Book Review: "Rules of Murder"

Coming out on August 1, 2013 is a new mystery novel "Rules of Murder" (A Drew Farthering Mystery)
 by Julianna Deering. Here is a taste of the story from the Amazon book description: 

"Downton Abbey Meets Agatha Christie in This Sparkling Mystery

Drew Farthering loves a good mystery, although he generally expects to find it in the pages of a novel, not on the grounds of his country estate. When a weekend party at Farthering Place is ruined by murder and the police seem flummoxed, Drew decides to look into the crime himself. With the help of his best friend, Nick Dennison, an avid mystery reader, and Madeline Parker, a beautiful and whip-smart American debutante staying as a guest, the three try to solve the mystery as a lark, using the methods from their favorite novels.

Soon, financial irregularities at Drew's stepfather's company come to light and it's clear that all who remain at Farthering Place could be in danger. Trying hard to remain one step ahead of the killer--and trying harder to impress Madeline--Drew must decide how far to take this game."

"Rules of Murder" (A Drew Farthering Mystery) takes places in England in the 1920's. This book captures the eleganance and frivolity of the British nobility. While it comes from a modern author, within a few chapters I felt like I was getting to read another Agatha Christie mystery novel with the Christian faith gently woven in... not in a religious or heavy way, just part of one of the main characters lives. I honestly don't know that I've read anything modern that could compare with the British classic mysteries of Agatha Christie's time, so this one was such a fun delight, and I look forward to the next book by Julianna Deering! Especially if she continues on with the curiosity and sleuthing of Drew Farthering and his friends. 

Mark your calendars for August 1, 2013. Maybe put in a pre-order request at your library... this book will be well worth it. Some books were fun evening reads (yes, I do read a ton... so thankful for a Kindle so my bookshelves no longer suffer from being so cluttered!), and others are worth brewing a good cup of coffee or tea and sitting to savor the story. This book was filled with twists, turns, and conversations that made me slow down to just enjoy a well-written book.

If I had to rate this book on a scale of one to five, I would give it six stars. It was just that good.

* I received a copy of this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are strictly my own and nothing in this review was required or endorsed by Bethany House. This review may contain my affiliate links.

Book Review: "Trouble in Store" by Carol Cox

After reading "Love in Disguise", I wanted to read the next book by Carol Cox, "Trouble in Store" (Will be released June 1, 2013). So I was excited to get to read a copy before the release... And I enjoyed it quite a bit... In both of these books, Carol Cox has written historical romance fiction with new twists that somehow manage to follow, yet not follow, predictable plot lines.

In "Trouble in Store", Melanie is a young woman dismissed from her job, without any family to fall back on, so travels West to follow a standing offer of a home and job at a mercantile from her deceased cousin's partner... When she arrives, she discovers that he has also passed away, leaving his nephew with the store. With both Melanie and this man (Caleb) claim they have ownership of the store, sparks fly. In the midst of their daily battles, a man shows up dead on the porch of the store, so chaos and suspicion flies around the vigilante-prone town.

This was a fun, light read... Not shallow, but not in depth either. If you're looking for just a weekend read that doesn't trap you in the story, I'd recommend Love in Disguise first, then this book. I know it's kinda odd to say that, but I enjoyed Love in Disguise more. This book was good, just not a favorite, and reading time is valuable!

* I received a copy of this book for free from Bethany House publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Book Review: "As Silver Refined"

I have been putting off writing the review for Kay Arthur's book "As Silver Refined". Why? Because I have slowly fought my way through the book, and finally have come to the point where I have to say I can't finish it right now. I'm halfway through, and just can't read another chapter. Here are the ups & downs of this book for me (and I am totally honest that my being a mom of two kids ages 2 years & 5 months affect my reading habits!):

I appreciate Kay Arthur's commitment to take people to the Bible directly, sharing passages that relate to the topic of each chapter. She is not just stating her opinion, but sharing her stance based on God's Word. This is an important factor for me when I read a Christian Living book! The book is laid out well, and has a constant direction. It definitely addresses the biblical (and difficult!) concept of life disappointment and feeling overwhelmed when things happen that are out of our control! I also love beautiful image of silver being refined into something beautiful! I chose to read and review this book because I am trying to alternate "fun" books, with books that help me grow more as a woman of God.

