From my bookshelf: Gone-Away Lake

I decided one fun feature I want to include weekly (if possible) is a favorite-book post.  This might be a children's book (picture book or chapter book), a non-fiction or spiritual growth book, an adult fiction book...pretty much anything that's one of my or my kids' favorites!  I have a feeling that the hard part will be just choosing ONE book per week...as I am an avid bookworm, and so are some of my kids. 😉

My choice for this first bookish post is a children's novel: Gone-Away Lake, by Elizabeth Enright.  I don't remember when I first discovered Gone-Away; it feels like this book has been a part of my life forever!  I also don't remember if my mom read it aloud to us, or if I first read it on my own.  What I DO know is that this is a fabulous summer read, and as a family we have read (or listened) to it at least three times over the past few years.  The audio version read by Colleen Delany is beautifully done and we would all highly recommend it!

Synopsis:  Portia Blake and her little brother Foster go to visit their uncle, aunt, and cousin Julian, as they do every summer.  Only this summer, Julian's family has moved to a new house in the country, and there are lots more places to explore.  One day while exploring in the nearby woods, Portia and Julian stumble upon an old colony of abandoned, dilapidated houses at the edge of a swamp.  Only they aren't ALL abandoned...an elderly brother and sister returned years ago to live out their lives in the place they had loved as children, away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.  Gone-Away Lake is the story of the friendship that blossoms between Portia and Julian and "Uncle Pin" and "Aunt Minnehaha."  There is also adventure, a little danger, and lots of fun reminiscing and old stories shared from a childhood at Tarrigo Lake (which later became the swamp, now called Gone-Away Lake).

It's hard to sum up this book in a quick synopsis...it probably doesn't sound all that interesting.  But Elizabeth Enright was a master at writing books about everyday life, taking a simple idea and making it come alive.  This book makes the reader feel like you are right there at Gone-Away with Portia and Julian, like discovering an old summer colony is something that might really happen to you.  It plops you right into the middle of a hot, buggy summer somewhere in New York state.  It also highlights the beautiful friendship that sometimes springs up between children and elderly people, and how much we can learn from each other.  I can't recommend this book highly enough...give it a try.  You and your kids will love it!  It is the perfect summer read.  Even though it is more than sixty years old, it has a timeless quality and is just as enjoyable in 2019 as it would have been in the 1950s.

And...if you read Gone-Away Lake, you must also put Return to Gone-Away on your list!  It is equally enchanting and wonderful.  You can often find copies of both books at thrift stores or used bookstores, but they are also available on Amazon or Thriftbooks pretty inexpensively.  Happy reading!

Book Review: Beyond All Dreams

Summary: Anna O'Brien adores her job at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.  It's a bustling and important place to work...and things are busy as the library employees prepare to move everything over to their impressive new building across the street.  As a map librarian who excels at research, Anna's skills are a valuable asset not only to the library, but also to Congressman Luke Callahan, one of the youngest and most powerful congressmen of the day.  As Anna helps Luke with research which he hopes will further his political goals, she also uncovers discrepancies in the Navy's story of what happened to a ship lost at sea when Anna was a child--a ship her father happened to be aboard.  But as Anna comes closer to learning the truth of what happened to the Culpeper, Luke starts trying to dissuade her from her quest, for reasons Anna can't understand.  As tensions grow between them, unrest on a larger scale is developing in the nation, with tensions between the US and Cuba.  As Luke pushes for a peaceful solution in Congress, can he and Anna also make peace and perhaps rekindle the love that had been starting to grow between them?

My thoughts: Beyond All Dreams was another good read from Elizabeth Camden.  I always appreciate the amount of historical detail that goes into her books...she must do an immense amount of research for each one.  She also comes up with such original settings and themes, which I find really interesting and refreshing, considering how so many inspirational novels seem to be rather redundant these days.  Once again in this book, she has created two likable, flawed main characters in Luke and Anna.  They were total opposites, but perfect for each other.  Each has lived through a difficult and painful past in their own ways, but emerged stronger for it.  This book was based on historical events leading up to the Spanish-American War, a period of history that I wasn't really familiar with.  It was neat that I finished reading it in January, and in February the kids and I covered the same time period in our homeschool history studies!  I also liked the fact that Luke was from Maine, and a little bit of the story took place there.  Several of Elizabeth Camden's other books have been set in (or partially in) New England, which I enjoy since I'm a New Englander. :)  While Beyond All Dreams wasn't my favorite of her novels (Against the Tide still holds that place, I think!), I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a bit of good clean romance.  

**Thanks to Bethany House for the free review copy.  I was not required to give a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

**This post contains affiliate links.

Book Review: The Story Keeper

Synopsis: Jen Gibbs is an editor who has just landed a job at Vida House Publishing in NYC . . . she's working her way up the ladder, and while Vida isn't the biggest publishing house in the city, it's got a stellar reputation and Jen is thrilled to have this position.  Not bad for a girl who grew up in rural Appalachia, in poverty, but Jen has put that life behind her to live her dream in the big city.  That is, until she finds a mysterious manuscript on her desk. The Story Keeper, apparently found in Vida's infamous "slush pile," draws Jen in from the first page, and ultimately leads her on a journey of discovery to Tennessee, trying to discover if reclusive author Evan Hall is the author of this fascinating story.  But the journey also takes Jen back to her roots in Looking Glass Gap . . . a place she doesn't want to go.

