My Blue Ribbon Scrapbook

I entered one of my scrapbooks in the fair this year. Yay it got 1st place!!!! It is an album from a trip we took in 2008. Yes, yes I am way behind but that's okay. I may or may not catch up but it's all about the fun of creating.

This is the 2nd time I have entered a scrapbook and both albums got 1st place so I'm pretty pleased.

Forgive the quality of some of the pictures. I snapped them quickly and only included a few. I'll try to add more later.

 

 

 

Harriet Beamer Strikes Gold

 

Harriet Beamer Strikes Gold by Joyce Magnin was a fun book to read. “After a whirlwind cross-country move, Harriet and her devout loving basset hound, Humphry have settled into a new life in Grass Valley, California. When Harriet learns that she’s going to be a grandma for the first time and gets a new suite for her salt and peper shaker collection, she can’t wait for her best friend, Martha to come visit so she come share her good news.”  Harriet seems a little bored with her life in California and starts on a new adventure with a Gold Mine. This little adventure quickly turns into a big adventure which may get Harriet in a mess.

This was my first Harriet Beamer book and I found it really fun to read. I couldn’t help but to think that she reminds me of the children’s book character Amellia Bedillia at a senior level. She’s so full of energy and adventure that at times I found her character to almost be exhausting but in a good way. I think the book is probably geared more to the more senior adults out there but still enjoyable to me. I’m not sure younger readers would enjoy it as much. I really liked Harriet’s adventurous spirit but at times wanted to shake her and say “That’s not a good Idea.” I could just imagine a 70+ year old woman riding around in town on a scooter. I hope when I get there I can have such a lively personality.

I would recommend this book to others to read especially if you are looking for a light-hearted, comical book with a touch of family and love for others. I received this book at no charge from booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.

 

Redeeming Love

I am so glad that I got to review this book. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is “A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea.” I could hardly put this book down once I started it. The author did a wonderful job of retelling the story of Gomer and Hosea without it being the story from the bible about Gomer and Hosea. The book is set in the 1850’s during California’s gold rush.

“Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive.” “Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to lover her unconditionally.”

This page turner is an excellent example of God’s love for us if we follow His will. We can’t see what all He has in store for us neither can we understand why we must endure some of the things that we have to. Michael is an example of how we should strive to follow God’s wills even when we don’t understand. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone who thinks they can’t be forgiven for their past or who have struggled with issues that have made them bitter or angry. I would recommend this book for just about everyone would probably be a more accurate statement to make. I can’t say enough good about it.

Mrs. Rivers has written this book in a unique way that just jumps out and holds onto you. It is thought provoking and an eye opener. She has written in a way that she shows God’s forgiveness for those who feel condemned because of their lives and their sins. She also shows how we shouldn’t judge things that we may have no idea about because we can’t always see how God is working in other’s lives, and she shows us how we should be forgiving as God has been forgiving to us.

There is a six-part reading group guide included in the book and would be a wonderful book for a reading group or club.

Please read this book you will not be disappointed. I received this book from Multnomah at no charge in exchange for an honest review. You can purchase this book here.

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A Bride for All Seasons

A Bride for All Seasons: The Mail-Order Bride Collection is a collection of four short novellas by Margaret Brownley, Debra Clopton, Mary Connealy, and Robin Lee Hatcher. It is basically four books in one and each could stand alone and are around 100 pages or less each.

The first is And Then Came Spring by Margaret Brownley. The second is And Ever-After Summer by Debra Clopton next comes Autumn’s Angel by Robin Lee Hatcher and lastly is Mary Connealy’s Winter Wedding Bells. I will not go into the description of each story in this review because of the different story lines. I will say that the common thread for each story is only “The Hitching Post, Mail Order Bride Catalogue.” Each is a different tale of the experiences of four different potential brides and grooms.

I really enjoyed the mini books and read through them very quickly finishing in just a few nights. They are typical, historic, romance novels or novellas in that they are pretty predictable but still very enjoyable to read. Each leading character has their own personality and is fun to get to know. The time is set just after the Civil War when a lot of women want to get married but there aren’t enough men out there so they turn to the catalogue. At the beginning of each story there is a short prologue that helps you get to know who the people are and what they are looking for. Three of the four stories explain the mail order letters the other explains more of the predicament that the parties are in and why they are looking at mail order marriages. I find the owner of the Hitching Post, Melvin Hitchcock, a funny character kind of playing God with these people’s lives. If he doesn’t approve of the way a letter is written he tweaks them so they will be more appealing to the potential spouse on the other end.  Sometimes more than not the letters are completely different than what they started as and make for awkward meetings for the couples.

