tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76503134858541136642024-03-12T19:43:45.909-07:00Alisha's Bookish LifeAlishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-21503616861322795932015-09-11T22:32:00.002-07:002015-09-11T22:32:40.520-07:00Review - "Not by Sight" by Kate Breslin<br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Not by Sight</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Kate Breslin</strong></div>
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Published by Bethany House Publishers</div>
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384 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance</div>
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<em>"In the spring of 1917, all of Britain's attention is on the WWI war front and the thousands of young men serving their country on the front lines. Jack Benningham, dashing heir to the Earl of Stonebrooke, is young and able-bodied but refuses to enlist despite the contempt of his peers.<br /><br />A wealthy young suffragette, Grace Mabry will do anything to assist her country's cause. Men like Jack infuriate her when she thinks of her own brother fighting in the trenches of France, so she has no reservations about handing him a white feather of cowardice at a posh masquerade ball.<br /><br />But Grace could not anticipate the danger and betrayal set into motion by her actions, and soon she and Jack are forced to learn the true meaning of courage when the war raging overseas suddenly strikes much closer to home and their fervent beliefs become a matter of life and death."</em></div>
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Earlier this year I read Kate Breslin's <em>For Such a Time</em> novel and I liked it and found it to be an interesting historical story, so months ago, when I saw that she had written this book and that it was going to be published this year, I put it on my reading list. I thought <em>Not By Sight</em> was a good historical fiction novel as well. I can't say much about the story for fear of giving away spoilers, but this novel did have an interesting storyline with some unexpected twists and a crew of characters with their own unique personalities. One thing I like about Breslin's stories is the way she describes things and brings you into the story through her descriptions. Her descriptions of the places in the book could make me feel like I was there.<br /><br />This book takes place in England during World War I and includes the subject of spies and espionage during that time. It also gives us an idea of what the Women's Forage Corp was and what work the women who were a part of the WFC did to help with the war effort. Grace is a suffragette in the story so women's suffrage is also a historical subject in the book. There is an Author's Note in the back of the book that talks about these subjects that I thought was interesting too.<br /><br />Overall, I did enjoy this novel. I think it's another great historical fiction novel by this author and I'm interested to see what she might write about next. <br /><br />Notes on the content: There are mentions of a character once being a prostitute, and also mentions of a child that was born out of wedlock. Jack is also rumored to be / have been a playboy and gambler.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">*I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.</span></div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-90691026285307284722015-08-22T22:00:00.000-07:002015-08-22T23:15:40.541-07:00Review - "Through Waters Deep" by Sarah Sundin<br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Through Waters Deep</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Sarah Sundin</strong></div>
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<em>Waves of Freedom</em> series, Book #1</div>
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Published by Revell</div>
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384 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance</div>
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<em><strong>"War is coming. Can love carry them through the rough waters that lie ahead?</strong></em><br />
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<em>It is 1941 and America teeters on the brink of war. Handsome and outgoing naval officer Ensign Jim Avery escorts British convoys across the North Atlantic in a brand-new destroyer, the USS Atwood. On shore, Jim encounters Mary Stirling, a childhood friend who is now an astute and beautiful Boston Navy Yard secretary. <br /><br />When evidence of sabotage on the Atwood is discovered, Jim and Mary must work together to uncover the culprit. A bewildering maze of suspects emerges, and Mary is dismayed to find that even someone close to her is under suspicion. With the increasing pressure, Jim and Mary find that many new challenges--and dangers--await them."</em></div>
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The story begins in March 1941 at the Boston Navy yard, where Mary Stirling, a secretary at the navy yard, is making sure that everything is ready for a ship-launching ceremony. While checking things, she notices that the bottle of champagne she had decorated the day before appears to have been tampered with. When she mentions this to her boss, he doesn't think anything is amiss. However, when the bottle is smashed in the christening of the ship, it is discovered that someone sabotaged the bottle and refilled it with gasoline so that things would catch on fire at the ceremony. The question is, who did it?<br /><br />While at the ceremony, Mary runs into Jim Avery, a guy she knows from high school. Jim is now a naval officer and has just been assigned to a ship in Boston. Being new in town, Jim and his navy friend Arch have been wanting someone to show them around Boston and Mary ends up being the perfect person to do it. While out on their excursions together, a friendship develops between Mary and Jim.<br /><br />While a lot of suspicion is going around about who might be a sabotager and as the tension between the men working at the navy yard grows, Mary decides to work on the mystery herself and uses her skills as a secretary to record everything that's going on at the navy yard. As more sabotage is discovered, both Mary and Jim find themselves in dangerous situations. Can they figure out who the sabotager is?<br /><br /><em>Through Waters Deep</em> is the first full length novel I've read by author Sarah Sundin and I thought it was a great historical fiction novel. The author's writing and the details included in the story made me feel like I was in the time period. This story takes place before the United States officially entered World War II and throughout the story we see how much tension there was between the isolationists and the interventionists and how arguments and fights broke out between them. Through Jim's side of the story we also see the danger that the navy ships faced when they went out to sea, never knowing if they would be attacked by German vessels.<br /><br />I thought the characters were well done. The main characters, Mary and Jim, were likable and realistic. They both have fears that they struggle with that they must trust in God to help them overcome.<br /><br />The mystery aspect of the novel was wonderfully done. It kept me guessing about who the sabotager was until the end.<br /><br />I did appreciate how the romance between the characters started out as a friendship before turning to romance instead of being an insta-love type of romance. I do, however, think there was a bit to much detail and focus on the physical appearance of the characters.<br /><br />Overall, as someone who loves to read books based around the World War II time period, I really enjoyed this novel. The action and mystery had me enthralled in the story until the end. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the <em>Waves of Freedom</em> series when it is released next year.<br /><br />*I received this book for free from Revell in exchange for my honest review. </div>
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Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-17004399639074092692015-08-10T00:32:00.000-07:002015-08-10T00:32:00.743-07:00Review - "In Good Company" by Jen Turano<br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">In Good Company</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Jen Turano</strong></div>
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<em>A Class of Their Own</em> series, Book #2</div>
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Published by Bethany House Publishers</div>
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352 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance</div>
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<em>"After growing up as an orphan, Millie Longfellow is determined to become the best nanny the East Coast has ever seen. Unfortunately, her playfulness and enthusiasm aren't always well-received and she finds herself dismissed from yet another position. <br /><br />Everett Mulberry has quite unexpectedly become guardian to three children that scare off every nanny he hires. About to depart for Newport, Rhode Island, for the summer, he's desperate for competent childcare.<br /><br />At wit's end with both Millie and Everett, the employment agency gives them one last chance--with each other. As Millie falls in love with her mischievous charges, Everett focuses on achieving the coveted societal status of the upper echelons. But as he investigates the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the children's parents, will it take the loss of those he loves to learn whose company he truly wants for the rest of his life?"</em></div>
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<em>In Good Company</em> is the first book I have read by author Jen Turano, and I found it to be an enjoyable and funny story. While this book can be read as a stand alone novel (the way I have read it), I think it would be best to read these books in order as people and events from the first book are mentioned in this book.<br /><br />I really liked Millie's character and her personality. A spunky bookworm who carries around a pocket dictionary and who is always trying to improve her vocabulary by using words she learned from it (although sometimes incorrectly), Millie is misunderstood as a nanny by her employers. Although the children she takes care of love her, her employers always find her nannying methods improper causing her to be dismissed from her position as a nanny quite often. Having run out of options of nanny positions, Millie's only choice is to be hired by a man who doesn't believe in her skills as a nanny. However, with her wit, determination, and unconventional methods of looking after children, Millie proves to be just the right match for the children she is hired to look after.<br /><br />With three mischievous kids, some high jinks, a flock of shrieking peacocks, a meddling woman who wants to play a matchmaker in Millie's life (to Millie's dismay), romance, and a mystery, this was an interesting and delightful story that had me laughing quite a lot! I plan on reading the first book in this series when I can to find out more about the characters in the series and I'm looking forward to reading the third book when it is published. I would recommend this book to those who like to read historical Christian romances.<br /><br />*I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.</div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-7343879288201686552015-07-03T22:15:00.001-07:002015-07-03T22:15:50.732-07:00Review - "A Worthy Pursuit" by Karen Witemeyer<div align="center">
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">A Worthy Pursuit</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Karen Witemeyer</strong></div>
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Published by Bethany House Publishers</div>
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352 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance</div>
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"<em>A teacher on the run. A bounty hunter in pursuit. Can two enemies learn to trust each other before they both lose what they hold most dear?<br /><br />Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas. He never comes home empty-handed. So when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, Stone eagerly accepts.<br /><br />Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan's Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the orphaned girl entrusted to her care. Charlotte promised Lily's mother she'd keep the girl away from her unscrupulous grandfather, and nothing will stop Charlotte from fulfilling that pledge. Not even the handsome bounty hunter with surprisingly honest eyes who comes looking for them.<br /><br />When Miss Atherton produces documentation that shows her to be Lily's legal guardian, Stone must reevaluate everything he's been led to believe. Is she villain or victim? <br /><br />Then a new danger forces Charlotte to trust the man sent to destroy her. Stone vows to protect what he once sought to tear apart. Besides, he's ready to start a new pursuit: winning Charlotte's heart.</em>"</div>