My thoughts: I really, really liked this book.  I think The Story Keeper was my first Lisa Wingate book, and I was very impressed with her writing.  I loved how she wove the two stories together . . . the manuscript story of Sarra and Rand, and the modern-day story of Jen herself.  I loved the threads that tied the two stories together, and watching Jen grow and change through the book.  It's really hard to sum up The Story Keeper in a brief review, but this was a book that stayed with me, and I highly recommend it.  I was also fascinated to learn more about the Melungeon people of Appalachia (I had never heard of them before!), and I felt like I could picture every setting in Wingate's story--she's excellent at making you feel as if you're there!  I actually was sad to see this book end.  It ended in a very satisfying way, but I would have liked it to keep going.  And that's one of the marks of a good story, for me. :)

Thanks to Tyndale House for the free review copy of this book.  I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Book Review: Keepers of the Covenant

Synopsis:  Ezra, a Torah scholar, never expected to be chosen to lead his people.  He was content to live a quiet life of study, but all that changed with one decree from the king of Babylon.  Suddenly the Jewish exiles in the kingdom are facing annihilation, and Ezra's people are thrown into despair.  Why is God allowing this, and how will He rescue them?  In a surprising turn of events, the king makes a new decree that the Jews can defend themselves against their enemies, and God's people are miraculously saved.  Ezra, now a leader (though not by choice), finds himself living a very different life than the one he once had.  Together with his family, he leads many of the Jewish exiles back to their homeland, a number of years after the events of Purim.  He finds himself a leader in Jerusalem as well, and a somewhat unpopular voice for purity and holiness in the Jewish worship and following of God's laws.

My thoughts: I feel like it's difficult to give a good synopsis of Keepers of the Covenant in just a paragraph or so, because it is a BIG book with so many interwoven stories.  While Ezra is the main character, there are several other characters whose lives are followed through the book.  My personal favorite part was the story of Reuven, one of the exiles who traveled back to Jerusalem, and Amina, a lame young girl who was adopted into a Jewish family.  Their story touched me as I desired a happy ending for them!  This book also covers a number of years of Jewish history . . . and as always, Lynn Austin does a wonderful job bringing Biblical events to life.  I found it interesting that the book started with the events before and during Purim (the story of which is told in the book of Esther), but it focuses on Ezra, instead of Esther, as we might expect.  Esther is only mentioned very briefly in the book, and I liked seeing the story from a different angle--from the point of view of the Jewish exiles instead of Esther herself.

As in her preceding book, Return to Me, Austin does an excellent job of drawing the reader into the time and place of the story.  I know she has traveled to Israel to research her books, and it shows.  I've really enjoyed The Restoration Chronicles so far, and look forward to hopefully reviewing book 3 in the future!

Thanks to Bethany House for the free review copy of this book.  I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Book Review: With Every Breath

I have had the privilege of reading every one of Elizabeth Camden's books to date, and have enjoyed them all.  But I think With Every Breath may be my new favorite!

Synopsis: Widow Kate Livingston is content with her quiet life and her job at the census bureau in Washington, DC.  And then, her life is turned upside down by Trevor McDonough, or "Dr. Kendall," as he is now known.  A rival from school days, Trevor was always moody and disagreeable, but now he's requested for Kate to help him in his tuberculosis research at Washington Memorial Hospital.  Some of Trevor's theories for a possible cure seem far-fetched, but as Kate works with him, she finds herself becoming passionate about finding a cure too, and drawn to Trevor himself in ways she didn't expect.  But when Kate discovers Trevor's deepest secret, and someone in the background is working hard to discredit him, it seems that both success in their work, and their happiness together, may be impossible.

My thoughts:  One thing I love about Camden's books is her strong female characters.  Kate Livingston was no exception.  Trevor was an interesting and complex character too, and I enjoyed seeing how their story played out.  Another thing that I really appreciate about Camden is her ability to weave some very interesting (and sometimes little-known) history into her books.  This novel gave me not only a picture of Washington, DC, in the late 1800s, but also a lot of information about tuberculosis itself, and the research that went into searching for a cure.  Camden does a fantastic job with researching her novels (unlike quite a few historical fiction authors I've read), and through her books I've learned about things like the opium trade, watch making, the Great Chicago Fire, etc. I am always interested to see what she'll come up with in her next book!  With Every Breath was a great read, and I was very satisfied with the ending.

One minor quibble: I have to say that every Elizabeth Camden novel has a beautiful cover.  (My absolute favorite is Against the Tide, but I like them all.)  But I felt like the artist "missed" on the cover's depiction of Kate.  The woman on the cover is lovely, but not at all as I pictured Kate in the book.  Like I said, just a little minor thing, and the cover is still nice. :)

Thanks to Bethany House for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book!  I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Book Review: Pilgrimage by Lynn Austin

I am a big Lynn Austin fan, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read and review her newest book (and her first nonfiction book), Pilgrimage: My Journey to a Deeper Faith in the Land Where Jesus Walked.  In this very personal account--which reads somewhat like a journal, being written in first person--Lynn shares how she was struggling in a rather dry spell of life: her nest was empty, and two of her children had moved far away.  Life just wasn't going as she expected, and it was hard to see God's plan and purposes.  When Lynn and her husband had the opportunity to go on a tour of Israel, God used it to revive and refresh her, giving her an "oasis" in what had seemed a dry desert spiritually.  Throughout the 12 chapters of Pilgrimage, Lynn shares glimpses of the various Biblical and historical sites they visited, and what God taught her in each place.

I very much enjoyed this book.  While (as I expected) it was quite different from her fiction, it was truly a refreshing read, as I felt like I got to "know" Lynn more as a person, than as just an author.  It was neat to realize that even well-known authors go through difficult times in life; they are just like the rest of us and struggle with many of the same things.  Although I am in a different stage of life than Lynn (my empty nest years are still quite a ways into the future), I have walked through plenty of "deserts" of my own and could relate to her very well.   One of my favorite things about the book is how Lynn takes you right along with her on her tour of Israel.  While I don't see myself having such an opportunity for many years, if ever, I almost felt like I was seeing the Holy Land, through her descriptions of the different sites they visited.  I liked how each chapter covered one specific area, and the lessons she learned there.  From hiking in the wilderness, to the fortress of Masada, to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount . . . to sharing a Passover meal with the tour group and later observing the Sabbath . . . to visiting Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial . . . Lynn does a wonderful job giving the reader a glimpse into her journey to a deeper faith.

