Waiting to Forget - Sheila Kelly Welch

Waiting to Forget
Sheila Welch
  Ages: 10 and up
Grades: 4th-8th
Pages: 172

T.J. has always looked out for his little sister, Angela. When Momma used to go out and leave them home alone, he'd lock the door so they'd be safe, keep Angela entertained, and get out the cereal and milk for her. When Momma's boyfriend got angry at them, he'd try to protect Angela. Later, at their foster homes, T.J. was the only one who knew how to coax his little sister out of her bad moods. The only one who understood why she made origami paper cranes and threw them out the window.

But now T.J. is sitting in the waiting room at the hospital, wondering if Angela, unconscious after a fall, will ever wake up. Wondering, too, if he will ever feel at home with his and Angela's new parents—Marlene, who insists on calling him Timothy, and Dan, who seems to want a different son.

Going back and forth between Now and Then, weaving the uncertain present with the painful past, T.J.'s story unfolds, and with the unfolding comes a new understanding of how to move forward.


*** 

I finished reading this book in a single day.  It felt like I was witnessing some sort of accident in slow motion, watching events unfold before my eyes and wondering how it all would turn out.  This story held a sort of morbid fascination for me.  As a mother I am always surprised by the depth of love I have for my child.  When she was born I was struck by the realization that I had never really known what love was until that precise moment she was laid in my arms.  Like, the emotion I had foolishly labled love was a cheap imitation, a vague pantomime of feeling that had no real substance. Whenever I read in the news about a child lost or neglected I am drawn into the story...it's like an itch.  I can't stop my morbid curiosity.  I read as tears well up and I grieve for the child, I pray for the parents-I pray and pray that all will be well.  To say that losing my child is my deepest fear is not giving that fear enough weight.  To say that I can not understand how any human being could willingly place their child in harm's way is understatement.  I can not make myself come to understand the selfishness, greed, vanity and carelessness that must be involved when a parent puts their needs before that of their child.

So I find myself drawn to stories of familial dysfunction in a need to find reasons.  Reasons why a parent would choose to abandon their child.  Reasons why a parent would choose to not love.  What is it that makes people tick?   I want to know why a mother would drown her children.  I want to know why a mother would leave her children alone.  I need to understand.  The tragedy needs to make sense for me or else I fear that I will lose any love for humanity that I have left.  Jesus taught us to love each other but how can I love a mother that leaves her baby to die?  How can I love a parent that willingly murders, abandons, hurts...

So I read these stories of loss and despair searching for that intangible something that will put the pieces into place.  I search the stories looking for any thing I can cling to that I could empathize with.  Some little bit that I could justify.  I pray that Jesus will help me along the way.  Help me to see these lost souls through His loving and forgiving eyes.

Waiting to Forget didn't really help me find the answers I seek.  I am beginning to think that some things can not be justified no matter what.  That, senseless acts of violence and neglect happen because people simply allow them to.  Perhaps they are lacking in an essential ingredient to their humanity...their ability to have empathy, their ability to feel anything besides primal hunger.

Waiting to Forget is a simple portrait of lives lived under less than ideal circumstances.  The author deftly avoids the darker aspects of child neglect and I for one am grateful for that.  Some things can not be unread so I am glad that the author treated her characters with a loving hand and by consequence she spares the reader the brunt of terrible acts that can not be undone.  At it's core this story is about the resiliency of the human spirit, of our ability to see hope which is at the core of our humanness.  That trait is God given and enables us to be survivors, it shows us daily the face of God lest we forget that He exists.  Hope is our gift.  We should use it wisely and give it freely.

***

Sheila Kelly Welch

I began writing and drawing before I started school. In first grade my black crayon was always worn down from making pictures of horses with long manes and flowing tails. In junior high school, I began to think about a career, and I actually wrote in my diary, "Maybe someday I'll make my own children's books, illustrations and all."

When I went to Temple University in Philadelphia, I majored in fine arts and also received a master's degree in education. In the next few years, my husband, Eric, and I began to raise our family. We bought and sold a farm in Minnesota, I taught school, and Eric decided to become a librarian.