The reason I finally had to quit reading the book was because it is too detailed and prolongs the various points the author is trying to make. God has already been revealing to me personally different areas in my life that I need to be working on, and when I was reading some of the first couple chapters, it affirmed that I'm on the right track. That was exciting! But since I had already started seeing those truths & needs in my life, I felt bogged down as a I read by all the details, stories, and scripture verses added into it. I just wanted to move on to the next step since I personally recognized that part in my life! When I barely get 10 minutes at any point in the day by myself, reading 20-30 pages on one point is rather difficult and discouraging. So I ended up moving on to another book that keeps the truths short and simple, so I can read them and have time to ponder them throughout my day.

This book would probably be a better fit for someone who has much more time to read and process. I know the truths it contains can truly be like refreshing water to a thirsty soul!

* I received a copy of this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review as part of their "Blogging for Books" program.

Book Review: "Everything Romance"

My most recent read as part of the Blogging For Books program was "Everything Romance: A Celebration of Love for Couples". The book description reads:
"Ready to create romantic memories? If you’re looking for new and unique ways to celebrate love, captivate the heart of your true love, or simply enjoy each other’s company,Everything Romance offers all of this and much more. 

Inside you’ll find…
 
Ways to engage your loved one with conversation starters for couples; Fun and creative date and gift ideas for any budget; Heartwarming love stories and poems; Love busters and love boosters to add fun, zing, and zest; Trivia about the history of love and romance; Recipes to fan the heartflames."

To be honest, while the book does contain a lot of those things, I felt like it fell a little short. This book is more of an anthology of classic and modern love stories, poetry, recipes, dates, phrases, etc... with no apparent rhyme or reason to the order of things in the book. I was expecting it to be a little bit more organized, like categories for each. This book reminds me more of a coffee table book (or bathroom reading), with short snippets you can read in a few moments by just opening the book and reading where your hand falls... Some of the stuff was just plain cheesy!

My husband and I have been married for over 4 years now and seek different ways to continue build our relationship & marriage. This wouldn't be a book I would recommend for those purposes. Whimsical and cute, but not something for marriage growth. 

So weird to write a review on a book I wasn't crazy about! Oh well, I can't always hit home runs with books! You can rank my review here (the more "stars" I earn through reviews, the better book selection offered to me, so I really appreciate honest reviews! Takes only a few seconds!!!):

Book Review: "His Little Princess"

Cinderella. Sleeping Beauty. Snow White. Rapunzel (Tangled is my new favorite "princess" movie!). From the time girls are little, they play & dream about being princesses. What girl wouldn't want to live in a castle, wear beautiful dresses, have a prince rescue them, and live happily ever after? Imagine as a young girl getting letters from your father, the King, which start with things like "My Precious Princess" or "My Beautiful Daughter", that go on to tell you how much the king loves you and delights in you and has wonderful things planned for you in life!

That is exactly the premise of this precious book by Sheri Rose Shepherd, titled His Little Princess: Treasured Letters from Your King (His Princess). On each page is a letter from the King, our Heavenly Father, to His precious daughters. With each letter from the King, there is a corresponding response prayer to show a little girl how she can converse with her Father, the King (God).

I'm no longer in elementary school, but my heart softened at some of the "letters from the King". Oh to think that is how God views me as His daughter! This book would be a great resource when working with young girls (probably like 1st-4th grade), to show them how God wants to know each of them personally and in a real way. Whether your daughter or a little girl in your life reads it every day, I'm not sure if they would or not, but the letters & response prayers I read reminded me as an adult princess of how great my Father's love is for me! So I recommend the book, yet also say check it out first to see if it's something your daughter/girl would like. Everyone is different!

Book Review: The Christmas Singing

I love the Christmas season, for so many reasons! Of course I love the spicey scents of the holiday scented candles, all the baking, etc... I also love Christmas lights & Bing Crosby crooking "White Christmas" on my iPod. I also love the holidays because it's when all the heart-warming movies & books come out. I'll admit, I like a good movie/book with happy endings, even if it sometimes predictable.

I just finished reading "The Christmas Singing" by Cindy Woodsmall. Like her other books, this story is about a young Amish woman's life in Berlin, OH (I've had the pleasure of going to Berlin, and it is a beautiful area!). Mattie moves away from her Amish home in Lancaster County to start her own bakery in Berlin, OH after her fiancee, Gideon, abruptly ended their engagement on Christmas Eve. Three years later, Mattie has a successful bakery and has met another Amish man, yet Gideon once again surfaces into her life. Will their paths crossing again bring more heartbreak or will it bring healing from the past?

This was a light read, but it contained many of the basic truths of how we truly need to trust God with every aspect of our lives. It isn't a simple story, but is simply written, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. If you live locally and want to borrow it, just let me know! And reading it makes me want to plan another road trip back to Berlin!

