Rainbow's End by Irene Hannon. This was a Christian fiction romance. Honestly, I can't believe I even finished it. I love romance as part of a story, but I don't like a story about romance (if that makes sense). So predictable.


Catching Katie by Robin Lee Hatcher. This was okay. I liked the idea of the story, but it was a little too light and fluffy for me.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. This book is the second in the Hunger Games trilogy. SO GOOD! I could not put this down.

True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In by James Choung. This was a good book. Very thought provoking. It really made me look deeply at some issues.

The Great Divorce by C.S Lewis. What can I say, I absolutely love C.S Lewis's writings. This is an allegorical story about heaven and hell. Very thought provoking, as all his stories are.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. This was pretty good, although I was expecting a little more considering he took 10 years to write this book. Although it was written in the same "race against the clock" format as his previous two, it just didn't carry the same suspense. One of the big twists was easy to figure out early on, and I found myself actually rooting against the good guys in one aspect. Pretty good book though.

Blink by Ted Dekker. This was really good! The characters were very likable and the plot moved really fast, no dull moments at all. And of course, a dash of Ted Dekker's weirdness.

Kind of a short list this month. There were several other books that I started but didn't care to finish. Here are the ones I did:

The Pilgrim's Regress by C.S Lewis. This is an allegorical story of Lewis' own journey to faith. Very good, although some parts were a bit complex and hard to follow. I've seen a book that helps explain this book (sort of like cliff notes), and I might read that.

The Missing by Beverly Lewis. Second in the Seasons of Grace trilogy. This was good, although I have to say it didn't leave much suspense for the next book. Unless she is planning on a huge twist or something in third.

Intervention by Robin Cook. Not his best by far.

Darcy's Story by Janet Aylmer. I've seen several "P&P through Darcy's eyes" books, but this was the first that I actually decided to read. Mostly because it was written in the same chaste style as the original P&P. I think most P&P fans would like this, it almost feels like reading the original again, just from a different view.

This has been a month of sequels as most of these are sequels to other books.

The Golden Road by L.M Montgomery. I have actually had this book for over 10 years. I just needed to get my hands on The Story Girl first! It picked up right where The Story Girl left off. And c'mon it's L.M Montgomery so you know it's good!

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry. On the cover it says it is a companion to The Giver, however, I thought of it as more of a contrast. The two books share no characters. It was a really good book though.

The Messenger by Lois Lowry. Now this book tied Gathering Blue and The Giver together. Also good, although it got a bit weird at the end.

Extras by Scott Westerfeld. This is the fourth book in The Uglies series. I wasn't that anxious to read it, but it was right there at the library so I grabbed it. Turns out it was really good! Better than the second and third even.

Max by James Patterson. Okay, I know I swore I was done with this series but my curiosity got the better of me. The thing about this series is that the characters are very likable even thought the actual stories are kind of dumb.

Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff. This was a story about a poor girl who ends up babysitting for an even poorer teenage mom. The author painted a realistic picture of poverty, but I felt like the whole story was kind of "dumbed down" (which I'm sure is part of the effect she was going for).


The Ruins of Gorlan (The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 1) by John Flanagan. Now this was a good book. If he would of added a bit or romance, it would of been terrific!

The Story Girl by L.M Montgomery. I have waited so long to read this book and finally got it from Paperback Swap. Very good, just like all her others. This is the book that the show "Road to Avonlea" is based off of.

When I Lay My Isaac Down: Unshakable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances by Carol J Kent. A friend recently recommended this book and I really liked it and it left me with a lot to ponder.


Dunkirk Crescendo by Bodie and Brock Thoene. This was #9 in the Zion Covenant series. I had a hard time getting through it because most of my favorite characters were not in it and there was so much war and battle stuff.

Looking For God in Harry Potter by John Granger. John Granger is a Christian homeschooling dad with a literature background who first read HP so he could explain to his daughter why she couldn't. Instead, he found a resonating story that was chalk full of symbolism. Loved this book, and I recommend it to any HP fans. I had no idea of J.K Rowlings extensive literary background and the hidden meanings and symbols she put in her stories.


The Deathly Hallow Lectures by John Granger. This book is not quite as easy-reading as Looking For God but if your a "serious Harry Potter reader" (as the author likes to say), then you would like this book. There is also a lot of info on interpreting literature in general.

Lady Susan by Jane Austen. I had never even heard of this book until my friend mentioned it. It was okay, not nearly as good as her others. I think because it was much shorter and the characters were never really developed.

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. This book was SO good! I might have to get myself a copy of it. I often find myself thinking about many of the concepts and ideas in it.

The Secret by Beverly Lewis. This is the first in her Seasons of Grace series. It was good, I really like the variety of characters in this one and can't wait until the next one is out.

London Refrain by Bodie and Brock Thoene. Number 7 in the Zion Covenant series. This is one of my favorite series ever, so I was excited to see there were three new books added. This was very good, just like the rest of the series.

Paris Encore by Bodie and Brock Thoene. Number 8 in the Zion Covenant. Very good! I'm going to start number nine as soon as I finish updating this blog!

Match Day: One Day and One Dramatic Year in the Lives of Three New Doctors by Brian Eule. As I'm sure I mentioned, I love books about medical school and residency. This book focused on "match day" which is a huge event in the life of a medical student when they learn where they will be doing their residency. At first, I couldn't believe there would be enough about "match day" to write a book, but by the middle of the book I couldn't not wait to see where these doctors had matched!


Plain Girl by Virginia Sorensen. This was a cute book I found at Goodwill about an Amish girl who has to go to school at a regular public school where no other Amish children attend.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I really liked this book...until the end. One of thee most disappointing endings ever.

Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto by Mark R. Levin. My friend wanted me to read this book and it was really good.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.
This was a good book, sort of modern Jane Austen type story, however the ending was not nearly as satisfying as one of Jane Austens. Another disappointing ending.

The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University by Kevin Roose.
I could not put this book down! What happens when an uber liberal enrolls at Jerry Falwell's university and tries to blend in? This is a funny and intriguing book. Kevin Roose is open and honest about his experience there, he brushes it with neither an evil or good view but with an an open mind that is just trying to understand the other side and see if the "God divide" can be overcome.

Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson. This was just okay. Didn't even get very interesting until the end. I don't think I will be reading the next in the series.

Deception Point by Dan Brown. I have to hand it to Dan Brown, he can take things I have absolutely no interest in and make it into a really good story!