Then, in 1981, I had open heart surgery. With my artificial valve ticking away, I knew that if "someday" was ever going to arrive, I'd better get busy. My first short story was published in 1983. Since then my short stories, often accompanied by my illustrations, have appeared in a number of magazines including Cricket, Children's Playmate, Girls' Life, The Friend, Ladybug, Cicada, and Spider. Several of my short stories have been published in language arts textbooks. I've also written and/or illustrated fourteen books for children of various ages.

Now I live in the country near Forreston, Illinois with my husband and a menagerie of pets. We have seven grown-up children and seven grandchildren. I enjoy volunteering at the local animal shelter and visiting nursing homes with my certified therapy dog. Raven and I also participate in the "Paws for Reading" program at the library. Children read aloud to the dogs.

 

* I received an advance copy from the publisher for purposes of review. I was in no way obligated to write a review much less a favorable one. The opinions stated herein are all my own.

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Iron Fey Website

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her

irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

***

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa was not what I expected.  It's a book about a Fairy prince that has fallen in love with a human and this is a story about his journey to gain a soul so that he can be with his love.  My first impression was that this might be a sweet, lyrical and magical read.  You know, a summery diversion, something light and ethereal like...well, like fairies.

Ms. Kagawa has created a solid world built upon all the mythological and fanciful fairy tale creatures that have been passed down through the ages.  She writes with an authority I found beguiling.  Could it possibly be true that our imaginary creations live on in some other realm, fed by our thoughts, dreams and stories?  What if our imagination, our creativity, our world of make believe and fantasy were as real as our reality?  And what would happen to all of our progeny if we simple ceased to believe in them?

We are the product of their hearts and minds.  Without a soul we are immortal, yet empty.  Remembered, we exist.  Forgotten we die...

There is a central battle between good and evil at work in this book.  The forces of Iron seek to destroy anything it can.  Think of the rise of civilization, the increasing mechanization of our society.  Think of all that we, as a society, have gained and lost to the modernization of our world.  Then think of the amazing a natural wonders of nature itself.  The simple yet magnificent way a sunset can make you feel, the cool of the shade beneath a broad tree, how bees manage to fly.  These are the forces that struggle against each other in Julie Kagawa's world.  

The relationship between the characters is complex and iconic.  Ms. Kagawa knows her characters intimately and she writes them with confidence.  she portrays them with respect and gives them room to be themselves without apology, seeming to allow them to make their own decisions.  The Knight seeking a soul, is a seeker on a spiritual journey.  He is willing to give up all that he knows for the one singular purpose of being human, having a soul.  Might I say that he is like us all?  Seeking for that one thing that makes it all o-kay.  Some of us seek meaning in things, stuff we hope can fill that gap.  Others seek in the people we love or people we don't.  Still others seek for our souls, like the knight, we seek for our essential truth.

It is very important to note that this book is only the latest in a long series of books.  I have not read the rest of the series and really, it mattered not.  Ms. Kagawa manages to do what so many authors who write series books can not figure out how to do.  She seamlessly clued the reader into what happened in past novels without it feeling like an intrusion.  Just enough information to allow a new reader sufficient background yet not so much that seasoned readers feel like they are reading a rehashing of previous books.  Honestly, that talent alone is worthy of mention.

About Julie Kagawa:
 Born in Sacramento, California, Julie Kagawa moved to Hawaii at the age of nine. There she learned many things: how to bodyboard, that teachers scream when you put centipedes in their desks and that writing stories in math class is a fantastic way to kill time. Her teachers were glad to see her graduate. Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her husband and a plethora of pets. She still laughs whenever she sees  centipede. Visit her at www.juliekagawa.com.

Bright Empires #2 : The Bone House By Stephen R. Lawhead

ONE PIECE OF THE SKIN MAP HAS BEEN FOUND. NOW THE RACE TO UNRAVEL THE FUTURE OF THE FUTURE TURNS DEADLY.

