top 10 book reviews of 2014

It's Top 10 time!!! While I don't have my Best Books of 2014 list finished yet (and I may not until well into January--we'll see how it goes!), I do have a Top 10 list for you today: Top 10 Book Reviews of 2014!

I thought it would be fun to take a look at which of my reviews were the most popular this year, so I turned to my friend Google Analytics. The results surprised me, to say the least! I actually reviewed nearly half of these books prior to 2014, I gave negative reviews to several, and none will show up on my Best of 2014 list. Four of these books either were recently made into movies or are connected to a TV show, so that probably accounts for the reviews' popularity.

10. Dreamtreaders by Wayne Thomas Batson (4 stars)
Is it terrible to admit that I have zero recollection of this book, even after rereading my review? (I do remember the cover, but I couldn't tell you the plot to save my life.) I gave it 4 stars, so I must have liked it at the time ...

9. Revolutionary by Krista McGee (5 stars)
This book is the final entry in McGee's excellent YA trilogy. I loved, loved, loved this series ... and I sincerely apologize to everyone who was confused by my review! You see, when I reread this review for the purpose of this post, I saw that I had called the book Luminary (the title of book two) instead of Revolutionary throughout the review! (Don't worry: I've fixed it now!)

8. Wish You Were Here by Beth K Vogt (5 stars)
I reviewed this book in 2012. It's a great book that tells the story of a runaway bride, but it's so much deeper than your typical romance. I still highly recommend it!

7. Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber (3 stars)
Honestly, 3 stars was probably a little generous for Mr. Miracle. Debbie Macomber's books tend to be hit or miss for me, and this one was definitely a miss. I hoped the film adaptation, which aired on Hallmark Channel this Christmas, would be better, but it really wasn't. I read somewhere that Rob Morrow's Harry (Mr. Miracle) came across as slightly drunk, and I would have to agree with that assessment. He didn't seem quite so naive or childish in the book, and I guess in this case I would recommend the book over the movie, but I don't highly recommend either one.

6. A Short Life Well Lived by Tom Sullivan (2 stars)
This book is the biggest surprise on the list. It's the oldest review represented here--from July of 2011--and it's a negative one. I do actually remember this book because I was so conflicted as I read it. I got it for review from a Christian publicity company, but the Christianity in this book doesn't look anything like what I believe to be true. (We're talking big things here, like the doctrine of salvation.) The theological issues are what caused me to give it a 2 star rating. Without those, it probably would have been a 3-1/2 star novel.

5. Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio by Serena Miller (4 stars)
Sugarcreek was made into a film that aired on Up TV last summer, and I was part of a tour promoting both the book and the film. I haven't actually seen the film yet, but I will soon, as it's now available for rent on Amazon, and I have some credits to spend!

4. Austenland by Shannon Hale (4 stars)
Austenland was made into a film starring Keri Russell and Jane Seymour last year, and the book and the film are very different, yet both are quite delightful! I read the book prior to the film's release, and while I didn't enjoy a few of the changes made for the film, I think that, overall, I do prefer the film to the book. Plus, it doesn't hurt that the charming JJ Field plays the "Darcy" character, Nobley.

3. Longing by Karen Kingsbury (I didn't give this a star rating--but I would probably give it 5 stars for the writing quality and 1 star for how much I enjoyed it.)
I wrote this review in 2011, and it's still getting lots of views. This is one of the most honest reviews I've ever written because I was so passionate about the subject--it's probably more of a reaction than a review. Even now, after rereading the review, I can feel my annoyance rising. And no, I still haven't finished Loving, the book that follows this one. I prefer to just pretend that things with Bailey Flanigan turned out how I wanted them to, rather than how Kingsbury wrote them.

2. Where Courage Calls by Janette Oke & Laurel Oke Logan (3 stars)
This book is basically a companion piece to Hallmark Channel's When Calls the Heart TV series. The only problem? Though some of the characters overlap, the plot and some of the character's personalities are vastly different. Taken on its own, Where Courage Calls is classic Janette Oke. It's just that I already knew the characters and plot from the TV show, and Where Courage Calls didn't feel like it meshed with the show. If you count yourself among the "Hearties," I'd recommend you either steer clear of this novel or pretend it's not at all connected to the show.

