"Leota's Garden" by Francine Rivers

Touching Christian Fiction

Leota's Garden by Francine Rivers is very good about an old lady, Leota, who was totally misunderstood by her kids and her granddaughter (Annie) and a college student (Corey) who met her through a sociology project because he needed a case study. While using Leota as his case study project, Corey got to know her as a person and gained a better understanding of the elderly. Leota had an overgrown garden which she couldn't take care of because her arthritis was so bad, but was delighted that Annie decided to restore it for her. There's a lot of tension between the mothers and daughters which makes this such a sad story. The grandmother is feisty and loves her visits from her granddaughter who is a college student, and hopes to set things right between herself and her children before she dies.

I liked Leota's Garden very much because Leota was such an interesting character. This novel gives insight into the issues of aging and caring for the elderly in an amusing and touching way. It's an emotional read that I had a hard time putting down.

Other books I liked by Francine Rivers:
Redeeming Love
The Scarlet Thread

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green tells the story of a young teen girl who has Cancer.  At her weekly Cancer support group session that she is reluctant to go to, she meets a young teen boy who takes a special interest in her.  I don't think I'm giving up too much if I tell you that a romance develops.

This book lives up to all the hype in my opinion.  I flat out LOVED IT!  It is a beautiful love story that I was into from page one to the end.  If this story doesn't tear at your heart strings, then I don't know what will.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried.  Please give this book a chance!
(Gerard's review)

Related Post:  Read another review of this at Bloggin' 'bout Books:  Green Is My Favorite

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue to help homeless cats this month.

"Rose In A Storm" by Jon Katz is a WOWIE!-Updated 3/2/11

We Loved This Book!

UPDATED 3/2/11: Karen's Review:
I agree with Gerard, Rose in the Storm by Jon Katz is really good! It’s a touching fiction story about the life of a farm working dog, Rose. I really liked learning about farm life through this book and seeing how the animals connected and interacted with each other. When Sam, the only human on his farm gets injured during a 5-day blizzard with temperatures -30 degrees and is air-lifted to a hospital, his border collie, Rose, takes care of the farm without him. I especially identified with Rose’s memory of her special connection with Sam’s wife Katie, who died. I’m sure anyone who lives on a farm or likes animals would love this book! I am a city girl and enjoyed it very much. I kept thinking about our blogging buddy, Mountain Woman at Red Pine Mountain, who blogs about her farm in Vermont as I read this book.  We both highly recommend this book!


The author has also written a non-fiction book, The Dogs Of Bedlam Farm, about his farm in upstate New York. Gerard liked that book too and now I’m going to read it too! The author’s website is www.bedlamfarm.com.

Gerard's Review:

WOW!  What a book!  Rose in a Storm by Jon Katz is about Rose, a working dog on a farm and her owner, Sam.  Rose has a lot of work to do as there are a lot of animals on the farm to look after.  Rose tells the story which is very cool.  One day a huge storm comes and Rose is put into a situation she has never been in before.

I felt a lot of emotion while reading this book which to me says that is a really good book! Rose is a wonderful dog that the reader can't help but love. I think anyone would enjoy this book, especially dog lovers. The best part is that it has a good ending--the dog lives! I cried when I read Dewey, The Library Cat and cried at the end of this book too--yes, it's that good! Karen is going to read it as well.

We saw Faye's write up about Rose In A Storm by Jon Katz over at Summit Musings and ordered it from the library.  I'm so glad I did! 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?  You can help Canine Lifeline (a dog rescue organization that saved our dog, Abby) by leaving a comment on any of our blogs in March.  We will donate 50 cents per comment at the end of the month.

