If We Survive

 

 

If We Survive by Andrew Klavan it the second book I have read by him. When I was given the opportunity to review this book I was excited. I enjoyed Crazy Dangerous, and after reading If We Survive I wasn’t disappointed.  I really liked this book and found it was hard to put down. It is geared more toward younger readers, probably young teens. It is about a group of kids and a preacher who have travelled on a mission trip to Central America to help rebuild a school. Then they are caught in the middle of a revolution and face many struggles to try to make it home.

I love the way Andrew Klavan writes. His character, Will Peterson, is actually telling the story in first person. The characters are interesting and although I’m not sure that I can believe the storyline I suppose it is possible. Will Peterson is a high school boy telling this story. I can imagine a real teenager telling of his adventures adding excitement and adventure at every turn. I can see this book keeping the attention of the reader. I like the fact that even though it tells of some horrible acts of a revolution that it doesn’t go into gory details. Each person in the book has a different way of dealing with the tragedies around them just like in real life.  I would feel very comfortable recommending it to a teen. Any younger than that might not be a good idea, just because it does include some violence and death. As I said before it isn’t terribly graphic but there is mention of gunfire, blood and death.

I will pass this book along to my daughter and I think she will really enjoy it. It isn’t a gender specific book and would be good for either gender.  After recent events that have happened I will wait a while before giving it to her to read.

I was given this book by Thomas Nelson publishers in exchange for an honest review. I would definitely recommend it to especially teen readers who like action/adventure books.

                                                      

 

 

 

A Christmas Home

After previously reading A Dog Named Christmas I knew I wanted to read A Christmas Home.  A Christmas Home by Greg Kincaid is a sweet story that would probably be enjoyed most by people who love the Christmas TV movies and animals.

“Todd McCray, hero of a Dog Named Christmas, is now twenty-four years old and working at a local animal shelter, where he meets and quickly becomes best friend with Laura, a young volunteer.” Laura and Todd both have disabilities that help them understand each other. Todd trains a stray that has come to the shelter to be a service dog to help Laura with her physical disabilities. He loves his job at the animal shelter but the small town is struggling financially and announces they will have to close the shelter. Todd struggles to know what to do next.

 Todd is something of a prodigy when it comes to loving and training animals although it is evident that he struggles with learning disabilities. The story shows that we all have our strengths and weaknesses in life and if we follow our desires we can accomplish anything.  It a story that shows family and friends can pull together to get each other through obstacles of life.

A Christmas Home would be a good read for a younger reader, pre-teen or teen. It is easily read and the characters are easy to believe and identify with.  And as I said before if you love the Christmas made for TV movies you will love this book. As I read it I thought it would make a good movie for the holidays.

I would recommend this book to my friends. I received this book at no charge from booksneeze.com for an honest review. You can purchase this book here at Amazon.com.

Grace

 

Do we really understand grace? This is a question asked of us before delving into Grace: More than we Deserve Greater than we Imagine by Max Lucado.  This book is like many of Mr. Lucado’s books. He fills it full of real life stories to help us understand the way God’s grace works. He uses some of his own faults and failures in life to also illustrate God’s grace.  If you enjoy a light book that focuses completely on accepting God’s grace you will enjoy this book. I don’t feel Mr. Lucado goes into grace so deeply that he makes it hard to grasp. He lays it out very simply so that all of us can understand it. All we have to do is accept the gift that God has so freely given us. I love the quote “Grace is the voice that calls us to change and then gives us the power to pull it off.” “Let’s make certain grace gets you.”

Mr. Lucado explains how God will change your life if you will just let him. His grace is more than just a word, it’s our comfort, our healing, our life changing gift from God. It’s a gift given freely to us. The book also includes a study guide for each chapter. Each study begins with a small idea of what the chapter was about, a review of scripture and questions we should ask ourselves. It could be a study done individually but would also make a good small group study.

I would recommend this book for anyone who would like to understand grace a little more. I received this book at no charge from Booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.

