The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner was named EPCA's Book of the Year
in the fiction category just recently, and I know why. It's an awesome book, beautifully written and thoroughly captivating. When 19-yr-old Lauren takes a part time job transcribing a centuries-old diary for an eccentric elderly lady, she has no idea that she is about to embark on a task that will change her life. The diary, passed down through Abigail's family from the 1600's, belongs to a young woman her own age who lived in Salem during the witch trials. Mercy's diary covers the months leading up to her arrest for being a witch. Lauren reads the account of those fateful month so long ago, and discovers that it has the power to reach across the years to sweep her and Abigail into its tale. Highly recommend to anyone who likes fiction.
Daisy Chain is the story of Jed, a boy living in an abusive household. His father is a fanatical pastor who preaches hellfire and damnation with passion, then goes home and abuses his family - primarily Jed. The story centers around the disappearance of Jed's best friend, Daisy, and his deep feelings of guilt. Mary deMuth's writing style is hauntingly beautiful, her characters realistic, and her setting vivid. This is not an easy story to read, and at times it's downright painful. If you're looking for a happy book, keep looking. But if you enjoy eloquent prose, characters who are so real they make your heart ache, and a huge emotional impact, you're going to love this one.
Michal is the story of Michal, the first wife of King David. In this book, readers
get to know Michal at home before her marriage, and get an insider's glimpse of her father, Israel's infamous first king. We stay with her all the way through her second marriage, her return to David when she joined his harem, and beyond. This is Biblical fiction, and Jill Elieen Smith stays true to the source! The Biblical account of Michal is followed faithfully, with enough original detail added to flesh her out and make her come alive to the reader. Michal is Jill Eileen Smith's debut novel, the first in a series about the wives of King David. She has left me counting the days until the next one.In Elisha's Bones, an acclaimed archeologist has left the exciting life of active excavations and
digs, and is living the dull but safe life of a college professor. Then he gets a call from one of the richest men in the world, and is asked to undertake a little project -- find the bones of the prophet Elisha, which are reported to resurrect the dead. The task takes him on a fast-paced globetrotting trip, uncovering a centuries-old trail and unearthing some dangerous people who will stop at nothing to keep him from his goal. This highly entertaining book reads like a cross between Indiana Jones and Robert Ludlum, a formula for sure-fire excitement. I don't know if the author really as been to all those exotic places, but he writes like he's intimately familiar with them. And this is his debut novel! I'm going to keep my eye out for Don Hoesel's future books.Are you a GoodReads follower? So am I! Send me a Friend request! I'd love to know what you're reading.