I will say that it took me longer than I expected to get through Pilgrimage.  Not because it was boring, but it was a slower read for me as I wanted to take my time and absorb bits at a time.  It certainly isn't a "page-turner" like many of her fiction books, but it is an excellent read and well worth it if you have ever struggled with your own dry spells in your faith-journey, or even if you would just like a more personal glimpse into Lynn Austin's life.

*Thanks to Bethany House for the free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to give a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Book Review: Say Goodbye to Survival Mode

Do you ever feel like you are in survival mode? I know I do--more often than I'd like to admit.  Between cooking, cleaning, homeschooling, running errands, laundry, and the other multitude of little things that make up a mom's life, sometimes I feel like I'm constantly running around putting out fires, instead of making any real progress.  Lots of things get done every day, but nothing actually stays done--know what I mean?  And then there's all the time I waste on any given day . . .  Some days I feel so productive and like I'm really on top of things.  Other days . . . well, yesterday for example . . . I never got a shower till afternoon.  Just keeping it real here! :)

Anyway, since you can see that I'm no stranger to that overwhelmed, survival mode feeling, you can imagine how excited I was to have the opportunity to read a pre-release copy of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode.  In this book, Crystal Paine shares her own very personal story of being overwhelmed and stressed with too many things to juggle, and how she was able to come from that point, to living with purpose and intention.

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode is filled with helpful encouragement for all of us overwhelmed women (and I know there are lots of us out there!)--from chapters like "Say Yes to the Best" and extremely practical tips on goal-setting (one of my favorite chapters!) to advice on home management and budgeting (of course, a book by Money Saving Mom must include at least a bit of that--and I'm glad it does!), to reminders that self-care is indeed important, with practical tips on how to "recharge" . . . this is one refreshing book from start to finish.

As I said a couple years ago when I reviewed Crystal's first book, one of the things I love about her writing is that she is so encouraging.  I never feel "talked down to" or like she's a woman who has everything together (even though I do think she is a lot more organized than me!) . . . she writes like someone who is a friend, cheering you on step by step.  She is also extremely practical.  In fact, every chapter in this book ends with a section called "Get Practical," where you find questions and tips to help you evaluate things you may need to change.  Crystal is all about little changes and baby steps that add up to big changes over time--and I appreciate that.  I am the type of person to get overwhelmed by the big picture--it works much better for me to set a big goal and then break it down into smaller goals, as she suggests.

While Crystal is a young mom in the same stage of life as me, I believe her book will be helpful to more than just young moms.  It's full of practical advice for any woman, of any age--it's not just those of us with young kids who get stuck in survival mode!  Every chapter in this book was excellent, but one of my favorites was the one on self-care.  Now let me clarify something real quickly: one of the messages we hear from the world is that self-care is of utmost importance--sometimes even to the detriment of our families.  "Me time" has gotten kind of a bad rap in Christian circles because of this.  As a Christian, I do believe that my family is my priority and I love being able to serve them.  But, I also believe that we need to take care of ourselves so that we can give our best to our families.  And this is what chapter 9, "Sometimes It Is About You" is all about.  The very first point in this chapter is "Plug Into God and His Word."  YES.  I loved these quotes:

"So much of the time, our exhaustion and burnout are the result of not being plugged in.  We think we're capable of handling life without constantly renewing our power supply." (p. 201)

"You have to feed your soul before you can be a great leader, owner of a company, daughter, sister, wife, friend, boss, manager, or mother.  You may think you do not have time to feed yourself spiritually, but I assure you that you cannot afford not to." (p. 204) 

She goes on to talk about plugging into your marriage, friendships, taking time to rest and refresh . . . even reading more! . . . these are all ways we can care for ourselves so that we can better care for others.

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode releases today.  It's available in hardcover or for Kindle on Amazon, or you can find a copy in your local bookstore!  Personally, I'd recommend getting a hard copy of this book, since there are spaces in it for writing things down, and lots of things I would like to underline!  My copy is on my Kindle, but I do hope to get a hard copy as soon as possible.

Congratulations to Crystal on a job well done with this book.  I highly recommend it! And if you're not already a regular Money Saving Mom reader, you should head over there this week because she will be having some great giveaways to celebrate the book release!

*I received a free copy of this book for my Kindle, as part of the Say Goodbye to Survival Mode launch team.  All opinions expressed are my own.

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Books & Blessings

It's been a while since I did a random post about books, and I wanted to share some of my favorite reads from last year, as well as my tentative book list for this year.  Last year my goal was to read 24 books--12 fiction and 12 nonfiction.   Between books and ebooks (some shorter than others) I read at least 33 books (a few ebooks may have slipped through the cracks).  If you're interested, you can see my Pinterest board of the books I read in 2013 here.  I thought it would be fun to post my top 5 favorites from the year, so here goes:

Choosing Gratitude

This book seemed to be popping up everywhere I looked last year, even though it's not a "new" one . . . but it was recommended by the guest speaker at our ladies' brunch at church, some Facebook friends were also reading through it, another friend at church was . . . and I decided I needed to, as well!  I'd had it for over a year (won it in a giveaway) but hadn't gotten around to reading it yet.  Boy, was I glad I did!  It was an excellent read, and very convicting.  I love Nancy Leigh DeMoss's practical wisdom, and this was my favorite book of hers that I've read so far. It really helped me to focus on being thankful in the day-to-day.  Highly recommended!

