Ridley Pearson's KINGDOM KEEPERS: DISNEY AFTER DARK
is the first in the KINGDOM KEEPERS series. As a lover of all things Disney, I was definitely intrigued with this series, and I have been anxious to read it. A sweet friend loaned me the first three books. It's taken me almost half a year to find the time to read it, but I finally got to it!
I can't say that I really enjoyed it, though. I liked it, but I didn't enjoy it. It is very much like the MAGIC TREE HOUSE BOOKS. I think that I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd anticipated simply because it's written for a much younger audience. There are a lot of great teen/tween books that cross over into adult reading very easily and really don't read as teen novels. This one very much reads as a teen novel with an obvious intention of being directed at 12 to 14-year olds. I'm very sure that kids within that age range, and a few years older or younger--give or take, will thoroughly enjoy this book (series).
As an adult in her mid-forties, though, I just found it trying too hard. If you like THE MAGIC TREE HOUSE books and/or if you like Disney, you'll more than likely really enjoy the KINGDOM KEEPERS series. Please don't take my lack of enjoyment as bad press, so to speak.
THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS by M. L. Stedman is not a book for light-weight readers. It is important to know going into this book that it is deep and incredibly heart-wrenching. It deals with loss--extreme loss--and not only the feelings that come from experiencing such incredible loss, but the actions such losses lead to that never would have occurred without the deep pain and soul-wrenching sorrow experienced.
I saw that THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS is being made into a movie--or has already been made into a movie. It apparently will be released on September 2 this year. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnBMGa6z-Bg> I bought the book online; it was here two days later. I read it in 3 days. I would have finished it on the 2nd day, but we had a birthday party to go to.
I don't know how Stedman got the idea for this book, the research required, or anything beyond the fact that she was born and raised in Australia (the setting for the novel), she now lives in London, and that THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS is her first book. I normally try to find out as much as I can about the authors of the books I read, but Stedman remains a mystery that I would love to solve. I will continue to research her until I know more.
I want to know how much loss she herself has experienced. I want to know what research she had to do to write this novel. I want to know how she got the idea for this story. I want to know her writing process--her writing journey. I want to know how hard she had to think to come up with her amazing poetic language throughout the novel--language that speaks volumes that mere words can't convey.
This is a beautifully written book, but very difficult to read--as one who has experienced child loss similar to that of Isabel. My heart was wrenched out of my chest with the turning of each page, but I was powerless to stop reading. If you choose to read it, go in with your eyes wide open, knowing that the story is gut-wrenching.
*As kind of a side-note, I couldn't help thinking of THE MEMORY-KEEPERS DAUGHTER as I read THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS. Both dads make decisions that impact not only the futures of their families, but the futures of others. Both dads are tortured for many years by that one moment of decision. Both stories in as happy an ending as is possible with such stories--with a reminder that no matter how difficult life gets--no matter what life throws at us--life does go on and we can only choose what we're going to do with our lives each moment. One major difference between the books that makes THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS definitely the better book of the two is that in THE MEMORY-KEEPERS DAUGHTER, the author always told me what to think and explained certain parts of the story as if I was unable to read between the lines. For example, one scene I remember specifically is when the dad goes to a bridge and stands on the edge with his toes sticking out over the edge in the pouring rain. It's a powerful scene, of course, demonstrating the difficulty of the dad as he struggles with the decision he made all those years ago. What ruins the scene, though, is that the author then takes two pages to explain to the reader how the dad was on the bridge because he was considering suicide and, just in case we had trouble figuring out why, she reminds us of the dad's horrific decision all those years ago. As a reader, I love minimalism. I love being allowed to figure out what's going on inside a character from inference rather than being blatantly told by the author, "Hey, idiot reader! Just in case you didn't understand, here's what you were supposed to GET from that scene you just read!"
Several years ago, a sweet friend of mine who shall remain nameless (Amber Benge) introduced me to Jesus Culture and I have been a big fan ever since. We are the proud owners of all their albums which we listen to every chance we get, especially on Sundays. My husband even has a bit of a crush on Kim Walker-Smith that I think is adorable. I can't help but agree with him about
the anointing that is on her; it's impossible to be angry about a crush on someone so passionate for the Lord! ;)
So when I heard about Banning Liebsher's book ROOTED, it was a no-brainer for me to get a copy immediately and read it with great care. There is a website to accompany the book with a group Discussion Guide as well as a video for each chapter of Banning discussing the book with a reading group (see below for the link).
When my husband first started preaching, one of his very first sermons was about how God puts us in His quiver as He prepares us for the ministry He has for us. He uses the quiver as an opportunity to test us and tweak us so that when the time is right, He pulls out of the quiver and shoots us to do our ministry for Him.
Banning's book ROOTED is essentially the same idea with a different metaphor. We must be prepared for ministry. We can't just jump into ministry without growing roots and being prepared according to God's great plan for us. We are tested and tweaked and prepared so that when the time is right, we are so rooted in Him that everything we do is in service to Him, to honor Him.
ROOTED: THE HIDDEN PLACES WHERE GOD DEVELOPS YOU by Banning Liebscher is a book that any and everyone with a calling to ministry should read. Don't be surprised if your Christmas present sounds familiar! ;)
http://jesusculture.com/rootedbook/
Many of my co-workers and friends have mentioned Lee Smith over the years as an English Instructor in the state of North Carolina. I had never heard of her, though, and simply allowed their recommendations to go in one ear and out the other. Several years ago, we had Lee Smith at our CEI Conference (Conference of English Instructors). My colleagues were quite excited to have her there. I was oblivious. I still had never read any of her works and, honestly, had no real desire to do so--even though she gave everyone on the CEI board (of which I am a member) an autographed copy of one of her books, BLACK MOUNTAIN BREAKDOWN. (No, I haven't read it yet.)
My co-workers were appalled that I had never read anything by Lee Smith, so one of them loaned me a copy of FAMILY LINEN. I have had it for at least 3 years. I finally decided that I needed to read it so I can give it back to my co-worker. I always try to read books that are loaned to me--even if I personally have no interest in the book or author.
So then the question is, I suppose, did I like FAMILY LINEN? That honestly is not an easy question to answer. I didn't hate or dislike it. I didn't love it, either. As a Southern novel, it certainly has everything to delight those who enjoy the Southern genre. There is even a really GOOD story that made me, as the reader, want to keep reading.
I did not like the foul language or the fact that everyone was having an affair and acted as if that was the way of life for a Southerner.
Anyway, I think I will go ahead and read BLACK MOUNTAIN BREAKDOWN and see if I like the works of Lee Smith more with that one.