Breaking Free From Fear

I have to say I really love Kay Arthur and Breaking Free from Fear is no exception. This is a 6 week study for small groups although I believe you could do it as an individual study. I do think you would glean more from a group with the discussions.  I read through them but didn’t do the study.  I love the way they are laid out. Each week has the scripture that goes along with the lesson, and observation (what you should be looking for), and discussion. I would recommend having a journal to take notes in, there are spaces for notes but the areas are quite small.

The weeks are broken down to help you realize why you are afraid and build to helping you learn to live without fear.  It really opened my eyes that fear rears it’s ugly head in many ways and can steal our joy.  I also loved the fact that the author includes the scripture right there for you to read. I’m not sure which translation she uses but I know it isn’t KJV so if that bothers you this may not be the book for you.

I would recommend this book for small groups or Sunday school classes. It is a wonderful study.

I received this book at no charge from Waterbrook Press in exchange for an honest review.

You can purchase this book here.

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The Reason

 

I had to take time to ponder this review. I’m still not sure I can review my exact thoughts about it. The Reason by William Sirls is about a small town whose church’s cross was struck by lightning. It is a small town filled with people of varying backgrounds. Each person has their own cross to bear in this novel. Some are more trying than others, some deal with illness or disability, some deal with demons of their past and other dealing with their faith. Then enters Kenneth, a carpenter, who personifies Jesus and he starts performing miracles around the town.

First, I enjoyed the book and read it quickly and I also enjoyed the characters. Each had a very distinct personality and was believable and easy to identify with. I liked the story line and there were real life events happening throughout the town. The author did a good job pulling all of the characters together and telling their stories individually as well as bringing unity to the group.

Now my problem with the book, I’m not sure that I really liked the personification of Jesus the way it was done. I also feel that the book comes across that if you “only believe” that Jesus will answer all of your prayers the way that you want him to. Even though there is a short statement that states God will answer prayers in His way and His time the tone of the book was that if you “only believe” nothing bad will ever happen to you and if it does He will fix it and make it better here on earth. I feel that sometimes bad things happen but God will give us grace to deal with those things. I believe the author tries to include this but doesn’t do the best job at it.  I’m not going to give a spoiler but I don’t like the way the story of Alex played out.

I’m glad that I read the book and I enjoyed it. I think most people who enjoy a good, Christian novel would like it.

I received this book at no charge from Booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.

Be Still My Soul

Be Still my Soul by Joanne Bischof is a wonderful story. I loved this book. It was light reading and a great story about how God can bring us through stuff even when we aren’t sure why he led us to it. The story is set in the Appalachian Mountains which holds a special place in my heart anyway. I love the Appalachian Mountains and think they are one of God’s greatest creations.  Lonnie, a sweet girl, has a hateful father and doesn’t get much support from her family except for her aunt that she loves very much. She is looking forward to moving in with her when she turns 18 but after a night when Gideon walks her home and kisses her Lonnie’s dad says she is “soiled” and forces Gideon to marry her. Lonnie is heartbroken because she isn’t in love with Gideon. Her life is not going as she expects but her aunt has taught her to trust in God. She wonders if she can do it.

Times are so different now but I’m sure in the not so distant past things like this probably happened. The characters were very believable and I was able to fall right into the storyline. It was a quick read and kept me interested all of the way through it. It isn’t a really deep book and is a typical historic romance story that adds in God’s leading hand. It teaches that no matter your situation God has a plan and we have to trust Him. If you are a romantic you will love this book. This book shows the ups and downs that we all face in life. It’s a book that has forgiveness, friendship and love. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

You can purchase a copy of this book here

I received an advanced readers copy of this book at no charge from Waterbrook & Multenomah publishing for an honest review.

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God is More than Enough

God is More than Enough by Tony Evans takes you through Psalm 23. I really wanted to love this book but I can’t say that I did. I liked it and Mr. Evans did a really good job going through the Psalm and explaining it. He used colorful and real live situations to illustrate the Psalm and to relate it to today’s living. I just felt like something “new” was missing. I have been through studies of Psalm 23 so maybe that’s why I couldn’t “love” the book. It would be a really good study guide for someone who wants to study this Psalm a little more deeply. He did bring out some really good points. I had never thought about God “making us lie down” to rest. And I used one of his illustrations in a bible study group when giving devotions. It was an illustration about a GPS and I won’t give it away but it really made me think.

