Tonight, I just have a craving to write, and what better way to satisfy it than to write about what I'm already talking about, thinking about and dreaming about? No, not being swept away by a cowboy who looks suspiciously like Joaquin Phoenix...although...okay, maybe that a little bit, but this time I mean books. Glorious, beautiful, timeless, feels-like-home, books. Ahh.
Which you probably already gathered from all the book reviews...yeah...
So yeah. I'm back, doing the same old, same old.
I apologize for the excessive giddiness of this post. You see, I just started The Trouble with Cowboys by Denise Hunter tonight, and let me tell you, oh boy can she write. (As evidenced by my last enthusiastic review, among others). Not just any story either. No, sir. She writes the best daggum cowboy-CUTIE-sweeps-you-clean-off-your-feet-and-kisses-you-like-he-means-it story you'll ever read. If you're a fan of Christian romance (you're here aren't you?), you simply must read every book of hers you can get your hands on. Thank goodness for libraries, right?
Stay tuned for my review of TTWC sometime soon. At this rate, maybe tomorrow night. Tonight, however, I'm featuring the book I just finished - an intriguing novel with a charming name - Larkspur Cove by Lisa Wingate.
Pages: 355
Preview: After surviving the worst year of her life, Andrea Henderson moves home to sleepy little Moses Lake, Texas, to rediscover her shattered faith and build a life for herself and her son. Game Warden Mart McClendon finds himself in Moses Lake for a different reason: to forget a tragedy for which he can't forgive himself. But when a mysterious little girl is suddenly seen with the town recluse, these two unlikely allies are drawn together in a search for her identity. As wounded pasts collide, will their quest bring the redemption and hope they need - or consequences neither of them expected?
Thoughts: Initially, I did not enjoy this book. I read a few chapters and did not find the characters appealing or the story captivating. However, when I picked it back up a few days ago and struggled a few pages more, I discovered a really, really good story. The cast of characters was actually fantastically quirky (not annoyingly so, as I first thought), and the story was very compelling. If you feel yourself dragging through the first chapter or two, don't give up! I literally could not put it down. I took it to the dinner table, in the car - I even read while my shower was heating up! I haven't done that in a while, and it felt good. The poor book was put through the wringer before I was done with it. I spilled both coffee and food on it, I got something sticky on the front, lost it multiple times (back a few months ago, before I wouldn't let it leave my hands), and it got crushed in the car door at one point. Now it's perfectly worn and loved. I'll be keeping this one on my shelf, and probably buying the two sequels...someday.
I loved: The writing was beautiful! I hadn't read any of Lisa Wingate's books before, but I'm definitely a fan of her style in this one. I hear that it's different in her other series'...maybe I'll check those out eventually. The setting was also really neat. Moses Lake sounds so peaceful and absolutely gorgeous. I love the idea of the artist colony nearby, and all the secret places to discover in the middle of all the beautiful landscape. I loved the characters, and the interactions between them. I absolutely adored the way they treated Len with such compassion. I was expecting them to portray him as a monster, but even when they suspect the worst, they treat him lovingly. He was precious, as was Birdie.
I didn't love: The loooooooong chapters. It was hard to read a whole one when I was about to fall asleep at night, and I don't like stopping in the middle. ;)
Cover Story: This had actually been on my TBR list long before I bought it, and I always had in mind that the picture was of a woman emerging from the water with hair in her face. I have no idea. Apparently I just wasn't that observant. The little girl makes so much more sense, and I think it fits the story perfectly.
More Than Words: There were quotes at the beginning of the chapters, meant to be from the diner wall, left by vacationers visiting Moses Lake. I thought that was neat touch and it made it seem realistic and cozy. There were also a lot of good quotes and life lessons, but I didn't write them down.
Casting Call:
Mart McClendon - Clive Owen
Andrea Henderson - Mary Louise Parker - But I imagined her hair a little lighter.
Picture It: I thought I'd try something new. It might not makes sense, but when I think of different novels I have read, I get these colors and patterns and shapes in my head that represent the story and the feelings I experienced throughout the story. I thought it might be fun to try to actually "paint" them out. This is Larkspur Cove in my head. I realize I might be a little schizo.
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