Remembering Christmas by Dan Walsh

A real "feel good" book!


From the Publisher

Rick Denton lives his life on his terms. He works hard, plays hard, and answers to no one. So when his mother calls on Thanksgiving weekend begging him to come home after his stepfather has a stroke, Rick is more than a little reluctant. He's never liked Art and resents the man's presence in his life, despite the fact that his own father abandoned the family when Rick was just twelve. When what was supposed to be just a couple days helping out at the family bookstore turns into weeks of cashing out old ladies and running off the homeless man who keep hanging about, Rick's attitude sours even more.

Still, slowly but surely, the little bookstore and its quirky patrons--as well as the lovely young woman who works at his side each day--work their magic on him, revealing to Rick the truth about his family, his own life, and the true meaning of Christmas. With skillful storytelling, Dan Walsh creates a Christmas story will have readers remembering every good and perfect gift of Christmas.

My Take

I enjoy reading Christmas novels—maybe it’s because I’m a “bah humbug” person and I think reading about it will get me in the spirit. Or maybe because Christmas novels are usually “feel good” books that warm the heart. I’m not sure what it is but I was excited to receive Remembering Christmas to get that feeling.

There were several parts of Remembering Christmas that did give me the “feel good” feeling. I enjoyed that Rick came to the aid of his mom and stepfather without hesitation even though he wasn’t close to his stepfather. The down side to that was his attitude about it and thinking he would only be there for a few days. In my world, if my parents need me to help, I’m there in a heartbeat without the attitude. Some folks are different, of course, but I don’t really understand why.

After learning how much the community respects and praises his mom and stepfather, Rick starts to think about his childhood with a different perspective. He realizes maybe it was HIM and not his family that had a bad attitude growing up. It’s amazing how when you finally get to know about someone, your perspective and memories are altered. What I wasn’t so excited about was the fact that he didn’t know his mom and stepfather after all those years. Rick was selfish and self-centered and only interested in how he could climb the corporate ladder.

Because this is a Christian book, there are lots of faith references but nothing that is preachy. It was a good balance of antagonist and introspection. There was one aspect that did bother me a little. The title is Remembering Christmas but other than the weather, Walsh didn’t refer back to the spirit of Christmas. Yes, miracles happen at that time of year but they also happen throughout the year and the book didn’t really make me think of Christmas—spiritual or otherwise.

Remembering Christmas is a “feel good” book but it didn’t make a huge impression on me. I wasn’t compelled to sit and read it all at one—not a page turner to me. It’s a nice story but nothing special. For that reason, I give Remembering Christmas 3 stars. I am, however, interested in reading his other novels to see what they are like.

I received this book free from Revell  as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

 

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

About the Author

Dan Walsh is the award-winning author ofThe Unfinished Gift, The Homecoming, The Deepest Waters, and Remembering Christmas. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for 25 years. 

He lives with his family in the Daytona Beach area, where he’s busy researching and writing his next novel.

Visit his website here: http://www.danwalshbooks.com/  

Hello Hollywood! by Janice Thompson

Great blend of life, romance, and family

From the Publisher

Athena Pappas is the head writer on one of the most popular sitcoms in television history. But when Vegas comedian Stephen Cosse is brought in to beef up the show's suddenly sagging ratings, she starts to worry about her job. Sparks fly as the competition--and attraction--between the two writers heats up. 

Athena has never had a problem scripting the romances of her characters. So why is her own love life so hard to script? With humor and a Hollywood-insider viewpoint, Hello, Hollywood! delivers lots of laughs as the characters discover that not being in control of the plot of their lives might just be the best thing that ever happened to them. 

My Take

I’m definitely a Janice Thompson fan—her Weddings by Bella series was great and I enjoyed each and every book.  I even read and reviewed her first Backstage Pass book, Stars Collide, and enjoyed that one.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t as enamored with her latest book in the Backstage Pass series, Hello Hollywood! (sorry Ms Thompson!).

Although I enjoyed the scenes where the writers brainstormed and the antics that went with it, so many of the ideas came from the old Dick Van Dyke (which I still watch!) and I Love Lucy shows. It just seemed a little too much repetition and recycling of ideas.  As Hollywood writers, there should have been more original ideas. There was also quite a bit of repetition of the “great stories are built on conflict” and the plotline discussions. I actually grew kind of bored with those sections.

Each of the characters had their own “moments” and I enjoyed their stories of how they came to be at this point in their lives. It’s also a treat to see such a family oriented environment. The way the family interacted at home and at “Super Gyros” really touched me.  And I loved how the writers included the older “former starts” in the show—the older generation still has a lot to give. I think my favorite character in Hello Hollywood! had to be Leona. Her failing memory and illusions is so typical of Alzheimer’s  and I’m glad Ms Thompson brings that awareness to her readers.