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<em>A Worthy Pursuit</em> is the first book I've read by author Karen Witemeyer and I really liked it! After I started reading it, I did not want to put it down! I found some parts to be quite funny and I was laughing a lot while reading it. There was also quite a bit of action in the story making it a fast-paced read.<br /><br />I thought the characters were great, both the main and side characters. I admired Charlotte's character for wanting to take care of the three children she has taken charge of and her wanting to keep them safe from harm no matter the cost to her own self after the school they attended was closed and the children didn't have a good place to go. <br /><br />Stone is a likeable and honorable character. He is more concerned with finding out the truth about the situation he has become involved in and doing what is right instead of just retrieving the girl he was sent to find in exchange for money with no thought to who might be the best guardian of the girl. <br /><br />The three children - Lily, John, and Stephen - were charming. I enjoyed reading about the uniquely different talents that they've each been blessed with and how they use those talents. I thought Lily was absolutely delightful and her character had me laughing the most in the book.<br /><br />Overall, I enjoyed <em>A Worthy Pursuit</em> and would be interested in reading more books by Karen Witemeyer. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction, westerns, and Christian romances.<br /><br />*I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.</div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-23916440059610292662015-06-08T00:15:00.001-07:002015-06-08T00:15:29.049-07:00Review - Love's Rescue by Christine Johnson<div align="center">
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Love's Rescue</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>By Christine Johnson</strong></div>
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<em>Keys of Promise</em> series, Book #1</div>
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Published by Revell</div>
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352 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian Romance</div>
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"<em>Can a girl enamored with the adventurous seas ever be content with the tame life of a Southern belle? <br /><br />When her mother dies, Elizabeth Benjamin heads home to Key West, determined to transform herself into the perfect Southern belle her parents always wished her to be. But nothing goes according to plan. Her brother resents her, the servants do not obey her, and Rourke O'Malley, the dashing man she vowed to forget, refuses to relinquish his hold on her heart. Worst of all, it becomes painfully obvious that her father is not the man he appears to be.<br /><br />As family secrets come to light, Elizabeth is faced with a difficult choice: to perform her duty and abandon her dreams, or to leave her life of privilege behind to chase the man her father sees as little better than a pirate.<br /><br />From the first emotional page, author Christine Johnson throws you into a world of impossible choices, hidden desires, and heart-melting romance in the steamy South.</em>"</div>
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As a South Floridian, the summary of this book immediately caught my interest. A Christian historical novel set in the Florida Keys? Yes, please! It is so rare that I see historical novels set in Florida, especially novels set in the 1800s. While I've never been to the Florida Keys, I could picture the plant life and ocean shores described in the book quite well as it's not too different from the coastal areas of the part of Florida that I'm from. Oh, and let me not forget to mention that the story started with something us Floridians despise - that's right, the dreaded hurricane!<br /><br />Set in 1846, the story starts with Elizabeth having to leave Key West in a few days to travel to Charleston where she is expected to secure a prominent match. But Elizabeth loves a man in Key West who her parents don't approve of: wrecker Rourke O' Malley. In her last attempt to change her future before she must leave for Charleston, Elizabeth and her brother Charlie venture out into a storm to try to find Rourke. However, Elizabeth's choice to go out during the storm ends with consequences she never expected.<br /><br />Four years later, after her mother's death, an unwed Elizabeth journeys home with her aunt after her long stay in Charleston. On her voyage home she finds herself in a situation from which she needs rescuing, and her rescuer is none other than Rourke, than man she left behind. However, her homecoming is not a happy one. Her brother resents her, her father still does not approve of Rourke, and her aunt is trying to turn her into someone she doesn't want to be. While her father and aunt try to force her into a marriage to a man she despises, Elizabeth discovers family secrets that shatter everything she knows about her family. Will Elizabeth do what is expected of her, or will she follow her heart and her dreams?<br /><br /><em>Love's Rescue</em> drew me into the story from the very beginning and it had enough action and mystery in it to where I did not want to put it down. I thought the author did a good job with the characters and I wanted to find out what was going to happen to them. I enjoyed the unique setting and I learned about some new things, such as wrecking in the Florida Keys and how the wreckers were seen as not being much better than pirates. The story had good themes of forgiveness, redemption, and self-sacrifice. Overall, I really liked it and would be interested in reading the next books in this series when they are published.<br /><br />A couple notes on the content: There are mentions of an affair in the book. Also, as this book does take place before the end of slavery, there is prejudice against slaves and free black people by some characters, and the term "darkie" is used more than once.<br /><br />*I received this book for free from Revell in exchange for my honest review. </div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-72727374432381640652015-05-22T00:15:00.001-07:002015-05-22T00:15:18.003-07:00Review - "As Love Blooms" by Lorna Seilstad<div align="center">
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">As Love Blooms</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Lorna Seilstad</strong></div>
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<em>The Gregory Sisters</em> series, Book #3</div>
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Published by Revell</div>
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320 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian Romance</div>
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<em>"Young romance opens like a rose . . . but even a rose has its thorns.<br /><br />Tessa Gregory is nothing if not tenacious. Denied a position as a horticulturist at prestigious Como Park in Saint Paul, Minnesota, she is not above a little benevolent deception in order to get the park superintendent to change his mind and hire her. She plans to infiltrate the world of wealthy and influential people in hopes of drumming up financial support for a world-class conservatory. But before she can put those plans into action, she meets Reese King, a handsome gardener at Como Park--and a major distraction. Still, Reese might be the key to achieving her dream. But is his goal to help her . . . or to capture her heart?<br /><br />Against the lush backdrop of manicured gardens and greenhouses full of the exotic, Lorna Seilstad weaves a sweet and sassy story that is sure to delight."</em></div>
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I really liked <em>As Love Blooms</em>! It was a cute and funny book. <em>As Love Blooms</em> is the third book in the "<em>The Gregory Sisters</em>" series and while I haven't yet read the first two books in the series, I didn't really have any problems following the story in this third book. It read well as a stand alone.<br /><br />I loved Tessa's personality in the book! She's a spunky, ambitious, and fun character. She is a bit of a thrillseeker as well and isn't afraid to try new things. She also shows determination, working hard to make her dreams come true even when others, including members of her own family, don't believe in her and her dreams. I'm afraid I can relate to her quite well in that aspect.<br /><br />The historical setting was interesting. Taking place in 1913, the story shows how major cities in the United States were building up their parks and were working to build new conservatories for park visitors to enjoy. Women's suffrage is also a main historical subject in the book.<br /><br />I also liked the theme that the book had: that we should put our hope and trust in God to help us do things, not rely only in ourselves. Unfortunately, this is a lesson that Tessa has to learn the hard way as she keeps secrets and sometimes uses deception to try to get the things she wants done. <br /><br />Overall, I really enjoyed <em>As Love Blooms</em> and I definitely want to read the first two books in the series now to find out more about Tessa's sisters.<br /><br />*I received this book for free from Revell in exchange for my honest review. </div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-90171169499849531172015-03-27T00:43:00.001-07:002015-03-27T00:43:50.929-07:00Review - "Where Trust Lies" by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan<div align="center">
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Where Trust Lies</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan</strong></div>
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<em>Return to the Canadian West</em> series, Book #2</div>
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Published by Bethany House Publishers</div>
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336 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian Romance</div>
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<em>"She loves her friends and students in the West, but family obligations have called her home. Where does she truly belong?</em><br />
<em></em><b><br /></b><em>After a year of teaching in the Canadian West, Beth Thatcher returns home to her family. She barely has time to settle in before her mother announces plans for a family holiday--a luxurious steamship tour along the eastern coast of Canada and the United States. Hoping to reconnect with her mother and her sisters, Beth agrees to join them, but she quickly realizes that things have changed since she went away, and renewing their close bond is going to be more challenging than she expected. <br /><br />There's one special thing to look forward to--letters and telephone calls from Jarrick, the Mountie who has stolen her heart. The distance between them is almost too much to bear. But can she give her heart to Jarrick when it will mean saying good-bye to her family once again--and possibly forever? And will she still want to live in the western wilds after the steamship tour opens up a world of people and places she never imagined?<br /><br />Then comes a great test of Beth's faith. Someone in her family has trusted the wrong person, and suddenly everything Beth knows and loves is toppled. Torn between her family and her dreams, will Beth finally discover where her heart truly belongs?</em><br />
<b><br /></b><em>A companion story to Hallmark Channel's When Calls the Heart TV series!"</em></div>
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"<em>Where Trust Lies</em>" is the second book in the <em>Return to the Canadian West</em> series. The storyline picks up basically right after where the first book left off. Because it starts right after where the first book ended, I personally would not recommend this book as a stand alone as some things might not make much sense if you haven't read the first book in the series.<br /><br />Beth Thatcher is returning home to her family after spending a year as a teacher in the mining town of Coal Valley. She is hoping to spend some time with her family, and while at home, she is also hoping to receive a letter of invitation to teach in Coal Valley for the next school year. However, as soon as she returns home she finds out that her family has plans to travel on a steamship tour and would like her to come along. Although she wanted to spend some time at home for awhile, Beth agrees to traveling so she can spend time with her family. However, not everything they encounter during their travels is as it seems. When something terrible happens, will Beth trust in God to help her and her family get through the devasting ordeal?<br /><br />I thought "<em>Where Trust Lies</em>" was a good continuation of the <em>Return to the Canadian West</em> series. While I prefer the first book in the series to this one because I enjoyed the setting and people of Coal Valley more, I still very much enjoyed reading the continuation of Beth's story. It was interesting to read about the different places Beth and her family traveled to while on their trip. I also liked reading and finding out more about Beth's family.<br /><br />Just as I liked seeing Beth's strong faith in God in the first book, I liked seeing her grow in her faith in this one as well. She is trying to figure out where God is leading her and what His will is for her life, including whether or not she is supposed to return to Coal Valley to teach again. Beth is also trying to figure out her romantic relationship with Jarrick and whether or not he is the man God wants her to be with, and if he's not, if she will be able to let him go. When something devastating occurs, Beth must also trust in God to get her and her family through the difficult time.<br /><br />The pace of the story is on the slower side. While I didn't mind the pace, some may find this book boring because a lot of the story didn't have a lot of action.<br /><br />Overall, I really enjoyed "<em>Where Trust Lies"</em> as a sequel to "<em>Where Courage Calls</em>"! It was a nice continuation of Beth's story with a good theme of trust. I look forward to reading more books in this series if more are published.<br /><br />*I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. </div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-81909757085094497532015-03-09T13:10:00.000-07:002015-03-09T13:10:57.218-07:00Review - "Anna's Crossing" by Suzanne Woods Fisher<div align="center">
