Effi Briest - Theodor Fontane

Unworldly young Effi Briest is married off to Baron von Innstetten, an austere and ambitious civil servant twice her age, who has little time for his new wife. Isolated and bored, Effi finds comfort and distraction in a brief liaison with Major Crampas, a married man with a dangerous reputation. But years later, when Effi has almost forgotten her affair, the secret returns to haunt her, with fatal consequences. Considered to be Fontane’s greatest novel, Effi Briest is a humane, unsentimental portrait of a young woman torn between her duties as a wife and mother and the instincts of her heart.

I'm afraid that reading this immediately after Madame Bovary may have influenced my opinion on this book. It was impossible not to compare the two, and I definitely prefer Emma to Effi. While I felt sorry for Effi, pushed into marriage to a much older man when she was barely a child, I couldn't help but find her selfish and immature. Even her husband refers to her as a "spoilt young woman"! I'm sure that Effi had motivations for her actions but I never really felt like I understood them; Fontane didn't really get inside her head the way that Flaubert did with Emma. Although this novel offered a fascinating insight into late 19th century German aristocratic society I found it difficult to connect with the characters in comparison to other novels I've read from the period. I sympathised with their plight at being victims of the society in which they lived, but I never got to know them well enough to really care about them. There were, however, some wonderful descriptions of the scenery. I have the feeling that Fontane is better at describing locations than he is the emotions of his characters. 7/10

Shout out for Amish fans!

Many of my followers will be aware of the Fans of Amish Fiction group at GoodReads. (If not, get over there!) We discuss our favourite authors and books from the genre and discover new ones, as well as discussing a book together each month. We've even been fortunate enough to have the wonderful authors Marta Perry and Barbara Cameron join in with our discussions! At the moment we're reading Barbara Cameron's debut novel A Time to Love, which I reviewed a few months ago. From my experience, the authors in this particular genre are incredibly generous both with their wealth of knowledge on the subject and their desire to bless us with books! As an example of this, I'd like to direct you to a giveaway that author Gayle Roper is holding at my friend Jodie's blog All Things Amish. Jodie is a fellow GoodReader who has just started blogging about the Amish, aiming to provide all the essential information about the genre on one website. I encourage you to check out the giveaway and read the interviews with Gayle! 

I'd also like to give a little shout out to my fellow Amish GoodReads bloggers: Camille, Diane, Brenda, Lorie, Kristy, Jodie, Liz and Sam. Check out their blogs; you may discover some excellent new books.

A Celebration of the Simple Life - Wanda E. Brunstetter

Join Brunstetter in celebrating the simple life of the Plain People! Pairing devotional readings and Scripture from the KJV with her original poetry, this gift book encourages you to reflect on your attitudes, responsibilities, and Christian duty in light of the Amish philosophy of simplicity. A breath of fresh air for those under stress! 

Such a lovely little book, I only wish I could have held the real thing rather than an eBook. This is a wonderful devotional that I know I'd love to own. There are over thirty reflections under the headings "Attitude", "Responsibility" and "Christian Duty" on subjects such as "A Humble Attitude" and "Responsibility to Fellowship." Each reflection includes a poem from Wanda Brunstetter, a Bible verse, a note from Brunstetter relating the scripture to an example in the Amish lifestyle and a small prayer. This is all completed with absolutely stunning photography that will simply take your breath away; I simply cannot emphasise enough how beautiful these pictures are. Although I'm not a fan of Brunstetter's fictional work, she does have a wealth of knowledge about the Amish and I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Amish or loves reading novels about them or anyone who just wants to simplify their life. This would make the perfect gift or stocking filler as it isn't particularly large or expensive. I only wish I'd known about this when I was making my Christmas list! 10/10

Many thanks to Barbour and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

Long Time Coming - Vanessa Miller

Faithful Christian Deidre Clark-Morris is a professional career-minded woman with a loving husband and beautiful home, but no children. Kenisha Smalls has lived in poverty her entire life and has three children by three different men. After learning that Kenisha has inoperable cervical cancer, the relationship between these two women becomes a catalyst of hope, leading them both to a place of redemption and healing.

When Deirdre and Kenisha first meet it seems like they have nothing in common, but circumstances conspire to bring them together and build a surprising friendship. Deirdre is a high school principal with a lovely husband, but she's depressed because a medical condition has left her unable to have children. Kenisha is scraping through life as a single mother on benefits, having birthed three children to three different fathers, and has just been diagnosed with inoperable cervical cancer. Deirdre initially stereotypes Kenisha, thinking that it's impossible for such a woman to be a good mother, but she finds herself drawn to her son, Jamal. When Jamal calls Deirdre for help when his mother becomes ill, she begins to see Kenisha for who she really is and finds herself called to help her. But it may well be Kenisha who ends up helping her... 

