Gone South

Today I'd like to share a book I finished called Gone South by Meg Moseley.

Book description: The charm of the South drew her back to her family’s roots. But when the town’s old resentments turn the sweet tea bitter, can Tish find a welcome anywhere?

Leaving frosty Michigan for the Deep South was never a blip in the simple plans 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’ Civil War era home beckons Tish to Noble, Alabama, a Southern town in every sense of the word. She wonders if God has given her a new dream— the old house filled with friends, her vintage percolator bubbling on the sideboard.

When Tish discovers that McCombs aren’t welcome in town, she feels like a Yankee behind enemy lines. Only local antiques dealer George Zorbas seems willing to give her a chance. What’s a lonely outcast to do but take in Noble’s resident prodigal, Melanie Hamilton, and hope that the two can find some much needed acceptance in each other.

Problem is, old habits die hard, and Mel is quite set in her destructive ways. With Melanie blocked from going home, Tish must try to manage her incorrigible houseguest as she attempts to prove her own worth in a town that seems to have forgotten that every sinner needs God-given mercy, love and forgiveness.

My thoughts:
This book appealed to me first because of the cover.  Then I read the description and the story interested me.  It was an enjoyable story, and I liked the author's style.  It was hard to stay interested all the way through though; this really was not one of those books I didn't want to put down.  I enjoyed the story for the most part, but I felt I was left with a lot of questions. I was really getting into it close to the end, and it felt like it just stopped so that was disappointing. 

The reader can learn from the characters and their mistakes and how people often make judgements of others based on things they've done in their past. 

It was an okay book, but it really left me wanting more of the story.   I felt there were too many loose ends left by the last page.

Read more here.

 I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
Have a day of blessings!

Book Review: Clouds

Today I have a book to share with you called Clouds by Robin Jones Gunn.

My thoughts:  Clouds is Book #5 in the Glenbrooke Series.  I have not read the others but did not feel I needed to in order to enjoy this book.  (However, it did make me interested in reading the previous books in this series.) 

Shelly Graham had a best friend growing up named Jonathan Renfield.  When they were grown, they parted ways after she turned down his proposal.  Shelly became a flight attendant while Jonathan went to college.  After five years Shelly is back home because of cuts at work.  Being home reminds her so much of Jonathan and their shared memories as children.  She can't help but remember and wonder what happened to him.  She also regrets the way they parted.  She joins her sister Meredith on a work-related trip to Germany.  Who should she see there but Jonathan and his fiancee!  Will the two be able to talk and be friends or will things be too awkward for them now? 

I enjoyed reading this book and the author's style.  There was a lot of symbolism I thought with the clouds in the book.  As I was reading I remembered high school senior English and tracing symbols through books.  I look forward to reading other books by this author. 

Author bio:
ROBIN JONES GUNN is the best-selling and award-winning author of more than seventy books, with over 4 million copies of her titles sold worldwide. Best known among them are the Christy Miller, Sierra Jensen, and Christy and Todd: College Years teen series. A Christy Award winner and a two-time finalist for excellence in fiction, Robin has also been a Gold Medallion finalist. She and her husband have a grown son and daughter and live in Hawaii.

Click here for more information.

Thank you to Blogging for Books and Multnomah books for sending this book for my review. 

Have a day of blessings!

Book reivew: The Bridge of Peace

I have finished my first book by author Cindy Woodsmall The Bridge of Peace. This is the second book in the Ada's House series.

Lena Kauffman is a young school teacher who faces many challenges from a troubled, rebellious student. She gets into trouble with the school board when she makes some decisions that aren't in accord with the Old Ways. Lena feels she will never marry because she doesn't think men can see past the birthmark on her face.

School board member Grey Graber and his wife Elsie have a troubled marriage. They begin making steps of progress when tragedy strikes.

This is a very enjoyable book that I would recommend to you. I look forward to reading #3 in this series. This book was provided to me for my honest review by the "Blogging for Books" reviewer program with WaterBrook Multonomah.

Have a day of blessings!

Children's Book: God Loves Me More Than That

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19

I'd like to recommend a children's book to you called God Loves Me More Than That by Dandi Daley Mackall and illustrated by David Hohn.

This is a rhyming book of comparisons to show the width, depth, weight, and loudness of God's love. The author uses comparisons with things a child can relate to and understand to remind them how much God loves them. The illustrations are beautiful to see with the colors and details. It is appropriate for toddlers through kindergartners in my opinion, although the message and pictures will be enjoyed by anyone. I also like the size of this book; it is just right for a child to hold and enjoy, not too big as some books are hard for a little one to hold and turn the pages easily.

Thank you to WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for providing this book to me for my honest review.

Have a day of blessings!

Have a day of blessings!

2010 Books #16 and #17

I finished two books over a week ago and just haven't posted my reviews!