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Anna's Crossing</em></span></strong></div>
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<strong>by Suzanne Woods Fisher</strong><br />
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An Amish Beginnings Novel</div>
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Published by Revell</div>
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336 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Amish Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance<br />
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<strong>About this book:</strong><br />
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<strong>"<em>Some endings are really beginnings . . .</em></strong></div>
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<em>On a hot day in 1737 in Rotterdam, Anna König reluctantly sets foot on the Charming Nancy, a merchant ship that will carry her and her fellow Amish believers across the Atlantic to start a new life. As the only one in her community who can speak English, she feels compelled to go. But Anna is determined to complete this journey and return home--assuming she survives. She's heard horrific tales of ocean crossings and worse ones of what lay ahead in the New World. But fearfulness is something Anna has never known. <br /><br />Ship's carpenter Bairn resents the somber people--dubbed Peculiars by the deckhands--who fill the lower deck of the Charming Nancy. All Bairn wants to do is to put his lonely past behind him, but that irksome and lovely lass Anna and her people keep intruding on him.<br /><br />Delays, storms, illness, and diminishing provisions test the mettle and patience of everyone on board. When Anna is caught in a life-threatening situation, Bairn makes a discovery that shakes his entire foundation. But has the revelation come too late?<br /><br />Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to the beginning of Amish life in America with this fascinating glimpse into the first ocean crossing--and the lives of two intrepid people who braved it</em>."<br />
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<em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Anna's Crossing</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> is a historical fiction book about how some of the Amish first came to America. It shows some of the hardships that the Amish and Mennonites would have faced when they traveled by ship and made the difficult journey to America in the 1700s.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The story in </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Anna's Crossing</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> is told from three different characters' perspectives: Anna's - a young Amish woman who is reluctantly traveling with other Amish from her hometown to America; Bairn's - the carpenter of the </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Charming Nancy</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> ship who hopes to someday be captain of his own ship and who would rather be transporting cargo than people; and Felix's - a curious and sometimes troublemaking Amish boy who is interested in everything there is to know about sailing a ship. I really liked that Felix's perspective was included in addition to the two main adult characters' perspectives as I enjoyed reading about his character and seeing what mischief he would get into next.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I liked Anna's character. She has a strong faith in God throughout the story and she trusts in Him even during the most difficult times during their journey. She also shows compassion for others, even when it's hard to or when some don't deserve it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I did not, however, care for Georg Schultz's character. He gave me the creeps from the beginning with the way he acted towards Anna, and I was extremely unhappy when he made a reappearance at one point in the story. Just a warning that at one point he does basically attempt to sexually assault Anna, but thankfully she is saved before he can do anything to her. By the end of the book I understood why he was written into the story, but I wish his character had been handled differently and I wish the parts with him being a creep towards Anna had been left out.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I don't typically read Amish fiction, but I love to read historical fiction and this book sounded interesting. It was interesting to read about how some of the Amish first came to America and to see what they would have gone through on their journey. An Author's Note is also included at the end of the novel where the author wrote about what parts of her novel are factual and which parts are based off of assumptions or made up.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Overall, I have mixed feelings about this book. There were some things I did like about it and I did learn some new things about history and the Amish. However, I can't say I particularly enjoyed this book, mainly due to Georg's character.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">*I received this book for free from Revell in exchange for my honest review.</span></div>
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Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-25696941003168112402015-02-28T23:30:00.000-08:002015-03-01T00:14:00.574-08:00Review - "The Trouble With Patience" by Maggie Brendan<div align="center">
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">The Trouble With Patience</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Maggie Brendan</strong><br />
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<em>Virtues and Vices of the Old West</em> series, Book #1</div>
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Published by Revell</div>
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336 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian Romance<br />
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<strong>About this book:</strong></div>
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<em>"Patience Cavanaugh has lost hope in romance. The man she yearned to marry is dead and her dreams are gone with him. Now she is consumed with restoring a dilapidated boardinghouse in order to support herself. <br /><br />Despite Patience's desire for solitude, Jedediah Jones, the local marshal with a reputation for hanging criminals, becomes an ever-looming part of her life. It seems like such a simple arrangement: She needs someone with a strong back to help her fix up the boardinghouse. He needs a dependable source of food for himself and his prisoners. But as she gets to know this "hanging lawman," Patience finds there is far more to him than meets the eye--and it could destroy their tenuous relationship forever.<br /><br />With a keen eye for historical detail and a deft hand at romantic tension, Maggie Brendan invites you to a Montana gold rush boomtown, where vices and virtues are on full display and love is lying in wait."</em><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">"</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The Trouble with Patience</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">" was a story I liked, but there wasn't anything very special or unique about it. The first part of the book was a bit slow and had somewhat of a love triangle with Jedediah becoming jealous over a newcomer in town when the newcomer starts paying attention to Patience. The second part of the book involved a mystery about who had been rustling cattle and who murdered a rancher.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The story did have a strong theme of forgiveness which I liked. I also liked Patience's faith. It was a nice story with some mystery, but overall, for me it was just okay. A good book if you're looking for a lighthearted read and you like reading western romances.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">*I received this book for free from Revell in exchange for my honest review.</span></div>
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Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-83076709329982433542015-02-25T00:46:00.001-08:002015-02-25T00:46:21.248-08:00Review - "The Daughter of Highland Hall" by Carrie Turansky<div align="center">
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">The Daughter of Highland Hall</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Carrie Turansky</strong><br />
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<i>Edwardian Brides</i> series, Book #2</div>
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Published by Waterbrook Press</div>
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336 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian Romance<br />
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<em>"</em><em><strong>What if the title, the estate, the life of security and splendor… what if it isn’t enough?</strong></em><br />
<em><strong><br /></strong>Strong-willed and beautiful, debutante Katherine Ramsey feels ready to take the London social season by storm, and she must. Her family estate, Highland Hall, has been passed to older male cousin Sir William Ramsey, and her only means of securing her future is to make a strong debut and find a proper husband. With her all-knowing and meddling aunt as a guide, Katherine is certain to attract suitors at the lavish gatherings, sparkling with Great Britain’s elite.<br /> <br /> When a shocking family scandal sidelines Katherine, forcing her out of the social spotlight, she keeps a low profile, volunteering with the poor in London’s East End. Here Katherine feels free from her predictable future, and even more so as a friendship with medical student Jonathan Foster deepens and her faith in God grows. But when Katherine is courted anew by a man of wealth and position, dreams of the life she always thought she wanted surface again. Torn between tradition and the stirrings in her heart for a different path, she must decide whom she can trust and love—and if she will choose a life serving others over one where she is served."</em><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I really enjoyed "</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The Daughter of Highland Hall</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">"! It was a good historical fiction novel with great characters and good themes. The story revolves around Katherine "Kate" Ramsey who is entering her debut season to find a suitable suitor with a place in high society and with wealth. The story also has a bit of a side mystery about Kate's maid trying to find her sister.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Kate's character shows a lot of growth in the story. She starts out wanting to marry for the reasons of having wealth and status in high society, but then she starts to realize that maybe she's looking for the wrong things to marry someone for. As she goes through trials during her debut and as her friendship with Jon grows, she begins to see what is truly important and who she can really trust. She must decide whether she wants to marry someone just because of their status or if she wants to marry someone because she actually loves them. She must also decide how far she is willing to go to help others.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Something I really liked about this book is that it emphasized the importance of not being unequally yoked spiritually to the person you marry. That's something I rarely see emphasized in Christian fiction books.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">A couple notes on the content: One of Kate's relatives is having an affair with a married woman. It's not detailed, but it does play its part in the plot. There is also an unwed mother in the story.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">"</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The Daughter of Highland Hall</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">" is the second book in the</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Edwardian Brides</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> series and while I have not read the first book in this series, "</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The Governess of Highland Hall</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">", I did not have any problems following this story. I'm sure those who have read the first book in the series will probably enjoy this book even more than I did.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I plan on reading the first book in this series as soon as I can and I'm looking forward to reading the third book when it is released in the fall of 2015! I would recommend this book to those who like historical fiction.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">*I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.</span></div>
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Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-64897800508935929742015-02-12T00:32:00.000-08:002015-02-12T00:32:55.126-08:00Review - "Beyond All Dreams" by Elizabeth Camden<div align="center">
