As part of my commitment in 2012 to “connect through reading” this is a review of the most recent book I have read. Be sure to check out previous reviews HERE and to connect with me on Goodreads.
Prayers and Lies by Sherri Wood Emmons was a book I picked up while on vacation in Texas. I was pulled in by the cover image and that little girls piercing eyes, and then pulled the trigger on buying the book by reading the back cover description. I love discovering new authors and since this is a first book for Sherri Wood Emmons I was anxious to see how it was.
I found myself completely engrossed in Prayers and Lies from the very beginning. Bethanny and Renna Mae are cousins who have a very close relationship. As life unfolds, Bethanny discovers that Renna Mae is changing before her eyes… growing up far too fast and dealing with things a young girl her age shouldn’t be dealing with. As the two navigate changes in their family and secrets that are revealed, their relationship is strained but their family bond holds strong.
I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads, but would have probably done a 3 1/2 if that was an option. I felt like this book started really strong but lagged a little bit of substance in the final chapters. I would definitely recommend reading it, especially if you are looking for a quick summer read with some interesting twists and turns. Overall this is an excellent debut for a new author. I am excited to read more by Sherri Wood Emmons.
(I will add that a 3 stars and above is a good rating by my standards. One of these days I’ll outline my rating system. 5’s are saved for my absolute favorite books. 4’s are really great reads and 3’s are good books but not ones that I would say are my favorite.)
I also finished reading The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb and can’t wait to share my thoughts on this book with you. It is up there with my favorites! Review coming soon.
Up next for me is the book Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected, a memoir by one of my all time favorite bloggers and photographers, Kelly Hampton.
I’d love to connect with you on Goodreads where we can share what’s on our bookshelves. What book are you currently reading?
Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Can’t wait for your next reviews!
(And I have such a difficult time with rating books — most of them I rate as two stars, because when I hover over those stars on Goodreads, it states “It’s Okay” which is basically how I feel about many of the books I read. And too many I can’t say that I honestly like, which would garner three stars. I’d rather give it a letter-grade rating [i.e., A+ through F], which is what I used when I kept a database of books I read pre-Goodreads. Hmm, okay, this is making me sound like a complete persnickety-book-nerd…. ; ) I’m off to do something completely non-nerdy now, like … um … hmm. Great post!)
Lisa – I’ve never noticed that verbage when you hover over the stars… just did it and yay! I kind of feel like my ratings are exactly where they need to be. I’ve also come to the point where my time is so limited, if a book is not interesting to me after reading half of it, I quit reading it. Because of that, I rarely really give a book 1 star.
You are totally not a nerd. Just a super book wise person whom I adore 🙂
Your reviews are great for me since you and I seem to like the same books. I just finished The Glass Castle. Thought I had read it previously, but found that I hadn’t. It was a bit of a downer, but interesting book. I hope you have the books you reviewed today on your Kindle. Today is a reading day for me as soon as I get my chores done.
I love your reading updates. I’m currently reading City of Bones,loaned to me by a co-worker and recommended by another friend, but definitely not my typical read. And, I have Night Circus on CD to listen to for book club. I’ve already read it, but I thought it would be helpful to listen to it again before my book club meets.
I think this can be very interesting and I have never heard about this Prayers and Lies by Sherri Wood Emmons and I need to get a copy of this…This can help…
Yay! I love book recommendations/reviews from people I trust. I will look into this book. And I’ve also been meaning to check out Goodreads for some time now…think it’s time! I just finished Joy Luck Club (I know, only several years behind the regular crowd!). Was a little hard to keep up with the numerous characters and who was telling their story, but I really liked it. Now I’m on to The Red Tent.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about this book. I love your post.
this so great book and i really interest one of the book .
thanks that you shared this .
you have a great job.
This is book is very inspiring, lifting our hearts and faith with God is really great… Love to read this one…
I have Kelle’s book sitting here waiting for me as well! I can’t wait.
I am so excited to have the copy of this book, spiritual creation that will inspire me… This book review Prayers and Lies by Sherri Wood Emmons is very interesting…
I love reading and collecting different books, especially that it’s truly inspiring like this…:)