The India Fan

The India Fan

by Victoria Holt

416 pages

Synopsis:

Blackmail. Arson. Murder. Obsession.

Beautiful as its peacock feathers may be, the priceless fan hidden deep within the Framling mansion has a legacy of death and destruction. And Drusilla Delany has no idea she's been marked by its curse...

But the fan's dark past might prove less of a danger than Fabian Framling himself. Dark, brooding, and dominating, will he be the one to save her from the fan's cruel fate...or cause her demise?

Beautiful Drusilla Delany had always been a sensible girl, the daughter of an impoverished vicar in Victorian England. But then she became infatuated with wealthy Fabian and Lavinia Framling--and inherited an extraordinary fan with a beautiful and fateful curse!

First Line:

I had always been fascinated by the big house of Framling.

My Thoughts:

I had forgotten just how much I enjoy reading Victoria Holt, especially this particular book.  You see, my grandmother introduced me to Victoria Holt when I was a teenager.  After that, I couldn't stop reading her books.  I'd scour garage sales, used book stores and even EBAY for copies of all her books (which I just about own all of).  My copy of this book is over 25 years old and greatly loved, meaning it's falling apart.  So, imagine my surprise and excitement when I received this book in the mail (FREE) from Goodreads First Reads.  It is a fantastic book, as all of the author's books and one I HAVE read and WILL continue to read over and over.

Favorite Quotes:

"Remember this.  We make our own luck.  If you believe in ill luck, it will surely come." pg. 221

"I would like to be reading...learning all the time.  There is nothing so exciting as discovering facts about the world we live in.  I wonder more people don't realize it.  It seems to me that most of them are chasing shadows." pg. 279

Read more about the author here.

An Echo in the Darkness

An Echo in the Darkness

by Francine Rivers

480 Pages

Historical Fiction

Synopsis:

Turning away from the opulence of Rome, Marcus is led by a whispering voice from the past into a journey that could set him free from the darkness of his soul.

First Line:

Alexander Democedes Amandinus stood at the Door of Death waiting for the chance to learn more about life.

My Thoughts:

I LOVE this trilogy.  So much, that I read through it every couple of years.  The message of this book is simple: Love is so powerful that it can overcome just about any adversity.  What an amazing book!

Favorite Quote:

"The most ordinary things of life are extraordinary.  The sunrise, the rain--"

pg. 268

Read more about the author here.

Scent of Magic

Scent of Magic

by Maria V. Snyder

416 pages

Adult Fiction

Synopsis:

As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avry of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomaniacal King Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avry is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement. And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confidant, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.

Though she should be in hiding, Avry will do whatever she can to support Tohon's opponents. Including infiltrating a holy army, evading magic sniffers, teaching forest skills to soldiers and figuring out how to stop Tohon's most horrible creations yet: an army of the walking dead—human and animal alike and nearly impossible to defeat.

War is coming and Avry is alone. Unless she figures out how to do the impossible …again.

First Line:

"I'm dead," I said to Kerrick.

My Thoughts:

I LOVE LOVE anything written by this author.  Have I mentioned how much I love her books?  Seriously.  This is a great 2nd book to the Healer Book series.  The ending...not so much to my liking.  Good thing I only have until December of this year to wait for the 3rd book.  A great read and one that I would definitely read again.

Read more about the author here.

A Sweetness to the Soul

A Sweetness to the Soul

by Jane Kirkpatrick

464 pages

Historical Fiction

Synopsis:

Based on historical characters and events, A Sweetness to the Soul recounts the captivating story of young, spirited Oregon pioneer Jane Herbert who at the age of twelve faces a tragedy that begins a life-long search for forgiveness and love. In the years that follow, young Jane finds herself involved in an unusual and touching romance with a dreamer sixteen years her senior, struggles to make peace with an emotionally distant mother, and fights to build a family of her own. Filled with heart-warming insight and glimpses of real-life pain, A Sweetness to the Soul paints a brilliant picture of love that conquers all obstacles and offers a powerful testimony to the miracle of God's healing power.

First Line:

Like the slow rising of the river after an early snow melt in the mountains, he seeped into my life, unhurried, almost without notice, until the strength and breadth of him covered everything that had once been familiar, made it different, new over old.