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Beyond All Dreams</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Elizabeth Camden</strong><br />
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Published by Bethany House Publishers</div>
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368 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian Romance<br />
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<em>"Anna O'Brien leads a predictable and quiet life as a map librarian at the illustrious Library of Congress until she stumbles across the baffling mystery of a ship disappeared at sea. Thwarted in her attempts to uncover information, her determination outweighs her shyness and she turns to a dashing congressman for help.<br /><br />Luke Callahan was one of the nation's most powerful congressmen before his promising career was shadowed in scandal. Eager to share in a new cause and intrigued by the winsome librarian, he joins forces with Anna to solve the mystery of the lost ship. Opposites in every way, Anna and Luke are unexpectedly drawn to each other despite the strict rules forbidding Anna from any romantic entanglements with members of Congress. <br /> <br />From the gilded halls of the Capitol where powerful men shape the future of the nation, to the scholarly archives of the nation's finest library, Anna and Luke are soon embroiled in secrets much bigger and more perilous than they ever imagined. Is bringing the truth to light worth risking all they've ever dreamed for their futures?"</em><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I enjoyed "</span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Beyond All Dreams</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">", a Christian historical fiction novel with romance and a mystery. The mystery part was intriguing. Anna thinks the report of what happened to the ship her father was aboard is inaccurate and she wants to find out the truth about what really happened to the ship and to the people that were aboard it. But she is threatened not to look into the matter or she may lose her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress, a job which she loves. She must decide whether it's worth it to continue to search for the truth or if the risk is too great.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The historical aspect of the story was great and it seemed to be well researched. An historical note is included at the end of the novel and it was interesting to read about how part of the story was loosely based on certain things in history. I also liked the setting of the story. I loved reading the descriptions and details about the Library of Congress. As someone who was following politics closely for awhile, I found the political parts of the story to be interesting as well.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I thought the characters seemed realistic. Both Anna and Luke have there own dreams, goals, convictions, and ambitions. Both characters have also had rough pasts that they've had to deal with.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The story does have people drinking, being drunk, and some being cruel and careless when drunk. It also had a few sexual references that I thought were unneeded. The spiritual content seemed a bit lacking to me as well.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Overall, I liked the story and would recommend it to those who enjoy reading historical fiction and mysteries.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">*I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.</span></div>
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Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-91926185319313161512015-02-02T00:45:00.000-08:002015-02-02T00:49:50.428-08:00Review - "At Home in Last Chance" by Cathleen Armstrong<div align="center">
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">At Home in Last Chance</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Cathleen Armstrong</strong></div>
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<em>A Place to Call Home</em> series, Book #3</div>
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Published by Revell</div>
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304 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Contemporary, Romance</div>
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<strong>About this book:</strong></div>
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<em>"</em><em><strong>What happens when the life you're running from won't let go of your heart?</strong></em><br />
<em><strong><br /></strong>Kaitlyn Reed and Steven Braden have always had a similar philosophy of life: when the going gets tough, they get going--out of town and away from the problem. Now they are both back in Last Chance, New Mexico, and trying to start over. <br /><br />Kaitlyn is working to reestablish a relationship with the seven-year-old daughter she left behind six months earlier. Steven is trying to prove to his family that he is not the irresponsible charmer they have always known him to be. As Kaitlyn and Steven find themselves drawn to one another, one big question keeps getting in the way: How will they learn to trust each other when they don't even trust themselves?<br /><br />With emotional depth and characters who leap off the page and into your heart, Cathleen Armstrong invites you to return once more to the dusty and delightful town of Last Chance."</em></div>
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Single mother Kaitlyn left her daughter Olivia in the custody of her brother six months ago and left Last Chance and her daughter behind to run off with a guy on a motorcycle. Now, after realizing the mistakes she’s made, she has returned to Last Chance wanting to start over. But starting over is hard to do when everyone is judging her for her mistakes and her own daughter has a hard time trusting her because she thinks her mom is just going to leave her again.<br />
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Steven is seen as the irresponsible black sheep member of his family. He’s used to using his charm to get everything he wants. After being away from home for awhile he is now back in Last Chance trying to prove that he is not the irresponsible charmer he’s been in the past.<br />
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Can the people of Last Chance forgive and look past the mistakes of Kaitlyn’s and Steven’s pasts to see them for the people they have become?<br />
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I liked "<em>At Home in Last Chance</em>". Even though it’s the third book in the <em>A Place to Call Home</em> series, I had no problem following it. The story could be both funny and sad at times. <br />
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The author did a good job with the small town setting, making me feel like I was in the small town of Last Chance. I liked how each of the characters had their own unique personalities. Kaitlyn’s daughter Olivia was cute and I thought it was funny when she gave some people glares sometimes, even if it wasn’t respectful. I really liked Elizabeth’s character as well. She was a sweet, loving woman who didn’t hold Kaitlyn’s past against her.<br />
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I did not care for Steven’s character in the first part of the book. He was conceited and cocky, thinking he could get anything he wanted with his charm, including any woman he wanted (in this case, that would be Kaitlyn). He just really annoyed me for the first part of the book, although he did grow on me in the second half.<br />
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I also thought the faith content was lacking. There are very few mentions of any of the characters’ faith in the story. Some of the characters did go to church, but I don’t think Steven ever went for the right reasons. The only reason he started going to church again after not going for years was to see Kaitlyn.<br />
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Still, "<em>At Home in Last Chance</em>" was an easy read and a heartwarming story. I would like to read the first two books in the series to find out more about the characters of Last Chance.<br />
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*I received this book for free from Revell in exchange for my honest review.</div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-18464733763270703152015-01-26T20:30:00.000-08:002015-01-26T23:03:30.150-08:00Review - "Hidden Agenda" by Lisa Harris<div align="center">
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Hidden Agenda</em></span></strong></div>
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<strong>by Lisa Harris</strong></div>
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<em>Southern Crimes</em> series, Book #3</div>
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Published by Revell</div>
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320 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary</div>
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<strong>About this book:</strong></div>
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<em><strong>"His cover is blown. Now his enemies are on his heels and closing in.</strong></em><br />
<em><strong><br /></strong>Michael Hunt is alive--and on the run. Presumed dead by friends and family, the undercover assignment he's been working for the past eight months has just been blown. With a hit out on his life and corruption inside the Atlanta police department, Michael finds himself hunted by both the cartel and the law. His only hope is Olivia Hamilton--the daughter of the man who wants him dead.<br /><br />This nonstop chase from Christy Award-winning Lisa Harris will leave you breathless."</em></div>
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<em>Hidden Agenda</em> is a good suspense novel that definitely kept me enthralled in the story to find out what was going to happen next. I haven’t read the first two books in the <em>Southern Crimes</em> series, and while <em>Hidden Agenda</em> is the third book in the series, it read well as a stand alone novel. I could easily follow it without needing to read the first two books.<br /><br />The crime part of this book revolves around the cartel. Because it revolves around the cartel there are a lot of descriptions or mentions of things the cartel is involved with such as murdering (there are murders in this book), drug dealing, and money laundering.<br /><br />I can’t say much about this book without giving away spoilers. It was a suspenseful book with good characters and I liked it. It was a nice change of pace from the genres I’ve been reading lately. I would now like to read the first two books in this series to find out more about some of the characters. Overall, I think it’s a good book for those who like crime and suspense books as long as you don’t mind that this book involves the cartel and murders. I would only recommend this book for older teens and adults.<br /><br />*I received this book for free from Revell in exchange for my honest review.</div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-76415151445947893782015-01-07T00:32:00.000-08:002015-01-07T00:32:18.585-08:00Review - "Love Unexpected" by Jody Hedlund<div align="center">
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Love Unexpected</em></span></strong></div>
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<strong>by Jody Hedlund</strong></div>
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<em>Beacons of Hope</em> series, Book #1</div>
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Published by Bethany House Publishers</div>
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352 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian Romance</div>
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<strong>About this book:</strong></div>
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<em><strong>"1859<br />Presque Isle, Michigan<br /><br />What Is the Secret That Could Shipwreck Both of Their Lives?</strong><br />All Emma Chambers ever wanted was a home, but when her steamboat sinks just outside Presque Isle, she's left destitute and with no place to stay.<br /><br />An unlikely solution arises when the lighthouse keeper arrives in town. He's just lost his wife and is having a difficult time caring for his child. So a traveling preacher gets the idea that the keeper and Emma might be the answer to each other's dilemma. After a hasty marriage, she finds herself heading to the lighthouse with this handsome but quiet stranger. Nothing in her aimless life, though, has prepared her for parenting a rambunctious toddler, as well as managing a household.<br /><br />Emma soon suspects Patrick may be hiding something from her, and then she hears a disturbing rumor about the circumstances surrounding his late wife's death. It seems as if her wish for a home and family of her own could end up leading her once more into turbulent waters."</em></div>