There is a spiritual side to each of the meetings usually one or the other feels that it is God’s will that things happen the way they do. I can’t imagine ever being a mail order bride but I’m assuming that it may have been pretty common place in the early history of our country. This book is fun and gives a good picture of the time. I can imagine myself being there seeing the sights and sounds of each of the small towns. If you enjoy light historical romances you will love this book. I would recommend this to others. Each author has done a great job and even though every story is completely different and set in different areas of country there is still cohesiveness between them.

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

Bending Toward the Sun and Ripples Along the Shore

This review will be a little different. I’m going to review 2 books at one time. I recently reviewed Mona Hodgsons’ book Dandelions on the Wind: The Quilted Heart series. I really enjoyed the novella and had the opportunity to review the third one in the series but I didn’t want to skip the 2^nd one. I purchased Bending Toward the Sun from Amazon and then received Ripples Along the Shore to review from the publisher.

I really enjoyed these two books just as much as the first one. The characters continued and new stories developed. The second book focused on Emily Heinrich the storekeeper’s daughter.  It also continued with the previous story of Maren.

“Divided between the love of her father and the desires of her heart, Emilie Heinrich must rely on the love and wisdom of the women in her quilting circle for support. Since Emilie is dedicated to her education and to helping her father in his general store, she is convinced she doesn't have time for love. But when a childhood friend returns to St. Charles, Missouri, after serving in the Civil War, his smile and charm captures Emilie’s eye and her heart.”

I really loved the stories behind the quilts in the quilting circle. The first novella didn’t mention a lot about the quilting portion of the books but the author seemed to incorporate more in the second and third books. Emily struggles with wanting to please her father and go to school but she also wants to follow her heart.

In book three Ripples Along the Shore once again continues with Maren and Emily and their new lives and adds another character: Caroline.

“When Caroline Milburn steps off the boat and back into her hometown of St. Charles, MO, part of her wishes she could step right back on board and sail away. St. Charles, though home to her beloved friends and quilting circle, hasn’t felt like home since the death of her husband. And living with her sister, Jewell’s family hasn’t provided much balm for her grieving heart. Caroline knows something needs to change—but for now she’s stuck sharing her sister’s home, and enduring the anger and bitterness of her brother-in-law.”

Also, it this book a lot of it centered around the ladies and their quilting circle, but this time the circle is going to be broken. Some of the ladies and their families will be leaving to go west and others will be staying. They decide to make 2 different quilts. Caroline is determined to go west but it wouldn’t be proper for a widowed lady to travel alone. She’s very disappointed when she thinks she isn’t going to get to go.

With each book new characters are introduced and old characters remain. I assume there will be more novellas in this series. I believe you should start with the 1^st one and move through. They are very short around 100 pages and are quick reads. There aren’t a lot of surprises but the storylines are fun to read and I really feel like I could be right there with them. If you are looking for a quick and easy read this is the series for you.

 I received Ripples Along the Shore from Waterbrook Publishing at no charge in exchange for an honest review.

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Dandelions on the Wind

Dandelions on the Wind is the first novella of The Quilted Heart series, by Mona Hodgson. Maren Jenson came to America as a mail order bride from Denmark but her future husband decided he didn’t want to marry her after finding out about an ailment that she has. She moves in with Ms. Brantenberg and works for her for room and board. Ms. Brantenberg’s widowed son-in-law returns from the war and begins to fall for Maren. The question is can she overcome her fears to allow herself to fall for him.

This book is a very quick read being a novella and quite short but the author does a wonderful job letting us get to know the characters. I love her ability to be able to pull me in and keep me interested. I’ve read other novellas from other authors and haven’t enjoyed them because many times I felt cheated by the ending. Not this book, yes it left me wanting to read the next one but it didn’t make me feel like I was missing anything. If you love historical, romance, and easy reading books you will like this one. If you are looking for a full blown novel with complex subject matter this may not be a book for you. I personally loved it and can’t wait to read more.

You can purchase this book here

 

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

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The Point: The Redemption of Oban Ironbout

The Point: The Redemption of Oban Ironbout by William E. Jefferson is a book about  “Searching for peace and inspiration, Hollie and Goodwin Macbreeze travel to the Isle of Estillyen-a distant harbor known or bringing ancients words of worth to the present.”

