Plain Pursuit by Beth Wiseman

     Plain Pursuit by Beth Wiseman is the second book in the "Daughters of the Promise" series. The main characters, Carley and Noah, both have been hurt in the past. With Carley, she is a journalist and recently was in an accident where her mom died and Carley was injured in the accident which left her with an inability to have children. She decided to go to visit her dear friend, Lillian in Amish country. Noah grew up Amish, was baptized in the faith, then changed his mind about his calling. He felt God calling him to become a doctor. So, he left home and went to school. Due to Old Order Amish customs, Noah was shunned. The only way to undo this was to return to the faith. In order to return, he would have to give up his calling to be a doctor. He could not do that.
     So this story has a few twists and turns as Lillian and her husband, Samuel, have a son named David. David is very sick and needs a doctor. As you can guess, Dr. Noah comes into the picture. He just happens to be the shunned uncle who is the only one that is compatible to donate a kidney.  So needless to say many decisions had to be made by Samuel's family to allow Noah to re-enter their lives and to what extent this would be allowed.

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

Michael isn’t your average teen.  He’s electric.  He tries to keep it hidden, but a surge of anger causes him to lose control and his secret is exposed.  He soon learns he’s not alone, however, and things quickly become complicated.  They find themselves being hunted, and his mother is kidnapped, forcing him to face all that he’d tried to avoid.  Will his friends’ help and his unique power be enough to save those he cares about, or will he be turned to the dark side of power?

This book had a fast pace, and I think it would appeal to many readers.  Michael is an unlikely hero drawn into a good vs. evil battle on a global scale.  Filled with twists and turns, the action at the end leaves much open for the series to continue!

The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant

           Ten-year-old Pia lives in a small German town where gossip, combined with the fact that everyone knows everyone, makes it hard for secrets to be kept.  After her grandmother dies in a freak accident, she becomes the “Potentially Exploding Schoolgirl”, and finds herself stuck with StinkStefan, another social outcast.  Then a young girl disappears seemingly without a trace while watching a town parade.  Pia and Stefan wonder if some supernatural force was involved.  As they listen to stories of local legends, they imagine ways they can use this knowledge to solve the mystery of what’s happening in their town.

This young adult mystery is the first novel written by this British author.  While the subject matter of child abduction is serious, the perspective of a ten-year-old shows us what this situation looks like from their view.  Moments of childhood humor (and eye-rolling) cross with scary tales and unexpected twists to make for a very interesting read!

 

Johnson's Life of London by Boris Johnson

 

Johnson’s Life of London is written by Boris Johnson, a man who, like Donald Trump, is instantly recognizable by his hair.  Johnson also carries with him a sharp wit and keen sense of humor which he uses to bring alive key points in the history of the City of London, from its earliest underpinnings, through the middle ages, clear up until the present day. Written as a historical bicycle tour through London (you have to read it to understand), Johnson covers such highlights as London Bridge, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Keith Richards.  Trust me, the fourth one has more to do with London’s history than you may realize.  Johnson is perhaps the first man to make English history really funny, and informative at the same time.  Recommended.

 

Two Brides Too Many by Mona Hodgson

 Two sisters travel to Colorado to begin a new life. Their father has had to go to Paris for work and wants to see them settled. So they agree to be mail-order brides. But when they arrive at the depot, neither groom is there to meet them. So now what?
This begins the story of Kat and Nell. Each experiences different results as to the the man they were to marry. They each must find their niche as they try to exist in the town of Cripple Creek. Amidst fire, lack of funds, and other various difficulties, the girls begin to become acquainted with the townspeople and develop relationships with those around them.
This is a sweet and simple romance that many readers will enjoy. I am sure we will be hearing more from Mona Hodgson and the girls from Cripple Creek.

Plain Perfect by Beth Wiseman

This is the first in the series of (Daughters of the Promise). In this story Lillian is raised outside the Amish community and when she had loaned all her money to her mom and was in an abusive relationship, she decided to go to her Amish grandparents home and get away from it all. Once she arrived she fell in love with her grandparents and met a good looking Amish widower that had a son. As the story goes on she falls in love with the widower and begins to learn about life as an Amish person.  She builds a relationship with her grandparents as well as her mother.  I truly enjoyed reading this book and learning about the Amish life. 

Down the Darkest Road by Tami Hoag

Lauren Lawten used to be a normal mother until four years ago her oldest daughter, then 16, was kidnapped.  Now she is just trying to hold everything together with the daughter she is left with.  She deides to move to Oak Knoll, a sleepy town with quiet countryside.  Then she finds out that the man she is sure kidnapped and killed her daughter has moved there also.  It gets very tricky when you start to try to figure out who is stalking who in the story.  There are lots of twists and turns that keep you turning the page to find out who exactly is the bad guy in this story.  Bery interesting read with lots of plot angles.  I truly enjoyed this book.