Desperate

Desperate is another excellent read, particularly for young moms like myself.  I actually still need to do a full review of this book--I planned to do that about a year ago when I read it, but kept forgetting!  I really liked how this was written as a "question and answer" book between a young mom (Sarah Mae) and an older mentor (Sally Clarkson), and it was really helpful for me.  In fact, I think this is one that I should go back and re-read from time to time; it was just really encouraging and uplifting.

Unglued

Do you come "unglued" sometimes? I know I sure do.  Emotions can be tricky and difficult things, for sure.  This book by Lysa Terkeurst was so, so good.  This is one of the few books I've actually bought for my Kindle (I mostly get freebies) and it was well worth it.  In fact, this is one of those books that I think would really be better to have a "real" copy of, to be able to mark it up and do some underlining.  And it's definitely worth re-reading, also.  I love Lysa's style and practical application of Scripture.  Another book of hers that I've read is Made to Crave, which I also highly recommend.

Embracing Beauty

This year I discovered Trina Holden's blog and also read her book, Embracing Beauty.  I loved this one!  (Her blog is excellent as well.)  This is a smallish book but such a good read.  It's a refreshing look at how God created beauty, and how we are also made to love beauty, because we are made in the image of God.  Trina includes plenty of her own style tips, and while some of her personal style is different than mine, I still found lots of inspiration, and I especially liked the tips on thrift shopping to build a wardrobe.  In fact, I've done quite a bit more thrifting this year (with good results!) thanks in part to the inspiration found in this book.

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode

I had the privilege of pre-reading Crystal Paine's new book (releasing tomorrow!!) and it is fantastic.  Look for a more detailed review coming later today or tomorrow!  This is another one I'll be re-reading, and would love to own a hard copy of (my review copy is for Kindle) due to all the marking up and note taking I'd like to do.

I'm planning to read at least 24 books again in 2014.  While I don't have a complete list yet (and it's subject to change anyway, depending what I get to review free this year!), here's a pile that I am planning to tackle (thanks to Christmas gifts and gift money, and a friend who lent me the whole O'Malley series, which I am slowly working my way through!).

Last year I wrote out my big tentative reading list, and of those books I ended up only actually reading 5 of the nonfiction ones and 1 of the fiction ones!  Everything else was stuff that came along that interested me during the year. It'll be interesting to see how many of these I actually read this year.

I also wanted to share an extra special way a friend blessed me recently.  Remember back in this post how I mentioned my love for Celtic music, and how I would like to learn to play the tin whistle?  Well. On our first library visit after the new year, my sweet librarian friend Susan surprised me with the gift of  this:

{sorry for the weird washed-out photo quality of my hands!}

She bought it in Ireland!!  Isn't that too cool?  I've been having so much fun playing around with it!!  It seems similar to learning the recorder (which I did many moons ago in elementary school) but obviously with a prettier sound. :)  It's really neat because I was actually thinking about buying a tin whistle with some of my Christmas money, but instead, I got surprised with a free one!  Susan, if you're reading this, thanks again so much--I am really having fun with it. :)  (I'm not sure my family is having quite as much fun listening to my attempts . . . but thankfully they've been kind so far. ;))  She also gave me an instruction book, and I've found some helpful video lessons on Youtube as well (I'm a visual learner!), and hopefully before long I'll be able to progress beyond "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Frere Jacques." :)

Book Review: Rebellious Heart

Susanna Smith hasn’t seen Benjamin Ross since she was a little girl, when he rescued her from being caught in a tree.  At that time, she snubbed him ungraciously for being poor, and he’s never forgotten it . . . but when they meet again years later, he finds himself almost immediately captivated by Susanna’s beauty and wit.  Susanna, in turn, is attracted to the young lawyer, but both of them believe they need to marry “up” to secure a better social position for themselves (which means denying their interest in each other for quite some time).  Meanwhile, there is an unknown murderer on the loose . . . young runaway girls keep turning up dead, causing much anxiety among the local people.  Ben is determined to uncover the killer’s identity, and Susanna is also determined to aid another runaway girl who comes to her for help.  Together, Ben and Susanna try to stay one step ahead of the ruthless man, discovering in the process that the laws of God are higher than the laws of men.  Add in another thread about smuggling, a nasty Redcoat soldier, a secret tunnel, and plenty of romance and suspense, and you have a very hard-to-put-down book: Rebellious Heart.

I was immediately drawn to this book because of the beautiful cover (seriously, Bethany House has been putting out some great covers lately!!) and also the fact that I had read one of Jody Hedlund’s books last year, and enjoyed it.  I enjoyed Rebellious Heart as well.  I especially liked the main character, Susanna.  She was strong-willed, but not what I would consider “rebellious,” at least not in a bad way. :)  I think the title refers to a few different things--Susanna’s frustration with not being allowed to get as much schooling as she would like (education was not considered necessary for girls during that time period), and her and Ben’s “rebellion” against the unfair laws that England was enforcing in the colonies in the pre-Revolutionary era.  Susanna comes to realize, with Ben’s help, that obeying the laws of God is more important than obeying the laws of men.  I enjoyed Susanna’s strong personality and how she matched wits with Ben--one of the things that attracted him to her.  I also appreciated the author’s emphasis that the two were good friends, while at the same time falling madly in love.  She did a good job creating plenty of chemistry between them, although I felt like the “pulse-pounding” aspects could have been toned down a bit.  There was a lot of physical attraction between the two of them, and I probably wouldn’t personally be comfortable recommending this book to a teen girl because of that.  (I realize I may be in the minority of reviewers in this. :))  But overall I did like this story, just with a few reservations.  There was plenty of action and suspense, and I enjoyed the trip back in time to Massachusetts in the 1760s!  I also thought it was neat that Ben and Susanna were very loosely based on John and Abigail Adams.  I’m glad I had the chance to read Rebellious Heart, and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