1. Seams Unlikely by Nancy Zieman (3 stars)
This one floored me. Seriously? I guess there are a lot of people who are curious about Sewing with Nancy's Zieman! I mean, I was ... that's why I requested this book for review!

giving an author a second (or third) chance

About four years ago, I read a novel by Rachel Hauck. I can't even remember the title anymore, but I clearly remember not liking the book. I felt no connection to the heroine, the story didn't grab me, and I put down the book unfinished. Then, because I had already bought the second book in the series, I halfheartedly read it, too. Same thing—I had no interest in or emotional connection to the story. After that experience, I figured Hauck's novels just weren't for me.

Along came Dining with Joy.

Amazon began recommending Dining with Joy to me nearly relentlessly. At first I ignored it, but every time I saw the cover, I wanted to read it more. So I gave in and purchased it. And I loved it.

Since then, I've read three more of Hauck's novels—The Wedding Dress, Once Upon a Prince, and Princess Ever After. I've loved each one more than the last, and her new releases are now some of my most anticipated books each year.

This has happened to me with other authors, as well, but Hauck is fresh on my mind because I just read and reviewed Princess Ever After. If I hadn't taken a chance on Dining with Joy, I would have missed out on some fantastic books. This is a lesson that I, as a reviewer, need to remember. It's one thing if an author is just a really terrible writer (self-published authors, I'm looking at many—but not all—of you!). It's another if a novel is written well, but I don't connect with it. In that case, I'm willing to give the author another shot to win me over.

Most of the time, it's worth it.

Have you grown to love any authors after disliking their earlier work?

look what i got!

As a book blogger, I get a lot of books in the mail. (Duh.) You might think that getting packages in the mail becomes old hat—that the thrill of seeing a package outside my door would diminish. You would be wrong. Each time I pull into my driveway and glimpse a package by the door, my heart leaps in anticipation!

Today, I saw three packages. The first two were books I've been looking forward to reading, as I've really enjoyed other books by these authors.

But the third package? The third package contained a book I've been greatly anticipating for nearly a year!

Do you see what that says? "Book Gift from Becky Wade." In February, I received a direct message from Becky Wade on Twitter. She said that as a thank you for my support of her book My Stubborn Heart (which I named my top book of 2012), she'd like to send me an influencer copy of her next book. Of course, I said yes! So while I won't be on an official tour for this book, I'll still be reviewing it ... and hopefully soon.

Trust me, it took just about all the willpower I possess to keep from devouring the book as soon as I took it out of the envelope. But I have three other books that have to be reviewed by next week, so Undeniably Yours will have to wait ... for now. As I sit here at my dining room table, I can practically hear the book calling to me from the living room bookshelf—something tells me I'll be reading it sooner rather than later. And when I do, I'll be sure to tell you all about it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the aforementioned books free for 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: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

time to catch up

December is more than half over, and my life is finally beginning to slow down! I've hardly had time to read, let alone blog recently. But I do have a few things I want to tell you about!

• Singing Christmas Tree is officially over for another year. It's crazy how quickly it goes once our concert season hits! I stood on the fourth row this year, the highest up I've ever been, where I experienced new levels of heat. Seriously, one night we were literally dripping sweat! But, despite the varying levels of discomfort this year, I truly enjoyed my time in the Tree. I'm so thankful I have the opportunity to be involved year after year!
  
  
• As you well know, it's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year ... which means loads of Christmas movies! I've already watched more than my fair share: the good, the bad, and the painful. I still have a few to watch, but I've picked out some of the best and worst to tell you about.
  
  The Best: Favorite New Movie: Matchmaker Santa. It's cute and romantic without being over the top or cheesy ... until the very end. It just kind of fizzles out. But overall, it's an enjoyable movie, and Lacey Chabert is adorable. Favorite New to Me Movie: Trading Christmas. This premiered on Hallmark last year, but as I had no access to cable, I missed it. It is completely delightful and actually comes across as semi-realistic! (Trust me, "semi-realistic" is one of the highest compliments you can pay to a Christmas movie.) Plus, Tom Cavanagh (I'll always remember him affectionately as Ed) is one of the stars. This is a great movie that I'd love to add to my ever-expanding Christmas movie collection.
  