I was really looking forward to reading The Point. I had read an excerpt before I got the chance to review it and it really seemed very interesting. I tried and tried to get through this book and just couldn’t finish it. There were two aspects to this book. Hollie and Goodwin travelled to this island for answers.  There were monks on the island and the couple would go to readings for enlightenment I guess would be a good way to put it. Then there was the mystery of Goodwin and the house that he had drawn when he was young. He wanted to learn more about that house and of the stories his grandfather had told him. I really couldn’t get into the “readings” this is the part of the book that I didn’t like for some reason.  I just found them strange I guess. I did however like the “Goodwin” portion of the story I will continue to skim through the book to see what happens on the point and find out what the story is behind the house on the point. I have had this book for more than a month and have had to put it down several times and read something that I enjoy. I always try to finish a book in order to review it but I found that I really didn’t want to read this one and it was a chore just to pick it up and start it again. Maybe one day I will get completely through it and will revisit this review but I’ve read half and came to the conclusion that it wasn’t for me.

I’m sure there are others who will find this type of book enjoyable but unfortunately I was one of them. I received this book at no charge from Handlebar Publishers in exchange for an honest review

Gone South

Meg Moseley’s novel Gone South was wonderful.  I couldn’t put this book down.  Leaving frosty Michigan for the Deep South was never a blip in the simple plans of Tish McComb imagined for her life, dreams of marriage and family that were dashed five years earlier in a tragic accident.”  Now an opportunity to buy her great-great-great grandparents home beckons her to move to Noble Alabama where she finds the McCombs aren’t welcome.

I fell in love with this book from the beginning being from the south I understand some of the prejudice that can exist. Ms Moseley pulled me in from the start. I loved the characters and the backdrop for the story. Tish had recently lost 2 people she loved one being her father. He had taken her to her family’s home a couple of years earlier but they weren’t able to see it but from the outside. On a whim she decided to go back to Noble and get a peak out the house. The novel shows her struggle as she decides to move from her current home to the old family home. The town’s people aren’t very receptive of her. Her desire is to fit in and start her life. I would love to walk into a house like the one describe in Gone South. Tish learns more about her family through some of her father’s research and from some of the people in town and finds a few skeletons. She tries to overcome much adversity and enjoy her new life.

I felt like I was walking down the streets and going into the stores in Noble Alabama.  I am into genealogy and found that I loved the twists and turns of the family and see how “secrets” come to life and how the “truth” can be made up. The characters were colorful and believable. There is a little bit of mystery that keeps you turning the page. There is a story of forgiveness and cutting loose when necessary. And there is a little bit of romance. If you like these things you will love this well written book. I hope there is another book to go with this one. It sure left me wanting more. There are a couple of “loose ends” that I would like to see what the author had in mind. I can see so many ways this book could go to completed a second one.  I would definitely recommend this book to others!!!

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

You can purchase this book here

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Simply Delicious Amish Cooking

 

 

Simply Delicious Amish Cooking by Sherry Gore is simply delicious. I can’t wait to try some of the recipes.  I love the stories that are incorporated throughout the book. It begins with why she wrote the book, and it tells about who the Amish and Mennonites are.  The recipes look easy enough to follow and use basic ingredients that would be in most kitchens (well with the exception of the alligator dish).  There are little stories added with some of the recipes along with tips. There are a few beautiful pictures of the prepared recipes included, I wish there were more just because they looked so delicious and made me want to make them. I couldn’t believe that doughnuts were made with mashed potatoes.

The one thing I wasn’t crazy about was the cover of the book. It seems a little flimsy over the spiral binding. I’m afraid that with use it will begin to tear but other than that the book is wonderful! You have to get this one if you like cookbooks.

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

Though My Heart is Torn

Though My Heart is Torn, The Cadence of Grace book 2 by Joanne Bischof is the sequel to Be Still My Soul.  “Gideon O’Riley has two wives-but he doesn’t know it.”  Lonnie and Gideon have finally found happiness after the rocky start to their marriage but a strange turn events tears their lives apart.

I thoroughly enjoyed Be Still My Soul so when I got the opportunity to review Though My Heart is Torn I jumped at the chance. I was not disappointed. The book may be a little hard to understand if you haven’t read the first one though. You will miss the whole saga of how Gideon and Lonnie became husband and wife so I would suggest reading the 1^st one before reading this one.

I found myself heartbroken for the couple after they had overcome so many struggles to get to a place in their marriage and they were so happy and then faced with this trial.  I really enjoyed the characters in the 1^st book and all of them were included in this one with some additional people added. The author does a really good job with keeping with the era and backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She brings the characters to life. She brings out the struggles of both Lonnie and Gideon and through their faith they believe God’s grace will bring them through. Even though it is difficult they both are trying hard to move on with the new life they have been dealt.  I couldn’t put this book down once I started it.  With the way the book ended I’m sure there will be a 3^rd in this series and I can’t wait to read it also.

If you love Christian romances this book is for you. I received this book at no charge from Multnomah publishing for an honest review. You can purchase a copy of this book here.

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