What I have been reading lately

I read a chunk of books, some good some bad, and wanted to share them with you.  Here's what I have been reading lately:

A Desirable Residence by Madeleine Wickham: I picked up this book as it was by the same author who wrote the Shopaholic series (Sophie Kinsela) under a different name.  I am a fan of her other books and was excited for this one.  I was so disappointed, it didn't have a good plot, the character development was nill and I didn't like any of them.  It followed a family who have to sell their house but they are having issues.  Other characters get mixed in and different drama mixes.  The story line just didn't make a lot of sense and it just ended very abruptly with no wrap up.  Thumbs down from me.

Genuine Lies by Nora Roberts: I have done a few reviews on Nora Roberts books and most of them I have enjoyed.  This one was pretty good, it followed Julia, an author, as she starts a new journey writing a biography on the Hollywood star Eve.  Eve lived a crazy life with lots of drama, including many people who are mad about her writing the book for fear of the secrets that would be discovered.  Julia's life is threatened and she has to decide whether it is worth it to continue with the book or not.  It was pretty interesting to get a little insight (fake or not) into the Hollywood life.  There was plenty of drama and a little romance sprinkled in for good measure. 

Austensibly Ordinary by Alyssa Goodnight: I am a fan of Jane Austen for sure so I was interested in this one.  For the most part I enjoyed it, it was a little mixed up, things didn't make sense and it had a lot of random things going on but it was ok.  The main character Cate found a mystery journal that leaves messages of advice for her.  She soon discovers that the messages are from none other than Jane Austen.  She sets off on a journey following the messages to find her happy ending.  

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout: I had high hopes for this one, after all it was a Pulitzer Prize winner.  The main idea is multiple stories of community members and their connecting string is Olive Kitteridge.  I love a good connecting story and how important people are to each other but this one was not my favorite at all.  Overall it was a little depressing and just sad.  The ending really wasn't any better.  Maybe I am missing something really great here but I was unimpressed.  

Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis:  My favorite book from this stack and one that I keep thinking about.  I had heard about Katie Davis and her story mentioned but it was so interesting to dive into her story headfirst and see her life.  For those of you unfamiliar, Katie Davis is a girl from Tennessee who moved to Uganda, started a program for underprivileged children and also herself adopted 14 little girls.  She is truly a woman serving her Lord.  Her story is inspiring and her love for people jumps off the page.  It was hard at times to read about the conditions that people live in and the horrors that they face everyday.  It made me think about how blessed I am and how I should bless others.  She found her purpose in serving the Lord, her servant's heart is beautiful.  She inspired me to seek my purpose to pray for guidance and to show love to others.  If you haven't read this one, definitely check it out.  

What have you been reading lately?