This is the first book I've read from the author, and also my first foray into the African-American genre. As far as I know, we don't have any race-specific genres in Britain, and although I've read some excellent books by black authors such as Dorothy Koomson and Malorie Blackman, I know that they don't specifically aim their books at a certain race. For this, I'm quite please as I doubt there's anyone out there aiming books at someone who is half Scottish, three-eighths English and one-eighth Indian! However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and truly don't think that you have to be African-American in order to read it.

This book will really pull at your heartstrings, as would any story about someone in their twenties dying of cancer. I really felt for Kenisha and her anguish at leaving her children without a mother. Although there were a few moments where I had tears in my eyes, I wouldn't say that this is a depressing book. The way that Kenisha and Deirdre helped each other deal with their problems was incredibly uplifting. Each of them made judgements about the other but were able to overcome these in order to become friends and support each other. The character dynamics in this story were excellent, and Kenisha's children were adorable. I always find that children brighten up a story!

I did have a few problems with this book, namely in the last third. Although I really enjoy Christian fiction, I felt that a lot of this story focused on Deirdre trying to convert Kenisha and in some places it almost came across in a "Bible-bashing" manner, where Deirdre felt that conversion was more important than simply being there for her friend and letting God shine through her actions. I'm a firm believer of showing Christ to people through the way you speak and act, and waiting for them to ask you questions, rather than trying to talk about God all the time. This was mainly present in the last third of the book, and although it didn't make me dislike it, I do feel that it brings my rating down a bit. I also found the epilogue incredibly cheesy! I do like a happy ending but this overdid it a bit.

Although I felt that this novel had its faults, I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for unconventional Christian fiction. Kenisha isn't your typical heroine, but she's incredibly endearing and you'll find yourself rooting for her to let go of the past and to find peace with everyone in her life. I found it more difficult to relate to Deirdre as I felt that she'd caused so many of the issues she had in her life, but it was excellent seeing her grow as a character, and watching her overcome stereotypes and judgements in order to become friends with Kenisha. I also appreciate that the author felt brave enough to deal with so many popular issues in our society - drug addiction, single-parenthood, alcoholism, poverty, death, cancer, street crime, infertility - and that she did so in a tactful manner. So many Christian novels focus on "safe" topics, so I admire Vanessa Miller for stepping out of the mould. Definitely an author to watch! 8/10

Many thanks to Abingdon Press and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

The Jewel Box - Anna Davis

Grace Rutherford is the one and only Diamond Sharp, the 'It' girl of 1920s London, whose weekly newspaper column delights readers with tales of her nightly escapades: the dinners, the dancing, the hairdos, the fashion, the men... 

Caught up in the glitz and glamour of the day, Grace begins a passionate affair with charming, flirtatious American author Dexter O'Connell. Soon, though, she finds herself falling for John Cramer, the charismatic neighbour her widowed younger sister adores. Irresistibly drawn to both men, Grace discovers that they are bitter enemies. As she becomes tangled up in the mesh of secrets and lies that binds them together, she must try to find out which man, if either, she can trust.

From a glance at the cover this appears to be yet another chick-lit novel, so I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be much more than that. Set in London in the Roaring Twenties when women were just starting to gain independence and freedom, this is the story of Grace, a "modern woman". She's the daughter of a Suffragette, still unmarried at the age of 30 and one of the lucky few to have a professional job as a copywriter. Grace is also the secret author of a society column in a newspaper, and spends much of her time visiting nightclubs and restaurants and advising women on what to wear, how to do their hair, where to eat out and how to do the Charleston. Yet deep down, Grace yearns for more than this. Flashbacks reveal that she and her sister were once in love with two brothers who went to fight in the Great War, the war that changed everything. Grace has resigned herself to looking after Nancy, her widowed sister, and Nancy's children, but the appearance of two very different men makes her question the life she's living. Dexter O'Connell has a bad reputation with women, but Grace is convinced that a little romance won't cause any trouble. But her fling could risk her chances with John Cramer, a solid and responsible journalist whom she could actually spend her life with...

