Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Celeste Ng is a genius with complex human emotions and relationships.  This books deals with heart rending pain from the different angles of a family torn apart seemingly by the tragic death of a child.  However as the book delves into each family member's reaction to the death we see that this family was actually fractured long before the death occurred.  The real beauty of this book is that the raw, ragged pain leads to a deeper understanding and healthier love.  It also shows that love while real can also be wounding to another when misunderstood or misplaced in its emphasis on the wrong things.  I could not do justice to this book no matter how glowing of a review I write.  You just have to see for yourself.  One word of caution:  This is an extremely painful book to read and I could hardly bare to turn each page to read more as tears streamed down my face and yet at the same time I couldn't stop reading because I had to know more of WHY?  The whys and yes I do mean plural, grow more and more painful and yet the ending of this book is so beautiful that when I finished reading the book I thought, "Well done Ms Ng!" and wanted to give her a standing ovation as more tears streamed down my face.

Among the Fair Magnolias by Tamera Alexander, Shelley Gray, Dorothy Love and Elizabeth Musser

A perfect snippet of  romance Southern Belle style!  Also a wonderful way to find out if you enjoy an author by reading a book with four different authors each writing a novella.  And this book will not disappoint you.  Four great authors with four stories you won't want to miss.

Tamera Alexander has become one of my new favorite authors.  When you read her story "To Mend a Dream" you will know exactly what I mean.  She never fails to have a marvelous mixture of a gripping tale, spiritual encouragement and awe inspiring dialogue between characters.  I find myself writing bits and pieces of her character's conversations in my prayer journal to remind myself of spiritual truths she presents in story form.  She is such a wonderful author I have to give her this paragraph all to herself while reviewing Among Fair Magnolias.

I invite you to read this book and discover all four of these authors if you've never read them before and if they are already among your favorites well you know you just can't miss this book!

The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah E. Ladd

A peek into the early 1800s this book describes the drastic differences between the lords and ladies and the working classes of England.  I found the description of a curiosity shop fascinating.  I had no idea such a thing existed way back in the 1800s.  The contrast with Camille's life experiences and those of the Gilchrist children was amazing.  I enjoyed the way the author portrayed Camille.  While she was a gentle, unassuming soul she did not lack courage, determination or intelligence.  The way she thought her way through the many complications that arose in this story was believable and interesting to read.  I was happy that Camille wasn't just another female who needed to be rescued but figured out a lot of things on her own.  I would recommend this book and this author to others.

I received this book free from BookLook for my honest review and was not required to write a positive review.

Her Brother’s Keeper by Beth Wiseman

Dealing with a very hard topic in a tender, beautifully spiritually comforting way – Ms Wiseman takes the reader through a journey in grief to consolation and recovery.

Charlotte decides that if no one else wants to explore the reasons for her brother’s death, she will be the one to find out once and for all what really happened.  She disguises herself as an Amish cousin and imbeds herself totally in the lifestyle and in the home of her brother’s fiancee’s family.  As she begins to uncover bits and pieces of the mystery of her brother’s life and love among the Amish community she also discovers things about herself that she’s kept shoved down inside.  Charlotte is surprised by what she learns about her brother but even more so by what she finds in the home of Hannah, the young woman who loved her brother. 

This book teaches a profound truth that even when we are not looking for God – He is always searching for us and wooing us to Him.  God understands our woundedness and true longings  and gives us the desires of our heart through our relationship with Him.