catching up on books

i don't have time to write about each of the books i have read lately but i thought would give a few thoughts on them...



Where I Once Belonged by kent haruf. i really like this author. i have read several of his books including Plainsong and Eventide, both of which i highly recommend. however, even though i thought Where I Once Belonged was well written, i did not really bond with the main character/narrator and in the end, i just did not enjoy the story as much as the others. i found the ending abrupt and very disappointing.



The Church Ladies by lisa samson. This was the second time reading this book and i think i liked it even better this time. and that is saying a lot! samson's characters are so real. the situations and conversations are not christian formula fiction. i can not recommend this book, or any book by lisa samson enough.



A Respectable Trade by philippa gregory. i enjoyed this historical fiction set in england in the early 1800's. the author really grabbed me in the first few chapters and kept me turning pages thorough out. my one complaint is that the romance in the story did not seem believable to me.



The Other Boleyn Girl by philippa gregory. well, after A Respectable Trade, i decided to try another by the same author. this one is set in england circa 1500's. this is period of time which i know little about and found quite fascinating. and while the same skilled story telling drew me in and kept me interested, i was shocked by the immorality of the culture it portrayed. i felt many of the details in this regard were unnecessary and therefore i have decided that i won't be picking up any more of her books.



so of the past 4 books, i can only heartily recommend one. presently i am reading The Fifth Seal by bodie thoene in her series A.D. Chronicles. i have really enjoyed this series, especially the first two. but maybe i will add the fifth one to that list as well.

does anyone care to suggest a book that i can add to my "to read" list?