Although perhaps not traditional (and certainly not all-inclusive), this is my greatest hits list for 2011.

ANGEL

I think the first one was from the TV show Angel. Along Angel’s circuitous journey, one of the guys who assists in his mission of helping people is an Empath demon. Backstory: The demons in this narrative (that starts with Buffy the Vampire Slayer) are various races and/or individuals with special skills or giftings. Taken as a whole, they use these abilities to further their bloodlust and rage, but there are a few here and there who’ve chosen another path.

This particular Empath demon uses his ability to feel other peoples’ pain to help them. Later in the narrative the gods see fit to give the empath ability to a human, and it very nearly destroys her. (Actually, I’m not sure I’ve seen the end of that story line. I know it comes close, but I’m not sure if it eventually does or not.) She should die because a human can’t bear that burden of feeling so much the pain of others.

THE RELUCTANT PROPHET by Nancy Rue

The Reluctant Prophet illuminated what I’d seen in Angel, if that makes any sense. Allison has been asking God what she’s supposed to do, and when she begins to follow through on what she hears, the members of her church aren’t exactly thrilled. It’s a serious examination — in the form of one fictional woman’s story — of what a life of faith looks like and the risks it entails.

It’s a well-written story that I read at exactly the right time. It rings authentic, and I can’t wait to crack open the next book in the series, Unexpected Dismounts. I’ve also been enjoying Rue’s (@NNRue) blog.

THE FALLING AWAY by T.L. Hines

The Falling Away is a truly excellent book (it won the INSPY in December for Speculative Fiction).

This quote will, I think, illustrate how The Falling Away fits into my list: “we’re almost magnets for pain and suffering, but because we have ways to control it, there’s a design to it all” (page 97).

WINTER by Keven Newsome

Winter isn’t really of the same calibre as the aforementioned books writing-wise (or editing-wise), but it does dwell in the same vein, of prophecy. Enough so to earn a place here. It may not speak to everyone as it did to me — the appeal of the others is probably more broad — but that’s not necessarily the point of this list. So.

Switching directions a bit, Passport through Darkness: A True Story of Danger and Second Chances by Kimberly L. Smith (2011 INSPY winner for Creative Nonfiction) also deserves a spot on the list. It doesn’t quite fit with the others in that, while the others taught me something about myself and showed a bit of the way I should go, Smith voiced so much of what I’ve felt leading up to this time. It’s almost like her words were echoing what my soul had been crying out. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t been working in Darfur unbeknownst to you, but I did find significant parallels.

Summary: Several books I read in 2011 seemed to coalesce around a theme, enough so that it made me sit up straight and take notice. Through these books, plus the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, God spoke to my identity, my place/role in the Body of Christ. I don’t have it all figured out yet(!), but it was encouraging to learn. One piece: an implementable way to channel my empathy.

So, there you have it. Not a traditional best-of list — I read lots of other terrific books — but the ones that most stood out to me.

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Read an excerpt of The Captive Heart by Dale Cramer.

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And then I was in a frenzy to finish a few last-minute Christmas gifts; plans were up in the air and went through several iterations before touching down. The funeral for my husband’s grandma (that he traveled to but I didn’t) didn’t exactly help keep things calm and orderly, either.

Other things played a part, too, but I won’t bore you with a full recitation. Now, it’s post-Christmas, post-New Year’s, and my deafening silence has been keeping me from posting. How do I decide what to post, when it’s been so long? Is it possible to catch up, or should I just declare bankruptcy? Is there any middle ground, and if so, how do I determine what things absolutely get posts while others fall away?

I’m not sure, honestly, that this post will help the situation, either. I laid out a scenario for my husband last night, wherein I end up posting 12 of these back to back. Sigh.

So, what do you do? Where on the continuum of no-reviews-left-behind to start-from-scratch do you fall?

The Pawn by Steven James, book 1 of the Patrick Bowers Files (Revell, 2007), 432 pages

Summary
FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers is called to North Carolina to consult on a serial killer case. The guy calls himself The Illusionist, and he’s one of the toughest Bower has ever been up against. On top of that, turmoil from his personal life — his wife died of cancer, leaving him with a teenage stepdaughter he hasn’t really figured out how to communicate with yet — keeps breaking in on his thoughts.

