Six Sentence Saturday- Movie version (sorry so late!)

Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.

Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.
At the end of each review I will post a
rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.
Rating scale will be as follows:

5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!
4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.
3 of Hearts- Happy that I read it...a good read.
2 of Hearts- Just O.K but nothing to write home about.
Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

Charlotte Gray- 2001
A young Scottish woman joins the French Resistance during World War II to rescue her Royal Air Force boyfriend who is lost in France.

My Thoughts: I love Cate Blanchett and that was what initially drew me to watch this movie last week. The first 30 minutes does move a bit slowly but after Blanchett's character arrives in France the pace quickly picks up and you're pulled into this story. I found this to be a very interesting look into piece of history that we don't often hear and/or read about. I am appalled as to what humans will do to each other during times of war but this movie also shows you the courageous side of people. For those that are history buffs this movie will appeal to you for sure!
Rating:
 

  

The Stoning of Soraya M. - 2008
A drama set in 1986 Iran and centered on a man, Sahebjam, whose car breaks down in a remote village and enters into a conversation with Zahra, who relays to him the story about her niece, Soraya, whose arranged marriage to an abusive tyrant had a tragic ending.

My Thoughts: This movie is based on real events and knowing that made my heart break even more and my tears just poured down my face. This is not an easy movie to watch at the end because they show Soraya being stoned not just by her husband and sons but also by the entire village. I'm repulsed to know that women are treated as nothing more than animals in other countries. This movie made me question humanity......how could people just stand by and watch this happen????HOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even though this movie is hard to watch I believe it MUST be watched.
Rating:

'Falling Home' by Karen White

Home is where the heart is, but Cassie Madison prefers to think of it as a place where one if born, then outgrows, along with skinned knees and childhood dreams. A humiliated Cassie left Walton, Georgia for Manhattan fifteen years before, vowing never to return. And then her sister calls. Their father is dying and wants Cassie to come back home. FALLING HOME is a coming home story about forgiveness and acceptance, and of finding love in the most unexpected of places.

My Thoughts:
This book has it all....a great family story, love, heartbreak, secrets, humor, sadness....and it's written beautifully. I finished this book in one day and resented whatever chore took me away from reading. I absolutely loved spending time with these characters and the town of Walton. It made me a bit nostalgic for my childhood days and upbringing. I lived in a small town where everyone knew you and your parents. If you were misbehaving your mom knew about it before you could bicycle home. There's much to be said for a small town life and that feeling of a community as an extended family. I grew to really care about Cassie as she came to terms with her past hurts and regrets. The book was filled with characters that were authentic and many I would love to have as friends. As I finished the last page I sighed with satisfaction...another solid book from Karen White.

Recommend? Yes...y'all need to read this one...fantastic southern fiction with a great cast of characters. This book will make you emotional.....read it!

Rating: 9/10

Author: Karen White

Published: November 2, 2010

Publisher: NAL Accent Trade

Pages: 437

Genre: Southern Fiction

ISBN:  9780451231444

  

Disclaimer:Thank you to Joy Strazza of Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel

© 2011, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

'The Judgment' ( Rose Trilogy #2) by Beverly Lewis

Synopsis from publisher:
Rose Kauffman is engaged to Silas Good, a well-liked Amish fellow, so why does she still pine for Nick Franco, the former foster son of the bishop? Especially now that Nick has left the Amish community under a cloud of suspicion after the death of the bishop's biological son? Will Rose marry Silas, even while struggling with romantic feelings for Nick? Meanwhile, Rose's older sister, Hen, has returned to live at her parents' farm with her young daughter. Hen and her modern husband, Brandon, are separated by mutual agreement, although he is threatening to sue for custody of their daughter if Hen does not return soon. Will the judge rule in Brandon's favor? Is there any way Hen can reestablish her place among the People without sacrificing her marriage?



My Thoughts: I love Beverly Lewis. She is the ultimate writer for Amish fiction. She always keeps me interested in the storyline and I can honestly feel the authenticity of her characters coming through the pages. I believe her writing and am always fully engaged with the plot. I'm so happy that book three will be out in the fall...the suspense is killing me!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recommend? Of course....Lewis is hands down the Queen of Amish Fiction. I love that she usually writes trilogies and her stories have never failed to capture my attention and imagination.

Rating: 8/10

Author: Beverly Lewis

Published: April 1, 2011

Publisher: Bethany House

Pages: 352

Genre: Gentle Reads/Amish Fiction

ISBN:  9780764206009

Source: Public Library

 

Disclaimer:Thank you to My Public Library for having a copy of this book ! I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel

© 2011, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

'The Last Letter' by Kathleen Shoop (Riveting Historical Fiction!)

A Father’s Deceit
A Husband’s Betrayal
A Loved One’s Death
A Mother’s Choice
A Daughter’s Resentment
A Time to Forgive
For every daughter who thinks she knows her mother’s story…

click here for summary of novel.



My Thoughts:
I was immediately drawn into this story and couldn't stop thinking about it until I turned the very last satisfying page. There were a few things that surprised me while reading this one.

• I've been blown away by debut books this year....literally blown away and this one is no exception!
• There is no way that I could've survived out in the prairie. My hats off to all of the pioneer men and women who braved the elements and were able to carve out a life for themselves in this harsh and unforgiving landscape.
• Weather is deceitful. One minute the sun is shining and the next thing you know locusts are blocking out the sun and descending from what seems like nowhere to eat and destroy everything you've worked so hard to acquire. 
• The Children's Blizzard of 1888 is harrowing...reading about it scared me.
• Being a mother was a cruel and thankless job. There was so much heartbreak for a woman...I just don't know if I would have been strong enough to endure this life.

