Recently Read Books

Since it's been hot and muggy lately (or maybe it's just the pregnancy affecting me more than normal), I haven't felt much like stitching so I've been doing a fair amount of reading. The three books I've finished over the last couple of weeks are A Gathering Place, The Shop on Blossom Street and The Reckoning.

A Gathering Place by Thomas Kinkaid & Katherine Spencer. With the Cape Light election over, Mayor Emily Warwick can finally focus more on her dear adopted daughter Sara and her deep regret about their long estrangement. For counsel, she turns to Reverend Ben, but the good-hearted minister seems distracted, troubled by turmoil within his own family. Sara's longing for a second chance is partially satisfied by her new relationship with newspaper publisher Dan Forbes. But does Dan really want to start a second family? A touching faith-based novel co-authored by the Painter of Light.

The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber. There's a little yarn shop on Blossom Street in Seattle. It's owned by Lydia Hoffman, and it represents her dream of a new life free from cancer. A life that offers a chance at love . . .
Lydia teaches knitting to beginners, and the first class is "How to Make a Baby Blanket." Three women join. Jacqueline Donovan wants to knit something for her grandchild as a gesture of reconciliation with her daughter-in-law. Carol Girard feels that the baby blanket is a message of hope as she makes a final attempt to conceive. And Alix Townsend is knitting her blanket for a court-ordered community service project. These four very different women, brought together by an age-old craft, make unexpected discoveries — about themselves and each other. Discoveries that lead to friendship and more . . .

The Reckoning by Beverly Lewis. Katherine Mayfield, the new Mistress of Mayfield Manor, always dreamed of a fancy "English" life. But as the seasons pass, she finds herself grieving the loss of her Amish family and her dearest friend, Mary Stoltzfus. Shunned from the Plain life she once knew, Katherine finds solace in volunteer work with hospice patients--a labor of love she hopes will bring honor to the memory of her birth mother. Unknown to Katherine, her long-lost love, Daniel Fisher, is desperate to locate his "Sweetheart girl," only to be frustrated at nearly evey turn. Meanwhile, she delights in the modern world--once forbidden--cherishing the attention of Justin Wirth, her handsome suitor. Her childhood entwined with Daniel's, yet her present life far removed from Lancaster County, Katherine longs for the peace that reigned in her mother's heart. And once again, she is compelled to face the heritage of her past.

I went to the library today and checked out a number of books including some of the Elm Street Quilters books that has been talked about on the cross stitch board recently. I'd forgotten how much I used to enjoy going to the library to get books out to read. I guess that tends to be one of those things that falls by the wayside when you start having kids and are so involved with their activities. I'm glad I've rediscovered it but I do wish that our library had more choices of books to check out.

Book info from BarnesandNoble.com