One of the unfortunate side effects about reading all these craft books is what a snob I’ve turned into. I’ve checked out piles of books from the library. I’ve read the first few chapters of each one, but can’t seem to settle into a single one. I can’t tell you how many books I have half-read this summer before putting them aside in frustration.
When I examine the reason why, it all comes down to one very simple reason: the story doesn’t pull me in, my disbelief is not suspended. Instead of being taken to another world and living through the characters, I’ve been very aware that I’m lying in bed, or sitting on my sofa, reading off a page. And what fun is that? Very rare is the book that will allow me to turn off my internal editor. A Moment Between, by Nicole Baart, did that for me. It swept me away. I got lost in the story. And after searching and searching, I finally found another.
The book is called Home Another Way, by Christa Parrish. It’s her debut novel and was released in 2008. I’m only on chapter six, and already I love the main character – this incredibly flawed, incredibly bitter young woman named Sarah Graham. Christa’s voice is wonderful and poignant. The story is so real. And Sarah’s motivations for being flawed and bitter are so well established without giving any sort of back story dump. So if you’re looking for a story to sweep you away, to make you smile, to make you wonder, and to make you turn pages, I highly recommend Home Another Way. I’ll let you know more when I’m finished.
Question to Ponder: Are you a book snob? What are your favorite books?