The first is called Love & War by John and Stasi Eldredge. I wrote a review earlier this year for a blog tour but now I have actually completed the entire book. I enjoyed this book on marriage. Marriage is special to God and it should be to us too. What do you do in marriage when the hard time comes? How do you handle those times together and come out ahead together instead of fighting each other through? The authors show how we come from different backgrounds and this affects how we relate to one another. We must realize that we have an enemy to our marriage who will try to destroy it and be on guard against his attacks. This book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

The second book I finished is called The Next Level by David Gregory. My husband found this little book on the discount shelf at Mardel. He read it in two days I believe and then I read it. It is a fast read. It uses a business metaphor to depict religion and Christianity. Young Logan Bell has a job as an organizational analyst where he reports to the director his findings about each level of the company. This is a great book for Christians to read. As I read I could relate to people on the various levels. It is a book that will change your thinking about why you do things as a Christian and I recommend you read it.

Have a day of blessings!

Book Review: "This Little Prayer of Mine"

I was happy to be able to review This Little Prayer of Mine by Anthony DeStefano and illustrated by Mark Elliott. This rhyming book is a wonderful reminder for children as well as their adults that God answers the prayers we pray. What I liked about this book was the various reasons it gave for us to pray and the feelings young children face..fear, sadness, loneliness, thankfulness, and more. My son and I really liked the illustrations of the children in various settings as well. This book would be great for your child's personal library or would make a nice gift for a little child in your life. We enjoyed this book and recommend it for you.

You can purchase this book here.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Have a day of blessings!

2010 Book #13: An Absence So Great by Jane Kirkpatrick

I have finished reading An Absence So Great by Jane Kirkpatrick.

Here’s a summary:
While growing in confidence as a photographer, eighteen-year-old Jessie Ann Gaebele’s personal life is at a crossroads. Hoping she’s put an unfortunate romantic longing behind her as “water under the bridge,” she exiles herself to Milwaukee to operate photographic studios for those owners who have fallen ill with mercury poisoning.

Jessie gains footing in her dream to one day operate her own studio and soon finds herself in other Midwest towns, pursuing her profession. But even a job she loves can’t keep painful memories from seeping into her heart when the shadows of a forbidden love threaten to darken the portrait of her life.

My thoughts:
I was disappointed in this book. First of all, it was hard for me to get into it. It wasn't one of those book that I "just couldn't put down." This is the second in a series, and I did not realize that when I started reading. Maybe it would have been easier to follow had I read the first book. I was confused with the characters and knew they had previously had some relationship they weren't supposed to have, but it was never clear exactly what that relationship in the past was. I had a bad feeling towards the two main characters, Jessie and Fred, because it seemed they were so wrapped up in their own feelings that they didn't care who they were hurting because of their obvious continued affections for one another. It makes it hard to write a negative review because this book is based on the life of the author's grandmother. I mean it's not like she could change the facts of what happened. I just didn't agree with their attitudes that their relationship was okay, so I did not enjoy reading the book. I also know there is more to the story than just their inappropriate relationship. The book shows the reader how a woman pursued her love of photography at a time that the business world was dominated by men.

On a positive note, it was well-written, and I kept thinking how it would be a great book to use as a study like we did in high school English classes. There were certain themes that ran through this book on so many levels, and these would be interesting to study and follow throughout the book. Many comparisons are made to life being like a portrait. I enjoyed the black and white photographs that were included and the stories about them.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. Click here to learn more or buy this book.

Have a day of blessings!

Love & War by John and Stasi Eldredge

I'd like to share a book I'm reading right now. It's called Love & War: Finding the Marriage You've Dreamed Of by John and Stasi Eldredge.

From the publisher:
What the Eldredge bestsellers Wild at Heart did for men, and Captivating did for women, LOVE & WAR will do for married couples everywhere. John and Stasi Eldredge have contributed the quintessential works on Christian spirituality through the experience of men and the experience of women and now they turn their focus to the incredible dynamic between those two forces.

With refreshing openness that will grab readers from the first page, the Eldredges candidly discuss their own marriage and the insights they’ve gained from the challenges they faced. Each talks independently to the reader about what they’ve learned, giving their guidance personal immediacy and a balance between the male and female perspectives that has been absent from all previous books on this topic. They begin LOVE & WAR with an obvious but necessary acknowledgement: Marriage is fabulously hard. They advise that the sooner we get the shame and confusion off our backs, the sooner we'll find our way through.

LOVE & WAR shows couples how to fight for their love and happiness, calling men and women to step into the great adventure God has waiting for them together. Walking alongside John and Stasi Eldredge, every couple can discover how their individual journeys are growing into a story of meaning much greater than anything they could do or be on their own

My thoughts:
I am not finished with this book yet but I am enjoying it. The thoughts shared by the authors seem to be common stories that happen in many marriages. I look forward to finishing this book.
You can buy the book online here. This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

Have a day of blessings!