Relaxation can be Found in a Book: Three Friendly Reviews
Several of you, and your comments about what you read, got me thinking. I began to recall how I could spend hours, even days, lost in a novel. Growing up, I spent my summers exploring different worlds and time periods. I went on vacations my family could never afford.
Library Love
For me, owning a library card was more significant than having a drivers license (though, I was quite excited to venture behind the wheel). The library itself was a world of wonder ~ so many books on so many shelves covering so many topics. It has always been difficult to pick just one, or two or five (or more…) to take home.
When we moved to our current town, one of the first things my daughter and I did was take a trip to the local library. We wanted access to the worlds beyond the world we lived in on a day-to-day basis. Library cards were essential because story is a lifeline.
Consider God’s Word
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a Bible verse that said, “Reading books is a wonderful use of one’s time?” There isn’t such a verse, I checked.
God’s Word talks about having a glad, happy, or cheerful heart in Proverbs 15:13. I can attest that reading a delightful story gives one such a heart. In the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3, Solomon states “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” I’m sure he wasn’t referring to an afternoon curled up with a book, but I do believe he is stating that there is time for work and time for relaxation, time to move forward and time to wait.
Consider the Life of Christ
If you look at the life of Jesus, he didn’t spend an afternoon reclining on a deck chair beside the sea of Galilee with the latest Jerusalem Best Seller. He did take time to rest, to be alone, to talk with his disciples, and to go out for dinner. He provided an example of a balanced life. Christ was always about the Kingdom of God, and He gave His body the rest and rejuvenation it required.
If you are like me, reading brings about that rest and rejuvenation. So, this week, I’m sharing three novels I’ve enjoyed. I hope one of them grabs your fancy, provides a brief journey into another world, and refreshes your spirit.
Cranberry Bluff by Deborah Garner
This book is pure delightful fluff. It’s like a Hallmark movie that you get to imagine instead of just watch. It’s set in a Hallmark movie town appropriately called Cranberry Cove. The main character, Molly, has inherited a bed and breakfast from her late Aunt Maggie. In true Hallmark movie fashion, it’s titled Cranberry Cottage Bed and Breakfast.
The book is a fun and easy read. The characters Garner creates are archetypes but with a bit more flare and individuality. Molly is the ideal hostess for a bed and breakfast; she delights in caring for the needs of her guests. Molly’s attention to detail leaves the reader with a longing to take a vacation at Cranberry Cottage and experience such kind considerations.
Molly is just beginning her journey as the owner of Cranberry Cottage. As the story unfolds, she has five guests staying the night and in her mind, she has each one catalogued and defined. The plot takes fun twists and turns as you discover no one is who they appear to be.
Soon there is a “Hallmark-ish” mystery to solve. The book keeps you engaged till the end as you seek to figure out the truth of each character and what each one is trying to achieve.
Never Mess with Mistletoe by Edie Claire
This book is my latest read, and I got a kick out of Claire’s main character, Leigh Koslow Harmon. Claire lists her in the cast of characters as “our hapless heroine.” This book is book ten in the Leigh Koslow Mysteries series.
I connected with Leigh, not because her life story is so similar to mine, but I could relate to how she connects with the people in her life. I identified with how she responds to her mother’s requests in eye-rolling obedienc. I also connected with how she struggles to allow her daughter to grow up since she is choosing activities Leigh would never choose.
The story begins with Leigh and her co-worker Alice breaking open fortune cookies. Leigh’s fortune reads “The blaxe you brew for your adversary often burns you more than him.” Claire creatively weaves such an odd prophecy throughout the story as a catalyst for Leigh to worry and jump to conclusions.
The action of the story gets going when Leigh’s mother calls her and demands her assistance. Leigh’s mother, Frances, is part of a garden club called the Floribundas. At the last minute, Frances’ home is chosen for a Holiday House Tour sponsored by garden clubs throughout the Pittsburgh area and she needs help cleaning and preparing.
The reasons Frances’ home is on the Holiday House Tour are delightfully humorous and sets you up for Claire’s tongue-in-cheek style. The plot centers around the Floribundas and the big event. Since the Floribundas are “a flock of loons” who “simply have personality traits that stretch the boundaries of social acceptability” one gets the picture that nothing will go as planned for Leigh in dealing with this group of older ladies.
Frances gets everyone involved in helping to prepare for and pull off the Holiday House Tour, but tragedy happens. Leigh now has a mystery to solve while dealing with the quirky Floribundas, an unknown event in her mother’s past, and protecting her daughter (who is focused on discovering the truth about the mystery in her own way).
One of my favorite things about the book was Leigh’s reactions to the various characters. Even when Leigh over-reacts and makes comical choices, you can’t help but like her and understand her point of view. I also enjoyed Claire’s fun writing style; she gives plenty of descriptive elements without the reader feeling as if she is slogging through too many details.
The plot has several subplots as well as unexpected twists that keep the reader engaged all the way through the epilogue. I’m sure I’ll be reading another Leigh Koslow Mystery!
Final Mission: Zion by Chuck Driskell
I am a fan of historical fiction, and this book fits the bill. It is an action-packed World War II thriller.
The main character, Neil Reuter, and his friend Jakey join the military. Neil is part Shoshone Indian (his mother) and part German (his father); Jakey is a Jew. Because of an insane act of bravery by Neil, the military sends Neil and Jakey to unconventional warfare school.
Neil’s new life brings him power and wealth though the book isn’t based on Neil and Jakey’s adventures together. The plot begins 23 years later with Neil grieving over the murder of his pregnant wife. Jakey’s sister Meghan visits Neil and brings him an envelope that says, “Give to Neil Reuter in the event of my death.”
Meghan informs Neil about Jakey smuggling Jewish children out of Germany and Austria, and his death in the process. She pleads with Neil to complete Jakey’s final mission and help rescue a large group of children in just 52 days.
No one is able to give Neil specific instructions with all the necessary details; he must figure it out as he goes. Adding to the adventure, someone in the US government has framed him for the murder of the man who murdered his wife, a former German policeman is hunting Neil for something he thinks Neil did, there is a family who risk their lives to help Neil who he must protect, and of course, the Nazis don’t want the rescue to take place.
Driskell fills the book with all sorts of plot twists and unforeseen adventure that make for on-the-edge-of-your-seat reading. Sadly, the author included inappropriate sexual interludes and approximately 150+ cuss words. The story itself is worth the read, but if the additional material is difficult for you to skip over or move beyond, don’t choose this book.
Listening can be as Fun as Reading
For those of you who find reading difficult: there’s hope! Final Mission: Zion can be purchased as an audible book. Cranberry Bluff and Never Mess with Mistletoe are both text-to-speech enabled. You can have the book read to you by downloading an app such as Speechify (annual fee) or TTS Reader (free) to use with your purchase of an eBook. If you own a Kindle reading device, text-to-speech enabled books can be read to you from your device without an app according to my limited understanding. I haven’t tried any of these apps, but I am curious, so I may give it a whirl!
Happy reading everyone!
Girl Reading Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash
I’m a huge fan of historical fiction writers Bodie and Brock Theone (Tay-Nee). I am currently rereading some of their books that I have in my library. Another author I love is Lynn Austin. She does an amazing job on stories of characters from the Bible and then other novels in different times of history. There have been many authors I’ve read but when I find one I REALLY like, I tend to “collect” their books because I love building my library with those treasures.
I’ve read books by Bodie and Brock Theone and I agree, they are really good. Definitely worth rereading. If I remember correctly there were some of Bodie and Brock Theone books that were passed around between my mom, myself and my sisters for awhile. They just didn’t finish their journey at my house!