SISTERS IN FAITH

HOLY BIBLE

BY Michele Clark Jenkins

Stephanie Perry Moore

 

 

I love Bibles. My whole family just loves them. We have at least one Bible in every room (well not the bathroom cause that would be weird). So anytime I get the opportunity to review a Bible, I go for it! Sometimes I might get a little overzealous and not pay enough attention to the Bible and its intended audience. That was the case with the Sisters in Faith Holy Bible. It is a lovely Bible and I noticed all the beautiful women across the bottom of the cover but I didn't notice they were all African American or that it said "Encouraging and Empowering African-American Women with God's Truth." All I can say is I will try to pay better attention from now on and I love the Bible anyway!!
So even though I would not be the intended target of this Bible, I will give you my honest review and it will be a lovely Christmas gift to a wonderful African- American friend of mine. First of all the dust jacket is bright and beautiful. The cover itself is a rich purple (my favorite color!) and it is a hardback which insures it will be intact for many years. Inside the cover is a picture of church ladies in colorful dresses and hats and that same picture reappears on inside of the back cover. The Bible comes in the King James Version.
The features include:
Bible highlights
A Plan of Salvation
Overviews of each book of the Bible
Devotionals to delve deeper into the readings
Extra note taking pages
Maps
And so much more.....
This Bible is so feminine. I love the light colors, the delicate pages, and the notations of "She Speaks." These are small passages outlined throughout the Bible to help you better understand the females that are in the Bible. Stories of women like Sapphira and Mary, The Mother of Jesus. I believe any woman would really enjoy this Bible. I also think the beautiful extras geared towards African-American women will be appreciated by those women. This would make a wonderful Christmas gift (imagine giving a Bible on the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus!).
I received this Bible from booksneeze.com for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.

AN ANGLE BY HER SIDE

By Ruth Reid

I couldn't wait to pick up this book! I really enjoyed the first two books in the Heaven on Earth series by Ruth Reid and I knew that this one would be another fantastic read! This author keeps getting better. She perfectly blends the Amish genre in seamlessly with angel fiction and the result is amazing. The second and third book really shows that the author is finding her niche. If you're looking for a great series to read this year then I strongly suggest these books.
About the Story:
Katie Bender is a twenty-nine year old school teacher and borders on "old maid" status in her Amish culture. After the death of her fiancée--Katie accepts that it may not be God's will for her to marry and have children and teaching becomes a passion for her. That is--until the school and her community is hit by a devastating storm that destroys everything in its path.
Seth Stutzman arrived in the community before the storm and as fate would have it--he is the one who helps Katie and her school children escape from the school's storm cellar. His presence in Hope Falls is a mission as well. He is there to help his brother-in-law who is still grieving the loss of his wife. The situation that Seth finds in the home is an emotionally charged train wreck. Amos has become bitter and depressed and his children are also suffering.
Amos has stopped going to church and refuses to help with rebuilding the community. Despite struggling with a hidden learning disability and a dark secret that has destroyed his confidence--Seth is determined to do his part. He jumps in on the relief efforts and finds encouragement in an old man that no one seems to know. Perhaps he is from a neighboring community?
What is unknown to Katie and Seth is that the friendly and helpful old man named Elias is actually an angel. He is watching over Katie and Seth and even Amos--protecting them from the fallen angel, Razzen who is bent on destroying lives and turning this family away from God and away from each other. I particularly enjoyed the struggle and the battle scenes that raged between Razzen and Elias. It is a very interesting and unique concept taking place within the story.
This book was a smashing hit. Once again I was pulled into the community of Hope Falls and hung on every bit of dialogue between the characters and also between the angel and demon. I thought it very interesting that these characters were not your run-of-the-mill-perfect characters that are often presented in books and rather had very real issues. Amos had his depression, Katie was often overbearing and Seth struggles with dyslexia. Very real characters that you can relate to! If you're looking for new Amish fiction to read that is unique--Ruth Reid's Heaven on Earth series is well worth the read!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