An avenue of Egyptian sphinxes, an Etruscan tufa tomb, a Bohemian coffee shop, and a Stone Age landscape where universes collide …

Kit Livingstone met his great grandfather Cosimo in a rainy alley in London where he discovered the reality of alternate realities.

Now he’s on the run – and on a quest, trying to understand the impossible mission he inherited from Cosimo: to restore a map that charts the hidden dimensions of the multiverse while staying one step ahead of the savage Burley Men.

The key is the Skin Map – but where it leads and what it means, Kit has no idea. The pieces have been scattered throughout this universe and beyond.

Mina, from her outpost in seventeenth-century Prague, is quickly gaining both the experience and the means to succeed in the quest. Yet so are those with evil intent, who from the shadows are manipulating great minds of history for their own malign purposes.

Across time and space, through manifest and hidden worlds, those who know how to use ley lines to travel through astral planes have left their own world behind in this, the second quest: to unlock the mystery of The Bone House. 

This is the second book in the Bright Empires Series by S. Lawhead and like the first (read my review of book one here) I read this book voraciously.  The wonderful Mr. Lawhead never fails to entertain.  The "characters of the BRIGHT EMPIRES SERIES" are not time-traveling explorers, a la H.G. Wells....Rather [they] are bouncing around a multidimensional universe in the equivalent of a helicopter that can travel in any of a thousand different directions...with a dose of time slippage thrown in for good measure"  That description will get you close to understanding what this story is about.  What sets Mr. Lawhead apart from so many authors is the absolute authority with which he plies his craft.  The details are rich and evocative,  the characters are extremely well thought out and realized, the intricacies of the plot are flawless.  This tale, in the hands of a master, is nothing short of enthralling.  I wholly enjoyed this book.  I would rate this book ten...no fifteen big, fat fabulous stars.
The third book in the "BRIGHT EMPIRES SERIES" is slated for release in September 2012.

Stephen R. Lawhead

Stephen R. Lawhead is an internationally acclaimed author of mythic history and imaginative fiction. He is the author of such epics as The Skin Map; The King Raven, Song of Albion, and Dragon King Trilogies. Lawhead makes his home in Oxford, England, with his wife. Twitter @StephenLawhead, facebook.com/StephenRLawhead

The Canary List: A Novel by Sigmund Brouwer

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In this blisteringly-paced novel certain to attract thriller fans who love exploring the corners where spiritual conspiracy intersects with scientific reality, The Canary List uncovers the fine—and fatal—line between the physical and spiritual worlds.

Protected by the dark of night, Jaimie Piper runs. But is anywhere safe when Evil is hunting you?
She's just a twelve year-old girl, bumped around between foster homes and relegated to school classes for challenged kids, those lagging in their test scores or with behavioral issues. But her real problem is that she can sense something the other kids can't-something dark. Something compelling her to run for her life.
All Crockett Grey wants is to mark the anniversary of his daughter's death alone.
But when his student Jaimie comes to him, terrified, her need for protection collides with his grief, and a tangled web of bizarre events sends them both spiraling toward destruction.

Crockett's one hope of getting his life back is to uncover the mysterious secrets of Jaimie's past and her strange gift. It isn't long before his discoveries lead him to a darker conspiracy, secrets guarded by the highest seat of power in the world-the Vatican.

I couldn't put this book down.  Mr. Brouwer weaves a perfectly paced suspense filled mystery that will leave the reader breathless and turning pages well into the night.  It is a classic tale of light versus dark told in the modern era and centered on the Holy Catholic Church.  Dan Brown fans are sure to be pleased.  This reviewer truly enjoyed reading "The Canary List" and must say that with a few exceptions it has been my most enjoyable read this summer.  Perfect reading for the beach or poolside and while it is a book ideal for distraction Mr. Brouwer writes with a conscience and never forgets that his audience is intelligent and not shy about tackling thought-provoking questions about faith and science.  


