"No Distance Too Far" by Lauraine Snelling

Didn't care much for this one--too slow.

No Distance Too Far by Lauraine Snelling is Christian fiction set in 1904. Astrid, the main character, is a woman doctor who desires to follow God's will; she's just not sure what that is. She is not sure if God wants her to be a medical missionary in Africa, to work with her mentor or stay in Blessing to assist in her sister-in-laws medical practice or work on an Indian reservation with Red Hawk. She also wonders if Joshua is the man for her.

I liked the part where she was at the mission school, but it moved slowly and I didn't much care for it.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Rin Tin Tin" by Susan Orlean

Our dog, Abby, thinks you should read this one!

Rin Tin Tin—The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean is one of the most interesting dog books I have read. For those who may now know, Rin Tin Tin was a dog in a TV show years ago. First of all, let me tell you that Susan Orlean did a ton, and I mean a ton of research on this book. It took a decade to write it and second of all, this is a wonderful book!!! You're going to find things about the owner, Lee Duncan, and Rin Tin Tin (a German Shepherd) that is simply going to dazzle you! I got so caught up in it that I had a hard time putting it down. The few pictures in the book are very good too. Thanks for all your hard work, Susan, I LOVED IT!

Here is one of my favorite quotes from it since I'm not reading it on Tuesday for a Tuesday Teaser from page 85:

He scrambles up a tree--a stunt so startling that I had to replay it a few times to believe it. Can dogs climb trees? Evidently. At least certain dogs can.

(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach

WOW!! This book is good, really really good! It's about a college baseball team, the president of the college, and his daughter. The good news is that you do not really have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this book. There is plenty of action off the field, trust me. Did I tell you that the ending is fantastic? It is! Read and enjoy. They hype about this book is true!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Sarah's Daughter" by Ruth Bass

I enjoyed Sarah’s Daughter by Ruth Bass more than I thought I would.  It’s about a grieving family in the 1880’s and how the husband and his three children cope with the death of Sarah, the wife and mother.  Rose, the oldest daughter, is 14 and becomes overwhelmed with taking on all that the mother did while still going to school.  The father turns to alcohol to drown his troubles.

Here is a quote I thought was very good:

Sarah always said when the problem was very big, you just started at the very beginning and went along a bit at a time, the way you read a new book.

"Read only the first line," she'd say, "and understand that.  Don't go skimming through or try to see the end before you have absorbed all the lines between.  Problems are like books.  You work your way through them, and sometimes the ending is quite a surprise."

I liked the humor in this book and found the historical look at daily living in the 1800s very interesting.  The main character is likeable and well developed.  The author told most of the story from Rose’s point of view, even sharing her funny thoughts with the reader.  It is very well written and character driven.  This novel is about friendship, dysfunctional families, grief, suicide, dreams and some romance.  I recommend it to anyone who likes books teens or historical fiction.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.

"Thunder Dog" by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory (Updated)

Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory is a must read!  It is a true story about Michael and his guide dog, Roselle.  It tells how they managed to escape the morning the towers fell and also his life story of being blind.  You get two stories in one book--both remarkable to say the least.  I enjoyed it very much!
(Gerard's review)

Karen's review:

I was surprised when I read Thunder dog by Michael Hingson because most of the book is not about his escape from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 which is what I expected.  Instead, the book focuses on the author’s life showing how he didn’t let his blindness hold him back.  He is an ordinary person who happens to be blind.  He was blind from birth but still rode a bike, drove a car, flew a plane, graduated with a Master’s degree in physics (with honors), held several high pressure jobs!  Yes, he and Roselle, his guide dog, were among many people who walked down 1,463 stairs to get out safely when the plane flew into the building, but the book explains more about the special relationship between guide dogs and their owners.  I learned a lot about what it’s like to be blind—it was fascinating to me how he could “hear” inanimate objects in front of him kind of like bats do based on the echo of sound waves. 

Thunder dog is inspirational, enlightening and educational—a good read!  Michael set up a foundation in memory of his beloved guide dog, Roselle which provides technology to blind children and adults to assist them in living normal lives.  Check it out at www.rosellefoundation.org. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

You can help our charity of the month just by leaving a comment on any of our blogs! We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month. The charity for this month is at the top of our blog.