  Now for the bad: Cheesiest, Most Unrealistic Movie: A Bride for Christmas. This is also a Hallmark movie, and it's all kinds of terrible! I almost didn't even watch it because I'm not a fan of the star. You know how sometimes you can't get past a role that an actor or actress had, even if it was years ago? That's how I feel about Arielle Kebbel. She's probably a really great person, but she was the much-despised Lindsay on Gilmore Girls, and I just haven't liked her ever since. Then you throw in McNab from Psych as an ex with a horrible haircut ... and it just gets worse from there! Basically, the plot is a cross between Runaway Bride and She's All That with a little How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days thrown in for good measure. It's really, really bad. But it's still not The Worst Movie I've Seen This Season. That honor goes to The March Sisters at Christmas. It's a horrible update of Little Women. Normally, I love adaptations of classic literature, but this is terrible! I could go on and on, but instead I'll just send you to this article that says practically everything I'm thinking. (Warning: There is some mild cursing in the article.) The movie does have one redeeming quality: Mark Famiglietti as Marcus Bhaer. But trust me, you do not want to watch this movie. (We have Lifetime to blame for this one, not Hallmark.)
  
  
• In an effort to be a responsible pet owner, I just dropped off my three—Isis, Skaara, and Hammond—at the local vet clinic, where they will be spayed or neutered. OK, so perhaps I did it not because I'm responsible, but because I'm selfish. In actuality, I couldn't care less if there are lots of cats roaming the earth ... I just don't want my cats roaming the earth, and I read that neutered cats are much more likely to stay close to home. And as for Isis, while I'm sure she'd be a great mother, my biggest fear surrounding her is that she'll have kittens in the dead of winter, which would then most likely die because my cats have to be outdoor cats.
  
  It was really hard to leave them at the clinic, and I can't wait to pick them up on Wednesday! (I'm also really thankful they spend the night before and the night after the procedure at the clinic.) In case you've forgotten how adorable they are, here's a refresher.
  
  
• I saved the best for last: I recently learned that I've been chosen to be part of author Tricia Goyer's 2013 Fiction Launch Team! There are about 100 bloggers that have been chosen, and we're starting by promoting Tricia's new novel Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska, which is co-written by Ocieanna Fleiss. There will be giveaways, author interviews, book reviews, and other promotions, so stay tuned! 

Button Designed by Team Member Marcy Crabtree

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

rethinking reviewing

I came to a realization this week. This is something I've known for a long time, but I ignored it. However, this week—when I had three book reviews due on Monday, one on Thursday, one on Friday, and one on Saturday—made one fact abundantly clear: I need to review fewer books.

When I began reviewing books on my blog (four years ago now!), I only reviewed for Thomas Nelson, and I averaged about one review a month. Then I began joining the book review blogger teams for other Christian publishers. And then, in February 2011, I hit the book blogger's jackpot when I became a Litfuse blogger. Litfuse is a publicity group, and they tour the best—seriously, the absolute best—in Christian fiction. (They also have non-fiction book tours, but I rarely sign up for those.) And when there's a wealth of excellent books, I have trouble saying no to any of them. (I've been trying—I even made "learn to say no" one of my goals for 2012—but I haven't been incredibly successful.) This year alone, I've discovered five or six new authors whose writing styles I really enjoy.

But too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. I feel like reviewing is beginning to take over my life. The last time I read a book purely for fun—no review strings attached—was after my gallbladder surgery in May. (And then I went ahead and reviewed it anyway because apparently I have a mental condition.) I have a full shelf of books I've purchased in the last 18 months that I really want to read but haven't had time for yet. I have a Kindle brimming with free books that I've never opened. I still haven't finished Loving or read Coming Home, the book that wraps up Karen Kingsbury's Baxter family saga. 

This is my "to be reviewed" shelf.

This is my "I so want to read you, but I can't because I have too many review books" shelf.

Probably the most important reason to review fewer books is that my spiritual life is suffering. In my spare time, either I'm reading like a mad woman or I'm vegging out in exhaustion. I can't remember the last time I picked up my Bible when it wasn't related to church or one of my Bible studies. 