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**Note: I don't recommend this book for those who are under the age of 18.<br /><br /><em>Love Unexpected</em> is a story with good themes such as redemption, forgiveness, and hope. I thought the author did a good job with Patrick’s character, showing him as a man who became a Christian after living a very sinful and depraved life who, after becoming a Christian, worked hard to repay those whom he had wronged and he started living for Christ. However, he still struggles with memories of things he has done in the past and he is also worried about how others would treat him if they knew about his past. I thought his character seemed realistic.<br /><br />I also thought the setting of the book revolving around a lighthouse and a small Michigan town was interesting to read about.<br /><br />Unfortunately, this book was too sexual for my personal reading taste and comfort and, in my opinion, was too sexual for a book published as a Christian book. There were a lot of sexual references in the story and the romantic parts were rather detailed to the point where I ended up skimming over some of the pages.<br /><br />Overall, because of the excess of sexual related content I can’t recommend this book, especially to unmarried young adults.<br /><br />*I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.</div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-79183128505005576852014-11-22T20:30:00.000-08:002014-11-22T23:47:07.103-08:00Review - "Trading Secrets" by Melody Carlson<div align="center">
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Trading Secrets</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Melody Carlson</strong></div>
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Published by Revell</div>
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288 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Teen Girls</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Youth Fiction, Young Adults, Contemporary, Amish</div>
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<em><strong>"The truth may set you free--but it might also land you in some uncomfortably hot water.</strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><br /></strong>Over the years, Micah Knight has exchanged many letters--and many secrets--with her longtime Amish pen pal, Zach. But Micah's kept quiet on the biggest secret of all--the fact that despite her name, she's a girl.<br /><br />Now Micah finally has the chance to meet her pen pal face-to-face. She wants nothing more than to experience life on Zach's Amish farm, but she's more than a little anxious. Will he be angry at her for deceiving him all these years? And will she risk losing his friendship to find something more?"</em></div>
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<span class="elementTwo" id="freeTextreview1068786577">I don’t normally read Amish fiction, but this book sounded interesting and I’ve liked other books written by Melody Carlson, so I picked this one to read. I really liked it! It did seem a bit unrealistic, but it was a sweet coming of age story for young adults with themes of friendship, trust, and truthfulness. It was interesting to read about some of the Amish culture and I liked reading about the characters’ reactions to each other’s lifestyles and the contrasts shown between the Amish and English lifestyles. I also liked that the story was mainly about friendship instead of romance. I enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it for teens. I would also love to see a sequel!</span></div>
<span class="elementTwo"><br />Some of the questionable content: References to actors and movies including Twilight; crushes, flirting, and mentions of kissing; Micah and Lizzie watch Amish reality shows; mentions of girls’ undergarments<br /><br />Language included: stupid; dumb; 1 crud; skanky; “Amish goddess”; hottie and hot used multiple times in reference to guys’ looks<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">* I received this book for free from Revell Reads in exchange for my honest review.</span></span><a data-text-id="review1068786577" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20665234-trading-secrets#"></a><br />Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-2245025535741840252014-11-20T23:42:00.000-08:002014-11-20T23:42:04.107-08:00Review - "The Christmas Cat" by Melody Carlson<div align="center">
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">The Christmas Cat</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Melody Carlson</strong></div>
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Published by Revell</div>
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176 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Christian Romance, Contemporary, Holidays, Animals</div>
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<em>"He felt his face flushing as Cara opened the door. Wearing a garnet-colored knit dress and with her dark hair pinned up, she looked even prettier than he remembered. Suddenly he wished he'd thought to bring a hostess gift. Like a cat.<br /><br />After years abroad, Garrison Brown finds himself at the home of his beloved grandmother who has just passed away. He must sort out her belongings, including six cats who need new homes. While he hopes to dispense with the task quickly--especially since he is severely allergic to cats--his grandmother's instructions don't allow for speed. She has left some challenging requirements for the future homes of her furry friends. <br /><br />Can he match the cats with the perfect new owners? And is it possible that he might meet his own match along the way?"</em></div>
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<em>The Christmas Cat</em> was a cute, heartwarming, and sometimes funny holiday story. It was a quick and lighthearted read that seemed just the right length for a holiday story. It was funny reading about how Garrison (who is allergic to cats) had to deal with the cats that were left in his care and had to find homes for them based on very specific instructions. I liked reading about the personalities of each of the cats and finding out who would become each cat’s new owner. The only thing I didn’t like about the book was that it seemed to end a bit abruptly and the ending seemed a bit rushed. Overall, it was a sweet story and I enjoyed it. Although I’ve read books by Melody Carlson before, this was the first Christmas story I’ve read by her and I’m now interested in reading more of her Christmas stories. I would recommend <em>The Christmas Cat</em> to animal lovers and to those looking for a lighthearted Christmas story to read.<br /><br />* I received this book for free from Revell Reads in exchange for my honest review.</div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-15493956715502824872014-10-27T23:57:00.001-07:002014-10-28T00:04:16.787-07:00Review - "To Everything a Season" by Lauraine Snelling<div align="center">
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">To Everything a Season</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Lauraine Snelling</strong></div>
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<em>Song of Blessing</em> series, Book #1</div>
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Published by Bethany House Publishers</div>
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352 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian Romance</div>
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<strong>About this book:</strong></div>
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<em><strong>"Beloved Author Lauraine Snelling Returns Again to Her Popular Red River Valley Setting.</strong></em><br />
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<em><strong><br /></strong>Trygve Knutson is devoted to his family and his community. With his job on the construction crew, he is helping to build a future for the North Dakota town of Blessing. Though he loves his home, he sometimes dreams of other horizons--especially since meeting Miriam Hastings.<br /><br />Miriam is in Blessing to get practical training to become an accredited nurse. She's been promised a position in the Chicago women's hospital that will enable her to support her siblings and her ailing mother. Although eager to return to her family, Miriam is surprised to find how much she enjoys the small town of Blessing. And her growing attachment to Trygve soon has her questioning a future she always considered set in stone.<br /><br />When a family emergency calls Miriam home sooner than planned, will she find a way to return? If not, will it mean losing Trygve--and her chance at love--for good?"</em></div>
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Longtime readers and fans of Lauraine Snelling’s books may enjoy this book, but as a first time reader of Ms. Snelling’s books, I was disappointed. This book did not read like a first book in a new series. The characters living in the town of Blessing are never really introduced; it seems your just supposed to already know who all the characters are and how they’re all related. And there are so many characters! I had a hard time keeping track of who all the characters were and how they were all related to each other and I had to keep going back to previous chapters to remind myself who they were. By the end of the book I still couldn’t remember who all the characters were. I realize this a new spin-off series based off of some of Ms. Snelling’s previous series and that it would be better to read the previous series before reading this one, but since this is the first book in a new series I thought it would be easy enough for a new reader to follow and would have enough back story or information about the characters to be able to understand without having to read the previous series. To me, it seems like this book would have been better if published as a continuation of another series instead of a brand new one.<br />
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The story was a slow paced one and didn’t really reflect the summary on the back of the book. Miriam isn’t even introduced in the story until nearly halfway into the book which I found to be odd since she is supposed to be a main character. The story focuses more around a bank robbery and the everyday lives of some of the characters than it did around a relationship between Miriam and Trygve. The family emergency mentioned in the summary that calls Miriam home didn’t even happen until the end of the book, so the questions asked in the summary are never answered in this book and the book ends with a cliffhanger type of ending. The summary just seems misleading.<br />
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I also don’t agree with Ms. Snelling’s beliefs that it doesn’t matter if you’re a Christian or are a follower of the Catholic faith; that ultimately you’re a saved Christian if you're either one. I don’t agree with this. Christianity and the Catholic faith are not the same thing and Christians and Catholics believe in different things.<br />
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I did like that the book was centered around a Norwegian family as I haven’t really read books where Norwegians are the main characters. That made it more interesting. And I liked the close-knit relationship the family had. It was also interesting to have part of the story revolve around the work of female doctors. But overall this book just wasn’t for me and I doubt I’ll be reading the next one in the series.<br />
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*I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.</div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-82170271709809815392014-10-08T08:00:00.000-07:002014-10-08T08:00:03.076-07:00Review - "Thunder" by Bonnie S. Calhoun<div align="center">
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Thunder</em></span></strong></div>
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<strong>by Bonnie S. Calhoun</strong></div>
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<em>Stone Braide Chronicles</em> series, Book #1</div>
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Published by Revell</div>
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432 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Young Adults</div>
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Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Christian Fiction, Dystopian, Fantasy</div>
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<em>"</em><em><strong>The Time of Sorrows is long past.<br />The future of Selah and her people is shrouded in mystery.<br />And the clock is ticking.</strong></em><br />
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<em>Hidden in the tall grasses along a shore littered with the rusted metal remnants of a once-great city, a hunter crouches. It is the eve of her eighteenth Birth Remembrance and high time she proves to herself and her brothers that she can stand on her own two feet. Selah Rishon Chavez waits not for game but for one of the small boats that occasionally crash against the desolate shoreline. Because inside one of these boats she will find her quarry--a Lander.<br /><br />These people from an unknown land across the ocean are highly prized by the Company and bring a good price--especially if they keep the markings they arrive with. <br /><br />Everything falls to pieces when the Lander whom Selah catches is stolen by her brothers, and Selah wakes the next morning to find the Lander's distinctive mark has appeared on her own flesh. Once the hunter, Selah is now one of the hunted, and she knows only one person who can help her--Bodhi Locke, the Lander her brothers hope to sell in the Mountain.<br /><br />With evocative descriptions of a strange new world that combines elements of disturbing scientific advances, devious political conspiracy, and survival in a hostile wilderness, Bonnie S. Calhoun weaves a captivating tale of a society more like our own than we may want to admit. From the tension-laced first scene to the captivating last page, "Thunder" is an epic journey into the heart of humankind that explores how far we are willing to go when we're pushed to the limit."</em></div>
