Summer at Tiffany

This was a fun memoir that I came across kinda by accident as I was looking down the memoir aisle at the local library. It's a story about 2 college age girls from Iowa that spend their summer college break in NYC during 1945. They set out with hardly any money and no summer job secured but with loads of ambition to live the summer of their dreams. As I read this it made me wonder if I would have liked growing up in a war time America. I really enjoyed this quick read and would recommend reading this charming adventure of these 2 friends.

Hinds Feet on High Places

We've actually had two copies of this book sitting in our bookcase for who knows how long, but I never got around to reading it until this last fall when it was recommended to me by my counselor. It's a classic (written in 1955), but I don't think it will ever lose it's relevance. You should know that this isn't just some story about a woman - it's an allegory for the relationship between us and Jesus, and the process by which we are molded (the hardships and joys we experience on earth). I could definitely relate to the character (Much-Afraid) and her journey, but I will say that the allegory got confusing for me at times. Not a book for casual reading, as it can get pretty deep, but definitely a book I would recommend.

~sf

love walked in

This book easily found it's way to the top of my favorites list! I'm absolutely in love with the author's writing style - you feel as though you're having an intimate conversation with a best friend. Even the story was different, not at all your typical love story, but beautiful and heart-warming nonetheless. You'll fall in love with the characters the way the author intended and find it very difficult to put down. I don't really want to give anything away... so I'll just finish by saying that this book is a must-read!

~sf

(Review originally posted at http://fivewivesandabook.blogspot.com/2011/09/love-walked-in.html)

Sarah's Key

As with almost every book written about the Holocaust, Nazi occupation or anything to do with either World War - you know going into it that the story won't be all fluff and happiness. So I knew it would be sad, which it was to some degree, but I didn't expect such a wonderfully written story of secrets. This book had so many layers - past and present, multiple families, historically accurate events and fictional characters - that you don't usually see in a book of this time period. It was so riveting that I couldn't put it down, despite the horrors and heartaches that come with World War stories. The author did a fantastic job of weaving all the elements together, and while the ending wasn't "feel-good", it suited the story perfectly by showing that redemption and forgiveness are possible by honoring your past.

~sf

(Review originally posted at http://fivewivesandabook.blogspot.com/2011/08/sarahs-key.html)

One Day

I did not like this book! While the writing style was interesting, I would not say that this is a story to read if you're looking for a happy-Hollywood-ending. Kind of like the feeling you get when you go to see a movie with high expectations, and it turns out to be not that great... making you wish you could get your money back. I literally wanted to throw this book across the room when I finished. Sorry, but it's true! Ok, so there were pretty funny parts, and you get very attached to the characters through the extremely real quality of the writing. But the ending was miserably frustrating and goes against everything I believe about there being hope in the worst of circumstances.

~sf

(Review originally posted at http://fivewivesandabook.blogspot.com/2011/08/one-day.html)

modoc

The story of Modoc and Bram is unbelievable! They endure so much over the course of their lives that you almost don't believe it's real. Their connection with one another is incredibly heartwarming, and the experiences they share make for a beautiful story when told by the animal trainer that brought them back together after a sudden and unexpected separation. While I liked the book, but I did not like the author's writing style. The sentences were short and very non-descriptive. Some may like this writing style, but I wasn't a fan. It was the love between animal and human that redeemed this book in the end.

~sf

(Review originally posted at http://fivewivesandabook.blogspot.com/2011/07/modoc.html)

the curious incident of the dog in the night-time

I've had few personal experiences with someone with autism, but I've seen them portrayed in movies and on television. The little boy Christopher in this book is quirky, smart, and very passionate about the things that interest him. But he also seems to be very robotic and almost incapable of true emotion. This, however, couldn't be farther from the truth. The most interesting, and eye-opening part of the story to me was when Christopher describes having two "Black Days" in a row (a "Black Day" is what he considers a bad day - after seeing four yellow cars in a row on his way to school, yellow being his least favorite color)...

"The next day I saw 4 yellow cars in a row on the way to school, which made it a Black Day... And the next day, too, I saw 4 yellow cars in a row on the way to school, which made it another Black Day... But on the third day I kept my eyes closed all the way to school until we got off the bus because after I have had 2 Black Days in a row I'm allowed to do that."

His logic for a bad day may not make any sense to us, but how often do we allow ourselves to "close our eyes", simply to have a break from that which bothers us? I really liked this book, and thought the writing was fantastic. The author made the Christopher and his adventures come alive.

~sf

(Review originally posted at http://fivewivesandabook.blogspot.com/2011/07/curious-incident-of-dog-in-night-time.html)

Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married

This book was actually recommended to me and my husband by my mom of all people! We're not having any marital problems (as one might assume) but it's actually just a good book to read when you're married, or even just dating or single. The author goes through a lot of the marriage basics that we learned about in pre-marital counseling, so most of the information isn't new to us but rather a nice refresher course on maintaining a healthy marriage. The author also wrote the famous "5 Love Languages" series, so he ties that in with this book. I would recommend this book to anyone, and if you're married, I would suggest that you try to get your spouse to read along with you. It's good information, but would be better used if you're both willing to talk through it and apply it to your own relationship.

~sf