*I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to give a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Book Review: Return to Me

Lynn Austin’s newest Biblical fiction release, Return to Me, is a beautiful story spanning about 20 years.  Iddo and his wife Dinah and their family are Jews living in Babylon, near the end of the Babylonian captivity.  When Cyrus, king of Persia, conquers Babylon and gives the Jews the freedom to return to their homeland, it seems too good to be true.  Iddo is thrilled at the thought of returning to the place he remembers from his childhood.  For other Jews, the choice to leave their comfortable lives in Babylon is not so easy.  Families are divided as some adult children decide to remain in their familiar surroundings, rather than risk the hardships of the long trek back to Jerusalem.  With a heavy heart, Dinah accompanies her husband back “home,” feeling torn because most of her family has stayed behind.  The only bright spot is their grandson Zechariah (Zaki), who has chosen to accompany Iddo and Dinah.  And along with Zaki, Dinah is also responsible for looking after their young neighbor girl, Yael, whose mother died in Babylon.  Upon arrival in the Holy Land, the Jews face more hardships than they’d expected.  Opposition from the neighboring Samaritans grows stronger, and work on rebuilding the Temple stalls for years.  Iddo grows frustrated as he seeks to understand the balance between God’s laws and His love, while Dinah deals with her own personal struggles and Yael pushes her boundaries more and more.  And Zaki longs to feel God’s presence in a personal way as he did once long ago.  Among the broken stones and brambles covering Jerusalem, can the returning remnant carve out a new life and return to true worship of the Holy One?

There was a time that I thought I wouldn’t enjoy Biblical fiction.  I was happily mistaken. :)  Although I haven’t yet read any of Lynn Austin’s Chronicles of the Kings (a series set earlier in Biblical history), I was excited to have the chance to review this first book in her new Restoration Chronicles series.  Return to Me has (in my opinion) one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen, and the story inside was beautiful as well.  It’s a long book--the story begins at the end of the Babylonian captivity, and covers a 20 year period--but large chunks of years are left out, so the actual story concentrates on only a few years.  We get to observe Zaki and Yael’s growing-up years in greater detail, and then certain sections of their lives as young adults.  I loved the main characters in this book.  Yael was one of my favorites, although for a long time I wasn’t sure how she would turn out!  Iddo was another favorite; his passion for God was inspiring, but watching him come to the realization of God’s love and how that related to Iddo’s care and concern for others, was even better.  Each one of these characters had their own flaws, their own lessons to learn and teach, and they all seemed so real.  Austin also did a wonderful job describing the setting and how discouraging it must have been to the remnant as they realized the massive amount of work that would go into rebuilding Jerusalem and the Temple.  These were some strong and courageous people!  

My only teensy tiny complaint about the book is this: sometimes the language jerked me out of the time period.  This is a pet peeve of mine--when an author uses a modern-day term like “okay” in a historical novel.  I realize that authors are writing for a modern audience . . . truly, I understand this.  I realize the characters’ way of speaking in a novel isn’t going to be entirely authentic to the time period, so that the modern reader can understand and enjoy the writing.  But throwing in a word like “okay” (which wasn’t done often, but I noticed it several times) seriously interrupts the flow of the story for me every time it happens, and it happens a LOT in historical Christian fiction.  Anyway, pet peeve aside, I loved everything else about Return to Me, and I would highly recommend this book!!   Lynn Austin is a fantastic writer, and I can't imagine the amount of research that she has to put into a book, especially one based on Biblical events where she is carefully working to keep it accurate to the Biblical record.  It really brought Scripture to life for me, and I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the Restoration Chronicles.

*I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to give a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Book Review: Into the Whirlwind

Mollie Knox’s 57th Illinois Watch Company makes the finest watches in the United States.  Started by her father, Silas Knox, and named after his Civil War regiment, the company is legendary for their exquisite watches that only the wealthy can afford.  It also employs a number of veterans of the 57th Illinois Regiment, and Mollie loves being able to provide jobs for these men, honoring her father’s memory and wishes at the same time.  

When Zack Kazmarek, lawyer for Hartman’s, one of Chicago’s finest department stores, comes to Mollie with an offer from Hartman’s to buy out her company, Mollie is unsure what to do.  Her good business sense tells her that the smartest move would be to accept this offer, but a niggling feeling of doubt makes her pause.  Just as she is on the verge of accepting, she comes upon an old deed that casts doubt on the real motives behind Hartman’s proposal.  Angry, Mollie confronts Zack, but the same night the Great Chicago Fire sweeps through the city and changes everything, including Mollie’s feelings for Zack.  But as both the 57th Illinois Watch Company and Hartman’s store work to rebuild their businesses, the love that is growing between Mollie and Zack is in danger of crumbling.  

Elizabeth Camden’s novels have become some of my favorites over the past few years, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review her latest offering, Into the Whirlwind.  As I’ve come to expect with Camden’s work, the book was expertly researched and very well-written.  Although I was familiar with the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, I learned a lot that I didn’t know about it, and as is usual with a Camden book, I was drawn into the story so much that I felt like I was there.  Mollie Knox was one of my favorite of Camden’s female characters thus far--I admired her pluck and determination to rebuild her company and continue providing jobs for her father’s fellow veterans.  I could also relate to her desire for an orderly and predictable life, and her trepidation about “riding the whirlwind” with Zack, although I also got frustrated with her for not seeing how "right" Zack was for her!  I also really liked Zack--he was so confident and bold on the outside, but actually quite vulnerable where his love for Mollie was concerned.  I enjoyed watching both of them grow in different ways throughout the book.  