The Canary List begs the reader to ask themselves whether demons are real, or if they can be explained away by modern psychology. And if we decide that demons don't exist, how much of the gospels must we reject in order to rationalize the frequent mention of demons and miracles?*  Thought provoking, indeed, especially when taken in the context of the modern day Church that rarely if ever mentions the existence of the evil one. 
“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”.

Sigmund Brouwer is the bestselling author of Broken Angel and nineteen other novels, with close to three million books in print. His work has appeared in Time, The Tennessean, on Good Morning America and other media. Sigmund is married to recording artist Cindy Morgan and has two young daughters.

The Canary List by Sigmund Brouwer (Chapter 1)

Desert Gift by Sally John

What does a nationally known marriage expert do when her own marriage falls apart? Just as Jillian Galloway sets out for a publicity tour to promote her new book, her husband drops a bombshell: He wants a divorce. Jill flees to her parents’ home in the California desert, wondering whether everything she’s built her career on—indeed, everything she’s built her life around—is a sham. Navigating this “side road” of life is an uphill climb that leads to new understandings about herself, her marriage, and her relationship with the One who created marriage.

I just couldn't finish this book. The characters were flat and uninteresting.  The plot dull...it was for me a very boring read.  Sorry, but the book has been moldering on my bookshelf for too long and this review is several months overdue.  I wanted to at least have a positive word for this but the best I can do is to say that the grammar is correct and the story wasn't offensive.  Other than that I just wasn't interested.  Enough said.

The Seraph Seal By Leonard Sweet, Lori Wagner

An epic tale of good and evil based on the four horsemen of the Apocalypse found in Revelation.
Using the four horsemen of the Apocalypse to symbolize the four Gospels, four transcendentals, and four forces of the universe (air, water, earth, and fire), Sweet and Wagner weave a fast-paced, end-times tale of good vs. evil and the promise of a new dawn for humanity.
Set in 2048, when planet Earth is suffering from the damaging effects of years of misuse and abuse, cultural history professor Paul Binder receives a mysterious letter that leads him to examine a lost 2nd-century Diatessaron manuscript. Ancient prophecies, cryptic letters, and strange events set him on a course to uncover the missing clues that could lead humanity into a new age. Layered with forgotten symbolism from the ancient, Jewish, and Christian traditions, the novel is a type of engaged fiction in which the main character's lost journal serves as a guide to the reader in interpreting clues and understanding the novel's conclusion.

 I love end-times fiction and this new novel is a good read.  There is a lot of author commentary that really should be read so the reader has a firm grasp on the two authors viewpoints and thesis...I admit to mostly skipping the forwards in books but this time I'm glad I didn't.  There is a rather lengthy "dictionary" of terms in the back of the book that aids the reader in understanding the terms used in the book and a fictional journal of the main character-Paul Binder.  This book proved to be a nice long read for me, a book-trait that I personally adore.  The longer the book the happier I am.  Unless, of course, it's dead boring.  The Seraph Seal is not boring, however it is not a seat of your pants ride either.  It's mostly thought provoking.  A bit slow, perhaps, and I did get a bit confused as there are quite a few players involved.  Though I suppose the onset of beautiful weather played a significant role in allowing myself to be distracted while I read under sunny skies with soft breezes rustling the leaves and such.  Any how, I received the Seraph Seal as a digital download from Booksneeze's Blogger program and the digital copy is flawless on my kindle...fully formatted and speech to text enabled for those days when you'd prefer the Kindle turn those pesky pages for you;) 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Final Summit - Andy Andrews

Book Description

David Ponder is back. This time the fate of mankind is in his hands.

This is mankind’s last chance. Centuries of greed, pride, and hate have sent humanity hurtling toward disaster, and far from its original purpose. There is only one solution that can reset the compass and right the ship, and it consists of only two words.

With time running out, it is up to David Ponder and a cast of history’s best and brightest minds to uncover this solution before it is too late. The catch? They are allowed only five tries to discover the answer.

