Swell Readings

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks: “#1 bestselling author Nicholas Sparks’s new novel is at once a compelling family drama and a heartrending tale of young love. Seventeen year old Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alientated from her parents, especially her father…until her mother decides it would be in everyone’s best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie’s father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels–first love, love between parents and children — that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts…and heal them.”

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers: “California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep. Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside. Then she meets Michael Hosea. A man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything, Michael Hosea obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation until, despite her resistance her frozen heart begins to thaw. But with her unexpected softening come overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she can no longer deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael Hosea does…the One who will never let her go. A powerful retelling of the book of Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love.

For Young Women Only: “Guys will be guys. And now girls can know what that means! For Young Women Only dives into the mysterious inner-workings of the teenage male mind so that you can begin to understand why guys say and do what they do. Exploring critical topics including respect, insecurity, appearance, physical affection, and the “tough and tender”-ness of guys, this book is also packed with “ask the expert” sections, quotes, and fun personal stories from guys in all walks of life. Why is he so visually stimulated? You may wish it weren’t so, but that won’t make it so. I don’t want to put on a front for him to like me. Actually, he wants your genuineness, too! This book will help you grasp how God wired the opposite sex so you can enjoy your relationships with them. Why Are Guys So Weird? Unravel the mystery. A national scientific survey and in-depth personal interviews give you an unprecedented look inside the teenage male mind. Discover how: He’d be perfectly fine if he was loved by few and hated by many…as long as he was respected by all His ego is the size of Africa (but so are his insecurities) He hides his real feelings under a tough exterior He’s magnetized by pretty girls–but also wants to find a diamond in the rough He actually does want to marry a virgin He just wants you to be yourself It’s the inside scoop you’ve been waiting for! You’ll come to not only understand him, but also know what he might really be thinking about you.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: “Pride and Prejudice is a humorous story of love and life among English gentility during the Georgian era. Mr Bennet is an English gentleman living in Hartfordshire with his overbearing wife. The Bennets 5 daughters; the beautiful Jane, the clever Elizabeth, the bookish Mary, the immature Kitty and the wild Lydia. Unfortunately for the Bennets, if Mr Bennet dies their house will be inherited by a distant cousin whom they have never met, so the family’s future happiness and security is dependent on the daughters making good marriages. Life is uneventful until the arrival in the neighbourhood of the rich gentleman Mr Bingley, who rents a large house so he can spend the summer in the country. Mr Bingley brings with him his sister and the dashing (and richer) but proud Mr Darcy. Love is soon in the air for one of the Bennet sisters, while another may have jumped to a hasty prejudgment. For the Bennet sisters many trials and tribulations stand between them and their happiness, including class, gossip and scandal.”

Miss Match by Erynn Mangum: “It’s a magical winter of coupledom in Lauren Holbrook life and everyone is getting married – except her. Lauren has decided to add a side career to her regular job as a photographer: matchmaking for the romantically challenged. After successfully hitching her sister and her new husband, Lauren decides to sets out to strike sparks between her carefree singles’ pastor, Nick, and her neurotic, obsessive compulsive coworker, Ruby. However, Lauren finds that certain combinations of people results in explosions, rather than sparks, and her foolproof plan begins to unravel. As Lauren is faced with disaster after romantic disaster, will she rethink her matchmaking role as well as her vow to her father to remain single forever? Erynn Mangum came up with the idea for this book at her friends wedding. She really enjoyed writing her first book.”

The Christy Miller Collection by Robin Jones Gunn: “Join Christy Miller on an unforgettable ride through her teen years.  From the moment this story begins on a beach in southern California until it ends at a European train station, Todd, Katie and the rest of Christys God-Lover friends will having you laughing, crying, sighing and smiling.  These friends will stay in your memory long after you turn the last page. It all began with the Christy Miller Series. Robin spent eight years writing about Christy, Todd and the rest of the gang before starting the spinoff Sierra Jensen  Series. After thousands of readers wrote to ask, “Do Todd and Christy ever get married?” Robin wrote the College Years Series. Readers then wanted to know if Katie and Rick ended up together so Robin kept writing about all these characters in the Katie Weldon Series. The second Christy Miller story, “A Whisper and a Wish,” was a Gold Medallion finalist.”

So Not Happening by Jenny B. Jones: “New York’s social darling Isabella Kirkwood just woke up in a nightmare: Oklahoma. Problem is, it’s right where God wants her. Bella Kirkwood had it all: A-list friends at her prestigious private school, Broadway in her backyard, and Daddy’s MasterCard in her wallet. Then her father, a plastic surgeon to the stars, decided to trade her mother in for a newer model. When Bella’s mom falls in love with a man she met on the Internet–a factory worker with two bratty sons–Bella has to pack up and move in with her new family in Truman, Oklahoma. On a farm no less! Forced to trade her uber-trendy NYC lifestyle for her down-home charm, Bella feels like a pair of Rock & Republic jeans in a sea of Wranglers. At least some of the people in her new high school are pretty cool. Especially the hunky football player who invites her to lunch. And maybe even the annoying–but kinda hot–editor of the school newspaper. But before long, Bella smells something rotten in the town of Truman, and it’s not just the cow pasture. With her savvy reporter’s instincts, she is determined to find the story behind all the secrets. How can a girl go on when her charmed life is gone and God appears to be giving her the total smackdown?”

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer: “Hope’s used to thinking on her feet-she hasn’t become a terrific waitress by accident. But when she and her aunt Addie move from New York City to a small town in Wisconsin to run the Welcome Stairways Diner, she isn’t sure she’ll fit in. Luckily, she doesn’t have much time to dwell on it, what with life at the diner and her new home’s upcoming election. G.T., the owner of Welcome Stairways, has decided to run for mayor, and no one in town knows what to think. After all, G.T. has leukemia. And his opponent is the current mayor, who hasn’t lost an election yet. Some think G.T. is crazy, but Hope sees the goodness and power in him. Will everyone else see it too?”