God is More than Enough is a short book and would be a good daily devotional to study Psalm 23. I don’t know that I would recommend buying it at the retail price of $10.99 which I think is a little steep for what I would consider a mini book.

I would recommend this book though for an individual or small group study especially for newer Christians. You can purchase this book here.

I received this book at no charge from Booksneeze.com for an honest review.

Hope Springs

“Hope Springs is the epitome of small town life” written by Kim Cash Tate. Hope Springs is a small town in North Carolina and the story revolves around three women: Janelle Evans, Becca Anderson, and Stephanie London. In this story these ladies learn valuable lessons on giving, understand, and the love of God. There are two churches in this book one is the “white” church and the other the “African American” church. The town struggle with old time prejudices.

I grew up in a smaller town in the south so I understand the struggles that still can exist. I really enjoyed Hope Springs but I did find myself having a hard time following all of the characters. I seemed to get them confused and had to back track at times to figure out who was who. Luckily, there is a genealogy chart in the front of the book which helped me keep track of the families. I really enjoyed getting to know the Sanders and Dillon families. I could identify with their struggles and their triumphs. I grew up with a lot of extended family and loved that the families in Hope Springs had that extended family relationship with each other.  The town and the families needed to learn to heal, forgive and come together. They had to do some soul searching and pray their way through the struggles. The ladies of the story decided they would help  in a way only God could control. It really made me think that it is important that if would all come together and give God control of every situation in our lives we could live in a much better place. Hope Springs shows that just a few people can make a difference.

The story line was very enjoyable and the characters were realistic. Each person has issues to deal with and must learn what path to take.  I felt as though I could picture the town and the people. It made me long for more of the small town life.

I received this book from booksneeze.com at no cost in exchange for an honest review.

Wildflowers from Winter

“A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built a life far removed from her trailer park dwelling teen years – until an interruption from her estranged mother reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown. A reluctant Bethany is called back to rural Iowa.”

Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert is a novel that will capture your attention with every page. Bethany Quinn goes back to her hometown and has to face the ghosts of her past and she really wants to go back to Chicago as quickly as she can. This is a light read it is pretty predictable from the beginning. Even with the predictable nature of the book I really enjoyed reading it and would read more books by this author. If you are looking for a read with lots of surprises, twists, and turns this probably isn’t the book for you. But if you are looking for a traditional, Christian romance with some friendships thrown in along with some believable characters and easy to read to plot then this is a must read for you.

Over all I would suggest this book and feel as though it is well written with a good plot. It was a quick, fun read.

I received this book from Blogging for Books at no charge for an honest review.

 

As Silver Refined

Do you ever wonder why bad things happen? Why so many disappointments happen in your life? And as a Christian why does God allow these things to happen when you are trying so hard to do the right thing? If you have ever asked yourself any of these questions As Silver Refined is the book for you. Kay Arthur does a wonderful job in exploring these questions. I have to say normally I lean toward fiction but I was drawn to this book when given the opportunity. It was just what I needed as just the right time. The author has done a beautiful job to help one understand why disappointments happen in our lives and as Christians how we should respond to those disappointments.  I love the way she includes scripture to back up everything she is saying and that they aren’t just her opinions. She has included letters from people who have been in her life in one way or another through the years, some of which brought tears to my eyes. As Silver Refined has inspired me to do better and to look at life differently and it makes me want to be more thankful to God even in the bad times because He has me in His hands and He knows what is best for me. I can’t see the big picture but He is the all knowing God. I definitely will read more of her books and can’t wait to do so but as of now this one is my new favorite book. I would highly recommend this book to everyone out there because we all have to deal with bad things in our lives.  I never read a book twice but I think this one will get a lot of use.

I received this book at no charge from Waterbrook Press in exchange for an honest review.

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Crazy Dangerous

Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klaven a book written for a younger crowd is very well written and I think most 12 and up kids would enjoy it.