I only have a couple of small complaints about Into the Whirlwind . . . first, it did seem to be a little slower at grabbing my interest compared to Camden’s earlier books.  I thoroughly enjoyed the story, but once the fire was over, it seemed to drag a little bit.  I think this may have been purposeful, though--to kind of show how Mollie liked her life to move along slowly, compared to Zack’s attempts to keep shaking things up.  I also would have liked to see more spiritual depth to the story . . . something that is one of my concerns about a lot of the Christian fiction I review.  There was definitely a spiritual element, but a little more would have been nice.

As I mentioned earlier, one thing I really like about Elizabeth Camden’s books is how she draws the reader into the time period and the setting.  Her last book, Against the Tide, was mostly set in Boston, while this one was set in Chicago . . . both large cities, but both completely different in the 1800s, as well as today.  Living in New England, I could relate a bit more to the Boston setting, but reading Into the Whirlwind gave me a taste of what life would have been like just before and after the Chicago Fire, and also a great admiration for the courage and tenacity it took to rebuild the city.  I would highly recommend any of Camden’s novels, and I give this one 4 out of 5 stars.  

*I was provided with a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers, in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to give a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.  

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Book Review: Stranded

Being sick has its advantages . . . like being able to finish a book in a few days, instead of several weeks or more!  I recently received Stranded, by Dani Pettrey, and finished it last night . . . here's my review:

Synopsis: Darcy St. James gave up her former job as an undercover investigative journalist several years ago, exchanging dangerous undercover work for a new role as an adventure journalist covering extreme sports, etc.  But then her former partner and good friend, Abby, calls to enlist Darcy's help in one more undercover assignment--she's onto something "big" on the Bering, an Alaskan cruise ship.  Darcy takes the job, but the same day she arrives on board the Bering, Abby disappears.  Darcy fears that something terrible has happened to her friend, and she's determined to find out just what is going on, and where Abby is.

The McKenna family (siblings whom Darcy had met and become friends with in the previous book) just "happens" to be running adventure excursions for the Bering, and Gage McKenna is heading them up.  Darcy and Gage had sparks flying between them the adventure before, and not just the romantic kind. :)  But neither has been able to get the other out of their mind since then.  When they meet again and end up working nearly side by side, will their attraction develop into something deeper?  And when  the danger that caused Abby's disappearance threatens Darcy as well, will Gage be able to keep her safe?

My thoughts: Earlier this year I had the opportunity to review Shattered, the previous book in this series. I really enjoyed it, and was excited to have the chance to review Stranded as well!  (I still haven't read Submerged, the first book in the series, but I'm sure that one is good, too.)  I love the suspense genre, and having some romance thrown in is always fun. :)  Furthermore, Dani Pettrey is an excellent writer and her books are filled with plenty of action, twists, and turns.  The chapters are fairly short and I kept reading "just one more chapter" until I was done. :)

I think I enjoyed Stranded even a bit more than Shattered, although I did find Darcy's tenacity as a reporter (ALWAYS asking questions) more annoying than Piper's sweet personality (the lead female character in Shattered).  I loved that almost the whole McKenna family was involved throughout the book, and getting to "know" them a little better.  I loved Darcy's tender, compassionate heart (under her tenacious nature ;)) and her drive to rescue Abby, and to see Gage and Abby both come to Christ.  The thing I loved most about this book was Pettrey's clear presentation of the grace and hope of the Gospel. I felt she did a fabulous job exploring the themes of grace and redemption, and weaving them throughout the story.  This is something that seems to be sadly lacking in the majority of Christian fiction I read, so I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with how the author skillfully presented the Gospel without being preachy.

There were only a few minor things I didn't like about this book.  I really did like the romantic tension between the main characters and felt it was well-done, overall . . . but there were a few things that bugged me.  First, referring to Gage's eyes as "soulful" (which happened at least a couple times) . . . Gage was a strong, masculine character, but "soulful" just sounds too gushy to me for how I pictured him.  I think the author was trying to convey his tender heart underneath the strong exterior, but it seemed like there could have been a better way to express that.  Also, I didn't really need to know that Gage had "washboard abs." :)  The other thing that seemed kind of funny was that Darcy was supposed to be reporting and blogging about the adventure excursions, but she didn't seem to do much actual journalism.  :)  (I understand that she was very busy solving mysteries and keeping the book's action moving . . . I just got thinking about it afterward and it occurred to me that she didn't seem to be doing much writing in the story!)

Anyway, overall I really enjoyed this book so much, and the good parts of it far outweighed the little things that bugged me. :)  I am so glad I discovered Dani Pettrey's books, and I can't wait for the next Alaskan Courage story!!

Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this book from Bethany House.  I was not required to give a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

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Book Review: Stealing the Preacher

When Joanna Robbins' mother died, she left Joanna with a special task: pray for her daddy's soul and bring him to Jesus.  Silas Robbins left his outlaw ways years ago, but he's never had any use for God, religion, or preachers.  He loved his wife and daughter wholeheartedly, but never could understand or have any interest in their religious ways.  Burdened for her father's soul, Joanna has only one request for her birthday: a preacher.  If a preacher came to fill the pulpit at their little country church, maybe he could help her with her mission to lead her daddy to the Lord.  In spite of his distaste for preachers or religion, Silas decides to fulfill his daughter's wish, so he gets her a preacher for a present . . . kidnaps him from a train, in fact!  When Joanna discovers how her father fulfilled her wish, she is horrified and mortified . . . this wasn't exactly the way to get a preacher interested in helping her!  But Crockett Archer is no ordinary man, and when God closes the door he thought was open to him in another church, he accepts the new opportunity offered him . . . to bring new life to Joanna's small church and hopefully new life to Silas Robbins, as well.

