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In this article:
Not a Sparrow Falls by Bonner
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Verne
Through the Deep Waters by Sawyer
To Bind Fire by D.E. Carlson
Not a Sparrow Falls (Wyldhaven #1) by Lynnette Bonner
4 STARS, Historical Christian Romance, My format: Audiobook
Goodreads Synopsis | YouTube Audio
Charlotte has accepted a teaching position far from home, and far from the man she was supposed to marry. Sheriff Callahan did not expect the new teacher to be in the carriage with the outlaw he was after. They must learn to overcome prejudices and trust each other and God.
Personal Review:
Sweet, suspenseful, and full of super small town community vibes, I ended up enjoying this book. I was concerned by the title that the book would be a little too preachy for my tastes but I thought the faith content was just right.
Charlotte was a lady through and through and I appreciated how she held her head high in every situation. Her character was just right for the situation, which was her being thrown into a dusty little start-up town in the middle of nowhere. Her growth was also good - her strong personality got her through many interesting situations.
Sheriff Callahan was gentle but tough. I could have maybe used a little more nuance to him, as I was bored with his personality sometimes, but he loved doing what was right and didn't ever stir up any drama. So, really, his steadiness was an important part of the unfolding of the story, even if he was a bit dull.
I enjoyed the romance, and I really enjoyed Charlotte getting to know the townspeople. I listened on audio (excellent narrator) so occasionally missed some details of the side plots and wished they would have been more prominent.
I wasn't a huge fan of the suspenseful parts with the outlaws. I don't personally like so much danger in my romances, but it did force the main characters to be in proximity more. I need a break from romances for a while but I think I'll continue with this author!
Content Warnings:
one non-detailed kiss, several references to prostitutes but no explicit scenes, stalking and gunfights, injuries to children
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
4 STARS, Classic, My format: for book club
Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop | Buy e-book on Kobo
Master Aronnax, his assistant, and a harpooner set off to search for a strange narwhal, only to be thrown overboard and picked up by the mysterious Captain Nemo.
Personal Review:
Even though I have heard this classic referenced many times, I had no idea what to expect from it. I think ultimately I have mixed feelings, but the enjoyment of the book outweighs my distaste for some of it.
Captain Nemo is an interesting character. His mysteriousness was frustrating, but then he was fascinating, then frustrating again. A study question at the end of my book asked if Captain Nemo was a hero or a villain - and I haven't made up my mind about that yet.
Aronnax and his two companions were fun to watch. I liked Aronnax's academic perspective of everything that was going on, and seeing the underwater world through his eyes was enlightening, to say the least. Ned Land was feisty and restless and a needed character. He exemplified what I imagine most men would go through trapped in a submarine. Conseil was the most confusing character to me. How can a man be so devoted to another man that he jumps off of ships after him?
The adventures were exciting and I enjoyed them. There were some chapters that bored me to tears and I did find myself skimming long lists or coordinates or paragraphs of technical jargon. I also wished I knew more about sea animals because I couldn't tell if the animals mentioned were real or as fantastical as the Nautilus.
I think my favorite adventures were traveling to the coral graveyard, watching and saving the native diver, and the first time we find out what the Nautilus is.
Content Warnings:
several encounters and bloody battles with large sea creatures
Through the Deep Waters by Kim Vogel Sawyer
3.5 STARS, Historical Christian Romance, My format: e-book
Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop | Buy e-book on Kobo
Dinah feels forced to make a terrible decision in order to escape her life as the daughter of a prostitute. She flees to Florence, Kansas, where she makes a new life as chambermaid and meets a local chicken farmer named Amos.
Personal Review:
I was slightly unimpressed by this book. I read a Kim Vogel Sawyer book last year and really loved it, so I was hoping for some more good feels. But, alas, it was not to be.
I am not sure if there are content warnings anywhere, but the beginning is absolutely awful to read (partly because it was well-written) and could be triggering for someone with a past of sexual abuse. After the opening chapters, I just felt like the characters lost depth and purpose.
Dinah, our young girl recovering from abuse, is predictably unsettled for most of the book. I did appreciate that the romance she finds does not end up being what makes her problems go away - that God was the one who saved her. But I felt her change could have been a little more nuanced and subtle. Her pre- and post-conversion selves were so drastically different that it was almost hard to believe.
Amos, the young man who captures Dinah's attention and who is enraptured by her, just felt so flat on the page. I kind of got the feeling he was a country bumpkin type. Sometimes he seemed older than his age and sometimes he seemed too young. And I was getting tired of the references made to his injured leg - like that was the most important thing about him.
Ruthie, Dinah's roommate who was a preacher's daughter, is a little more believable. I liked her upbeat attitude and the way she had to deal with envy. But she would just have random thoughts every once in a while that didn't seem in line with her character.
The romance was cute. I especially liked when they started writing letters to each other and would have liked a lot more of that.
Overall, I just could have used more nuance in the characters, maybe a little less focus on physical shortcomings, and a more realistic conversion story.
Content Warnings:
sexual abuse, prostitution, bullying, child abandonment
To Bind Fire (Empire of Ash and Song #1) by D.E. Carlson
4.5 STARS, Young Adult Fantasy, Christian Themes, My format: I got a signed paperback from the author at a homeschool convention this winter!
Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop
Iris has to flee after she makes a terrible mistake that destroys her life as she knows it. The fire speaks to her, and she doesn’t know how to control it.
Personal Review:
This world is fantastic. The fantasy elements are amazing. The politics, the dis-Harmony, the Khaoss, the Fire Emperor, the cultures of the different people groups, the internal struggles of the characters - fabulous.
I really loved the individual characters. They were so interesting, so complex, and so important to the story for different reasons. Not sure if this is an unpopular opinion, but Jacin is my favorite character so far. I love his mysteriousness and I really hope he is in the later books. Tabin is fun - I love his energy and I want to know more about him. He had a moment of over-imbibing that I was really not impressed with and thought was unnecessary, but I suppose the characters are allowed some weaknesses.
Iris, our main girl, I started out really relating to. She was confused about who she was and she was trying to fit in with the Traders by hiding, only to eventually realize hiding made her stand out more. I loved her moment of acceptance into the group while they were under the stars, only for the world to turn upside down after that perfect scene. Her struggle towards the end was confusing - I really hope she gets her act together and that she isn't so extreme with her emotions as she matures.
So the world was fantastic and the story and plot points were completely immersive, but I had to take a half star off for the teenager-ness of the characters. If you've read my reviews, you know I like my YA characters to be slightly more mature than their age and much slower on the physical attraction. This book was kind of in the middle that way - the characters were realistic but there was too much kissing before communicating and declarations of love before truly knowing the person. To be fair, there were some consequences that resulted from these immature ways of relating, but they still make me feel a little icky about the romance themes.
I have to mention that I absolutely loved that songs are an important part of the world-building. I don't know why I love it, but the characters each have a song that they sing to enact the use of their element or skill. And they can share their songs with each other and El (the God of the world) shares His song as well. That is so beautiful and my favorite part. I'm looking forward to the next book!
Content Warnings:
mass death (from war-like scenes), bloody injuries, vomiting (not from illness but from seeing disturbing things), several kisses - mostly non-detailed but one starts to become semi-detailed, some drunkenness (non-detailed), bullying (some of it violent)
What have you been reading lately? Do any of these books sound interesting? How is your reading going so far this year? As always, I love to hear from you in the comments or by replying to this e-mail.