The Keeper Of The Diary Judith Diana Winston Chewut Press 3435 Ocean Park Boulevard suite 107-37 Santa Monica, CA 90405 www.The Keeper Of The Diary 978-0-9643282-11 $21.84 485 pages Sandra Heptinstall Reviewer I have never read a book like this one before. It is called Visionary Fiction. In fact I did not even know there was this type of genre. What I do know is that the author is brilliant. The story begins with a young woman who lives in San Francisco and has a promising business as a fashion photographer. Yet she has a strong desire to move to L.A. Her friends think she is crazy to go to a place she hates and live there. Yet it is like a strong current is running through telling her she must move. While she is there she works where ever she can get a job. She is broke most of the time and can’t even come up with the money she owes her roommate for her half of the apt and bills. Then one day she gets a call from an old friend who says he found a job for her. It was to be a photographer to tourist heading to Egypt on vacation. It is only for two weeks and the job pays will pay $2,000 dollars and also pay for meals and hotels on the trip. Cassie decided to take the job as she needed the money. One day she discovers a diary in her camera case. As she goes to pick it up she is shocked and her fingers burnt. As she begins to read it she is pulled into what is written. I was pulled into this story also. This story is mysterious, mystical, full of surprises and life changing for Cassie. For me I had to read some parts twice to understand where the story was taking me. This is not a fast read nor is it a lite one. For me the story did not sit well because of my beliefs. But I have to be honest and will give this book five stars.

A Christmas for Katie

I love reading books about Christmas and the Amish religion also. This little book did not let me down. It is the story of Katie who is six and a half years old and Amish. Katie has a mission to get the plastic nativity scene in front of the library fixed up by Christmas Eve. Miss Donovan the librarian does not show much interest in doing so. Katie told her mom that “Miss Donovan seems sad because she does not have a love life.” Katie’s poor mom told her not to be butting into someone’s personal life and that she has a head of grey hair all because of Katie. Then one night Miss Donovan was getting ready to close the library for the night, when the new deputy Conner Fields comes in and asked if he had time to check out some books. While he was there they both heard a noise from outside and an old woman was on the ground saying someone attacked her. From here on the book is pretty predictable. I do want to say “Mom and dad if you are looking down then I’ m so sorry for the way I acted as a child.” Katie and I have a lot in common. Rated G

The Road to Grace

There are so many things I have enjoyed in this book. One is the beginning of each chapter it will say Alan Christoffersens Diary. An example of what I mean is on chapter 13 and it reads as the following. “Whether cautionary or exemplary, there has not yet been a life lived that we cannot learn from. It is up to us to decide which ours will be.” Alan is walking from Seattle, WA to Key West, Florida. Along the way he meets many people each with their own story. I will share with you two people he has meant. One is a polish man who has an unimaginable story of being in a concentration camp and losing his whole family. I have to be honest and say his story made me cry. Then we have the one about the differences in being a tramp or a hobo. Hobo’s, do a lot of panhandling and begging for money. Tramps don’t beg unless they have too. Tramps work and travel from job to job. They don’t have a home or car so they hitch hike. To me what I found to be really profound is the author telling us what the Grace of God really is. How he found it and how we can also. Rated G