The romance between some of the characters (don’t want to spoil it!) is always part of Ms Thompson’s books and I enjoy that part. Who doesn’t love some romance??   And, as usual, the inclusion of faith is one of the reasons I read her books. I like seeing the characters living their faith and not just talking about it.

All in all, Hello Hollywood! was an okay read. It was easy to get through but I was disappointed that it wasn’t up to Ms Thompson’s usual standards. I still look forward to not only the next book in the Backstage Pass series, I look forward to all of Janice Thompson’s books.  I give Hello Hollywood! 3 out of 5 stars as just an average read.

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

I received this book free from Revell  as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

About the Author

Janice Thompson is a seasoned romance author and screenwriter. An expert at pulling the humor from the situations we get ourselves into, Thompson affords an inside look at TV land, drawing on her experiences as a screenwriter. She is the author of the Weddings by Bella series and Stars Collide. She lives in Texas.

Cash Burn by Michael Berrier

From the Publisher

Billions of dollars flow through Jason Dunn's banking office each year. When he suffers a series of career setbacks and his marriage begins to crumble, he and his attractive new assistant devise a plan to disappear with a slice of the bank's cash flow. The unwelcome appearance of his brother on the scene, just released from prison, threatens to sidetrack Jason's plans. But Jason's brother "Flip" has his own problems with a parole officer who isn't fooled by this dangerous parolee. In the race to the jackpot between Jason and Flip, and the unwinding of their troubled history, the question soon becomes, Who will get burned?

My Take

I have to say this book was difficult to “get into”. The story line was kind of sluggish for the first 100-125 pages and it was tough to keep going. Once the story line picked up, it was pretty good. However, there was a lot of discussion about the banking industry and Jason’s job. I’m an ex-auditor by trade (insurance, not banking) but I do know a little bit about banking. Some of the processes talked about in the book were even a little confusing to me. I understood the gist of the process—enough to know about the plot (don’t want to spoil it!)--- but I think some readers would be even more lost reading it.

The thought process going into the money theft from the bank was pretty interesting and I liked how some of it was actually thought out. After the way Jason had been treated in some of his bank dealings, I could understand some sort of vendetta against them. When the story line was moving quickly, it was a page-turner but the momentum wasn’t always there.

I think Berrier is technically a good writer, has done his research and can describe a picture very well. In my opinion with his writing and maybe a modification to the story line, this could have been a very good book. I hope he writes another one soon—I’d like to see how he grows throughout his career.  I’m giving this book a 3 out of 5 stars based on the effort put into the writing.

Tyndale has provided me with a complimentary copy of Cash Burn in exchange for my personal, unbiased review.

Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan

QUITE UNEXPECTED!!!!

From the Publisher:

What if you had the power to amend choices you made in the past? Would you do it even if it changed everything?

Mercy Land has made some unexpected choices for a young woman in the 1930s. The sheltered daughter of a traveling preacher, she chooses to leave her rural community to move to nearby Bay City on the warm, gulf-waters of southern Alabama. There she finds a job at the local paper and spends seven years making herself indispensible to old Doc Philips, the publisher and editor. Then she gets a frantic call at dawn—it’s the biggest news story of her life, and she can’t print a word of it.
           
Doc has come into possession of a curious book that maps the lives of everyone in Bay City—decisions they’ve made in the past, and how those choices affect the future. Mercy and Doc are consumed by the mystery locked between the pages—Doc because he hopes to right a very old wrong, and Mercy because she wants to fulfill the book’s strange purpose. But when a mystery from Mercy’s past arrives by train, she begins to understand that she will have to make choices that will deeply affect everyone she loves—forever.

My Take:

Quite Unexpected!!

Reading the synopsis of this book, my expectations were high. I was looking forward to a scintillating story line and an investigation into the mystery. That’s exactly what I got but in a totally different path. The story started out very good but then the introduction of the “curious book” was nothing like I had imagined. It was more of a fantasy book rather than a mystery or thriller. Personally, that’s not really my favorite genre. But since I had started it, I wanted to finish it. 

The book is written from three different viewpoints—Mercy, Doc, and the invited stranger John Quincy. There is sometimes overlap and repetition  from each of them on a particular segment. That was a little difficult  to follow on occasion. The further the storyline progressed, the more unrealistic it seemed to me---the reason I say it’s a fantasy. 

But parts of it did intrigue me to continue reading. The parts of Mercy’s life back in Bittersweet were interesting and Doc’s past was heart-warming. However, it just wasn’t enough for me to give it a high rating. Unfortunately, I have to give this book a 3-star and that’s only because of those small interesting portions and the phenomenal cover art.

I received a free copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah as part of their Blogging for Books program in return for my review. My opinions are honest and unbiased.