Tag Archives: Book Review

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Book Review: Dry as Rain by Gina Holmes

 Dry as Rain

by Gina Holmes

 Published 2011 by Tyndale Fiction

 ***** Five stars

If I keep reading romance novels, people will start to think I like them in general. I don’t. But I liked this one specifically, and I’ll tell you why.

First of all, I gravitate toward stories about marriages being redeemed since I’ve seen too much of the opposite.

Second of all, I like a well written story, and this one was very well written. I’m confident I’m not just subjective about this assessment. Ms. Holmes wrote her main character well enough that I felt like I was walking around with his thoughts for at least an hour after I put the book down. There was an unmistakeably organic feel to all the characters, but particularly to the main character, Eric Yoshida.

The third, and most significant, reason I loved this book is how it exposed my heart. The character flaws I read in both Eric and Kyra mirrored ones I saw in me, and the way Ms. Holmes wrote about these flaws was a gentle prodding to walk a different way.

I loved the settings, from central VA to coastal VA to Milan, Italy. In every scene I felt like I could smell the tires in the car dealership showroom or taste the salt in the air at the party on the yacht.

I also appreciated the believable side characters, and always admire a writer who can do this well.

Quick rundown of the basic plot: During a painful separation, Eric’s busy cheating on Kyra while Kyra’s involved in a car accident that damages her memory. She’s seemed to have forgotten that they were separated or even why she was ever mad at him. Realizing what he’s done, Eric wonders if he’ll ever be able to earn his wife’s love and trust again.

As for the reason it’s called Dry as Rain—I let you find that out for yourself. Coming across that was one of the most pleasant aspects of devouring this page turner. I hope you’ll enjoy it too.

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Book Review: I Beat the Odds, by Michael Oher

Here’s another book review (and by the way, I LOVED this book):

I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to the Blind Side and Beyond, by Michael Oher, with Don Yaeger

This will be one of the few non-fiction reviews I’ll do on this site, but I wanted to share this man’s story with as many as would hear it.

Seven years ago, I was sitting in a cafe in Ireland reading a story in the New York Times Magazine called The Ballad of Big Mike, and I couldn’t get this young man out of my heart and head. Although I never had the struggles this young man had, I teetered just as close to failure as he did, especially during my teen years, and in ways I’m still trying to ‘beat the odds’. His story inspires me like very few other stories have.

If you saw The Blind Side and liked it, I thoroughly recommend this book. Even though Don Yaeger contributed to the book, you can hear Michael’s ‘voice’ throughout, and hearing him tell his story is powerful.

Let me say that I’m not a fan of football. Or at least I wasn’t. I simply couldn’t understand wanting to spend an afternoon watching a sports game (but then again, there are those who can’t understand wanting to stay up all night because you’re gripped by a character that you just have to get on the page). Now I actually have an interest in understanding the game, even if I won’t even sit for the Superbowl.

Reading Michael Oher’s passion for the game sparked the curiosity.

But it wasn’t just his passion for the game that ignited something inside me, it was his passion for kids, especially those who live in foster care and are on the verge of aging out of the system, to achieve their  potential.

This book is all about his drive, his focus and his love for his family (both biological and adoptive), from his earliest memories to life with the Tuohys and his draft into the NFL.

Favorite quote? “God valued you enough to give you…abilities. Value yourself enough to grow those talents…” (pg. 232)

After reading this book there were about 50 people I wanted to buy it for.

So go to the library tomorrow and see if it’s available. Check it out on Amazon. Even if you hate football. I used to.