“Sam Hopkins is a good kid who has fallen in with the wrong crowd. Hanging around with car thieves and thugs. Sam knows it’s only a matter of time before he makes one bad decision too many and gets into real trouble.”  Sam ends up meeting and strange schoolmate, Jennifer. Jennifer sees stuff and may be a little “crazy”. Sam and Jennifer become friends and Sam learns things that now he has to deal with.

I enjoyed this book as an adult but it is obviously written for youth. I like all genres so it was a good read for me. If you know a young person who loves mysteries I believe I can safely say they will enjoy this one. My daughter is now reading it. It is a little slow to start with but after a few chapters it starts picking up. I didn’t figure it out right away but near the last few chapters it started getting easier to figure out what was happening.

I would purchase more books from this author for my daughter.

Crazy Dangerous was provided to me a no charge from booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.

Not This Time

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Not This Time by Vicki Hinze was not what I was expecting. When I ordered this book I didn’t realize it was number 3 in a series. The cover doesn’t really let you know that it is a series which was somewhat disappointing.

The small town of Seagrove Village is rocked by an act of terrorism, and Beth doesn’t know who to trust. The town really wants to save itself from terrorists but it is unknown who is in the midst of the scandal and who can be trusted and who can’t. This book left me scratching my head. There were lots of characters that I had no idea who they were or how they tied in. Now this may not have been the author’s fault I read this book not realizing it was number 3. I would suggest reading the other books for this one to make sense. I really struggled to get through this book; it is definitely not a stand-alone book. I found it really strange that a terrorist group would be attacking a small town. I never figured out the purpose of that and it didn’t seem realistic to me. The story line was not believable to me but again maybe if I had read the first two it would make more sense.  I really never felt as though I connected with the book and had I not been reading it for a review I would have probably put it down. The last few chapters were probably the best in the entire book.

I’m not saying this book was horrible but I would suggest that you read the first two before reading this one. If you like a book with twists and turns and a lot of characters, with a little mystery and a tiny bit of romance you will like this one.  I’ve read other people’s reviews and some really love it but they are reading the entire series. I would like to go back and read the first two eventually. I definitely wouldn’t write Vicki Hinze off. I am almost sure that it was my fault that I couldn’t enjoy the book, but it would have been nice if the cover would have let you know it was a series. The inside title page does tell you it is book 3 but I didn’t pay attention to that. I just started reading the book.

I received this book at no charge from Blogging for Books for an honest review.

 

Farm Fresh Southern Cooking

I received Farm Fresh Southern Cooking by Tammy Algood as an Ebook. This is the first cookbook that I have gotten in this format. The cookbook is full of delicious looking recipes. Some I can’t wait to try out. At first glance I thought it wasn’t going to be recipes that my family and I were going to enjoy. The appetizer section just wasn’t stuff that we would normally eat. As I began to flip through the recipes became more and more appealing. We usually have a small garden and we live very near large farms so I’m always looking for great recipes for summer veggies. This cookbook is not a disappointment at all. I can’t wait to try the Cold Summer Peach Soup it sounds yummy.

The cookbook also includes instructions on home canning, an art that has been disappearing but seems to be making a comeback. It also, gives info on various farms in different areas that some may find helpful. There aren’t pictures with every recipe but there are some very nice pictures included. It is very well done. I still prefer a physical copy vs. the ebook format but I may be just a little old fashioned.

This book was provided to me at no charge by booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.

Simply Grilling

Simply Grilling by Jennifer Chandler is one of the best cookbooks that I have in my collection. This book is very well done (no pun intended). It is a beautiful hardcover book with over 100 recipes.  It is full of delicious looking recipes that I can’t wait to start trying out. There are pictures of what the finished food should look like with every recipe along with tips, variations, and suggested sides. The cookbook begins with grilling information, methods, and tips. It is full of information for the beginner or the more advanced. All recipes seem easy to follow with commonly found grocery items. The photography will make your mouth water. If you love to cook/grill this is the cookbook for you.

This book was provided to me at no charge by www.booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.