Thoughts
I’ve heard so much great buzz about this series (mainly from Deborah and Tami, I think) over the last couple years, and I’m glad I finally got around to starting it.

Patrick Bowers, our protagonist, is a coffee snob, a man grieving the loss of his wife. His specialty is environmental criminology, which at times reminded me of Numb3rs.

The story is well-written and gripping.

I enjoyed it so much I immediately picked up the second book in the series, The Rook.

Really an excellent read.

Rating: 4.25 stars

About the author
Steven James (@SJamesAuthor) lives in Tennessee with his wife and three daughters. When he’s not writing or speaking, he’s rock climbing, playing disc golf or slipping away to a matinee.

Other reviews
Tree Swing Reading
A Peek At My Bookshelf
Window to My World
Genre Reviews
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By a Spider’s Thread by Laura Lippman, book 8 in the Tess Monaghan series (William Morrow, 2004), 368 pages

Summary
Mark Rubin, orthodox Jew and wealthy Baltimore furrier, insists that he had a perfectly happy marriage, despite the fact that his wife and three children vanished. The police won’t help, so he comes to Tess.

Thoughts
I blew through most of this series this fall. I’m not planning on reviewing most of them, though; I just don’t feel like I have much to say about them. They were all enjoyable, but mostly quickly forgotten. And since I read five of them back to back, they kind of blend together in my mind.

Really, this one is no exception. I have but one rant, and it’s really more of an editing rant than a beef with the actual story, but it won’t leave me alone, so here I am. Note: I read the hardcover, so maybe (hopefully!) this was fixed in later editions already.

Speaking of Tess’s newly formed country-wide group of female private detectives, the book states:

“There were still some wide-open places to be filled — they had no one to cover the vast swath west of the Mississippi and east of the Rockies, and an Atlanta connection would have been helpful. But they were otherwise solid along the eastern seaboard and could do most of Texas and the Pacific Coast in a pinch.”

~page 30, By a Spider’s Thread

See the problem?

Yes, I’m probably more attuned to it than some, since I live in that vast wasteland known as the Midwest. But there’s no excuse for screwing up (so badly) on geography. Look at a map! Most of Texas lies between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River.

I understand that Tess lives in Baltimore and hasn’t ever ventured far from there and is probably clueless about this, as so many people who live on the coasts are. But this paragraph wasn’t really in her words. It should have been accurate.

Anyway, like I said, I’ve generally enjoyed this series. I like how rooted they are in their place, and Tess and her family are delightfully flawed.

I think my favorite aspect of this book is how her partly Jewish, partly not, background tugs on Tess in various scenarios.

Rating: 3 stars

About the author
Laura Lippman grew up in Baltimore and returned there in 1989 to work as a journalist. She has won numerous awards for her work. I interviewed her last year. Her most recently published is The Most Dangerous Thing.

My reviews of other Lippman books
Baltimore Blues (book 1 of the Tess Monaghan series)
Life Sentences (a standalone)

Other reviews
Rhapsody in Books
A Worn Path
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The Informationist by Taylor Stevens, book 1 of the Vanessa Michael Munroe series (Crown/Broadway, March 2011), 320 pages

Summary
Vanessa “Michael” Munroe deals in information. If you need to find out something undiscoverable — and have the resources to pay — she can figure it out for you. She grew up as a missionary kid in Cameroon, and she still bears the scars of her past life (literally and figuratively). Her gift for languages comes in handy in her work. When a Texas oil man wants her to find his daughter, who disappeared in Africa, she’s thrust back into the jungle haunted by her past.

Thoughts
I knew I wanted to read it when I heard the first whisperings of the hardcover. When I had the chance to read the paperback, I was thrilled. When I cracked open the pages, I wasn’t disappointed.

I love so many things about this book, about Vanessa Michael Munroe. I love the West African setting, the heart-pounding story arc, the genuine pain of past hurts that comes through (not that I’m glad the pain exists, but I’m glad it shows up and feels real). I love Munroe’s skill with languages and reading people. I enjoy the [few] personal connections she does have.

While the blood and sex and language might make this book an uncomfortable read for some, I found it generally appropriate for the setting and the characters.

I finished reading this book a couple weeks ago, and I’m still over the moon about it. Love it!

