It doesn't happen very often but...I have unread books

[Liz CA]

...The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers is sitting on my nightstand (borrowed from someone) and I have not progressed beyond the first ten pages of the first book.

Please tell me it's a fantastic experience and I need to dive in or tell me it's forgettable...anybody here who read this series? All opinions welcome.

[RoughCollie]

I read that series, and I loved it. The last book was harder to get into until I'd read a few chapters. I loved The Red Tent, too. Have you read that?

 

I got DH a Dick Francis book called Shattered from the library today. I was sure he would love it, and it would give him a huge number of great books to read. Dick Francis is probably my favorite author - at least he's at the top of the A list. DH read the first few chapters and hated it because the writing style was too choppy, the characters were boring, and he doesn't like horses or glassblowers.

 

Read 50 pages, and if the book hasn't drawn you in by then, read 50 more! After that, forget about it and read a Dick (or Felix) Francis book. It turns out that Dick wasn't the only person who wrote those books -- his wife and son (when Felix was old enough, I guess) were co-authors. His wife didn't want credit because she thought the books would sell better if there was one named author. Felix has continued the family work, and his books are really great, too. I can't tell any difference between them and other books by Dick Francis.

Edited January 10, 2012 by RoughCollie

[mandymom]

Amazing series, but it took me a bit to get into the first one too.

[LMD]

yes, it's worth it! At least give it until you're settled in Rome ;) I've re-read that series so many times, and I actually just lent it to my mother.

 

Have you read and enjoyed any other of Francine Rivers' novels?

[Liz CA]

I read that series, and I loved it. The last book was harder to get into until I'd read a few chapters. I loved The Red Tent, too. Have you read that?

 

 

I have not read "The Red Tent". Seeing that the responses are positive, I will give it another shot. These books are kind of "heavy" and not as easy to get into as Terri Blackstock, Karen Kingsbury or Colleen Coble. I need to move past the "mind candy" phase. :lol:

[mandymom]

These books are kind of "heavy" and not as easy to get into as Terri Blackstock, Karen Kingsbury or Colleen Coble. I need to move past the "mind candy" phase. :lol:

 

I like Kingsbury and Blackstock (haven't read any Coble), but Francine Rivers is my favorite by far. I really like Kingsbury because I love seeing characters through many novels, and she's good at that. I also really enjoy Blackstock too (esp the Restoration series as well as Predator), but Rivers' books are so rich in story. My all-time favorite is Redeeming Love, but a close second is her latest series.

[Liz CA]

I like Kingsbury and Blackstock (haven't read any Coble), but Francine Rivers is my favorite by far. I really like Kingsbury because I love seeing characters through many novels, and she's good at that. I also really enjoy Blackstock too (esp the Restoration series as well as Predator), but Rivers' books are so rich in story. My all-time favorite is Redeeming Love, but a close second is her latest series.

 

If you like Blackstock and Kingsbury, I think you would enjoy Colleen Coble. She has two series I liked very much: The Rock Harbor Series (set in Michigan) and the Aloha Reef Series (set in Hawaii).