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. 

Suddenly Johanna is getting made over by her best friend, moving into a new apartment, and going on dates with Sam. But all this change has her a bit befuddled, and she is especially confused by Sam’s choice of careers—he wants to work as a missionary doctor in Papua New Guinea.

Does Johanna love him—and God—enough to follow him to a different country to live among people of a different culture?  I enjoyed this romance because for a while I wasn’t sure how it was going to end and I could easily relate to the characters and it had a nice message besides.

I listened to Paul Boehmer's excellent narration of Bangkok 8 by John Burdett, where the reader is transported to modern day Thailand where police detective Sonchai and his partner Pichai are following a black American ex-marine. They catch up to him just after he has been killed by an assortment of drug crazed snakes--one of which also kills Pichai.

Thus begins Thai detective Sonchai's first adventure as a virtuous Buddhist cop who must uncover the truth and seek justice. This is complicated by his view of Karma and his visions into past lives, which both explains and complicates the present.

Sonchai teams us with a female investigator from the FBI, who along with the reader learns a lot about Thai culture and the seamy side of Bangkok life from Sonchai. Sonchai is a well qualified teacher, as he is the son of a Thai prostitute and an unknown American serviceman, speaks excellent English, and tends to philosophize on the differences between Thai culture and the west. The mystery story is thrilling enough, but the real charm of this story is in experiencing a different culture. If you have any interest in modern day Thailand, be sure to pick this book up.


These Boots Weren't Made for Walking by Melody Carlson:  Sometimes a girl just needs to take a fun break, and this book is perfect for that.

It all starts with a $200 pair of boots. At least that's what Cassidy, the main character of this novel seems to think. She is perplexed by her run of bad luck--losing her job, finding out a neighbor has stolen a credit card and run up a huge balance, and buying the aforementioned boots--which look good but leave her with horrible blisters.

So Cassidy ends up moving back home, with a mother who has undergone an extreme makeover and looks more like her sister. In fact, Cassidy is shocked to find out her mother is dating a former high school classmate of hers. All these changes throw Cassidy into a funk for a while, but with the help of God she will find out how to crawl out of her hole, improve her life, choose the right man, and ditch the wrong pair of boots.

This is a totally fun light read with a bit of a good message thrown in. Cassidy's over the top dilemmas made me feel better about my own. Definitely pick this one up if you enjoy chick lit.