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This review is hard for me to write as there are extremely few books I’ve read that I would completely not recommend, and I dislike writing negative reviews. Honestly, I didn’t even finish this book and I can’t remember a time when I’ve done so purposefully, instead of not finishing a book due to lack of time. I tried to read the whole book, I truly did, but gave up about 268 pages into it.<br />
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I enjoy reading some dystopian books and when I saw a new book fitting that genre being published by Revell, I was excited to read it. That excitement was short lived.<br />
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My first problem with the book is that the summaries I’ve read about what the book is about didn’t disclose what Selah and the Landers are. When it comes to books dealing with the spiritual world or paranormal like themes, I am extremely picky and discerning with what I choose to read. While not officially stated that the characters are such by the point in the book that I read up to, it seems that Selah is basically some kind of a half angel (the angels being the Landers) and half human hybrid. One indication of this is that the Landers’ mark is wing shaped. If even that bit of information had been disclosed in the book’s summaries it would have been helpful as I could have figured out what this book was most likely about. Even if I’m wrong and the Landers aren’t supposed to be angels, and Selah a half angel and half human hybrid, they are definitely some type of supernatural beings. Had I known that I would have passed on reading this book. I know there are differing opinions on reading books that deal with descendents of angels and humans, but I personally choose not to read books that deal with that subject. I think writing about half angel/half human hybrids or hybrids similar to such in fiction is messing with the spiritual world in a way it shouldn’t be.<br />
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Needless to say, once I figured this out early on in the story I wasn’t enthusiastic about reading this book. But I received a review copy of this book and felt like I should still continue to read it to give a proper review. I thought I could at least read it and review other aspects of it. But the more I read, the less I cared about the book and eventually gave up reading it.<br />
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My biggest concern and what caused me to give up on the book is that the Landers started mentioning auras and channeling and such a few times. While really not detailed, I just don’t think that this stuff belongs in a book marketed as a Christian book the same way I wouldn't want the Christian characters, or if not Christian characters, the "good guys" of the story to be involved with witchcraft or something similar as it makes those things look harmless or good. It just really bothers me when this stuff is put in "Christian" books.<br />
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As for the supposed romance between Selah and Bodhi, it seemed to be based on nothing more than physical/sexual attraction and felt more like lust for each other than anything else. By the time the story got to the part that was supposed to be romantic<br />
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As for other sexual references, Selah is assaulted/attacked by guys twice, the first time being in the first chapter. One part says that one guy is looking her up and down and she felt like he was groping her. They hit her more than once and hold her down in the sand to the point where she almost passes out. A man also did something to a girl that is a character in the story at one time, but no details about this had been given by the point I read up to. It was mentioned a couple times though, and I assume he abused her.<br />
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These are my main dissatisfactions with the book. There are more, but I won’t continue with other things that may be considered spoilers.<br />
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As for the storyline or plot itself, it was okay, but not great. The parts relating to the Mountain got to be boring. Ultimately, for a book in the dystopia genre, the world the characters live in just didn’t draw me into the story like it normally would. I guess it’s because I was expecting a more realistic "what might happen in the future United States after a catastrophe occurred" type of world, but instead got some kind of paranormal fantasy world I wasn’t expecting that was supposed to take place in the United States’ future 150 years after a nuclear attack. It didn’t even feel like the story took place in the United States to me, but in some fantasy world instead. It’s as though the author couldn’t decide what type of story to write or what genre to base their story on. The end result is a book combining several genres in a confusing mix that really doesn’t make sense.<br />
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The only thing I can actually think of that I somewhat liked about the story was the sisterly bond that Selah had with her siblings and others in the story and how she thought better of some characters than they deserved.<br />
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Will there eventually be some kind of allegorical message to this series by the time it is finished? Will Selah’s and Bodhi’s relationship be about more than physical/sexual attraction to each other? Will there be some kind of clear reference to Christianity which I have yet to see at some point in this series? Maybe is my answer to all of these questions, but I have no interest in finishing this book or reading the next installments in the series to find out.<br />
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* I received this book for free from Revell Reads in exchange for my honest review.</div>
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Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-48001462017092526082014-09-29T00:00:00.002-07:002014-09-29T00:00:59.769-07:00Review - "Where Treetops Glisten" by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, and Sarah Sundin<div align="center">
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Where Treetops Glisten</em></span></strong></div>
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<strong>by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, and Sarah Sundin</strong></div>
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Published by WaterBrook Press</div>
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368 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Historical Fiction, Christion Fiction, Christian Romance, Holiday</div>
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<em>"The crunch of newly fallen snow, the weight of wartime<br /> <br /> Siblings forging new paths and finding love in three stories, <br /> filled with the wonder of Christmas.<br /> <br />Turn back the clock to a different time, listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow, as the realities of America’s involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana. <br /><br /> In Cara Putman’s</em> "<em>White Christmas", Abigail Turner is holding down the Home Front as a college student and a part-time employee at a one-of-a-kind candy shop. Loss of a beau to the war has Abigail skittish about romantic entanglements—until a hard-working young man with a serious problem needs her help. <br /><br /> Abigail’s brother Pete is a fighter pilot hero returned from the European Theater in Sarah Sundin’s "I’ll Be Home for Christmas", trying to recapture the hope and peace his time at war has eroded. But when he encounters a precocious little girl in need of Pete’s friendship, can he convince her widowed mother that he’s no longer the bully she once knew?<br /> <br />In Tricia Goyer’s "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", Meredith Turner, “Merry” to those who know her best, is using her skills as a combat nurse on the frontline in the Netherlands. Halfway around the world from home, Merry never expects to face her deepest betrayal head on, but that’s precisely what God has in mind to redeem her broken heart. <br /> <br />The Turner family believes in God’s providence during such a tumultuous time. Can they absorb the miracle of Christ’s birth and His plan for a future?"</em></div>
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I really enjoyed reading Where Treetops Glisten! I haven’t really read novellas, but was intrigued by this collection since the stories take place during World War II, my favorite time period to read about in historical fiction. I’m glad I picked it to read. <br /><br />The book starts out with a prologue set in 1941 to give us a taste of what the Turner family is like before starting the novellas. Each of the three novellas is set nearly a year apart from each other and each centers around a different sibling in the Turner family. At the end of the book is an epilogue which nicely ties all three novellas together with a satisfying ending to the story of the Turner family. Also included are “Holiday Cookie Exchange” recipes and a readers guide.<br /><br />It amazes me how well the authors wrote these stories to where they intertwine so well together. When previously mentioned characters where mentioned in a different novella they still felt like the same characters. The authors have done a wonderful job of tying the stories together.<br /><br />I loved the historical part of this book and loved that each of the stories took place around Christmastime. I felt like I was in Lafayette, Indiana during the 1940’s with the Turners and could imagine visiting Glatz Candies and admiring all their delicious holiday treats. How I wish I could! I enjoyed reading about the three different siblings and their different personalities and stories. I liked how each story took place in a different setting: Abigail’s taking place at home during the war, Pete’s taking place at home during his furlough but with thoughts of his time serving in the war as a pilot, and Merry’s taking place overseas in the Netherlands. It gave each of the stories a different feel from the last and showed different sides of the war. It was also interesting to see that each novella is titled after a different Christmas song and how that song ends up being a part of the story. My only real complaint to this book is that the novellas sometimes felt a bit rushed in their endings.<br /><br />I really did love the characters in this book, my favorite probably being Linnie, a sweet, energetic child who is seen as a handful by most, but made me smile.<br /><br />Overall, a great collection of three heartwarming historical novellas that are sad, funny, and sweet at different times, but have a nice ending showing how God has led the Turner family through the war in ways they weren't expecting. I can see myself reading this book again in a different year around Christmas. I would recommend this book to those who like to read historical fiction books with romance in them. I look forward to reading more books by these authors.<br /><br />*I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review.</div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-20936983476457928152014-09-23T22:06:00.001-07:002014-09-23T22:06:28.229-07:00Review - "Playing by Heart" by Anne Mateer<div align="center">
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Playing by Heart</span></em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Anne Mateer</strong></div>
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Published by Bethany House Publishers</div>
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320 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Christian Romance</div>
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<strong>About this book:</strong></div>
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<em>"Lula Bowman has finally achieved her dream: a teaching position and a scholarship to continue her college education in mathematics. But then a shocking phone call from her sister, Jewel, changes everything.<br /><br />With a heavy heart, Lula returns to her Oklahoma hometown to do right by her sister, but the only teaching job available in Dunn is combination music instructor/basketball coach. Lula doesn't even consider those real subjects!<br /><br />Determined to prove herself, Lula commits to covering the job for the rest of the school year. Reluctantly, she turns to the boys' coach, Chet, to learn the newfangled game of basketball. Chet is handsome and single, but Lula has no plans to fall for a local boy. She's returning to college and her scholarship as soon as she gets Jewel back on her feet.<br /><br />However, the more time she spends around Jewel's family, the girls' basketball team, music classes, and Chet, the more Lula comes to realize what she's given up in her single-minded pursuit of degree after degree. God is working on her heart, and her future is starting to look a lot different than she'd expected."</em></div>