"What A Difference A Dog Makes" by Dana Jennings

Dog lovers like me will love this one!  What A Difference A Dog Makes by Dana Jannings tells the true story of Bijou, a poodle who helps his master through a bout with cancer.  If you own a dog you will relate very well to this book.  Cute stories and Bijou is still alive!  Always a good thing!  Quick read, only 187 pages.  I give it 5+ stars.
(Gerard's review)

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

"Gideon's Gift" by Karen Kingsbury

I liked Gideon's Gift by Karen Kingsbury.  This is the first book I read of hers and is part of the Red Glove series.  An 8-year-old girl with cancer befriends a homeless man (Earl ) at the mission and gets him to believe in God. He in turn gives her family a “perfect Christmas.”   I liked it and recommended it to Gerard.
(Karen's review) 


Here's what Gerard thought of it:
Gideon’s Gift by Karen Kingsbury is a good story about a little girl, a homeless man and Christmas miracles.  You could probably read it in one sitting.  It’s perfect for a snowy night with some hot chocolate.  This is a warm, feel good story that I liked more than I thought I would.  I give it  5+ stars.

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

Check out our two giveaways: Hard Cache by Charles Neff (Suspense/mystery) and You Already Know How To Be Great (Self-help) by Alan Fine.

"Armed With God's Power--Changing Brokeness To Victory Through God's Love" by Nora White

Armed With God's Power--Changing Brokenness to Victory Through God's Love by Nora White is about how God helped Nora through very difficult situations in her life including, depression, divorce, domestic violence, and losing a husband to cancer. She tells an amazing story of how God spoke to her and brought her through some terrible times.

I couldn't put this one down because I was anxious to see what happened next.  It certainly gives hope to anyone in similar situations. She is an example of a woman with great faith. I would recommend this book to any woman.


Nora White attends our church and is actively involved in leading women's Bible studies, does counseling and is founder of Healing Hearts Ministries.

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

"The Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks is an amazing story about teen rebellion, love, friendship, romance, and forgiveness.  I can't say enough about how touching this book is.  The main character is a girl named Ronnie who held a grudge against her dad because he left, but her 10-yr.-old brother, Jonah, brought out her tender side.  One summer, she has to go live with him against her will and learns and grows into a mature woman who realizes she was not always right after all and everything is not about her.  I enjoyed watching her develop into a truly caring person and learn about forgiveness. 

It's a very good story and I liked it a lot! I liked the characters in this book because they were all very believable.  Parts were sad but overall, I liked the ending because it was very touching and happy at the same time.  This is a must read if you enjoy books about teens and parents.
(Karen's review)


I’ve been blessed to read a lot of really good books this year and I  add The  Last Song by Nicholas Sparks to the list.  At first, I thought,  “Oh, great, a teen novel.”  I’m not going to like it.  I LOVED it!  It  tells the story of Ronnie, a girl who has to spend the summer with her  dad and does not want to.  Turns out she had the best summer ever.   Superb writing.  This book is hard to put down.  The characters are very  believable.  There is nothing bad to say about this book.  I am so glad  to end the year with this wonderful book!  Do yourself a favor and read  this one.  You will be happy you did.
(Gerard's Review)

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

Other reviews of this:  Reading Without Restraint

"Never Blame The Umpire" by Gene Fehler

Never Blame The Umpire by Gene Fehler is a teen book about a Kate, a 16yr.-old girl who learns her mother is dying of Cancer.  She uses poetry to express her feelings and blames God for letting her mom get Cancer.  The author was an English teacher and in this book, there is a lot about Kate’s English class.  You can pick up some techniques about writing poems by reading this book. 

 

Kate and her brother, Ken, are both on the same baseball team and I thought it would be more about baseball based on the cover.  It really only mentions a couple highlights of a couple games.  Kate’s mother helps Kate deal with her death by comparing God to an umpire.    

This is a touching story.  It may be a book that someone in this situation could learn from.  It is written using first person from Kate’s perspective and I could certainly put myself in her place and understood how she felt. 

 

Personally, I did not care for all the poems and was glad when I finished it.  It was a touching story and I cried at the end.