So I've decided that, for the next six months to begin with, I will only request books from authors whose previous books I've loved. These are authors whose books I would purchase if I wasn't a reviewer—authors like Susan May Warren, Becky Wade, Sarah Sundin, and Tricia Goyer. This will cut back on my reviews drastically and should give me time for other things. Things like ...

• Spending time with God.
• Getting healthier. I'm working out and trying to eat better, but I know that the stress and lack of sleep due to reading and reviewing so many books is also wearing on my health.
• Finally reading some of the other books on my "to be read" shelf.
• Cleaning my house.
• Continuing my Cinematic Survey project.
• Blogging about things other than books.
• Getting farther than episode four on Friday Night Lights.
• Focusing on relationships.

For a while, my reviewing pace won't slow too much because, as you saw above, I already have a bunch of books to review. However, I don't think any week will be quite as crazy as this one has been!

I know this won't be easy. I'll be very tempted to "cheat" now and again. But it will be healthy—for my body, mind, and soul.

what's in the mail? 5-17-12 edition

Not too much in the mail these last three weeks. One of my review books seems to be perpetually lost in the mail (it's been sent to me twice, and I still don't have it!), and another was originally sent out to the wrong mailing list and should arrive next week.

Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats Little Bites Flavored Cinnamon Roll, 15.8-Ounce (Pack of 4)
I got this through Vine. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is some of the best cereal I've ever tasted. I love it! It has a really great cinnamon punch—I always use more cinnamon than is called for in recipes because I love the flavor so much, and this cereal has the perfect amount! You can see my review here.

Glamorous Illusions: A Novel by Lisa T. Bergren
Lisa Tawn Bergren wrote some of the first romance novels I ever read. (Anyone remember the Palisades line? It's hard to even find anything about it on the internet ... here's a list of Palisades books I found on Goodreads. I've read most of them!) I absolutely loved her "Full Circle" series—Refuge, Firestorm, Torchlight, etc.—and I really enjoyed the "Northern Lights" series when I read them a couple years ago. Anyway, Glamorous Illusions will release June 1, and I'm on the Litfuse tour. Set in 1913, it's about a young woman who goes on a "Grand Tour" of Europe after learning a secret about her heritage. Sounds good to me!

Waiting for Morning by Karen Kingsbury
Can you believe I've never read this book? Me either! A Moment of Weakness, the sequel to Waiting for Morning, was the first Kingsbury book I ever read. I think I may have checked Waiting for Morning out of the library and flipped through it, but I'm certain I never actually read it from beginning to end because I already knew how it was going to turn out. But since it's been a good ten years since I read A Moment of Weakness, I can barely remember what happened in that book, let alone in this one! I'm very excited to read it now! I got this book through Blogging for Books.

Dawn Comes Early by Margaret Brownley
This is another Vine pick. I'd never heard of Brownley before, but I thought I'd give it a shot! (Another of Brownley's books, A Long Way Home, is free for Kindle right now.)

Flame of Resistance by Tracy Groot
This book doesn't release until tomorrow, but I got a copy through Tyndale's blogger program. I knew I wanted to read this book as soon as I learned it was set during World War II. It looks to be full of suspense, intrigue, and romance!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received these products free in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review and received no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

have you said this?

I came across a brilliant video today. Whether you read reviews or write them yourself, you've surely seen some of these phrases. And I must admit, I've used my fair share in my reviews. Enjoy!

reading is fun! (part 2)

Here's my current stack of books awaiting review. And that doesn't show the four Kindle files I have. (And, yes, I do still have one book in the pile that was in the picture of books to be reviewed that I posted in May ...)

And here's my whiteboard where I list books and their due dates (or, in the case of Litfuse, the date the blog tour begins). I'm so thankful that some companies don't have deadlines! The black dots to the right indicate which books I don't have in my possession yet. Um, yeah ... I think I might be nuts!

what do ratings mean?

This afternoon, someone commented on my Amazon review of Stealing Jake wondering why I gave the book four stars. He (or she?) said that I seemed to really enjoy the book, so why not give it five stars?