Don't forget, if you rank this review, you will be entered to win a copy of this book! Rank my review here:


* I received a copy of this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review as part of their "Blogging for Books" program.

Book Review: "The Crossing"

I took a risk and requested the book "The Crossing" by Serita Jakes to read & review as part of the Blogging for Books program... I like to switch it up and not order the same type books all the time, and this once look interesting: It's about several residents in a small town that are still dealing with the emotional effects of a murder of a school teacher 10 years previously. The trauma & grief have continued especially because the murderer was never caught.

It was a risk because I honestly didn't know if the book would be an interesting & fast-paced crime novel or if it would just be a sad, depressing relational novel. After getting only chapters into it, I realized it was much more along the lines of an NCIS or other law enforcement kind of book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It is not a happy-go-lucky book where all the characters have a huge party in the end... but it does portray the various aspects of dealing with a crime, investigating a crime, and especially shows how different people handle memories and grief in different ways. It does a great job of showing healthy healing: addressing grief, working through emotions, loving someone during the hard times, etc... while also showing how not everyone handles their emotions or grief in a good way. Most importantly, it weaves the theme of how God is our Healer & Redeemer throughout the book in realistic ways.

If you like mystery/crime-solving books, you would probably enjoy this one. I would recommend it, although since it's a mystery, I probably wouldn't read it again because I know the ending! :-)

* I received a copy of this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review as part of their "Blogging for Books" program.

Book Review: "Shadows On The Sand"

Book Title: Shadows on the Sand
Author: Gayle Roper
My Rating: 4 Stars

After reading Shadows on the Sand, I would definitely give it a 4 Star. I'm going to start getting stricter about my rankings because I can't just keep giving everything 5 stars because I liked the book! So 5 stars would be a "I would definitely read this again" (and I do have books I read over and over...), but this one would only get 4 stars, not because it wasn't exciting, but because it's a mystery and I rarely read mysteries twice. :-)

Shadows on the Sand takes place in a small, touristy, seaside town. Carrie is a young woman who runs a cafe/bakery with her sister. She has many "regulars" that come through the cafe, and one of the men in particular has caught her eye, but he doesn't seem to ever notice her since he's still grieving the loss of his wife and children from 3 years before. I was hesitant that maybe the book would be sappy and too romance-involved, but was pleasantly surprised that the other strange things that start happening in town (the murder of a young man, disappearance of a teenage girl, etc...) carried the main stage, while the relationship building was woven throughout. The book took many twists and turns, and I wasn't quite sure how it was all going to pan out until the end. So yes, I would recommend this book to a friend!

Please rank my review below (and you'll be entered to possibly win a copy of this book):


*I received a copy of this book, courtesy of Waterbrook Multnomah's "Blogging For Books" program, in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Mercy Come Morning

My most recent read was the book "Mercy Come Morning" by Lisa Tawn Berger. I had just read another fictional book by her called "Breathe", and liked the way she wove solid Biblical truths throughout her stories without over-Christianizing the main characters. "Mercy Come Morning" was definitely another great book by her! It was simple and easy to read, and encouraged me, while making me laugh and cry... This story takes place in a modern day setting, while also spanning several generations as it goes back into family memories. The theme of the book is a woman who goes back to her hometown to say goodbye to her mother with Alzheimer's who is dying. She had a rough life growing up in a home with just a single mom, craving the acceptance and love of her mom, but never felt like she got it. Now she faces saying goodbye to a woman she doesn't really know, nor does her mother know her, so what can be expected? The author weaves in the stories of both women throughout the book, and how God is at work in a bigger picture. I definitely recommend this book to friends!

Rank my review here (it only takes seconds--make sure to verify your email if it's the first time you've ranked a book with this program!) and you'll be entered into a drawing to win a copy of this book!


Dislaimer: I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review as part of their "Blogging for Books" program.

Blogging for Books: Win a FREE Book!

Over the last six months I have been part of a program called "Blogging For Books". You've probably heard me mention "Blogging For Books" several times, but if not, here's a brief review: Waterbrook Multnomah, a Christian Publishing Company, offers all bloggers a chance to read & review books for free. Bloggers can sign up, then request a book, they ship it to you, you read it, post a review, and repeat the process. I've loved getting FREE quality, wholesome, Christian books over the last six months! This program is new, and they continue to improve  various aspects, like now offering e-books as well. Here's another new thing:

The newest improvement is to you, my readers! Now when you rank one of my reviews, you will be automatically entered to win a FREE copy of that book! All that's required when you rank a review is to provide your email address (you will have to verify your email address the first time). Interested in a free book? Here are my two most recent reviews you can go read & rank (I try to keep them short!):

"Never the Bride" (A Romantic Comedy about trusting the Lord with everything!)