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<em>Playing by Heart</em> is a sweet story with well developed characters, unique story aspects, and plot twists that I wasn’t expecting. The chapters switch back and forth between the first person point of views of both Lula and Chet. I wasn’t sure about that style at first, but I ended up enjoying reading the story from both perspectives. Although I’m not a sports fan, it was interesting to learn about how basketball was played at the time the story takes place, which is during World War I. While it's not what I’d call a very fast paced novel, I was enthralled in the story and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. My heart hurt for the characters at certain points in the story and I could relate to some of Lula’s struggles. I liked seeing Lula grow in her faith as the story progressed and how she’s dealing with either trying to trust God with His plans for her life or trying to only please certain family members by fulfilling their dreams for her life. The romance was clean and sweet. This was the first book that I’ve read by Anne Mateer and I look forward to reading more of her books! I really enjoyed reading <em>Playing by Heart</em> and would recommend it to those who enjoy reading historical fiction or clean Christian romances.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">*I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.</span></div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-34025887465649879092014-09-11T21:56:00.001-07:002014-09-11T21:56:43.746-07:00Photography Book Review - "Your Family in Pictures" by Me Ra Koh<div align="center">
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Your Family in Pictures</em></span></strong></div>
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<strong><em>The Parents' Guide to Photographing Holidays, Family Portraits, and Everyday Life</em></strong></div>
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<strong>by Me Ra Koh</strong></div>
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Published by Amphoto Books</div>
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160 Pages</div>
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Genres: Nonfiction, Photography, Reference, Hobbies</div>
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<em>"</em><em><strong>For parents (especially moms) with little to no photography experience who want to capture better portraits and photos of their families using any camera.</strong></em><br />
<em>What parent doesn’t want to capture the perfectly imperfect joy of family life through photos? From holidays and vacations to portraits and shared moments, celebrated photographer (and mom) Me Ra Koh not only helps moms and dads take better photos, but inspires them to discover photography as a way to connect with, cherish, and celebrate their family. With forty beautiful “photo recipes” anyone can follow—with any camera—preserving your family’s story has never been easier!"</em></div>
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<em>Your Family in Pictures</em> is a great book for those who tend to leave their camera settings on auto because they don’t have much time to play around with adjusting their camera settings all the time trying to figure out what works, or are not sure what settings they need to set their camera to in order to get the results they want in their photos. I will admit it. I bought a DSLR camera and I almost always leave it in auto mode. After buying it, I had planned on studying more about photography so I could figure out what to set my camera to for the photos I wanted to take, but life got in the way and I haven’t had the time to study photography much, which is why I leave my camera on auto unless I have a few hours to play around with the camera settings and am taking pictures of still objects. But when it came to taking pictures of people, I didn’t know what settings to set my camera to in order to get the best results. Well, that’s were this book is a great book to have. The author provides a lot of tips and information in an easy to understand format to help get the best results with the photos you take of your family (or people in general) whether you’re using a point and shoot camera or a DSLR camera.<br /><br />Chapter 1 is about setting yourself up for success. It includes tips for finding the best lighting, ideas for getting your family in the mood for taking photos, tips for black and white photos, ideas for candid photos, and more.<br /><br />Chapter 2 is about developing a photographer’s eye. Some of the things included are tips on how to figure out what type of pictures you like to take and what you look for in your photos, tips on when to shoot in black and white versus in color, ideas to experiment with like taking photos with different colors, textures, shapes, etc., and how to be a storyteller through your photos.<br /><br />Chapters 3-7 are each focused on different themes that you would take photos for. The themes are Everyday Life, Holidays, Family Portraits, Tweens and Teens, and Family Vacation and Travel. In each one of those themes are different topics related to the themes, such as “Fourth of July” under Holidays or “A Day at the Beach” under Family Vacation and Travel. Each topic has a “photo recipe” listed which includes helpful information on how to take great photos relating to the topic selected. Each photo recipe lists when to take the photo, how to prep for the photo, what settings to put your camera on for both point and shoot and DSLR cameras (aperture, iso, shutter speed, etc.), how to compose the photo (the best lighting, angle, framing, etc.), and how to capture your photo (what to focus on). There are also example photos for each topic with the settings the photographer used to get the photo listed next to it.<br /><br />Also included in the book is an appendix with tips on choosing a camera and the differences between point and shoot and DSLR cameras, as well as an index in the back of the book.<br /><br />I like how the author has taken most of the guesswork out of figuring out what settings to put my camera on when I want to take a certain type of photo. For example, if I want to take a photo of a Christmas tree all lit up with lights, I can go to that topic in the book and set my camera settings to the settings listed in the photo recipe. I may need to make some minor adjustments, but it’s great to have a good starting place to begin with rather than not having any idea about what to set my camera to and missing out on a great photo because of taking too much time to figure out settings. I also like that her focus in this book is capturing your family’s story in your photos. As a scrapbooker, that is something that’s important to me as that is what scrapbooking is about: capturing and preserving your family’s story and memories. Overall, this is a great book for novice photographers who want to take their cameras off of auto mode and learn how to take better quality photos.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">*I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review.</span></div>
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Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-36252045327233301972014-08-26T19:49:00.000-07:002014-08-26T19:53:40.971-07:00Review - "Thief of Glory" by Sigmund Brouwer<div align="center">
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Thief of Glory</em></span></strong></div>
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<strong>by Sigmund Brouwer</strong></div>
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Published by WaterBrook Press</div>
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336 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Adults</div>
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Genres: Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction, Christian Fiction</div>
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<em>"A boy coming of age in a time of war…<br />the love that inspires him to survive.<br /><br />For ten year-old Jeremiah Prins, the life of privilege as the son of a school headmaster in the Dutch East Indies comes crashing to a halt in 1942 after the Japanese Imperialist invasion of the Southeast Pacific. Jeremiah takes on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings when his father and older stepbrothers are separated from the rest of the family, and he is surprised by what life in the camp reveals about a woman he barely knows—his frail, troubled mother. <br /><br />Amidst starvation, brutality, sacrifice and generosity, Jeremiah draws on all of his courage and cunning to fill in the gap for his mother. Life in the camps is made more tolerable as Jeremiah’s boyhood infatuation with his close friend Laura deepens into a friendship from which they both draw strength. <br /><br />When the darkest sides of humanity threaten to overwhelm Jeremiah and Laura, they reach for God’s light and grace, shining through his people. Time and war will test their fortitude and the only thing that will bring them safely to the other side is the most enduring bond of all."</em></div>
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**Note: I do not recommend this book for anyone who is not an adult due to some gruesome and graphic scenes/descriptions and mature themes.**<br />
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First off I would like say that I chose this book because I love reading books about World War II (both fiction and non-fiction) and I was excited to see a new realistic Christian historical novel based on that time in history being published. When I chose this book to read I was expecting a realistic look at what happened in the Dutch East Indies during World War II which is what this book was. I didn’t chose this book because I wanted to read a Christian romance novel and I wasn’t expecting it to be a feel good book with a happy ending. I’ve read enough books about World War II to know about a lot of the gruesome, brutal, and horrific things that happened from all different sides of the war. That being said, even though I was expecting this to be a realistic WWII fiction book, I unfortunately didn’t enjoy this book.<br />
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For the most part the book was a well written book. After reading it I can tell that Sigmund Brouwer is a talented writer that is knowledgeable about or has done his research about the subjects he has written about. I had only read a couple of Sigmund Brouwer’s juvenile fiction books before, and although I did enjoy them, the writing was more of a simplistic style since the books were written for kids. That’s not the case in this book. The author has done a good job at making me feel like I’m living the events of the story just like the characters. Sometimes it wasn’t always a good thing for this book to be so descriptive though, and one part, although short, actually made me squeamish and that part wasn’t even war related.<br />
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This book didn’t really feel like a Christian book to me either. Yes, there were a few references to the Bible and to Christianity, but the book still felt like more of a mainstream novel than a Christian one due to some of the descriptions in this book and because of the way most of the characters acted. Half the time Jeremiah was angry at God and thought the Bible wasn’t true. The other references included the children reading Bible stories, a couple short parts where the characters had discussions related to the Bible, and there was a faith related part toward the end of the book, but it was very subtle and not detailed, unlike the other detailed parts in the book that I could have done without.<br />
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Also, while I didn’t choose this book because I wanted to read a Christian romance novel, because of the summary this book has I’m sure a lot of people will think that this book is mainly a romance novel. It’s not. While it does have some romance in it, for those looking for their next Christian romance novel to read, I am suggesting that you look for a different book.<br />
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I didn’t know anything about the Dutch East Indies during World War II, so I did enjoy the historical aspect of this book and would rate that part of it highly. There were also a few characters I liked in the story. But overall this book was depressing and heart wrenching and I didn’t care for some of the crude or overly detailed gruesome descriptions or details that were in it, some of which weren’t even war related that I felt the book could have done without. I was also hoping for more of a Christian theme to it or more Christian related content. Unfortunately, even with my love for reading books about World War II history, I just didn’t enjoy this book.<br />
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I am putting the negative parts and sexual references in this book in a spoiler as some of these things could be spoilers to the story.</div>
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These are only some of the things, not all, and I’m not going into detail.
Negative content - The part that made me squeamish (which I really don’t ever get over a book) was when Jeremiah gets beaten up by some boys and he ends up biting one of the boys legs. While this part is short, it is detailed and gross and made me feel a bit sick. There are also descriptions of the Japanese beating some of the women, animal cruelty, lying, fights, suffocation, and some crude references to guys urinating. Cussing included two forms of references to a donkey’s and a horse's rear end.
Sexual references - It is implied that Jeremiah’s mom was raped by the Japanese sometime after all the Dutch men were taken away and she does end up giving birth to a half Japanese child. The Japanese try to force girls in the Jappenkamp to work in a teahouse. A women in the Jappenkamp spends nights with the Japanese commander. Nothing is detailed. If it had been I wouldn’t have finished the book.
