Books

The Couple Next Door is about a young couple who leave their six month old infant daughter at home while they attend a dinner party in an adjoining apartment, which was separated by a mere wall.  This is the first thriller novel by Shari Lapena, and it is a page turner!  It is a fast read, and keeps the reader guessing to find out what happened to this infant.

The story of Anne and Marco Contis is a realistic fiction that is more common than not.  In this story, the author writes about post partum depression, as well as the trials of new parents. This mental state blurs things for Anne, and adds to the shadow of doubt cast on her very own actions.  The parents are invited to a “no babies” dinner party, and decide to leave  Cora in her crib next door, and take the baby monitor with them to the check on her.
When the parents return to their apartment after midnight, they find that their baby is gone!
You have to read the book to find out just what happened.  It’s not what you think, as the author does a phenomenal job keeping you in suspense, until the very last page!!
The author continues to keep the reader in suspense, and just when you think you know what happened, there is a twist in the plot.  Everyone doubts each other, and the  trust binds have been broken with all the lies and betrayals.  This novel brings home the point that you cannot trust anyone with the safety of your children.

 

Ok, I think my mindset is ready to start this blog.  Just read Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo.

What a great memoir that helps one rekindle our religious faith.  I felt the spark, and now worry about how much we need to have faith and welcome God into our lives.  I had this book in my kindle for several months, maybe even a year.  I did not read it because I thought that I might be reading another preachy book, but I was mistaken.

This is a story about a little boy who had an out of body experience while he was in surgery, and claims to have visited heaven.  This memoir was written in chronological order, and the experience Colten went through was quoted  just as he told snippets of what he saw while he was in the hospital which  made the story more believable. The insight that intrigued me, among others, was when Colten described all the time he spent in Heaven, and all the visits he had with people, which was the equivalent of 3 minutes in our time.

I appreciate that the author provided an insight into what Colten was taught in bible school and what he was introduced to at home.  This gave me a strong background which supported that Colten could not have known all these facts, some of which would not ever be introduced to children at church.   I was a bit stressed out that Colten was not diagnosed quickly, but I know that these things do happen.  Doctors miss a diagnosis for whatever reason.  The parents mention that they failed to be more assertive. I also  really appreciate that scripture was aligned to what Colten was sharing, as it provided credibility to Colten’s experiences.  Thank you for sharing this beautiful story Todd Burpo.  I choose to believe and work on having a stronger faith.