Where the River Ends

My house is in complete turmoil. It quite literally looks as if a tornado whipped through my bedroom, swooped everything up and deposited it in various areas around the rest of the house. And that's not too far off from the truth. Jesse's brother Eric blessed us with a double bed this weekend, complete with head and foot boards and matching nightstand. We had been sleeping on a queen size mattress with boxspring without a frame. So we've downsized but upscaled. It is so nice to have a real actual bed! In turn, we gave our old set to my stepbrother and his wife.

However, in order to get in the new nightstand, I had to get rid of a bookcase. So we're doing massive redesign. It doesn't seem like a big deal. I think that our bedroom is only 10' x 12', but you wouldn't believe the amount of stuff I've managed to cram into it! The boost of prednisone has gotten our entire closet cleaned out (and many garbage bags of clothing donated to a local charity), but it didn't hold up long enough for me to finish the reorganizing. It's going to be so wonderful when it's finished. Neat, less cluttered, organized; I can't wait. But the process is a bit much.

Where the River Ends by Charles Martin is a dangerous book. It's the kind of powerful writing that makes you re-evaluate everything you've read recently and notice that it's quality is so amazing, it permanently raises the grading curve. Doss Michaels and Abbie Coleman created a storybook romance, despite her parents best intentions, but their life together is shattered by her diagnosis of cancer. Martin writes so beautifully, so lyrically, you can tell that he has labored over every sentence to make it sing. Doss and Abbie have a rare kind of love that rarely exists outside of fiction, but is a wonderful thing to behold. Abbie has created a list of ten things she wants to do before she dies, and if it kills both of them, Doss is going to make her dream come true. Even when her father sics the state police and media on them. They travel down the St. Mary's River remembering how they met and why they love. Martin is technically a Christian writer, but there are no sermons or proseltyzing here, just an amazing deep love the sinks down deep into your soul.

I'm starting a new book contest today! I'm giving away two copies of Sandra Byrd's Bon Appetit! It's a fun Christian chick lit story about a woman named Lexi who pursues her dream of a culinary career in France. If you'd like the chance to win a copy, drop me an email before 10 pm on Thursday, October 23rd. I'll announce the winners and post my review of the book here on Friday. Good luck!