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A Life Once Dreamed by Rachel Ford
Pulling Together A Life Once Dreamed by Rachel Fordham is a charming Christian historical novel set in 1880. This is a time of exploration and putting down roots. The reader sees this physically and spiritually. The town of Penance is a pioneering settlement. The town grows both physically and its members grow spiritually. It is […]
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Contempt by Michael Cordell
Sacrificial Lamb Contempt by Michael Cordell is a fabulous contemporary legal thriller that will have you glued and guessing. Miscarriages of justice have occurred and the truth needs to be uncovered. The tension rises as clearing murky waters begin to uncover a different picture. The action is fast paced and like any courtroom drama, the […]
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Acceptable Risk by Lynette Eason
Good Hearts Acceptable Risk by Lynette Eason is a fabulous Christian suspense and the second book in the Danger Never Sleeps series. It can be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed catching up with familiar faces. Lynette Eason is a master of the suspense drama. She had me glued and guessing from the start. Her […]
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12 Substitutions for The Kite Runner
High School Literature: Messy and Grown-Up What’s a parent to do when a book like The Kite Runner gets assigned in school? High school students are learning to read as adults; the high school literature canon reflects that: The Great Gatsby, Great Expectations, Lord of the Flies, Fahrenheit 451, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Shakespeare…. All of these are “adult” books in that they were written for an adult audience. And all of them contain “messy” elements: violence, bad language, sexual promiscuity, trauma, sordid family histories, etc. And yet, the traditional high school canon did not feature books as explicitly traumatic as a book like The Kite Runner. Darkness? Yes.…
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Is The Kite Runner OK for 10th Graders?
Is The Kite Runner OK for 10th Graders? “My 10th grader has to read The Kite Runner for school. Do you know anything about it? Is it okay for him to read?” “My 15-year-old daughter was assigned The Kite Runner for school. I’m not comfortable with her reading it. Can you recommend a substitute?” And so it goes. This is our readers’ number one school book substitution request. The Kite Runner: a Summary The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Riverhead, 2003. 371 pages. Reading Level: AdultRecommended For: Ages 16 and up* (note considerations below)Amir (the narrator) and Hassan grew up together in Afghanistan; Hasan and his father are servants in…
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Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason
Cracking Suspense Collateral Damage by Lynette Eason is a fabulous contemporary Christian suspense and the first book in the Danger Never Sleeps series which promises to be a cracking one. God has plans for all of our lives. Each one of us is equal in His eyes. Unscrupulous people judge others as to who is […]
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When She Was Good by Michael Robotham
Absolutely Thrilling When She Was Good by Michael Robotham is a marvellous contemporary crime suspense that I could not put down. It is the second book in the Cyrus Haven series but can be read as a stand-alone. Wow, what a fantastic book that totally consumed me. The action is told from two alternating points […]
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What Only We Know by Catherine Hokin
United What Only We Know by Catherine Hokin is a marvellous heart-breaking dual timeline novel that will consume you as you ‘live’ through the action. The novel is set in Germany, mainly Berlin, in 1936-1947, and in England in 1971-1990. Chapters alternate, as do the voices through whom the story is told. The horrors of […]
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Ark: Return Of The Templars by Paul Humphreys
Exciting Ark: Return Of The Templars by Paul Humphreys is a thrilling suspense set in 2008. The book shows the continuing fight between good and evil that has existed since biblical times. An ancient order of Knights is pitted against evil criminal masterminds. The plot is complex and well executed. The action was fast paced […]
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The Ghost Tree by Barbara Erskine
Combining Fact And Fiction The Ghost Tree by Barbara Erskine is a fascinating contemporary and historical tale that is grounded in fact. The author has taken the life of her ancestor Thomas from the eighteenth century and woven a story around his life – part fact, part fiction. There are two time periods linked by […]