(Karen's review)

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

"The Art Of Racing In The Rain" by Garth Stein

The Art Of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein is awesome.  It started out slow and I thought about giving up on it but I’m so glad I stuck with it and finished it.  It is narrated by a dog named Enzo who is devoted to his owner, Denny, a race car driver.  The dog and Denny sit and watch videos of car races together, while Denny points out racing tips to the dog that he applies to life.

Denny had lots of personal problems including a sick wife who died of Brain Cancer and the constant battle with his in-laws over his daughter, and a bogus criminal lawsuit against him.

The dog shares it’s thoughts with the reader but can only communicate to his owners with gestures which is frustrating for it and so he looks forward to being reincarnated as a man.  It’s an inspirational book, encouraging the reader to “finish the race” and never, ever quit but hang in and overcome obstacles.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from The Art Of Racing In The Rain:
 

Your car goes where your eyes go.
 
Yes:  the race is long—to finish first, first you must finish.
 
The true hero is flawed.  The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph, but whether he can overcome obstacles—preferably of his own making—in order to triumph.
 
No race has ever been won in the fist corner, but plenty of races have been lost there.
 
Getting angry at another driver for a driving incident is pointless.  You need to watch the drivers around you, understand their skill, confidence and aggression levels, and drive with them accordingly.  Know who is driving next to you.  Any problems that may occur have  ultimately been caused by you, because you are responsible for where you are and what you are doing there.

(Karen's Review 2/3/10)
Must check out www.goenzo.com

The Art Of Racing In The Rain is told to you by Enzo, the dog.  You will grow to love Enzo very much as he tells the story of Denny, his owner and a race car driver, his wife, Eve, and their daughter, Zoe.  This is a wonderful book.  It goes very fast.  I found it almost impossible to put down.  The ending is very good and very sad.  You will understand when you read it.  This book deserves to be read!  Enjoy!
Gerard's Review posted 1/25/10

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

Life's That Way by Jim Beaver

A POWERFUL BOOK!  DON'T MISS IT! (800 stars)
Before I get started on my review, please pray for Jim Beaver and his daughter, Maddie.  Life's That Way by Jim Beaver is probably the most emotional book that you will ever read.  Do not expect to just breeze through it because it is too emotional and gut wrenching.  It’s also a fantastic and tender love story.  There are so many reasons to read this book. 


This book is a collection of emails that Jim sent to family and friends when his wife, Cecily, was diagnosed with lung cancer.  It got turned into a book!  You will feel so many emotions while you read this book.  Anyone will be able to relate to what Jim went through and is still going through.  You will remember this book long after you finish reading it.  I highly recommend you read Life's That Way!

(Gerard's review 10/15/09)

"The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch is a popular book full of good advice for living written by a terminally ill cancer patient, a husband of 8 years and father to three young children.  Randy Pausch was a college professor who lived a full life and had an optimistic attitude.  He gives lots of tips that parents could find useful.  The book has lots of good advice in it and I highly recommend it.  The actual “last Lecture” can be viewed at www.thelastlecture.com.
(Karen's review 8/7/09)

"Life on the Refrigerator Door" by Alice Kuipers

Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers is a very quick read that reminds us that actually spending time with our loved ones is important because life truly is short, shorter than we expect sometimes.  It is about a mother and daughter communicating with notes on the refrigerator because both are too busy to actually make time for each other.  I liked this book okay for a light read.

(Karen's review 7/28/09)

"My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult is a story of a family coping with a daughter who has Cancer and the sister who is destined to be the donor for her.  It also has an interesting subplot of romance between the lawyer Anna hires and the lady appointed to make a recommendation to the court as to what she thinks is in Anna’s best interest.  This would be a great book for a book club to discuss.  It’s about feelings, ethics, motivations and relationships.  It kept my interest all the way through and as usual in Picoult’s books, has a surprise ending.

(Karen's review 8/14/09)