Rally Round Green

More than anything, Lois and Chris just want to get settled and enjoy their married life together.  Unfortunately, they're going to have to wait a little longer before the word "calm" can even begin to describe their life together.

The town of Green is still recovering from a tornado that nearly wiped out the whole town, when the state of Louisiana decides to close Green's schools due to poor academic performance and the shrinking population.

Everyone knows that without a school, the town will cease to exist.  They are all willing to fight to keep their local school, and they look to Lois and Chris to lead the way.  Between fighting for the school, restoring an old house, and comforting her husband after a freak accident, Lois is just trying to keep her head above water in Rally Round Green.

When I started the 4th installment of the Green series, I really wasn't sure where the story would take me.  Louis had bought the paper, fought to keep it, got married, and helped rebuild the town after a tornado.  The school story line was a pleasant surprise.  I love the continued stories of faith, compassion, and forgiveness.

Given the way Rally Round Green ended, I think I may know what one of the next story lines in Lois' life will be, and I. can't. wait.

Rally Round Green is scheduled to hit stores on November 1, 2011.  Read it.  Until then, spend a little time reading the first three books in the series: Gone to Green, Goodness Gracious Green, and The Glory of Green.

Copy provided by publisher for review.

The Book of Lies

When a story begins with a confession of murder, and the murderer insists the victim deserved her fate, I have to read the whole thing.

From the Publisher:
Life on the tiny island of Guernsey has just become a whole lot harder for fifteen-year-old Cat Rozier. She’s gone from model pupil to murderer, but she swears it’s not her fault. Apparently it’s all the fault of history.

A new arrival at Cat’s high school in 1984, the beautiful and instantly popular Nicolette inexplicably takes Cat under her wing. The two become inseparable—going to parties together, checking out boys, and drinking whatever liquor they can shoplift. But a perceived betrayal sends them spinning apart, and Nic responds with cruel, over-the-top retribution.

Cat’s recently deceased father, Emile, dedicated his adult life to uncovering the truth about the Nazi occupation of Guernsey—from Churchill’s abandonment of the island to the stories of those who resisted—in hopes of repairing the reputation of his older brother, Charlie. Through Emile’s letters and Charlie’s words—recorded on tapes before his own death— a “confession” takes shape, revealing the secrets deeply woven into the fabric of the island . . . and into the Rozier family story.

My opinion:
It took me forever to get through this book. I liked it, but...it wasn't a book that I had a problem putting down, though I did sometimes have to force myself to pick it back up.  I found Cat's story interesting, and as a history buff, I also enjoyed her uncle Charlie's story.  It was a slow moving book, especially in the beginning, but I'm glad I finished The Book of Lies.  Overall, it is an interesting story.  You just have to force yourself through it at times.

Copy provided by publisher for review.