PaperCuts

Review of: A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love, and Faith by Lori Smith

Attention all Austen lovers out there, you have to read this book!  In it Lori Smith writes about her trip to England to experience the places Jane Austen lived and wrote in. While there she hopes to experience an Austen like romance and to find some spiritual comfort as she suffers from a mysterious illness. She is remarkably candid, sharing quite a bit about her inner life including her romantic hopes and dreams and depression about her illness. I enjoyed these personal aspects, and I also learned a lot about Austen's life and the places she frequented while reading about Smith's trip. I liked how she linked bits and pieces of Austen's life to her own, such as talking about Austen's siblings and then comparing her own sibling relationships.  Smith also included a nice map and summary of the places she visited which was very helpful. I definitely recommend this book to anyone with an affection for Jane Austen, especially if they want to see how her writing meshes with the life of a young, single American in the 21st century. 
Smith also has a couple of Austen related blogs, I highly recommend her Jane Austen Quote of the Day blog for a daily dose of Austen.   Her Following Austen blog is a more general blog on Austen related news and musings.

Posted on February 23, 2008 by Deb at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here is another sampling of books I recently read and what I thought of them:

Straight Up by Lisa Sampson
This story switches back and forth between narrators who are cousins, one of whom married a guy many years her senior who has since died and is trying to cope with life without him. The other cousin has great musical talent but she is dealing with a husband who went off to join a monastary and lots of childhood trauma. She is squandering her life with drinking and her other relatives try to help her but she may be beyond help.
This is definitely a thinking book, one that sucks you in and makes you examine the characters. It was good but not a "light read" so I would say that you have to be in the mood for a book that requires more thinking and reflection to pick this one up.

In High Places by Tom Morrisey

Continue reading "Thoughts on Recent Reads" »

Posted on February 16, 2008 by Deb at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today Papercuts welcomes author Susan May Warren, who is stopping by on a blog tour promoting her latest release Chill Out Josey!  

In Chill Out Josey! readers get to follow Josey from Everything's Coming Up Josey around on her ongoing crazy adventures in Russia.  That's right, despite thinking that she was happily married and ready to settle down in her hometown of Gull Lake, Minnesota, it seems that God--and her new husband Chase--have other plans.  Josey fights the idea at first, but her desire to be the perfect wife leads her to follow Chase to the land of underfed women, designer knock-offs, and cold water baths.  Josey struggles to deal with all of this with a measure of grace, despite being jealous of her new husband's gorgeous co-workers, upset at being left alone while he becomes a workaholic, and discovering she is pregnant.  Josey, as you may have guessed, is the typical chick-lit heroine who exaggerates every situation and makes terribly bad decisions that get her into all sorts of trouble.  Josey will have you shaking your head at her stupidity, but also howling with laughter at the ensuing mayhem that she creates. 

A little more about Susan: Many of Josey's adventures come from the real life experiences of the author.  Susan, like Josey, grew up in Minnesota and spent several years as a missionary in Russia with her husband.  So those stories about a pregnant Josey's struggles to navigate the subway and find a bus seat were based on the author's real life.  Susan's Russian ties also show in some of her other fiction, such as the Mission: Russia series, thrillers in which a FBI agent and a Russian FSB agent cross paths.  Not all of Susan's stories have such exotic settings, for example the Deep Haven series is set in a small town on the shore of Lake Superior--a place Susan always dreamed of living.  And that is in fact where she and her family moved when they retired from the mission field a few years ago.  To find out more about Susan, her books, and maybe even win something in one of her contests, visit her website, blog, and contest pages.

Thanks for stopping by Susan, and I personally can't wait for you to write another Josey adventure!

Posted on January 10, 2008 by Deb at 02:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today I would like to welcome author Tricia Goyer to Papercuts.  Tricia is stopping by on her blog tour highlighting the recent release of her latest novel A Shadow of Treason.  Let me introduce you to Tricia and her writing:

