Faith Behind the Fences by Kelly Dispirito Taylor

Faith Behind the Fences by Kelly Dispirito Taylor is not on my list but I read it anyway because my sister recommended it to me and even let me borrow her copy.  Kelly and my sister are sisters-in-law.  I love this book.  I told my sister that I knew I really liked it when I started dreaming out it.

This is a true story about a family that is put into a Japanese Prison Camp and how they use their faith to survive.  They had amazing experiences as they worked and tried to stay together and used any means they could find to help not only themselves but those around them as well.

Faith Behind the fences is a great book and gets 5 out of 5 stars.

The Confession by John Grisham

The Confession by John Grisham made it on the list because it is written by John Grisham.  If you like his books, you'll like this one.  I like his books, and I also liked this one.  It did get me a little riled up at times.  I had to put the book down and breathe a few times. Overall I liked the characters and felt they were realistic. 

I would say that the only downside to this book is that it is so much like many of his other books.  Once you've read one of them, you've read them all and they all start blending together.  It was very entertaining though.

The Confession gets 4 out of 4 stars.

Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns has also been on my list for a while.  So long in fact that I realized on page 2 that I had already read this one, so I didn't finish it. 

I remember liking the story enough.  It wasn't anything that I went on to recommend to anyone else.  It was entertaining enough to read one time, but I didn't have much of a desire to read it again.

Cold Sassy Tree gets 3 out of 5 stars.

Can you Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella

Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella is another one that has been on my list for a while and I don't really know how it got there.  I loved this book.  It is one of those shallow books that has nothing intellectual to offer but you still like it anyway.  It sort of reminds me of Confessions of a Shopaholic.

This book had me laughing out loud more than once.  I was asked twice (by different family members) what I was laughing at.  I liked the main character who can be a little spastic at times, and the situations she gets herself into are quite entertaining.

If you are like those types of books at all you should read this one.  It does take place in London though, so the language differences do take a little bit to get used to.

Can you Keep a Secret gets 5 out of 5 stars.

Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Book Thief by Markus Zusak is one that has been recommended to me a few different times.  It took me a while to get into it.  The writing style was definitely a little different than I am used to seeing which I think is the main reason why it took me a while to get into it.

I liked the book a lot.  It takes place in Nazi Germany and those stories always seem to fascinate me.  I liked the main character a lot which also helps quite a bit.

I give Book Thief 4 out of 5 stars.

Blessings by Belva Plain

Blessings by Belva Plain is a book that has been on my list for a long time.  I'm not sure how or why it made it on the list but it did. 

It was a good book, nothing earth shattering, but not boring either.  It was just kind of middle of the road for me.  I did find myself frustrated with the main character on and off throughout the book though.

Blessings gets 3 out of 5 stars.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Atlas Shrugged is a book that I saw mentioned on Facebook so I decided to add it to the list.  The book is 1500 pages of small print.  It has got to be a book that people are frequently asked to read in English classes in high school.  It just has that type of feel to it.  The whole time I kept thinking "I should highlight that, it could be important later."  Then reminding myself that I am not being tested on this later.


I got about 300 pages into it and then skimmed it for a while and then gave up and read a cliffs note version online.  It was okay, just not my type of book.

Atlas Shrugged gets 2 out of 5 stars.