Five Miles South of Peculiar by Angela Hunt

 

Fifty-year old Darlene Caldwell, her twin Carlene and their younger sister Magnolia, find themselves under one roof again—at Sycamores, their childhood home and the aging estate of their grandfather.  Life together isn’t easy as Darly and Carly have secrets in their past to overcome while the clock is ticking down to the time when Sycamores will revert ownership to the county.  Darly, widowed, and Carly, recently retired from Broadway, along with Nolie, who has never left the estate, must learn to forgive each other free each other from past offenses.

Angela Hunt, one of my favorite authors because of her varied subjects and plots, deals with sin, love, forgiveness and second chances.  She peels back the layers in the story one at a time, allowing the reader greater understanding of the characters and the plot.  Despite this process, she keeps the reader’s attention and encourages the reader to examine his or her own past and its relevance to the present.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and its characters.  I would recommend it highly.  The publisher provided my free copy and this is my honest review.

Running For My Life by Lopez Lomong

 

At a church service, six year old Lopez Lomong was torn from his parents, thrown into the back of a truck with other children and then forced to endure weeks of harsh captivity.  If he survived the deprivation of food and water his only choice was to become a child soldier in the Sudanese civil war.  Unbelievably, he is cared for by 3 “angels” as he calls them and is led in a dangerous escape into Kenya, where he is taken to a refugee camp with other “lost boys.”

Despite many hardships he perseveres and learns to live without his biological family.  As part of his daily routine, he runs and plays soccer, and attends school. In an unusual circumstance, he watches Michael Johnson win the 400-meter dash on a small black and white television during the 2000 Olympics and it changes Lopez’s life. He now dreams of being an Olympian. 

When he has the opportunity to come to the United States, Lopez is taken in by Rob and Barbara Rogers in New York.  His account of learning to live in the United States is very touching.  After seeing his natural ability in running they encourage him to pursue his dream.  The book spells out the rest of his story and how his dream comes true.

This is a story of faith, hope and perseverance.  Lopez has a refreshingly positive attitude and is a great role model for budding athletes.  I intend to watch his career and life to see what other amazing feats he will accomplish.  This book was given to me by Thomas Nelson and this is my honest review.    

Beauty to Die For by Kim Alexis and Mindy Starns Clark

Juliette Taylor is a retired super model with her own line of spa products.  On her way to a conference at a world famous spa she runs into Raven, a former co-worker and super model.  Raven, definitely a selfish diva, has the potential to make Juliette’s weekend miserable, but before that can happen Raven dies during a mud wrap.  Was it murder?  And if so, who would want to kill her and why?  While running the conference Juliette tries to piece together the facts of Raven’s death.  In doing so, she finds herself in danger, too.

This novel  definitely took place in a different setting than most novels that I have read.  It was an entertaining read.  The plot was not too much of a surprise.  It seemed a bit formulaic.  The characters were interesting as much as they were developed.  I found myself drawn more to Crystal, one of the supporting characters, rather than the main character Juliette.  I would hope that a future book might include more of Crystal’s story, as her character had more depth and facets than Juliette’s.  If you enjoy a murder mystery with a bit of romance in a unique setting, you would enjoy this book.  I am grateful to the publisher for the free e-book and this is my honest opinion.