*Tricia is from Montana, where she lives with her husband and three (soon to be four) kids.  I say soon to be four because she and her husband are in the process of adopting a child from China.
*Tricia got started writing World War II themed historical fiction like Night Song: A Story of Sacrifice, after taking a trip to Austria with some writer friends doing research.  A talk she had with an Austrain historian sparked her imagination, and she started learning all she could about World War II.  One of her favorites sources of information is interviewing WWII veterans, in fact she has created a website featuring the stories she has collected from these interviews.
*Tricia's interest in the events surrounding World War II led her to a related historical topic: The Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939.  This is what forms the backdrop for A Shadow of Treason, the latest of three historical novels Tricia set during the Spanish Civil War. 
*Before looking at A Shadow of Treason and the other books Tricia has written about the Spanish Civil war, I didn't know a thing about it.  One of the thrills of reading this series is to learn about this period of history, when the Spanish Republicans were joined in their battle against Franco and his Fascist troops by the Soviet Union and The International Brigade.  Many Americans volunteered to fight alongside the Spanish Republicans, half of which never returned home.  In A Shadow of Treason Tricia continues to tell the story of Sophie, Phillip, and several other of these volunteers.
*One last thing, Tricia would like to share one of her favorite library memories.  She says "Around 4th grade we moved to a house near a library, and I was there after school and all summer long. I took home books by the plastic-bag load! I even remember one time I flipped my bike while going down a steep hill. The books on the handlebars were so heavy that the bike flipped me over the top!"

Well, I'd like to thank Tricia for stopping by.  To find out more about Tricia and her books, be sure to check out her website. 

Posted on December 20, 2007 by Deb at 03:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library welcomes author Lisa Bergren to Papercuts as part of her blog tour promoting her new books, The Begotten and The Betrayed.  What is a blog tour you ask?  It's when an author tours the world wide web by getting a network of blog writers to feature his or her book, one or two each day, for a period of time.  Yesterday Bergren was featured at A Sip of This & A Cup of That and Mountain Breeze Writer, today she is on Papercuts and Christian Fiction and tomorrow she will be at Lift My Eyes and Baseballs and Bows.  Papercuts is pleased to participate in this innovative way of connecting authors and their books with readers.
So let me introduce you to Lisa Tawn Bergren  

Continue reading "Author Lisa Bergren stops by on her Blog Tour" »

Posted on September 29, 2007 by Deb at 08:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I have a very eclectic list of books I've just finished reading that I really enjoyed:

The Mercy Seller by Brenda Vantrease: Anna grew up as the granddaughter of an illuminator in Prague--an illuminator who practices the dangerous act of copying the Bible into English. Anna is devastated when a wave of persecution breaks out against those who dare to oppose the church in this way, and several of her friends--including the man she was to marry--are killed.

Fleeing Prague, Anna has many adventures on her way to England, where she believes she will find safety with Sir John Oldcastle. But church officials suspect Oldcastle of being in league with the heresy, and they send a priest named Gabriel to collect evidence against him.

I enjoyed this look at an intriguing time in history, when people were persecuted for practices that seem so innocent today. The characters seemed real, though the circumstances they encounter sometimes have a hint of the miraculous to them. I loved the suspense that arose not only from the persecution but also the complex relationships. Those with an interest in religious history will especially enjoy this one, which by the way is a follow up to Vantrease's earlier novel, The Illuminator.

Monday Morning Faith by Lori Copeland: Librarian Johanna Holland thinks she is content with her life, she enjoys her work and taking care of her parents. But her life gets shaken up when her parents decide to move and she meets a man who takes an interest in her. 

Continue reading "Thoughts on Recent Reads" »

Posted on August 31, 2007 by Deb at 04:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm belatedly posting this list of the award winners of the Christy Award (given by the Christian publishing industry to recognize novels of excellence in their field.) and the Christian Book Award, given by the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association to the finest of both non-fiction and fiction books published by member publishers.  Both of these awards were announced in July, but the winners were chosen from titles published last year.  So here they are for your reading pleasure:

2007 Christy Award Winners:

Contemporary (Stand Alone)
Winter Birds by Jamie Langston Turner
Previously reviewed on Papercuts here

Contemporary (Part of a series, sequel, or novella)
The Brethern by Beverly Lewis
(Part of the Annie's People series, the first of which is reviewed here)

Historical
Madman by Tracy Groot
Groot's novel takes a different look at the story the Geresene demoniac from the gospels, through the eyes of a Greek servant sent to Palastine to investigate a school of Philosophy his master funded there.

Lits (Chick-lit, Mom-lit, Lad-lit, etc.)
Sisterchicks in Gondolas by Robin Jones Gunn
Gunn's series about the adventures of middle aged women keeps going strong.

