The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

The Probability of Miracles is a very special book.  It made me cry which is always a good sign because it means I grew to love the characters.  The story is about Cam, a seventeen year old with cancer.  She’s been fighting and surviving for years until she receives the news that there isn’t anything more the doctors can do.  Medically, they’ve reached the bottom of the barrel.

Cam deals with the news in a typical Cam way.  She acts tough and strong.   Her mother decides to take Cam and her younger sister to a town in Maine that is known for it’s miracles.  Cam doesn’t believe in Miracles but she is charmed by the odd little town and quickly sets about making miracles for other people.  

This story is really, very lovely.  The characters are all fantastic and really feel authentic.  Wendy Wunder created a little town that I’d like to visit.  One where the sun rises and sets in the same place, dandelions are purple, and whales leap at the same time every night.  This story will make you wish for a miracle too.

Prophecy - The Fulfillment by Deborah Jaeger

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading Prophecy - The Fulfillment, by Deborah Jaeger.  I thought it was a modern retelling of the virgin birth but I was slightly off in that assumption.  The story is actually about the second coming of Christ, but in a different way.

Jillian is a typical teenager.  After a breakup with her boyfriend, she learns that she is pregnant.  Not only is she pregnant, but she insists that she is a virgin.  It is difficult for her family to believe.  Even the doctors are baffled by the odd results to every medical test they can throw at her.  Things take an even odder turn as miracles start to occur.

At the same time that Jillian is going through medical testing, Stephen, a Biblical scholar, has begun to have prophetic dreams.  He understands that he is somehow to take Jillian away from the chaos and the danger that surrounds her.  He is to be her protector.

The story is exciting and very intriguing.  It's an interesting question to ask - what if the virgin birth were to happen today?  What kind of medical anomaly would occur with the Son of God?  While some of the scientific parts dragged, and the end seemed rushed, the book on a whole is very worth reading.  I enjoyed it very much and recommend it to anyone who has faith in miracles.

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did.  I wanted a big, rousing, pirate tale.  Pirate Latitudes just didn’t hit the mark.  I think part of it was a mental block.  As someone who has written a few unpublished novels, I have to wonder if the late Michael Crichton really wanted this story to see the light of day.  For those unfamiliar, it was found on his computer after he passed away.  I’m not sure I would love it very much if my un-edited, un-polished manuscripts saw the light of day without my consent.  

That’s not to say the story was un-polished.  It was well written, obviously edited, and really was a complete story.  It just didn’t quite do what I wanted it to, which was to sweep me into the Caribbean and immerse me in a story.  This novel is fine as a pirate story but it wasn’t more than that.  It was just a story.  It didn’t stick with me.  It didn’t make me want to revisit the pirates again.  That’s what I wanted.  

I’m glad I read this novel.  I enjoyed parts of it very much and once the large cast of characters came together, the story had a nice flow.  But then it was over and I put the book away.  It’s worth a read and would be fun to read while cruising the Caribbean!

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Have you ever picked up a book, started reading, enjoyed it, but still didn't know if you could finish it?  The Passage, by Justin Cronin, was like that for me.  So, if you are considering reading this really great book, just plug through.  You'll be glad you did.

The focus of the story is Amy, a young child who is just a little different and very brilliant.  When her desperate mother leaves her at an orphanage, the government swoops in.  The government is creating super weapons - vampire like creatures - to combat terrorism.  Of course, nothing quite works out the way they planned and after a mass escape, the creatures invade and infect at least the United States.  It's never clear how far it spreads. 

The next part of the book is about a pocket of survivors who are living on borrowed time and old batteries, with a system of walls and bright lights to protect them from the "virals".  When Amy arrives at their village, they discover a secret and a few set out to bring Amy back to where it all started.

Mr. Cronin crafted a very well detailed story with many surprises.  It is long and epic, spanning many, many years, but it's gripping and disturbing.  While it may be a vampire story, these are not your typical vampires.  They are not charming, that's for sure.  They are scary and not terribly human at all.  If I have any minor complaint it's the transitions between "sections" of the book.  I felt like so much was left hanging and all of a sudden I was one hundred years in the future trying to get to know a new group of characters.  Once I figured things out, the story began to flow again.  That's minor and it might not bother other people - I have a very linear mind, time-lines are very important to me in the books I read.  I do highly recommend this novel.  Just set aside a good chunk of time.

Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster

As a regular follower of Jen's website and a huge fan of her books, I was really excited to run out and buy Pretty in Plaid. I didn't even mind that it was a hardcover. Even though all of her other books are paperback, which is going to seriously mess up the aesthetics of my book shelf. Jen makes me smile and laugh, and frankly who couldn't use a smile and a laugh these days.

You don't need to be familiar with Jen or her story to be able to really enjoy Pretty in Plaid. Pretty much you just need to have been alive and over the age of ten at some point in the 80's. I really enjoyed learning more about Jen's background. The book starts with Jen as a young girl, upset about her Brownies uniform, longing for a pony, and cheating her way through Girl Scout badges. It covers life in Indiana, the trials of high school and her quest to find a sorority in college. Eventually the book hits the 90's where Jen graduates from college and starts her career.

I really loved this book. In my opinion it might just be her best. I still think we could be friends.

The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts

I actually want to take a minute to go back over the other two books in this trilogy. I wish I had taken the time to re-read them before reading this one as I had forgotten a few things. Fortunately I was able to figure it all out.

On Dec. 23, 2007, I finished Blood Brothers, the first of the trilogy. As that was before this blog, I was only making a brief journal entry at the time. I said "Great. Another good start to a new trilogy. Scary, sweet and a little weird but I enjoyed it."

May 13, 2008 I finished The Hollow, the second book. I said "Wow! Intense book - I had dreams about it. Another good addition to the trilogy. Can't wait for the third."

So that brings me to Dec. 6, 2008 (yesterday) when I finished The Pagan Stone. In my journal (which I still keep) I wrote "Scary! Good end to the trilogy. I didn't relate to Gage or Cybil but I liked the series. Glad it's done though!"

That pretty much sums it up. I'm glad this series is done. Not because I didn't like it, I loved it, but because it was scary. It made me uncomfortable and I didn't like the subject matter. Here's a quick synopsis -don't worry, no spoilers.

Three boys who are not biological brothers are born on the same day. They are best friends, beyond friendship, more like true brothers. On their tenth birthday they camp out at a place in the woods called the Pagan Stone. They slice their wrists and become blood brothers. What they didn't realize was that by doing a blood ritual in that spot they would unleash a demon that had been imprisoned there for a few hundred years. The demon possessed the town for a week before going dormant for seven years. Every seven years it comes back for seven days and the boys -now men - fight it as best they can.

In the months leading up to their 31st birthday, three women come to town. One comes for work, another because she's led there, and the third is pulled in by the first woman. The three men, now joined by three women (convenient) know that this is the year the demon must be stopped.

The first book was Cal and Quinn's story. I related to them the best. Cal was the hometown boy. He was on the town councils, ran the bowling alley, and had ties to the town from the very beginning. Quinn was the paranormal writer who came to town to investigate and research what went on every seven years.

The second book was Fox and Layla's story. Fox was the boy raised by free love hippies who rebelled and became a lawyer. He stayed in the town as well and made a home and law practice in the Hollow. Layla was brought there almost in a dream. She quickly teamed up with Quinn and the men, knowing that somehow she was a part of it all.

The third book was Gage and Cybil's story. Gage was abused by his alcoholic father growing up and had very little use for the town. He passed through now and then but he never set up a home anywhere, choosing to travel where his poker games took him. It was only the coming "seven" and his brothers that brought him back. Cybil was Quinn's best friend and a master at research. She was brought into help and quickly found herself a vital member of the six person team.

My only problem with these books was the subject matter of the demon. I don't like it. I try not to read books or watch movies where there is an ultimate evil force like a demon. They scare me. It's that simple. I couldn't read these books at bedtime, but I couldn't put them down at the same time. The characters saved this trilogy for me. It's one of Nora's best gifts, creating wonderful, likeable characters.

Do I recommend them? Yes, for those who don't mind a little bit of horror mixed in with their romance. I'm sure there are scarier books out there, I just don't choose to pick those up. I'll hang on to them, maybe read them again, and maybe share them with a few friends.