Monday, April 6, 2015

Ordinary Grace




Ordinary Grace

I'm going to do something different today.

I want to share a book with you.
It's called "Ordinary Grace".
It's a really good read.

It's one of the best books I have read in years and I recommend it to everyone.

I read a lot.
Voraciously, in fact.
I'm in two wonderful book clubs. 
They are major highlights of every month.

I've been a reader all my life.

My favorite childhood Christmas present was from my Dad.
He gave me the entire set of Nancy Drew Mysteries- 
every single one of them, all at once.  
He worked for Time Life Books and he knew I would love them.  
My five brothers got the Hardy Boys series. They probably never touched them...

I was the only girl, and so I had all of the books, all to myself.
My favorite was "The Secret in the Old Attic". 
I'm pretty sure I finished the whole series by the end of January.
Best gift ever.

As a child, I loved summer vacation mostly because I could read all day.
And all night. 
I remember carrying armloads of books home from the public library.

I would read under the covers 
by the light of my angel nightlight, until very late at night.
With all those brothers, reading in my room was my refuge.
As soon as my Mom made me turn the bedroom light off, 
that angel nightlight came on and I could read to my heart's content.
I still like to read at night. 

And I still love a good book. 

"Ordinary Grace" by William Kent Krueger is a really good book. 

Don't just take my word for it.  
It was a New York Times Bestseller.
It won the 2014 Edgar Award for Best Novel, 
The Midwest Booksellers Choice Award 
and the DILYS Award for Best Mystery. (I had to look that one up...)

We read this book in both of my book clubs and both groups loved it.
(And no, I am not being paid to say any of this!!! )





It's a mystery, but so much more. 
I don't pretend to be a book reviewer but 
words from real reviews include "luminous", "thoughtful", "captivating", 
"evocative", "moving", "extraordinary" and "superb".  
Agreed.
Plus it's a page turner...

 I contacted the author, William Kent Krueger, 
for his permission to post the Prologue page from Ordinary Grace, below, 
and he agreed.

Read this and see if you don't get hooked as fast as I did.




Here's a link to the Amazon page that lets you read reviews 
and take a closer look for yourself.

It's one of those books you never want to end. 
Fortunately, William Kent Krueger has written a number of other books, 
including the Cork O'Connor mystery series 
which I have been devouring one by one.

If you are looking for a really good book, read this one 
and let me know what you think!

I think it's Just Grand.







Linking to
The Scoop at Stone Gable
Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life









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5 comments:

  1. I agree, a really good read . . . I read it a year ago. Loaned the book, need to look it up and read it again. Thanks for reviewing. I usually always have a book or two going. I go in cycles where I can't stop reading. Would rather read than sleep. (No angel light . . . darn, picture please!). Right now I am in one of my non stop reading cycles. Happy you mentioned the mystery series by this author. I will check them out. I am reading Nancy Horan's, Under the Wide and Starry Sky . . . really good . . . I think you would like it. I like a book that makes me "see the story" perfectly . . . Know what I mean.

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  2. Hi Erin,
    Found you at The Scoop this morning-thanks for this recommendation, I have sort of hit a wall with finding some good reads, this genre looks right up my alley. Going to drop by Barnes and Noble later this morning.
    Have a super day!
    Jemma

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  3. I can't believe it!! I loved that book so much and have been recommending it all over the place!! I just found your blog through Cedar Hill's The Scoop and now I have some time to browse through your posts. p.s. The Cor O'Connor series gets better with every book.

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  4. Wonderfully stated, Erin, and I couldn't agree more. "Ordinary Grace" is just grand and simply beautiful, easily one of the five most enjoyable, thought-provoking, and heart-tugging novels I've ever read. I've recommended it all of my friends, all of whom thanked me. Watch for WKK's "This Tender Land," a companion novel to "Ordinary Grace," in about a year. It's a certainty that it will be grand too.

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  5. As one of your five brothers, I just wanted to let you know that I read about 2/3 of the Hardy Boys series; A few of them more than once.
    I would decide which one to read next by "judging them by their covers".
    I always like the Time-Life series of books on Science and Nature.
    Tom

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