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*I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review. Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-10151296754559501972014-08-19T08:00:00.000-07:002014-08-19T08:00:01.447-07:00Review - "Samantha Sanderson On the Scene" by Robin Caroll<div align="center">
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Samantha Sanderson On the Scene</em></span></strong></div>
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<strong>by Robin Caroll</strong></div>
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Faithgirlz: <em>Samantha Sanderson</em> series, Book #2</div>
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Published by Zondervan (Zonderkidz)</div>
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256 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Girls, Ages 8-12</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Youth Fiction, Mystery</div>
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<em>"What if getting to the bottom of a mystery means learning how to love your enemy? As Samantha and the rest of the middle schoolers prepare for the upcoming Spring Fest, “mean girl” Nikki faces the reality that her parents are getting divorced. Samantha has a hard time sympathizing---Nikki has never been very nice to anyone, let alone Samantha. But when Nikki becomes victim of a string of attacks, Sam takes it upon herself and uses her super sleuth abilities to get to the bottom of the bullying. After all, articles on bullying are just what the school paper needs instead of all that silly fluff like popularity tips. Samantha enlists the help of her tech-savvy BFF, Makayla, but while the two track down clues, they leave a trail of trouble behind---and may even be directly responsible for the break-in of their very own school’s computer lab! </em></div>
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<em>Samantha Sanderson is a resourceful seventh grader with the extraordinary dream to become an aspiring award-winning journalist. Sam and her best friend, Makayla, are always sniffing out the next big mystery to report in the school paper---that is, when they aren’t busy navigating the crazy world of middle school, faith, and friends."</em></div>
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In book #2 of the <em>Samantha Sanderson</em> series, <em>Samantha Sanderson On the Scene</em>, Sam finds out that “mean girl” Nikki Cole is being bullied and decides to try to help her, even though Nikki has never been very nice to Sam. After learning about Nikki being bullied, Sam comes up with the idea to write about the topic of bullying for her school's newspaper. But Sam’s articles get her into trouble again and this time they may be the cause of a break in of their school’s computer lab. Can Sam figure out who is bullying Nikki and why? Is the break in of the computer lab related? And can Sam learn to befriend Nikki and others who have never really been kind to her?<br />
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I liked <em>Samantha Sanderson On the Scene</em> just as much at the first book in the series. It’s a great continuation of the series. I really liked how Sam tried to befriend and help Nikki in the story, even though Nikki had never been friendly toward Sam. It illustrates a good lesson for girls that we should love and be kind to even our enemies.<br />
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The spiritual content is similar to the first book. Sam goes to youth group at her church and the Bible verses Psalm 34:12-14, Proverbs 31:8, and Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 are discussed while at youth group. Sam prays at different times in the story. Also, Sam learns to trust God while her family is trying to make a tough decision about something that will impact all their lives.<br />
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This book does deal more with the subject of divorce than the first book. It also has more mentions of crushes, who likes who, who’s going to homecoming with who, etc. than the first book. <br />
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I enjoyed reading <em>Samantha Sanderson On the Scene</em> just as I enjoyed the first book in the series. It’s a great mystery for girls that deals with the real topic of bullying. I’m really looking forward to reading the third book in the series when it comes out!</div>
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Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-29973640415462782922014-08-13T23:23:00.000-07:002014-08-13T23:23:50.813-07:00Sewing Book Review - "Super Stitches Sewing" by Nicole Vasbinder<div align="center">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em><strong>Super Stitches Sewing</strong></em></span></div>
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<strong>by Nicole Vasbinder</strong></div>
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Published by Potter Craft / Crown Publishing</div>
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176 Pages</div>
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Genres: Nonfiction, Sewing, Crafts, Hobbies, Reference</div>
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<strong>About this book:</strong></div>
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<em>"Does your sewing machine come with lots of fancy stitches that you've never thought to try? This essential guide to machine and hand stitches will teach you how to use any and every stitch for professional-looking seams, hems, gathers, darts, and more. Unlock your full sewing potential with 57 machine stitches, 18 hand stitches, and tips to choose the correct needles, threads, and sewing machine accessories, complete with detailed step-by-step tutorials and illustrations.<br /><br /> This comprehensive stitch dictionary is a must-have companion for any sewer, whether you just bought your first sewing machine or you’re a seasoned expert looking to polish your skills. If your passion is dressmaking, tailoring, or simply mending your own clothes, Super Stitches Sewing gives you all of the information you need to make every project a success."</em></div>
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<em>Super Stitches Sewing</em> is an excellent stitch guide for sewers. The book is broken up into three main sections. Section 1 features Machine Stitches and Section 2 features Hand Stitches. For each stitch featured in the guide, there is a photographed example of the stitch and an illustrated tutorial on how to sew the stitch and/or how to use the stitch. The book also lists the difficulty level of each stitch, and there is an “Essential Facts” box for each stitch which has information such as alternative names for the stitch, key features of the stitch, substitute stitches, the common uses for the stitch, the fabric types you can use the stitch with, which presser foot to use if it’s a machine stitch, and the thread and needle types to use.<br /><br />The third section of the book features different types of tools and equipment. It lists the different types of hand sewing and machine needles, thread, and presser feet, and gives information about each type such as key features, common uses, sizes (needles), the fabrics to use them with, and more. This section also lists the different types of sewing machines and the differences between them.<br /><br />Also including in this book are “Expert Tips”, which are helpful sewing tips printed all throughout the book, a glossary of sewing terms, and an index in the back of the book.<br /><br />I consider myself an advanced sewer when it comes to hand sewing and an intermediate sewer at machine sewing. For the most part, I only use the straight stitch and zigzag stitch when machine sewing because, to be honest, I never knew what most of the other stitches were called or how to use them. Well, this book now shows how to use all those stitches in an easy to understand and informative way without having a bunch of unnecessary or confusing information. How to use those stitches is no longer a mystery for me and I can’t wait to try some of them. There are even a couple of hand stitches in this book that I didn’t know before. This book is an excellent sewing reference guide that I would definitely recommend to beginner and intermediate sewers, as well as some advanced sewers who may want a refresher on stitches they haven’t used in awhile. I will definitely be keeping this book next to my sewing machine for reference purposes from now on.<br /><br />*I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review.</div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7650313485854113664.post-71281919617793950092014-08-11T18:57:00.000-07:002014-08-11T18:57:15.370-07:00Review - "Samantha Sanderson At the Movies" by Robin Caroll<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://c299245.r45.cf1.rackcdn.com/catalog/product/cache/7/image/398x398/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/n/u/null.jpg_3056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="9780310742456" border="0" class="zoom-image" height="320" src="http://c299245.r45.cf1.rackcdn.com/catalog/product/cache/7/image/398x398/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/n/u/null.jpg_3056.jpg" title="9780310742456" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong><em>Samantha Sanderson At the Movies</em></strong></span></div>
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<strong>by Robin Caroll</strong></div>
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Faithgirlz: <em>Samantha Sanderson </em>series, Book #1</div>
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Published by Zondervan (Zonderkidz)</div>
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272 Pages</div>
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Target Audience: Girls, Ages 8-12</div>
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Genres: Christian Fiction, Youth Fiction, Mystery</div>
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<span id="freeText13564471626491348223"><em>"Sam Sanderson is an independent, resourceful, high-tech cheerleader. She dreams of becoming an award-winning journalist like her mother, and so she’s always looking for articles she can publish in her middle-school paper (where she secretly hopes to become editor). And with a police officer for a father, Sam is in no short supply for writing material. </em></span></div>
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<span><em>It seemed like the perfect opportunity. When an explosive device is found in the local theater, Sam gets the lead on this developing and controversial story---controversial because the movie theater has recently come under attack by a renowned, outspoken atheist for allowing a local church to show Christian movies. Sam’s police-officer father happens to be heading the investigation, and Sam can’t resist doing some sleuthing of her own with the help of her best friend Makayla’s techno-genius. But when Sam’s theories end up being printed in the school paper, she lands in big trouble---and danger!"</em></span></div>
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<span></span>Samantha "Sam" Sanderson dreams of becoming a journalist like her mother. When there is a bomb scare at her local movie theater, Sam finally has the lead on a story for her middle-school newspaper, where she hopes to eventually become chief editor. She thinks this is a story that will help get her there. But the theories and suspicions that Sam writes about of who may have placed the bomb make some people angry and may put Sam in danger. Can Sam solve the mystery?<br /><br />I really liked <em>Samantha Sanderson At the Movies</em>, the first book in the Faithgirlz: Samantha Sanderson series. It is a well written mystery book for girls that had me guessing until the end. Sam learns some good lessons the hard way about how to be a good journalist and about not betraying someone’s trust. <br /><br />Sam is a Christian in the book. She goes to youth group at her church and she prays at different times in the story. She also witnesses to her friend. 1 Timothy 4:12 and Proverbs 22:11 are quoted in the book.<br /><br />Sam and her friend Makayla do some questionable things in this book, however, that I think parents and adults should be aware of. While at school, Makayla hacks past the school’s firewall in order for the girls to look up something on the internet. Sam also eavesdrops a few times in the story (although it usually started out as an accident) and she doesn’t always do what her dad tells her to do.<br /><br />Overall, I really enjoyed the first book in the Samantha Sanderson series and I would recommend it, especially for those who like mysteries. I’m now looking forward to reading book #2 in the series, <em>Samantha Sanderson On the Scene</em>!</div>
Alishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08177391289925789888noreply@blogger.com0