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.

Gone With a Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West

Gone With a Handsomer Man, by Michael Lee West is a clever and witty mystery romance.  I found it to be a fun read.  I'm not good with mysteries though so I did peak ahead to see the culprit!

The story is about Teeny Templeton, an amateur baker who is engaged to a wealthy Lothario.  When she comes home to find him playing naked badminton with a couple of women, she gets angry and starts throwing peaches.  This is where the story spirals, with her having to move out, try to regain custody of her dog, and eventually solve a mystery.  She also meets a handsomer man from her past who helps her to get over Bing. 

The writing is very clever with some great lines that I shared with my mother on several occasions.  The story moves fairly quickly and the dialogue is snappy.  It might be a little too snappy and clever at times, but it all worked, especially set in the city of Charleston.  While the story resolved itself, there was a definite cliff-hanger so I can only assume there will be a sequel.  I hope. 

A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham

A Desirable Residence, by Madeline Wickham, is a story with multiple characters and a hazy ending.  The story centers on the Chambers family.  Liz and Jonathan buy a tutorial college taking out several loans to do so.  They are both teachers and are anxious to get going on their new venture.  Their daughter Alice is a sulky teen who smokes in the garage of the house she no longer lives in.  Other characters include Marcus the realtor who is attempting to help Liz rent her house,  and Ginny and Piers, the new tenants.  We also get to see the story through the eyes of Marcus's stressed out wife and his two sons.

The lives of these characters intertwine in a very believable way.  There are affairs, crushes, obsessions, and career failures that color the few months time in which the book takes place.  We are ultimately left with a bit of hope and a bit of heartbreak.  The story never really ends.  There isn't a neat and tidy ending for any of them.  I'm still wondering where Ginny and Piers went.

All in all, the story was entertaining enough to keep me reading.  I was hoping for a happy ending.  Every book I read lately has an open ending.  I need to find a happy ever after book to read next!  It's a good book but not a great one.  It's worth a read.

Truly, Madly by Heather Webber

Truly, Madly, by Heather Webber is a great book!  I was looking for something fun and witty to end the holiday season with.  I'm so glad I chose to pick up this book.  It's due to be released in February, 2010 and I highly recommend you pick it up.

The story centers on Lucy.  She comes from a long line of matchmakers but due to an electrical surge, she's lost her matchmaking abilities.  Instead, she can find lost objects by touching someone's hand.  She never embraces her gift as a gift, instead it's a disappointment to her that she can't follow in her family's legacy.  When Lucy's father leaves her in charge of the business for a couple weeks, she discovers that maybe her abilities are something special.  Lucy gets wrapped up in a missing child, a murder investigation, and a heavy flirtation with the PI in the office upstairs.   

The characters are completely enjoyable.  Even the pets are lovable with their fun little quirks.  There are at least two more books in the series and I can't wait to read them.  It's always nice to find new authors (to me) and a new series to look forward to!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to smile while reading a mystery.  It's recommended for adults or older teens as there is a bit of a love story.  Nothing explicit which is nice but a lot of kissing. . .

The Sound of Sleigh Bells by Cindy Woodsmall

I was lucky to receive a review copy* of The Sound of Sleigh Bells by Cindy Woodsmall and was very anxious to read it. I know there are several books that take place among the Amish and I just haven't had a chance to read any of them. This was my first foray into the genre and I found it to be very sweet.

The book revolves around two people who are broken in their own ways. Beth has never recovered from the death of her fiance and continues to shun the idea of falling in love. Jonah was the victim of a tragic accident as a teen and never quite felt whole. Through a series of letters, a few mix ups, and a meddling relative, Jonah and Beth realize that they might just be what the other needs.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading a beautiful love story and learn a little more about the Amish way of life. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Don't forget, you can enter to win a brand new copy of the book by clicking here.

You can purchase the book here.

*This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

I don't know what I thought Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld, was about but I had in my mind that it was some sort of supernatural story in which everyone turned pretty at the age of 16. I didn't expect a futuristic version of Earth. I found myself doubting if I would enjoy it as I'm not much of a science fiction fan when it comes to books. I persisted and found that the characters might have fancy futuristic gadgets, but that was about as technical as it got. The story is about life altering choices and friendship. It's heart is not in the technology of the future but about the human spirit that continues to live on even in a very changed world.

Tally Youngblood is a fifteen year old "ugly" who can't wait to become pretty on her sixteenth birthday. In this futuristic earth, prejudices are eliminated by forcing everyone to look similar, with flawless skin, toned bodies, and pretty symmetrical faces. Children grow up knowing that they will be pretty and most look forward to it. Tally's adventure begins when she meets Shay, another fifteen year old who isn't so sure that she wants to have the surgery. Tally learns some secrets behind the surgery to make everyone pretty. She is faced with her own doubts as to her future after meeting David and other uglies who have resisted the change.

After reading a few chapters of book, I found I could barely stand to put it down. There is romance, adventure, and everything else that a good story needs. I loved Tally's relationship with David and her sense of adventure, despite the somewhat sterile environment she grew up in. I can't wait to read the sequel, Pretties. The book is written for young adults and yet is completely intriguing for a "middle ugly" like me. I highly recommend this book.

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson

I wasn't sure what to think when I started reading Feathers. I knew it was a book for children and that it was a Newbery Honor book, but that was all I knew. I'm going to be honest, I'm still not sure what to tell you all it was about. I suppose the best I could tell you was that it was about hope.

Hope is the thing with feathers

That is the beginning of the poem "Hope" by Emily Dickenson. It is the poem that starts the story and starts Frannie thinking about hope. Frannie was the main character of the story that takes place in the 70's amid times of racial tension - and hope. Her brother Sean is deaf but communicates flawlessly through sign language. It was nice to hear his voice in the story. Her parents are loving and warm - which is always nice. They've gone through rough times as a family, after her mother lost a couple babies and one died young.

A new boy comes into the school and he happens to be white. He's described as pale, blond, and extremely different from all the other children in the school. He's nicknamed Jesus Boy and we never do learn his real name. He's mysterious and Frannie is drawn to him.

Each of the characters is searching for hope. Sean hopes for a bridge to the hearing world, Frannie's mother hopes for a healthy pregnancy, her best friend, Samantha, hopes for the real Jesus to return. I can't pinpoint exactly what Frannie wants except to say that she hopes for all the people in her life to be happy and content around her.

This is a lovely little story that really makes you think about what you hope for. I recommend this to anyone -because we all need hope.