Romance
The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist
Gist takes her readers on a romantic adventure set in San Francisco during the midst of the gold rush in San Francisco.  The heroine, Rachel, is a "Bluebonnet" lady who finds trying to live by her morals in the midst of a bunch of lawless miners quite frustrating, especially when the man she is attracted to above all others is a gambler and saloon owner.

Suspense
Plague Maker by Tim Downs
Previously reviewed on Papercuts here

First Novel
Where Mercy Flows by Karen Harter
A contemporary novel about a young girl who runs away from home, only to find herself returning several years later striving to make amends for the sins of her past.

Young Adult
William Henry is a Fine Name by Cathy Gohlke 
Gohlke's first book is a historical novel about the underground railroad and a teenaged boy who must decide which side of the slavery debate he stands on.

Selected 2007 Christian Book Award Winners from the ECPA

Christian Book of the Year
Ever After by Karen Kingsbury

Christian Life
What Jesus Demands From the World by John Piper

Fiction
When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin

Posted on August 13, 2007 by Deb at 07:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Meet Author Deborah Raney at TSCPL on Saturday August 11th at 2 PM

And find out…

What makes a writer tick?  Where do they get ideas?  What is it like to get a book published?  To have it made into a movie?  To share your faith and Kansas background with the world? 

Deborah Raney will be speaking in Marvin 101B Library on Saturday August 11^th at 2 PM. 

During her talk on “Exploring the Writing Life: Faith and Fiction” she will be answering these questions and many more.  Attendees will also get the chance to purchase signed copies of Raney’s books, including Remember to Forget from her latest series which is set in the fictional town of Clayburn, Kansas.  Raney is also well known for her first novel, A Vow To Cherish, which is about a couple who faces the biggest challenge of their lives when one of them is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  This book was later made into a motion picture by World Wide Pictures.

For more information about this event please call the Library’s New Books Desk at 580-4540.

Posted on August 07, 2007 by Deb at 02:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Terry Barnes, of Tonganoxie, is featured in an article that appeared in Saturday's Lawerence Journal-World.  Barnes' first novel, In Everything Give Thanks, beat numerous other entries to win the "Operation First Book" contest sponsored by the Christian Writers Guild.   Tyndale House agreed to publish it, and so now Kansas has a brand new published author!  Kudos to Terry Barnes for showing the judges that Kansas authors have a lot of talent! 
Fans of Christian fiction don't have to go far to find authors of that genre,  besides Barnes several more reside in this area.  They include Judith Miller (Topeka), Nancy Moser (Overland Park), Debra Stufflebean (Topeka), and Kim Vogel Sawyer (Hutchinson).  Last but definately not least is Deborah Raney, who you will get a chance to meet in person on August 11 when she comes to do a program at our library!

Posted on July 03, 2007 by Deb at 04:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You know you have really gotten into a historical fiction novel when after reading it you are thinking in the dialect of the characters.  Such a thing happened to me recently after reading an installment in the Scottish series written by inspirational author Liz Curtis Higgs.  Higgs has taken the Biblical story of Jacob and reworked it into 18th Century Scotland, quite a challenge when you consider that Jacob had multiple wives.  And indeed, the main character Jamie does have a twin brother that he feuds with and multiple women that he courts.  Who does he marry and does he marry more than one?  You'll have to read the series to find out, which not only has the draw of multiple romantic entanglements but also is a vivid encounter with  historic Scottish culture. Higgs is especially adept in the way she incorporates the language of the period into the story.  She includes a glossary, but most of the time the reader doesn't need it because she makes the meaning clear by the way the word is used.  Other details like the clothing and quotes from classic Scottish authors also bring the period to life.  It's easy to see why Higgs won the Christy Award for the best historical Christian novel last year.   And now readers can read about Higg's experiences in a new travelogue called My Heart's In the Lowlands: Ten Days in Bonny Scotland where she shares about her journeys through the Galloway and Dumfries area, where her books are set.  There is even a contest on her website where a reader could win a trip to Scotland or some Scottish themed artwork.   For fans of historical romance, I ken you will enjoy this series verra well.

Books in the series:

1.  Thorn In My Heart
2.  Fair is the Rose
3.  Whence Came a Prince
4.  Grace In Thine Eyes