Advance Review Library Book Results

I did pretty good! Not one book was smarmy, my word for predictable romantic fiction, avoidable at all costs. Here are my ratings, one being bad and 5 being excellent.

A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick: 3
I really like Jane Kirkpatrick, so this book was a little disappointing to me. I really liked her Love to Water my Soul, A Gathering of Finches and Mystic Sweet Communion. This story, about a girl from the 1900's with a love of photography and an attraction to her married male employer just didn't quite do it for me. Her A Simple Gift of Comfort: Healing Words for Difficult Times is a lovely gift for someone who is struggling in life.

Drawing in the Dust by Zoe Klein: 5
This books was so good. I loved that the author is a woman rabbi and knows her Bible so well. She took her Bible knowledge, used her imagination and created an intriguing story. Page, an american archeologist uncovers the bones of the prophet Jeremiah under the haunted home of an Arab couple. Jeremiah's bones are not alone however, they are wrapped around the bones of the mysterious Anatiya who has written a scroll about her parallel journey with Jeremiah. Naturally Page is on a journey of her own. She is always looking for Elijah in the bones that she uncovers as an archeologist, so she misses the story of the bones. Her colleague, Mortechai, says "it is sad for the bones you find. That they are trying to tell you their story, and you are mad at them for obeying God's order. They still have magic Page. You only have to be open to meeting them on their terms. . . Bones are intimate. Even your lover never touches them. They are an ivory relief of an actual life, a physical record of journeys braved, wars fought, loves entangled."

Healing Waters by Nancy Rue and Stephen Arterburn: 3
This is a christian fiction book, which is better than average. It's the story of a beautiful woman in charge of a Christian ministry where they trust God to heal everything. She becomes tragically burned and at first believes God will heal her, and expects those around her to believe that as well. Her sister, who has struggles of her own, comes to care for her in the process learns to take care of herself. Her faith increases, while her burned and scarred sister's decreases.

The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son by Rupert Isaacson: 5
This book was so interesting. Can an autistic boy be healed by Shamans and horses? This family's journey into Mongolia to visit the healing shamans results in some big changes in their young son's behaviours. It's a fantastic journey - fantastic in the travels they made, and fantastic in the choices they made. Their young son has an affinity for horses, or at least, horses have an affinity for them, and this is how the journey begins. This is true, which makes it all the more fascinating.

Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri: 2
Did not like this story. I never really like stories where women sleep with men on their first meeting, and then wonder if it's love. . .