Stealing the Preacher is the sequel to Short-Straw Bride, which I reviewed last year, and the third Karen Witemeyer book I've read.  It's definitely my favorite of her books so far!  Crockett was a strong character, and Joanna was so sweet that I couldn't help but love her.  Of course I was rooting for a romance between her and Crockett from the beginning, and I wasn't disappointed. :)  Silas was one of my favorite characters, also . . . in spite of his rough edges and distrust of preachers (which is quite understandable when more of his history is explained near the end of the story).  There was a bit of adventure and suspense, a few small tidbits about the rest of the Archer family (which I was pleased to see, having really enjoyed their characters in the first book of the series), and some good spiritual lessons woven throughout the story.  I also appreciated the sweet romance, which was just that.  I felt Short-Straw Bride was a bit heavy on the physical side of things, but Stealing the Preacher was very romantic without being too physical, and I really liked that.  I assume there will be at least one more book in this series (at least I hope so!) and I will be looking forward to it.  Thanks to Karen Witemeyer for another great read!

*I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to give a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

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Book Review: Jennifer: An O'Malley Love Story

Jennifer O'Malley is a successful pediatrician with a busy practice, specializing in care for chronically or terminally ill children.  She loves her patients--really loves them--and gets to know them and their families on a personal level.  A chance meeting brings surgeon Tom Peterson into Jennifer's life, and almost immediately they become good friends.  Tom is attracted to Jennifer's compassionate heart; she is drawn to his calm and quiet strength.  But there's something different about Tom, and Jennifer soon discovers it's his faith.  She's curious, and finds herself studying Tom's Bible and seeking answers of her own.  She's falling in love with Tom and getting to know Jesus at the same time, but then comes a trial which neither Tom nor Jennifer expected . . .

Jennifer is the story of the youngest O'Malley sibling from Dee Henderson's popular O'Malley series.  Rather than being a suspense novel like the rest of the series, this small book is simply what it says: a love story.  A love story about Jen and Tom, and a love story about Jesus.  I had only read two other books in the series, so this story was quite different, but still very enjoyable.  Henderson's characters are believable and I found myself really caring about what happens to them.  My only quibble with the story was that it seemed to equate baptism with forgiveness of sins.  I personally believe that baptism is the first step of obedience after salvation, but not necessary for salvation.  But this was only one teeny part of the book, and overall I would highly recommend it.  Now I need to read the rest of the O'Malley series to find out the rest of Jennifer and Tom's story!

*I was provided with a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.  

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Book Review: Hunt for the Devil's Dragon

We thoroughly enjoyed this latest offering in the Imagination Station series, Hunt for the Devil's Dragon, by Marianne Hering.  In this story, cousins Patrick and Beth travel back in time to Libya in Mr. Whitaker's fantastic time machine, the Imagination Station.  There they meet Hazi and his sister Sabra, as well as their father, Tarek.  The family's village is being terrorized by a dragon (or so the villagers think).  The villagers believe this dragon is from the devil and that they must sacrifice a child from the village in order to appease the beast.  When Beth and Sabra are chosen for the sacrifice and Tarek is thrown in jail, Hazi and Patrick race to get help from Georgius, a kindly Roman soldier who is also a Christian.  Will Georgius arrive in time to save the girls from the dragon?  Or is there another more dangerous creature hiding in the shadows?

Loosely based on the legend of St. George and the Dragon, we found this book to be a little more fantasy and a little less history than other books in the series.  However, it was still a great edge-of-your-seat adventure for our kids, who absolutely love every Imagination Station book, and beg me for "just ONE more chapter!" at the end of every chapter. :)  We love this series for the great moral and spiritual lessons and the wonderful kid-appeal.  Hunt for the Devil's Dragon is a great addition to the series, and as always, we can't wait for the next book to be released!  The kids and I give this book 5 our of 5 stars. :)

**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review.  I was not required to give a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

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Book Review: Unrivaled

Synopsis:  Just back from a trip to Europe, Lucy Kendall is bursting with new ideas.  Her father's candy company, City Confectionery has been suffering ever since Standard Manufacturing "stole" their famous Royal Taffy recipe, along with their candy business.  City Confectionery's specialty, Fancy Crunch, is popular, but not quite as much as Royal Taffy.  But upon arriving home, Lucy discovers that her father is bedridden following a heart attack, and her mother has plans to sell City Confectionery.  Lucy is determined to do something to save the family business--maybe she can create a new candy, reminiscent of those she sampled in Europe, to boost sales!  Or maybe she can find a rich bachelor to marry, so his money can save the company!  Or if all else fails, perhaps she can come up with a scheme to destroy the rival company, Standard, owned by the Clarke family.

But she reckoned without Charlie Clarke--in fact, she didn't even know there was a Charlie Clarke!  The "long-lost" son of Warren Clarke, Charlie has come to St. Louis to help his father run Standard Manufacturing.  When Charlie and Lucy first bump into each other (literally), the each have no idea that the other belongs to the rival company.  And they're attracted to each other right from the start.  But when they discover each other's true identity, sparks begin to fly!  Lucy is determined to destroy Standard and save City Confectionery, even if she has to stoop to underhanded measures . . . and Charlie isn't about to let that happen!

Add in a lot of talk about candy, a "prim and proper" bachelor who gets engaged to Lucy but elopes with someone else, an air show, an annoying friend who turns out to be a true friend, a Queen of Love and Beauty, and lots more talk about candy, and you have a winning recipe for a very enjoyable book!

Unrivaled was my second Siri Mitchell read, and I may have liked it even better than The Messenger, which I reviewed last year.  Unrivaled was set during a less somber and difficult time period, and that probably added to my enjoyment of it!  It was also very funny, as the storytelling shifted back and forth between the two main characters, Charlie and Lucy, so you get the chance to get inside both of their heads and see what they're thinking about each other (which is often not very complimentary!).  In spite of the fact that the book was lighthearted in many ways, there was also a serious undertone as the author explored themes of forgiveness and God's love.  

