. The faith score is a measure of the faith found in each book. Personally, I like books with a high faith score and learn a lot about living the Christian life from them.

1 A good clean book with little or no faith prinicples found.

2 Faith principles are evident throughout the book but are not the main plot or focus of the storyline.

3 Faith principles are an integral part of the characters and/or plot; however, the faith or Christian principles may or may not be the purpose of the book.

Purpose Score

The Bible contains numerous parables and stories that Jesus used to help us understand various principles of the Christian life. This same principle is used by numerous Christian fiction authors who write not only for our entertainment but, for our education.

1 A book written primarily for entertainment.

2 A purpose/s is somewhat evident in the book.

3 The purpose/s of the book are clearly evident and often make a lasting impression on the reader.

The last two score categories are self explanatory.

Page-turner Score

1 A book that I read at a slow or slower than normal pace.

2 A book that I read at a normal pace.

3 A can't put down, have to find out what happens, read in a day book.

Tearjerker Score

1 No tissues required.

2 Produces an occasional tear, one or two tissues required.

3 A real tearjerker, keep the tissue box handy.

My Views on Reviews

I love to spend time on the web reading reviews of Christian fiction books. I have found several good blogs that regularly post reviews and I also frequent the web site Christian Fiction Review. Many reviews only give an overview of the book. I like when the reviewer lets me know if they did or didn't enjoy the book. Tim Frankovich at Christian Fiction Review gives an overview of the book and then highly recommends, recommends, mildly recommends or on rare occasion does not recommend each book.

Occasionally I find that I don't like books that others are raving about. It just goes to show you that God has made each of us different and has given us different tastes. I would have to say that my favorite books are contemporary fiction followed by romance. I like some historical books, but generally prefer a more modern setting. I also enjoy Christian chick-lit. This genre of books appears to be growing every day. Next on my list of what I like to read is suspense/mystery and biblical fiction. My least favorites are fantasy and science fiction books.

From now on my reviews are going to look a little different. I am going to score each book on several different factors. Each of the scores will be based on my personal opinion of each book. The most important score will be the enjoyment score. It will be followed by the faith score, purpose score, page-turner score and finally the tearjerker score.

Be sure to check out my next post for a detailed explanation of the scoring system I am going to use.

Amanda by Debra White Smith

Amanda is the fifth book in Debra White Smith's Austen series. This book is the retelling of Jane Austen's Emma. I found this book to be just as enjoyable as the first four books of this series. This book is a classic romance story. Almost from the beginning you think you know (and are hoping) how the story will end and that's o.k. because it's such an enjoyable journey with likeable characters.

Amanda, Austen Series #5 By Debra White Smith / Harvest House Publishers

A Vow to Cherish by Deborah Raney

The other day as I was reading Deborah Raney's site http://www.deborahraney.blogspot.com I discovered that her novel A Vow to Cherish is being reissued in an updated format around the first of June. I've never read the original version but have enjoyed several of her other novels so I decided to check and see if it was available at the public library. I was in luck.

A Vow to Cherish is a poignant love story that depicts a realistic illustration of living with Altzheimer's disease. This book is a quick can't put down read. Be prepared to shed a few tears and to examine your attitudes and beliefs regarding the true meaning of the marriage vows "to death do us part".

Review of The Beach House by Sally John

A real woman has a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, a hammer and a black lace bra. A real woman knows how to confront a friend without ruining a friendship. These are a couple of examples from Grandmere Babett's list on how to be a real woman that helped shape the lives of four childhood friends who spent many hours at her home while growing up.

These four friends rekindle their childhood friendship during a week long vacation. Oh, what a vacation it turns out to be. Unbeknownst to each other at the start of the week, each woman is struggling with a different life issue.

Jo is an Ob-gyn doctor, never married, former alcoholic who realized on her fortieth birthday that something is missing from her life. She orchestrated and planned the reunion.

Molly is married to a pastor and the mother of four children. Best words to describe her are: superwoman, hormonal and prayer warrior. Molly wants more from life than to just be a pastor's wife and mother.

Andie has two teenage children and is married to a philandering husband. Andie is scared and timid about everything in her life especially this vacation.

Char is best described as a Georgia peach. She calls everyone sugar and talks with a southern twang. She is married with two children. She is bored with her marriage and flirting with her next door neighbor.

Jo has arranged their accommodations through a third party and is a little surprised when they arrive at the beach house they have rented. It is a uniquely painted cottage scrunched between modern buildings on each side. In the book the women describe it as looking like a huge foot wearing a rumpled sock. Inside they find an eclectically decorated house that is warm and inviting.

There seems to be something special and familiar about this house and this reunion of friends. Is it because of the previous owner Faith Fontaine? Maybe it's because of the next door neighbor who keeps appearing unexpectedly and has this uncanny way of connecting with the women. There is also a street preacher (or maybe I should say beach preacher) who can look at you with eyes that seem to penetrate your soul. Maybe it's because the house is very reminiscent of Grandmere Babette's apartment years ago or it could be because of all the praying that Molly is doing. Possibly it's a combination of all the above.

Sally John uses these characters and this story to touch on a multitude of subjects. It's about friendships of women, being forty, hormones, change, self discovery, dreams destroyed, dreams renewed, faith, God's plan for your life and surrender to God's plan for your life. If you are forty, soon to be forty or have been forty I think you will identify with these women and their struggles and victories.

The Beach House is the first book in the Beach House Series. I can't wait to see who visits the Beach House next.

The Beach House, Beach House Series #1 By Sally John

Review of Bette by Lyn Cote

I've just finished reading Bette by Lyn Cote. This is the second book in The Women of Ivy Manor series. This is a historical romance that takes place during the World War II era. Bette is a young woman engaged to be married just as the war starts. The story revolves around Bette and the uncertain times that she is living in. This book held my attention and was a quick read.