This is a novel about betrayals, mistakes, putting others first, heartbreak, the Great War, women's rights, responsibilities, selfishness, hidden affairs, family secrets, risk-taking and so much more. Yes, Grace finds herself torn between two men, and she cares a lot about clothes and make up and, like any chick-lit heroine, jumps to all the wrong conclusions and tries to run away from her problems. If you're looking for something entirely original, then this may not be the book for you. But for me, the wonderful setting and the complex backgrounds of the characters in this novel made this into more than just chick-lit. There were some great twists and turns that I didn't see coming and I could really relate to Grace, a modern and independent woman who really does wish that she had a man by her side, but just keeps making all the wrong decisions. If you enjoy chick-lit with a difference or just a fun view of London in the 1920s then I'd definitely recommend this novel. 8/10

Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

Emma Bovary is beautiful and bored, trapped in her marriage to a mediocre doctor and stifled by the banality of provincial life. An ardent reader of sentimental novels, she longs for passion and seeks escape in fantasies of high romance, in voracious spending and, eventually, in adultery. But even her affairs bring her disappointment and the consequences are devastating. Flaubert's erotically charged and psychologically acute portrayal of Emma Bovary caused a moral outcry on its publication in 1857. It was deemed so lifelike that many women claimed they were the model for his heroine; but Flaubert insisted: 'Madame Bovary, c'est moi'.

As much as I loved Flaubert's style of writing I found myself disliking Emma more and more as the novel progressed. Initially I was sympathetic towards Emma's situation; believing that marriage would solve all of her problems but discovering that life is not like a romance novel. And I could understand when she started trying to fill up the void in her life with material objects and affairs. But then she become demanding with her lovers, forcing them to fulfill the romantic fantasies she had from novels, and she couldn't cope when everything didn't work out entirely as she'd planned it. She just couldn't let go of her dreams and realise that life isn't perfect and that you have to make things work, rather than expecting men to rush into your life and fix everything. This is an excellent book to analyse and study because of this concept (and many others that feature in this novel), but I got rather frustrated with Emma towards the end of the novel. It was also horrifically depressing in places, so don't read this if you're having a sad day. I definitely recommend this book because of the incredible amount of issues it covers, as well as the wonderfully descriptive yet very readable narrative style. But I'm afraid that sometimes I just wanted to take Emma by the shoulders and shake her! 8/10

Grace - Shelley Shepard Gray

It’s Christmastime at the Brenneman Bed & Breakfast, and everyone is excited about closing down for the holiday. Anna and Henry will be celebrating their first Christmas as a married couple, and for Katie and Jonathan Lundy, it’s their first Christmas with baby Eli. Winnie and Samuel Miller plan to stop by as well for a wonderful two weeks of family and rest. 

But when two unexpected visitors show up, hoping to stay for Christmas, the family must test their commitment to hospitality. Levi is a widower who lost his wife four years ago and can’t bear the thought of another Christmas alone. And Melody is a young pregnant woman who won’t open up about how she ended up on her own at Christmas at almost nine months pregnant. Anna, who knows a thing or two about keeping secrets, doesn’t trust her, and strives to find out the truth about these two strangers who have disrupted their holiday.

But as the Christmas spirit descends on them all, along with a snow that traps them at the inn, a healing and hopefulness takes over, allowing new relationships to be built, and the boundaries of family to be extended.

Melody and Levi are strangers when they arrive at the Brenneman Bed and Breakfast in Ohio, both burdened with pain and sadness. But the welcoming, family-orientated nature of their Christmas getaway will not allow them stay unhappy for long. Soon they find themselves drawn together during the preparations for the holiday season and slowly they come to realise that God has great plans for both their futures. Can a miraculous event on Christmas day bring them together? 

This sweet, wholesome Christmas tale is the first book that I've read from the Sisters of the Heart series but it can be read entirely as a stand-alone novel. Grace is a simple story about two people thrown together to help each other heal past hurts and learn to love again. The characters in this story were quirky and endearing, making me want to go back and read the previous novels, and I came to enjoy learning about their lives. I particularly enjoyed the subplot about Melody's English friend, Leah, who is determined to track her down before Christmas day. I also loved the setting of the Bed and Breakfast and could imagine it as a real place! 

But as I said, it is a simple novel. I've read another couple of Christmas/winter themed Amish novels recently and this one pales slightly in comparison. Although I enjoyed this book, it didn't grip me and compel me to continue reading in the way that others have. I also had no doubt in my mind that the main characters were going to get together. Even in a romance novel where you expect a Happily Ever After ending, I like some stumbling blocks to be thrown in the path of the characters, something to make me wonder whether everything will work out. Melody and Levi had nothing to overcome after the first hundred or so pages. There was also something about the author's style of writing that irritated me; it felt like she was continually stating the obvious and telling us how the characters felt rather than let it show through their actions.

I would recommend this to those who enjoy Amish fiction and are looking for a simple, predictable Christmas tale. It's a quick read and easy to put down and pick up again. Although I wouldn't place this novel among the best of the Amish books available, I would be interested in reading more from this author as I think that she creates realistic characters and wonderful settings. 7/10

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me a chance to read and review this book. Grace: A Sisters of the Heart Christmas Novel by Shelley Shepard Gray goes on sale tomorrow, the 26th of October 2010.