That caused me to think. When I assign a star rating to a product, what exactly does that mean? According to Amazon, the stars have the following meanings: 1--I hate it. 2--I don't like it. 3--It's OK. 4--I like it. 5--I love it. Those are basically the meanings I'd assigned to the stars without ever knowing what Amazon's standard was, so that's good! For me, the hardest ratings to assign are 4 and 5 stars. If I dislike something, I'll probably give it 2 stars (I've actually never used 1 star on a product I've reviewed ... although in retrospect, there are a few books I could have given 1 star to!). If I'm ambivalent toward something, it gets 3 stars. But how do I decide between 4 and 5 stars? It usually comes down to emotion. If I've emotionally connected with a book or movie, it'll likely receive 5 stars. If I enjoyed it but didn't love it, it will probably get 4 stars. (This theory doesn't work all the time though--I gave my Gain detergent 5 stars, and I certainly didn't emotionally connect with it!)

After pondering my ratings and the rationale behind them, I decided to see what the norm for my reviews is. I looked back at all 79 of my Amazon reviews, and I learned something about myself--I've become a pickier (or perhaps more discerning?) reviewer. If I were to assign a star rating to my first ten Amazon reviews today,  four of the ten would get at least one fewer star. (Field of Blood, I'm looking at you!) I also tallied up the number of reviews I have for each star. The number of positive reviews didn't surprise me, as I usually only pick products to review that I think I'll enjoy--why would I torture myself with a book that I know won't interest me?--but what surprised me was how close my 4 and 5 star reviews were. 5--29; 4--28; 3--15; 4--7. I'm sure that if Amazon had a 4.5 star rating, I would have far fewer 5 stars.

I'm grateful for the commenter who caused me to think through my ratings. And while I stand by my 4-star rating for Stealing Jake, I know I'll put more thought into my ratings in the future.

If you're a reviewer, what is your thought process behind your ratings?

what did i miss?

I've had an odd experience regarding the last book I read and reviewed, The Constantine Codex. I was less than impressed with the book, though I did find some good things to say about it. So I posted the review on my blog and then went to Amazon to post my review there. And what I saw absolutely astounded me! Of the 15 other reviews, 10 are 5 star--which is the highest ranking Amazon allows reviewers to give, 3 are 4 star, and 2 are 3 star. My review is the lone two-star review.

This is the first time that I can remember having an opinion so very different from other reviewers. Sure, some of the items I've reviewed have been met with mixed feelings by other reviewers. But here, the opinions are so overwhelmingly positive that I'm left with four possible conclusions:

1. Reviewers are afraid to give a negative review, so they either disguise their true opinions or don't post their review on Amazon. I sincerely hope this isn't the case, but I can see how it could be--especially if people are concerned with their Amazon reviewer ranking. Sometimes, supporters of a product, be it book, movie, or other item, will vote "no" to Amazon's "was this review helpful" question when a reviewer has something negative to say about the product. It's petty, but it happens. And honestly, the thought did cross my mind that I may get "no" votes on my review which would hurt my "helpful vote" percentage. I posted anyway, though my reasons weren't entirely altruistic--this book is part of Tyndale's Summer Reading Program, and in order to get credit for reading a book, participants must post a review in three places. Amazon was one of my three. (If you'd like to give my review some love--or hate--you can find it here.)
   
2. It's a case of "Christian movie syndrome" ... you know, where Christian films are truly terrible as works of art due to bad acting, bad editing, and--in some cases--bad story lines, yet Christians buy and watch them because they are "safe" and have good messages. I'm not afraid to give a Christian movie a slot in my Netflix queue ... yet I apparently don't have the same tolerance for Christian books. I (as you're well aware if you've been a reader of this blog for more than a week) read mountains of Christian fiction. Most of it is well written, entertaining, and thought provoking. So when I come across one that doesn't quite live up to my expectations, I'm disappointed, and I'm not willing to "give it a pass" just because it's Christian.
3. It's still early, and the more critical reviews will come later. The blog tour for this book is going on today, so more people will probably be posting reviews throughout the day (though a review on Amazon isn't a must). As more people read the book, more will review it, and there are bound to be others who see the book the way I did.
   
4. I missed something. It's entirely possible that these other reviewers truly loved the book, and I just didn't get it.

If you read The Constantine Codex, what did you think? Am I on track, or did I miss something important? Do you hold Christian books to a higher standard than Christian films? Why or why not?