About a year ago, I started keeping a list of books that I would like to read. I add to it when friends recommend books, when I hear about something on the radio, conversations on facebook, etc. I keep it as a list with our family's on-line calendar so I can access from anywhere, any time (you never know when you'll have the opportunity to acquire reading material). If I read a book on the list, I cross it off, but it remains on the list so that I know: 1) At some point, for some reason, I wanted to read that book, and 2) I have read that book (sometimes I forget things and sometimes books aren't memorable). At this point, just counting the books not crossed off, there are well over fifty books on the list!
Now, not everything I read is on this list, but when I find myself without a book to read, it is nice to have this list to go to. Also, if I find myself reading a book (whether from this list or not) that just isn't working for me, I know that there are (now that I have counted them for this piece) at least 50 other books I want to get to. This should make it easy for me to put down a book I am not enjoying. It doesn't. I like to tell myself that I can always quit a book, but I rarely do it. I'm not sure if it is because I am obsessive (can not leave a single task incomplete, now can we? ) or because I am an incurable optimist (some good has to come out of this, doesn't it?).
Books like Blue Night by Cindy McCormick Martinusen are partly to blame for this sort of dilemma. Just when I would almost give up hope and find myself reading along, thinking "Hmm, where is this going and how long is it going to take?!" BAM! there would be a twist or development I didn't see coming and I would be hooked again. I was about halfway through the book when I couldn't put the book down. And the further I got the more hooked I was. You just never know if a book is going to turn like that. I'm glad I persevered and finished it (and not just because if I didn't I would have had to find another one and finish it before this review was due!).
Once things started coming together in this book, I could hardly wait to find out how it was going to end! Martinsusen does a masterful job tying together World War II Austria and present day Kate Porter. One of the more enjoyable aspects of this book is how Martinsusen takes you to some beautiful locations including Austria and Venice. As Kate's search for her missing husband crosses paths with Nazi history, the story becomes not only informative, but also more and more attention-grabbing. The fact that I love both Voyage of the Dawn Treader and My Utmost for His Highest and the author uses these classics to add texture to the story is probably another reason I found myself enjoying her book.
After I finished this book, I discovered Blue Night is actually the second of three in a series. As far as I can tell, I didn't miss out not having read the first book (and I don't know if the others are in the Resource Center at Sugar Grove as this one is), but I'm thinking I will add those other books to my list because I really enjoyed this one!
Blue Night is available in the SGC Resource Center.
To purchase, click here.