I appreciated that this book was a fun, clean read, with an important message, and a sweet (pardon the pun!) love story to boot!  Just a warning: reading Unrivaled may cause you to crave candy . . . I found myself really wanting to taste both Fancy Crunch and Royal Taffy! :)  Thanks to Siri Mitchell for another great read . . . I give Unrivaled 5 out of 5 stars.

**Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my review.  I was not required to give a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Book Review: Shattered

Synopsis: Piper McKenna's younger brother, Reef, is in big trouble.  Found at the scene of a murder, all the evidence is pointing his way.  Yet Reef insists he's innocent--and Piper, along with the other three McKenna siblings--believes him.  But Deputy Landon Grainger isn't so sure.  Torn between his love for Piper and his strong sense of justice, Landon doesn't know what to believe.  

Eventually, he and Piper set out on their own to look for clues, hoping to learn who really killed Karli Davis--and why.  Along the way Landon wrestles with how and when to tell Piper about his love for her, and Piper comes to realize that she loves him, but it takes them a while to actually communicate about their feelings for each other. :)  There isn't much time left before Reef's trial . . . will Piper and Landon be able to clear his name, or will Karli's killer catch up with them first?

I love a good murder mystery, and Shattered was definitely a page-turner.  While I hadn't read Submerged, the previous book in the series,  I didn't have any trouble getting into Shattered.  Probably I would have understood the McKenna family dynamic a little better if I'd read Submerged, though.  There were some things I didn't "get" about their family history--are their parents dead? how did they die?--etc.  But overall the story was pretty easy to follow.  This mystery had plenty of twists and turns and suspense, and I really enjoyed it.  The next book in the series, Stranded, is supposed to be released in Fall 2013, and I hope I will get the chance to read it, too!

**I received a free copy of Shattered from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to give a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Good Reads: February and March

I let the month slip by without posting about the books I read in February . . . so here's a little recap of both Feb. and March. :)  Of course, I already reviewed two of these this week, and another review will be forthcoming soon, hopefully!

In Feb. I finished reading Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe (review coming soon). I loved this book and highly recommend it!

My fiction read for February was Crime of Fashion by Chautona Havig.  I have really enjoyed reading many of Mrs. Havig's books, which she often makes available for free on Kindle, over the past year.  The Hartfield Mysteries (of which Crime of Fashion is the 2nd) are quite possibly my favorites of all her books so far, although the Past Forward series is a very close second. :)

Alexa Hartfield is a famous mystery writer, living in the small town of Fairbury.  She is famous for her unique vintage wardrobe (one of the things I love about her!), and ends up becoming a partner in a clothing business,but then her friend, the business owner, turns up dead.  Now Alexa and her friend Officer Joe have another real crime to investigate . . .


In March, I finished The Tutor's Daughter (reviewed earlier this week) as well as Cleaning House (ditto).  I've already started into a new fiction book to review, and I need to pick a new non-fiction for April!  I have quite a few choices on my shelf and my Kindle . . . just gotta narrow it down to one. :)  I'm happy that so far this year, I've been able to keep up with my reading goals!

Book Review: Cleaning House

I was very happy to have the opportunity to review Cleaning House, by Kay Wills Wyma.  My husband and I had recently been talking about the entitlement attitudes that are so prevalent among kids today (including our own!) and about how we don't want our kids to grow up expecting that things will always be done for them--that it is their right.  So this book came at the perfect time and was very inspiring!

The author introduces Cleaning House by explaining about her own epiphany--realizing that her kids had this entitlement philosophy, and that she needed to do something about it.  So she embarked on a year-long "Experiment"--every month she had her kids tackle a different area of responsibility.  One month it was clutter control, another month they had to take turns making meals and cleaning up the kitchen, other months included things like laundry, gardening/landscaping, handyman jobs, and hospitality. (Each chapter covers a month of the Experiment.) While her kids were somewhat reluctant at times, they learned so much during the course of the year, became more confident in their own abilities, and discovered the satisfaction of a job well done.  Even more than that, they learned the joy that comes in serving others.  I think my favorite chapter may have been the one about service--where they spent the whole month coming up with ways to give to those in need.  I was convicted that I really need to focus on this with my own kids--living in a comfortable home and having plenty of food and toys, they just have a hard time comprehending that there are so many others in the world who are less fortunate.  They can't picture extreme poverty or the fact that millions of children go hungry every day.

I also realized through reading this book that I struggle with some of the same things that the author does.  Namely, my wanting to do pretty much everything for my kids because I can "do it right" and also do it more quickly than they can!  But how is that helping them learn?!  I have realized that I need to be willing to let a lot of things go and not get done "right" so that they will gain experience and confidence in their own abilities.  I see in my almost-five-year old how proud he is when he does a job without being told, and it brings joy to both him and me when I praise him up and down for his work.  The same goes for my older kids.  And the more I jump in and do things for them now, the less they will want to take initiative as they get older.  Wyma specifically points out how the Experiment was met with greater resistance from her older kids than her younger ones, and I can see why, even though my children aren't teens yet.  Which is a very good reason we need to start NOW! :)

I gained lots of ideas and inspiration from Cleaning House, and have been slowly adding in more responsibility for our kiddos.  I want them to be go-getters . . . to see a job that needs doing and just jump in and do it.  I also want them to be well-equipped for life on their own someday.  So I'm making a conscious effort to stop being an enabler and start being a better equipper.  My husband is totally on-board with this, and is actually better at it than I am, which is really helpful because he reminds me to step back and let them do things themselves. Hopefully together we will be able to prepare them for life in the real world.  I definitely recommend Cleaning House, and give it 5 out of 5 stars.

**I received a free copy of this book in Kindle format from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to give a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.