Tuesday, January 11, 2011

A Good Read for Housebound Days

Today (Tuesday), it occurred to me that other than taking Daisy outside periodically, I haven't left my house since last Friday! The time has gone fairly quickly, mainly because I've spent a chunk of it reading SAFE HAVEN by Nicholas Sparks.
Is Nicholas Sparks a romance writer? Although his books can surely be classified as "women's fiction" I think his work is on a higher level than the romance genre. While I don't find his books unusually thought provoking,
he is a master storyteller.
We're all familiar with his works:
THE NOTEBOOK (I thought the movie was better than the book)
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE
THE LAST SONG
He writes the kind of books that are perfect for reading during a few snowbound days, or days at the beach.
SAFE HAVEN is probably my favorite of the books I have read by Sparks.
Its the story of a young woman, Katie who begins a new life for herself in Southport, a small eastern North Carolina town. (Sparks himself lives in NC.) Her life begin to take shape as Katie finds a job, a place to live, makes a friend with a neighbor Jo, meets and gradually falls in love with
Alex, a widower with two small children. All this is contrasted with the life she left behind.
SAFE HAVEN deals frankly with the horrors of abusive marriage, the situation Katie has fled from and her fear of being found by her husband Kevin. He is a detective in Boston and very good at his job, so Katie's fears are credible. The story builds and becomes a real page turner.
As is often the case with Spark's novels, there's a little twist at the end.
The book has a very satisfying ending, but I'm not sure it needed that last twist.
Have you read it? What do you think?

9 comments:

Shirley said...

I haven't read this book, but it sounds as though it would keep my interest once I start it. The problem I have when reading if it is really good, I don't want to put it down until I finish it and that can be a problem if I am reading when I should be asleep. It would be enjoyable thing to do on a wintery day with a nice cup of hot tea or hot chocolate, maybe a cookie to go with it. Have a great day. Your Missouri Friend.

Christine @ sugarandtrash.com said...

I've read a few Sparks books, the stories are so good, it is hard to put it down!

Tina said...

I haven't read it yet, but it looks like the next book I'm going to read. I'm in the middle of one of his other books now called At First Sight. So far it's pretty good too.

Linda said...

I have read it and it was WONDERFUL! A great read! Enjoy it!

Julia @ Hooked on Houses said...

There's nothing better than getting sucked into a good book for a few days, especially when it's cold outside! I'll have to look for this one at my library.

Anonymous said...

I have recently fallen in love with Nicholas Sparks' ability to tell a tale. Thanks for sharing, I will be checking this book out!

holly said...

I don't know about his other books, but A Walk To Remember was really sweet. Although that movie was just terrible!

Privet and Holly said...

I haven't, yet, but
now it's on my list!
I've currently got
a stack of fiction,
non-fiction, photography
books and the Bible all
crowding for a spot on
my night stand : ) I'm
reading Racing in the
Rain right now and it
is very good. LOVE all
your cozy treasury pics,
Susan!
xx Suzanne

Unknown said...

Hi Susan,
I haven't read it, but after that little teaser, I really want to! Sounds perfect for these indoor days and night!

~ Elizabeth

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