My Thoughts:

I love a good historical fiction novel, especially in regards to settling the western United States.  It's a good read that kept my attention from the get-go.  Sad at times, yet full of hope and faith.  

Favorite Quote:

"But nothing puts the salve to sorrow like the presence of an understanding friend, one who does not ask but is simply there." pg. 69

Read more about the author here.

Reached

Ahhhhhh...... so much to catch up on!  I'm sorry I've been such a slacker with my blogging!  I'm trying to get better....I promise :)  Here's hoping I remember everything I read!

Reached

by Ally Condie

384 Pages

Young Adult

Synopsis:

Cassia’s journey began with an error, a momentary glitch in the otherwise perfect façade of the Society. After crossing canyons to break free, she waits, silk and paper smuggled against her skin, ready for the final chapter.

The wait is over.

One young woman has raged against those who threaten to keep away what matters most—family, love, choice. Her quiet revolution is about to explode into full-scale rebellion.

With exquisite prose, the emotionally gripping conclusion to the international–bestselling Matched trilogy returns Cassia, Ky, and Xander to the Society to save the one thing they have been denied for so long, the power to choose.

First Line:

Every morning, the sun comes up and turns the earth red, and I think: This could be the day when everything changes.

My thoughts:

Not a bad read, but I still like the first book in the series best.  Good ending to a good series.

Favorite Quote:

"You cannont change your journey if you are unwilling to move at all." pg. 232

Read more about the author here.

The Rent Collector

The Rent Collector

by Camron Wright

355 pgs on my iPad

Adult Fiction

Synopsis:

Survival for Ki Lim and Sang Ly is a daily battle at Stung Meanchey, the largest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia. They make their living scavenging recyclables from the trash. Life would be hard enough without the worry for their chronically ill child, Nisay, and the added expense of medicines that are not working.

Just when things seem worst, Sang Ly learns a secret about the ill-tempered rent collector who comes demanding money—a secret that sets in motion a tide that will change the life of everyone it sweeps past. The Rent Collector is a story of hope,, of one woman's journey to save her son and another woman's chance at redemption. It demonstrates that even in a dump in Cambodia—perhaps especially in a dump in Cambodia—everyone deserves a second chance.

First Line:

I once believed that heroes existed only in old men's fables, that evil in the world had triumphed over good, and that love - a true, unselfish, and abiding love - could only be found in a little girl's imagination.

My Thoughts:

This book is right at the top of my FAVORITE books of ALL TIME and is one I will read again and again.  This is an amazing tale with amazing characters.  It is a book I want EVERYONE I know to read.  Simply fabulous.

Favorite Quote:

"Of all the stories I have read about heroes, and all that I could ever read, of one thing I'm now certain - he is mine." pg. 333

"To this day, if we look carefully around Stung Meanchey, if we search for stories that teach truth and goodness, stories with lessons that can soften and change our hearts - we will discover hope." pg. 338

Read more about the author here.

Whisper Hollow

Whisper Hollow

by Carol Warburton

408 pgs. on my iPad

Historical Fiction

Synopsis:

Talitha Evangeline Spencer enjoys a happy life with her parents in the tiny mountain hamlet of Whisper Hollow, but the onset of the Civil War brings the simplicity of her girlhood to a sudden end. When rebel soldiers wreak havoc on her family, unraveling her mother's already fragile state of mind, Tally must take charge of the family farm alone. The burdens of providing for the household prompt her to consider a marriage proposal from Ollie, her childhood friend, but Tally determines to hold out for love. Come spring, the sound of a lone violin on the breeze signals the arrival of Cole Blakely, a former Yankee soldier who draws the ire of the local Rebs even as he draws the eyes of Tally. And as tension mounts between Cole and the Rebels, Tally summons her grit to save Cole from the murderous hands of his enemies. But when the soldiers who nearly destroyed her happy home return, Tally finally meets a challenge she cannot face alone and must trust the love of the outsider who has won her heart.

First Line:

I stepped out of the cabin into the light of a beautiful spring morning.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoy reading this authors books.  This one is a great story of sacrifice and courage.  Definitely reading more from Carol Warburton.

Favorite Quote:

"The air was sweet with the scent of mountain laurel, and magnolias grew thick in spashes of yellow and white against the deep green of the forest." pg. 6 (This description made me want to be in that exact spot :)