October Books

Jesus & Muhammad by F.E. Peters --  a blogger/FB friend recommended this book to me, and I got it after putting it on my Amazon Wishlist.  I took about six weeks to read it. Not because it's that big or that deep, but I just didn't read it all the time.  There wasn't tons of new stuff, but it was interesting enough to see these men's lives laid out. I found the parts about poets in Muhammad's time interesting and maybe new (pg. 76), and the Satanic verses (pg. 114) always fascinate me.  

Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock -- the third and final book in the Moonlighters series; this one deals more with Holly, and the team's final push to get justice for the murders committed by Leonard Miller

Dining with Joy by Rachel Hauck -- an easy read I got at the library about a cooking show host who cannot cook, but can entertain well enough to bluff her way through it - with the help of her crew.  But wait and see what happens when the show is sold, and her secret is exposed!

Hatteras Girl by Alice J. Wisler -- the story of Jackie and her dream to open the Bailey House as a B&B, and her friends' and family's desire to have her engaged by the end of the year!

She Makes It Look Easy by Marybeth Whalen -- have you ever met someone who makes everything look easy - or makes it seem not-that-difficult to have a nearly perfect life? Well, when Ariel moves into a more upscale neighborhood she meets her neighbor Justine who comes across just that way. And Ariel tries her best to fit in by being more "perfect" like her new friend.  A good lesson about things not always being the way they look from outward appearances.

My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren -- after watching her mother die in a car accident, Isadora has a difficult time leaving her house.  Yet she hosts a radio show where she advises people about love and dating and marriage.  What happens when the BoyNextDoor calls?

Don't Look Back by Lynette Eason -- this is the second book in a series I started a few months ago; part of the Women of Justice series that I came across at the library; this one deals with Jamie and her past abuser who is stalking her again.

Come Walk With Me by Joan Medlicott -- after being widowed unexpectedly Claire struggles with life alone. Sure she has two adult children, but she doesn't get along well with them.  After a quick move from New York to Florida, Claire still struggles with loneliness.  She tries reconnecting with her children and making new friends.

A Thousand Miles to Freedom: My Escape from North Korea by Eunsun Kim -- I am a sucker for books like this so when I saw this one on the new books shelf, I got it.  What a tale of the author along with her mother and sister's escape.  They were just trying not to starve.  I enjoyed the epilogue when the author talks about her visit to the Midwest (USA) and her impression of people in the US.

Jesus and the Jewish Festivals by Gary M. Burge -- this is another of those small, colorful books that share Bible stuff in context. I picked this one because of some Jewish festival happening near the end of September/first of October.  What I especially liked was how the author pointed out Jesus saying "I am the bread of life" and "the light" and "the good shepherd" at certain times, and how his Jewish audience would have understood those things. 

A Killer Among Us by Lynette Eason - the last in the Women of Justice trilogy this story is about detective Kit, the adopted twin sister of Jamie (main character of the previous book), as she works with her partner, Noah, and the team to solve a mystery.  I remember being shocked at the first of these books, but since I knew how the author hid the killer, I figured out the guilty party in these last two pretty quickly.

The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate -- the story of a lady who just arrived on the Outer Banks with her two children; Tandi agrees to clean the house of the landlady who died in her sleep. She discovers papers written to "Father" and later realizes these are prayers to God. 

The Girls of August by Anne Rivers Siddons -- Keeping up the yearly tradition of meeting at a remote beach house during the month of August, four women adjust to life after one of them died a few years prior.  I liked this book for the most part and will look for more books by this author.

The Perfect Letter by Chris Harrison -- Leigh leaves New York City for a brief work conference back home in Texas, and ends up being confronted with people and letters and memories (big deal ones) from her past

The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren -- a lady falls hard on ice and loses 25 years of memories!  She cannot remember being married, and who are these young men calling her "mom"?  She's still in college!

Take a Chance on Me by Susan May Warren -- I've already read a couple of her books that I found at the library.  This one is about a family in northern Minnesota and a new assistant district attorney who comes into town.  Darek, Tiger, Ivy, Jensen...those folks

The Sweetness of Tears by Nafisa Haji -- I like how the author had the different characters tell this story by assigning them chapters.  This one is about Jo who grew up in an evangelical Christian family in California.  In high school, she is troubled by the fact that her parents' eyes are blue while hers are brown.  After puzzling over this for a time, she asks her mom, and discovers a family - and a family background - very different from the one she has known.

Red: A History of the Redhead by Jacky Colliss Harvey -- the author touches on redheads in ancient history mentioning Thrace in particular; redhead clusters around the world; the recessive gene; art with redheads; redhead symbolism; red hair on men and woman and how that is perceived; redheads in movies and on TV; how redheads need more anesthesia; even a redhead festival in Holland



Sweet Blessings by Jillian Hart -- this book is so silly; a man, of course, comes in to save the day every.single.time. Except for when the dear lady saves him from a lonely life due to all her sweetness