This is the book for all of you who grew up reading Laura Ingalls Wilder and wanting to be just like Laura. Except, this is a grown-up version of Little House on the Prairie.....it's stark, harsh, truthful, and the storyline keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Recommend? Absolutely!!! For those that have an ereader this book is only 99 cents!!! It  will be the best dollar you spend....I guarantee it! I judge a book on whether or not it elicits emotion from me...this one did!

Kindle Link
Nook Link

Rating: 9/10

Author: Kathleen Shoop

Published: May 2011

Publisher: CreateSpace

Pages: 367

Genre: Gripping Historical Fiction

ISBN:  978-1456347208

*Uncorrected Advance Copy 

 

Kathleen Shoop is a Language Arts Coach with a PhD in Reading Education. She lives in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, with her husband and two children. Kathleen has published stories in four Chicken Soup for the Soul books, writes regularly in Pittsburgh Magazine and has contributed articles to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. The Last Letter is her debut novel.

Disclaimer:Thank you to Jessica @ Booksparkspr.com for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel

© 2011, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday....What are you reading?

Mailbox Monday

is a gathering place for readers to

share the books that came into their house last week 

and explore great book blogs. 

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Hosted this month by

MariReads 

Mourning Gloria- won this copy from Kaye @ Pudgy Penguin Perusals...Thanks Kaye!

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives- showed up to my surprise!

22 Britannia Road- review copy from Viking

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hosted by Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

We discuss the books that we've read and what we're planning to read for the week.

Read and reviewed last week:

Faith by Jennifer Haigh- will be on my top 10 list for sure! 10/10

Awaken the Highland Warrior by Anita Clenney- fun paranormal romance 7/10

Reviews for this week:

The Last Letter by Kathleen Shoop

The Judgment by Beverly Lewis

Falling Home by Karen White

Six Sentence Saturday (Movie Reviews)

*Charlotte Gray

* The Stoning of Soraya M.

On my nightstand:

'Awaken the Highland Warrior' by Anita Clenney

Awake the Highland Warrior by Anita Clenney

Mis-adventurous historian Bree Kirkland discovers a one hundred fifty year old warrior buried in a crypt behind her house. But Faelan, the warrior, isn’t dead. When this chauvinistic Scottish Warrior awakes, he has no choice but accept the help of this modern-day woman who’s rescued him, but she’s more fearsome than the demon trying to kill him. If he’s not careful, she’ll uncover every secret his clan has bled and died to protect.




My thoughts:
Well, I have to be honest and tell you that I thought this one was just going to be a big cheesy sex fest. Instead, I need to admit to my readers that I actually enjoyed it. It was fun, fast paced, had some great action, and the storyline was one that kept me engaged. I liked the two main characters and the author made me want to get back to the story so that I could figure out what was going to happen next!! I'm open to reading a lot of different genres and this was a fun one to add to my mix for the month.

Recommend? If you're a fan of the paranormal romance suspense then you will enjoy this one. I'm actually looking forward to the next installment, Embrace the Highland Warrior, scheduled to be released by Sourcebooks Casablanca in November of this year. Now, if I could just find a way to make one of these hunky men show up on my doorstep........

Rating: 7/10

Published: May 2011

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Pages: 437

Genre: Paranormal Romance Suspense

ISBN:  9781402251238

*Uncorrected Advance Copy 

 

Preorder: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Borders | Books-A-Million
              Joseph-Beth

Read Excerpt | Read Reviews

 
Disclaimer:Thank you to Danielle @ Sourcebooks for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel

© 2011, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

'Faith' by Jennifer haigh

 Most of you have heard, by now, what happened to my brother, or a version of it: the alarming events of that spring and summer, the single, vile accusation, still unproven, that made a ruin of his life. *{p.10}






Synopsis:
When Sheila McGann sets out to redeem her disgraced brother, a once-beloved Catholic priest in suburban Boston, her quest will force her to confront cataclysmic truths about her fractured Irish-American family, her beliefs, and, ultimately, herself.

My Thoughts:
This book literally drew me into the story and held me captive for over a day. It touched me and has made me stop and think about judgment.....and how we all are so quick to place blame on someone else. The way the author wrote kept me spellbound. I felt as if I was walking beside each one of these characters as their shadow and was afforded the luxury of knowing their true hearts. The story is ripped from the headlines and could be explosive in the wrong hands, but Haigh deftly weaves her tale without causing the reader to get up on any type of soapbox. Instead, she takes you slowly and surely through this family drama that is laced with sadness, regret, hurt, secrets, and redemption.

Recommend? In a heart beat....her writing flows and is exquisite. I've become a bit enraptured by her writing style and look forward to spending time with another of her creations!

Rating: 10/10



Author: Jennifer Haigh

Published: 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 318

Genre: Literary Fiction

ISBN: 9780060755805

* Uncorrected Proof

On Sale May 10, 2011
Click here to start reading
Purchase at Amazon | B&N | Borders | Indiebound


Disclaimer:Thank you to Amazon Vine Program for sending me a review copy. I was not compensated for my review. My thoughts on this book were in no way influenced by the author or publicist.They are my personal reflections based solely on MY experience while reading this novel