Book and Author Recommendations

If you are a regular reader, you know that I love a good story!  I don't review everything I read or listen to on audio CD's, but that doesn't mean I don't love them.  I am always looking for a new author (especially for audio books), so I thought I'd share some books that I've enjoyed recently.  Most can be found at your local library.

I wanted to share a few of my favorites.  Most can be found at your local library, which is always a bonus with me!

Beaded Hope was a book I won on a giveaway, but having read it, I would say it's well worth it to purchase it (and I don't buy much fiction).  It moved me in ways I never expected.  Four women from one community are placed on the same team for a missions trip to South Africa.  They are all at different places in their faith (including without faith), and one woman they meet inspires and amazes them.  The group finds a way to encourage the community while providing a way for them to earn money through their craft of beaded jewelery.  I was amazed and inspired by the book and highly recommend it.  Cathy Liggett wrote a fabulous book inspired by true events!

The Cat Who series...Oh, boy.  I have read or listened to each title my library has in this series.  These are great mysteries (not scary, though murder-never gory-is usually involved)!  James Qwilleran is a former big city newspaper reporter.  Now he lives in Moose County, "400 miles north of everywhere," with his two Siamese cats, KoKo an Yum Yum.   Please don't let the cats' names deter you from reading these books!   I just love these books by Lilian Jackson Braun.  The first book is called The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, and is where Jim first meets the cats.   Some mild language are in the books, but it's pretty rare.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.  Wow. I actually listened to this in August, but it made an impression on me.  This is a story of love and determination from World War II.  Set in Denmark, it tells the story of how one Danish family helped their Jewish friends escape.  This is a fictionalized, true-story account.    This may be a children's book, but there is much for all of us to learn from it.

The Mysterious Benedict Society is a children's book series that delighted me, though it's geared for children grades 5-9.  Four exceptionally bright children are chosen to complete a series of tasks, tests, and challenges.  When they do incredibly well using their own special talents, they are chosen by Mr. Benedict to go to a school to investigate the evil Mr. Curtain.  Trenton Lee Stewart created great characters in Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance.  I'd like to encourage you to read a thorough Mysterious Bendict Society review at Reading to Know.   (Sometimes books geared for this age has mild language or even romance, and I'm happy to report that these books have neither.  In addition, even the bad guys are treated with respect, with the children using the title for Mr. Curtain.)


Another great children's series (though I have not read all of it yet) is the Betsy-Tacy series.  Betsy and Tacy are the best of friends.  The series begins with Betsy-Tacy at the age of five.  That book is geared (language, vocabulary, sentence structure) for a five year old.  The book series takes the girls through their schooling and all the way up to Betsy's Wedding, which is intended for a young adult!  These books are written by Maud Hart Lovelace, and are just delightful!  If you enjoy Anne of Green Gables or Little House on the Prairie, you are certain to enjoy these, too!  My local library has the first two books, and it was enough to get me hooked.   I intend to participate in the Maud Hart Lovelace Challenge this month over at the Library Hospital.  I already have Heaven to Betsy read...and sometime soon I will share my thoughts with you!  If I perked your interest, maybe you'll join me?

What/who are your favorite books or authors?  I am always looking for more clean authors (especially suspense) and children's books.  I also want to read some more classics-though honestly, I will probably listen to them on audio.