"When God Created My Toes" (A Children's Book about how God created all of us!)


Let me know if any of y'all win!

Book Review: "Mine Is The Night"

I received another free book last week, "Mine Is the Night" by Liz Curtis Higgs, and was excited to get an adult fiction book to read. One of my favorite ways to relieve stress is to read a good book and take a hot bubble bath. 433 pages later, here's my review of the book...

"My first reaction to "Mine Is The Night" as I took it out of the package was, 'wow, elegant woman on the cover, but this book is THICK!' And as historical fiction goes, that can be good or bad. Great if it keeps the reader intrigued and transports them to another time in our world. But in the case of this book, not so great if it takes a really long time to get the story going... I was on page 150 and the only thing keeping me going was the fact that I had to finish the book to write my review so I could get another book. If this had been a library book, I would have just returned it.

I love classical literature, but this followed too closely with descriptions of rooms, dresses, expressions, thoughts, etc... Detailed and vague all at once. It took the first 200 pages to lay the groundwork of places and people for the second half of the book. It wasn't until the last 2/3 of the book that you realized (all of the sudden) very clearly that this is a parallel story of Ruth/Boaz from the Bible. So subtle, and then suddenly so obvious like it was a rush to cram it in. At that point, the story that was actually getting good, all the sudden turned predictable. I love the story of Ruth in the Bible and her courage to go to a strange land as a widow, following God and her mother-in-law. It's more how the book just suddenly makes all these associations back-to-back that made it feel cheesy.

As a mom, a 433 page book better keep things going, or I don't have the time for it. This might suit the taste of some people who like to linger through a book, but since I can only grab a chapter here and there, this book stayed tedious until almost the end.

Feels so weird to write a more negative review, but I definitely won't be recommending this book to anyone anytime soon.

Would YOU Live "Under The Overpass"

When you were in college, would you have dropped out for a semester to experience first-hand what living homeless in American might be like? Would you have such a heart for these people that you would leave behind family, friends & money... just to get a better idea of what a homeless man/woman goes through on a daily basis?

To be perfectly honest, I wouldn't. Maybe for one night, with a huge group of my friends. But not for five months, in 6 different cities across America. Yet that's exactly what Mike & Sam did, and Mike shares their story in his book, "Under the Overpass"*. These two students carefully embarked on this endeavor, did their research, and finally one day, were dropped off in a city, with everything they would own for the coming months in their backpacks.

A line in the book that made me come to an abrupt halt was: "While kids might people who don't exist do, it's the parents who pretend that unwanted people who do exist don't." I spent almost three years living as a college student in downtown Chicago, and walked by dozens of homeless people on a weekly basis. I learned to avoid eye contact and walk fast. I didn't want to get trapped into an awkward situation, or endanger myself. But I could have learned ways to treat those homeless men and women as individuals, to show them love, to recognize them, instead of just ignoring them.

In "Under the Overpass", Mike & Sam, two traveling companions with the same heart to put real Christian faith to the test, meet hundreds of homeless people, with hundreds of stories. I realized I have been guilty of judging people on the street just by their looks/situation. I see them as a person, but oftentimes automatically think of them as  person who just made all the wrong choices. I do this without even realizing that's what I'm thinking! This book was not written in a way to guilt-trip the reader, but gives the reader glimpses into dozens of various life stories. It challenges each individual reader to examine their own lives, and how they can be involved in reaching out into their community. Mike Yankoski brings his book to a close with an action plan. A practical, simple action plan that anyone can take hold of. Basic things like give food or giftcards instead of cash, to meet a true need (hunger) and not an addiction (drugs, alcohol, etc...). You can see all five suggestions in the Under the Overpass Action Plan here. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to get a glimpse of another world outside their own. If you would be interested in getting a sneak-peak at the book, you can read Chapter 1. You can purchase "Under the Overpass
" on Amazon.

So why would I choose to read this book? Because I needed a prodding to once again be reminded of life outside of my comfortable home. To be reminded that there is a lot of life outside of my town, life that is not pretty. And most of all, to be reminded that God's heart is burdened for everyone, and He greatly loves "the least of these." Am I allowing God to use me to love on people that may cross my path?

Feel free to rank my review:


* Disclosure: "I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review, as part of their "Blogging for Books" program."