Sweeter Than Birdsong

Sweeter than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott the 2^nd book in the Saddler’s Legacy was an enjoyable read. I had not read the 1^st one in the series but that didn’t matter I was still able to connect with the characters easily. Sweeter than Birdsong is set in Westerville, Ohio in 1855. Kate Winter, the painfully shy, main character is scared of just about everything. She is very accomplished and is set to be the 1^st female to graduate from Otterbein College. Her mother is over bearing and has plans for her daughter that Kate isn’t happy with so she decides her only way out is to run away and join an upcoming musical performance.

Ben Hamby, who is an accomplished musician, sees something in Kate that no one else sees. He hears her sings and her voice moves him like nothing else. Ben is a forbidden love for Kate in Kate’s mother’s eyes. He has a secret that involves him in the Underground Railroad.

I’ve always found this era interesting and the author did a really good job of bringing the reality of slavery to life. It is apparent that she has done her research thoroughly and she pulls you into the story. Her characters are based on real people but the story is fictional. The characters are very believable. I found the book to have a very Victorian feel to the characters with old time charm. I felt sorry for Kate because she was so shy and such an introvert. It was so hard for her to function in life until she finally found her inner strength. Historical romance book lovers this is a must read for you.

This book was provided to me at no charge by booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.

The Crossing

“On the way home from a football game, a decade earlier, a masked gunman opened fire on a Texas school bus.” Claudia survived but her friend and teacher BJ didn’t. Years have passed, the killer never caught and the haunting memories are raging with Claudia. Her husband, an Assistant District Attorney, thinks that reopening the case and catching the killer will help his wife. Is he right or will it just drive her away.

The Crossing by Serita Jakes is a contemporary fictional mystery. I have to say that I enjoyed the book and it has lots of twists and turns. You learn a lot about the different characters and their struggles before and after the tragedy of that Friday evening. People are not always what they seem and all have their own faults and failures. The author does a good job on letting us know that God is a forgiving God and will heal our troubles if we will let Him. This a great story of true love and forgiveness. It also shows us that life doesn’t always have fairytale ending. There is tragedy and loss in real life.

If you enjoy a light mystery you will enjoy this book. This is my first read by Serita Jakes I will definitely read more. She truly did a wonderful job.

This book was provided to me at no charge from Waterbrook Press for an honest review

Please rank my review so that I can receive more books to review. Thank you.

This book was provided to me at no charge by Waterbrook Press for an honest review.

Please rank my review so that I can receive more books to review.

4 Romance Novels in 1

Smitten is a small town in Vermont on the verge of losing itself after the local mill shuts down.  The mill is the largest employer in the town and now the locals are worried that their town may be finished. Then the women of the town and the faith of a little girl come up with the idea to turn the town into a “honeymoon” destination. The” manly” men of the town believe this is going to be a very bad idea but reluctantly agree to join in.

The town is counting on the local country music singer turned star, Sawyer Smitten, and his wedding to help turn their town into a successful tourist town. Will the town succeed or not? How are lives changed?

Smitten is a collection of 4 stories written by 4 different authors:  Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt and Denise Hunter. Each story is written about 4 friends of the town who are trying to make a difference. Story #1 written by Colleen Coble is about Natalie, story #2 written by Kristin Billerbeck is about Julia, story #3 written by Diann Hunt is Shelby’s story, and #4 is about Reese and is written by Denise Hunter. Each section could easily be a stand-alone book. I loved the faith that the town shows and I wish this could be more of a reality in today’s society. If we could pull together like this town did and have the Christian faith our country could accomplish so much more. These authors have done an excellent job at writing each story and bringing the town to life. The book flows easily and is a fun read. You can tell that they have a special relationship with each other. It had to be a difficult feat to have 4 authors writing 1 book and have it turn out so well written and so cohesive.  I do have to say that they are predictable romance stories but still a good read none the less. If you love romance novels you will enjoy this one.  I live in a small town whose future was uncertain 30 or so years ago and the town come together and revamped  it and now is a pretty successful little area that stays busy so this book kind of reminded of me of home.

This book has been provided to me by www.booksneeze.com at no charge for my honest review.