My biggest problem with this book is that, when I finished it, I couldn’t yet get my hands on the second book in the series, The Innocent, due out December 27. It doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, but I want more! I can’t wait.

Rating: 4.75 stars

About the author
Taylor Stevens (@Taylor_Stevens, Facebook) was raised in communes across the globe and denied an education beyond the sixth grade; she broke free of the Children of God and now lives in Texas. She’s working on the third Vanessa Michael Munroe book.

Other reviews
Jenn’s Bookshelves
Leeswammes’ Blog
S. Krishna’s Books
Beth Fish Reads
Toothy Books
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Read an excerpt of Proof of Heaven by Mary Curran Hackett.

I received this book from the publisher as part of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. I am an Amazon Associate and receive a small commission on sales through my affiliate links.

Read an excerpt of A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander, a Belmont Mansion novel.

I’ve heard such good things about Alexander’s books; I look forward to digging into this one.

I received this book from the publisher as part of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance. I am an Amazon Associate and receive a small commission on sales through my affiliate links.

Read an excerpt of Maggie’s Journey by Lena Nelson Dooley (book 1 of the McKenna’s Daughters Series).

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Secrets of Harmony Grove by Mindy Starns Clark, (Harvest House, October 1, 2010), 386 pages

Summary
Sienna is pretty happy in life; she’s got a new job at a swanky Philadelphia advertising agency, which affords her the amenities of life she’s always wanted. Her boyfriend is really into her, and the mere sight of him makes her swoon. But she returns from a business trip and is called to the bosses’ office. She’s suspended, without pay, indefinitely, because she’s under investigation by the federal government. She heads to Lancaster County to check on her bed and breakfast, and what she finds there puts her being investigated in the back of her mind.

Thoughts
This is a book set in Amish country — Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, even — but it’s not really an Amish book.

I was distracted from the story by corny similes on the page and set this book aside for awhile. I’m glad I came back to it, though, because of this:

“During the renovation, when I was spending more time with the [Amish] relatives than I had in years, I had even done an experiment, privately taking note of how I was feeling and when. Over and over, the way it went was that at five minutes, I would finally stop listening for a radio or TV in the background. At fifteen minutes, even if the company was interesting and the conversation stimulating, I would find myself glancing at my phone wondering if emails had come in, discreetly checking for texts. At twenty-five minutes, I would wonder to myself how these people could possibly live like this. Weren’t they bored out of their minds?

“It usually took about an hour before my muscles would finally start to relax. By the two-hour mark, I would find a stillness I forgot I could even experience. To their credit, this kind of silence was intentional. As isolated as the Amish often seemed, it always surprised me how very aware they were of the impact noise could have on a life and the damage confusion and chaos could wreak on a soul.

“Ultimately, beyond that hard-won stillness came the true goal: a oneness with God. Was it any wonder I always felt spiritually renewed when I spent time in Amish country? By turning down the noise of my life, I was able to hear those still, small whispers of a loving God, whispers that filled my heart and never failed to refresh my soul.”

In this brief excerpt, Sienna is clearly talking about the stillness she’s found in Amish country, particularly when she’s with her Amish relatives. But she’s also contrasting a fast-paced city life with a slower, more intentional, more rural one. This resonates with me. Not that it’s a completely new thought, but, I guess, I needed the reminder. The last month or so I’ve been craving a slower, simpler, quieter lifestyle, and perhaps the reason for that is just as Mindy Starns Clark (through Sienna) stated here.

I also enjoyed the perspectives given on nonviolence, conscientious objector status and self-defense.

I did figure out well ahead of time some of the answers this mystery sought, without trying.

It had been awhile since I’d read a Mindy Starns Clark book, and I was glad for the chance to try another. While not the greatest books I’ve ever read, I’ve always enjoyed her work, and this was no exception. I’ve especially appreciated her books for the touches of humor.

My [old] reviews of other Mindy Starns Clark books:
The Trouble with Tulip
Blind Dates Can Be Murder
Elementary, My Dear Watkins

Rating: 3.5 stars

About the author
Mindy Starns Clark is a former singer and stand-up comedian; she and her family live in Pennsylvania.

Other reviews
Books, Movies and Chinese Food
Lighthouse Academy
Mom’s Pace
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