Readers first encountered David Ponder in The Traveler's Gift. Now, in The Final Summit, Andrews combines a riveting narrative with astounding history in order to show us the one thing we must do when we don’t know what to do.

Second in a two book series, the "Final Summit" is a book that is easily read on its own.  I have not read "The Traveler's Gift" and I didn't have any trouble understanding the story.  "The Final Summit" is an enjoyable read that has an interesting and engaging concept.  The hero, David Ponder, plays host to a bevy of historical figures as he tries to save mankind from certain doom.  We're talking Biblical proportion doom.  Oh, and he does so at the request of  the Archangel Gabriel.  This book does cover a bit of philosophical ground on its way to the solution.  However, it is no way a heavy read.  I found "The Final Summit" to be a nice respite from my day to day routine and along the way it gave me something to think about.  Not a bad deal in  my opinion.  If you like action packed, seat of you pants reads this may not be the book for you...mostly the book consists of dialogue and it does get a little tedious.  I didn't realize how much I like a bit action thrown into my reads but then again I guess you can learn something new about oneself from time to time;)  Over all I feel that I can recommend this book to most anyone.  It shouldn't take you very long to read even if the book doesn't beg to be finished before midnight (that only happens with the very best of books though).  So if you're feeling like you crave something a little philosophical, and wouldn't mind a bit of the historical thrown in, go on, give this one a go!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Chasm By: Randy Alcorn

The Chasm

By: Randy Alcorn
Multnomah Books / 2011 / Hardcover

From the Publisher:

A Journey He Couldn’t Miss… and a Step He Couldn’t Take

He found himself a traveler in the strangest of lands. Where invisible secrets come starkly into sight. Where the fairest of companions leads the way into unsuspected danger and darkness. Where hidden battles burst into the open. Where so much is grasped…and so much more seems unattainable.
   Driven by a yearning he doesn’t understand, compelled toward a destination he can’t quite see, the traveler navigates the inhospitable landscape with determination and a flicker of something like hope—despite the obstacles that seem to unerringly block his path.
   Best-selling novelist Randy Alcorn weaves a supernatural interplay of wills and motives, lusts and longings, love and sacrifice. It’s a potent mix that leaves every reader wondering: Do I really understand this world I live in? Do I really understand myself? Is there more to all this than I’ve ever dared hope?
INCLUDES 12 ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS

I seriously was looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately, as I snuggled up and began to read I was struck by a strong sense of deja vu. Had I read this book before and simply forgot? But no, that couldn't be it...this is a new release. Right?

Well sort of. What it really is, is a rewriting of "Edge of Eternity." Some of it hauntingly exact in it's replication. If you haven't read “Edge of Eternity” it is an allegory of a man that experiences death to self through the cross of Christ (as is 'Chasm” for that matter). Whereas, "Edge of Eternity" is a magnificent book, "Chasm" tends to leave the reader feeling a bit winded by its pace and at some level the reader feels like a chunk of the message is missing. Read the “Chasm” if you must but I much prefer “Edge of Eternity”.

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”.

The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari-Donita K. Paul

Donita K. Paul, a former schoolteacher, is the author of the popular Dragon Keeper books. The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari is just one in a series of books that teach children Biblical truths in an accessible and entertaining manner. My 8 year old daughter realy enjoyed reading this book and she delighted in the lovely illustrations. As a mother I appreciated the important lessons that the book taught about friendship, cooperation and overcoming ones fears. Each volume is built upon solid biblical teaching and this particular edition is built upon Deuteronomy 31:6. The verse reads "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid....God goes with you; he will never leave you." The story demonstrates this truth gracefully. The book also includes a section at the back to aid parents in an active discussion to help children understand times when it is important to be brave or encouraging to others. If you are looking for an entertaining and engaging way to not only teach your children important bible based lessons but to also connect with them on a deeper level this series of books is a wonderful tool. The books are absolutely appropriate for all groups and mayhaps even a few adults could learn a lesson or two from these stories.

The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark,
illustrated by Vincent Nguyen
Waterbrook Press, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-307-44645-9

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review