What does it mean when you can skip whole paragraphs of a book, and not really miss anything?  I know, I know, how can I criticize Nicholas Sparks?  Who am I to question the king of modern day romantic fiction?  But honestly, I had to flip through the book to remember what it was about, and I read it last week!  It just didn’t make much of an impression on me, and I don’t really want to spend any more time writing about it.

I will say this, if you love Sparks’ typical “formula” for writing books, you won’t be disappointed in this one.  His story about a faithful husband, standing by his wife during the darkest of times is very sweet.  However, I know Sparks is a very capable writer, and I’d love to see him take it to the next level.

I discovered White’s first novel in my weekly Bible study, of all places.  Our normal teacher was gone for the week, and Linda White was asked to step in.  She did a great job leading our study of Romans, and as a bonus for me, I discovered that she was a published author.  White works for our local paper as assistant editorial page editor, and in her free time, has written a mystery set in the Chesapeake Bay.

A few thoughts on the book:

• I enjoyed the history, geography and local information that White includes in her book.  It gives the story a sense of authenticity, and made me want to visit the places she writes about.
• White has written a Christian mystery without including a budding romance as one of the main plot lines.  Has any Christian author ever done that?  It was very refreshing.  I’m all for romance, but there is more to the Christian life than finding the perfect man!
• White addresses the difficult subject of praying for God’s healing.  Why does God sometimes grant healing in a spectacular way, but other times he allows a person to remain sick, or even die?  White tackles this question head-on.
• The suspense part of the book was a little lacking for me.  I felt like the “bad guy” wasn’t quite scary enough, and there wasn’t much surprise as to who it was.

Overall, I enjoyed White’s book.  It was entertaining, well researched, and solid in theology.  I’m looking forward to more from her in the future.

Miranda became pregnant as a teenager, and was forced by her mother to give away her baby. Years later, Miranda can’t stop grieving the loss of her baby. So, with only a photograph as a clue, Miranda sets off in search of her baby, now 11 years old.

Many Christian writers have tackled the subject of adoption. NIchols manages to bring a fresh look at a sensitive subject. She delicately balances the needs of the biological parents, the adoptive parents, and the child herself. But her story goes beyond adoption to the family as a whole. She writes of flawed families trying to love, to reconcile, and to care for each other in spite of the hurt.

Elizabeth Gunnar returns home to teach English at her old high school. On her first day of class, she meets Satchel, a lonely student who needs a home. While helping Satchel, Elizabeth also tries to find some answers to a tragedy that happened while she was a student.

I said this about the last Ann Tatlock book that I reviewed, and I’ll say it again. Tatlock has written some excellent books such as All the Way Home and I’ll Watch the Moon. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of them. It’s an average book, and for some authors, it would be a solid effort. However, I know that Tatlock can do much better.

Baldacci is a well-known author, most recognized for his political thrillers such as Absolute Power. In Wish You Well, he takes a break from the action in Washington DC, and writes about a small town in the mountains of Virginia. 12 year old Lou and her younger brother Oz are sent to live with their great-grandmother after an auto accident, which killed their father and left their mother in a coma. Life on their great-grandmother’s mountain farm is totally different from New York City. But Lou and Oz come to love their family farm, and when it is threatened, they will do anything to get it back.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are colorful, and the story immediately draws you in. The story is told from the children’s perspective, but it’s not at all childish. Although I don’t agree with Baldacci’s theory that if you wish hard enough, you’ll get what you want, he still has a lot to say about hard work, family and integrity. I’m sure I’ll be trying another one of his books soon.