MORE THAN A BUCKET LIST by Jennifer Barrow

More Than A Bucket List" by Toni Birdsong is a good title for people in all stages of life (teenager, young adult, middle age, retired) who wants some ideas for new challenges and undertakings in life. The book is around 260 pages and may be completed in a few sittings and contains such thoughts as:
1. Suggestions for praying over your business.
2. Historical US places to visit.
3. Famous personalities' previous jobs before they became famous.
4. Ways to practice compassion towards others.
5. Suggested books to read.
6. Places to visit around the world.
7. Bizarre places to visit.
8. Things to learn from your grandparents while they're still around.
9. Things to do at a public library.
10. Questions to ask yourself before you go online (perhaps your time can be better spent doing something else).
Some of the suggestions I have already done or plan to do in the future. I will pass the book on to our daughters to read so they may get come creative ideas on things to do with their lives.

ISLE OF SHADOWS

Enslaved in a world of money and power, Tessa dares to be free... Raised as courtesan to wealthy and powerful men, Tessa of Delos serves at the whim of her current patron, the politician Glacis. After ten years with him, Tessa has abandoned all desire for freedom or love, choosing instead to lock her heart away. However, when Glacis meets a violent death in his own home, Tessa grasps at a fragile hope. Only she knows of his death.
If she can keep it a secret for long enough, she can escape. Tessa throws herself on the mercy of the Greek god, Helios, but finds instead unlikely allies in Nikos, a Greek slave, and Simeon, Glacis's Jewish head servant. As Simeon introduces her to a God unlike any she has ever known and Nikos begins to stir feeling she had though long dead, Tessa fights to keep her heart protected. As an assai nation plot comes to light, Tessa must battle for her own freedom-- and for those whom she has begun to open her heart-- as forces collide that shatter the island's peace.
Tracy L. Highly started her first novel at the age of eight and has been hooked on writing ever since. She has authored nine novels, including Garden of Madness. Tracy is currently perusing a graduate degree in Ancient History and has traveled through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Italy, researching her novels and falling into adventures. You can read more about her travels via her website.
My thoughts: I think this book has come a ways from when it was known as Shadow of Colossus. The cover is beautiful, as it provides a great setting for imagery. I like that the book comes with a reading group guide. None of the chapters are terribly long, though there are 42 chapters and 374 pages. This is my first book from Ancient History, and I actually liked it! Thanks BookSneeze for introducing me to Historical Fiction! Isle of Shadows- Book Review: 4/5 stars...
Disclosure: I received the book mentioned above for free in exchange for my time spent to read and review it.

Return to Sunday Dinner

By Russell Cronkhite

Return to Sunday Dinner by Russell Cronkhite (a professional chef himself) is filled with twenty-four manageable menus that will bring back the wonderful tradition of those Sunday dinners. None of the recipes have a list of 30 ingredients nor do they contain ingredients you've never heard of and few (if any) spices that you have to buy just for this recipe. Another piece that adds interest to this cookbook is that each recipe has a brief history given. Each menu has a story of the meaning includes easy time-saving and do-ahead tips for tasks you can complete the day before and the morning of the day you plan to serve your special meal. I think you'll also enjoy the personal touch added to the menus when you read the brief stories of the significance of Sunday dinners in another's life.
If you aren't hungry when you pick up this book, you will be within minutes and it will leave you looking forward to making your next "Sunday dinner". While I originally ordered this book as a gift, I don't think it is going anywhere. Whether for a gift or something for yourself if you love to cook for your family, you can't go wrong with Return to Sunday Dinner.
What should I fix this Sunday? Grandma's Fried Chicken? Sage-rubbed roast pork loin with cranberry-apple cider Glaze? Warm pear strudel with vanilla sauce? Amish potato rolls? Spiced pumpkin mousse cake? Is Sunday dinner more about the food or making memories? You decide.
I did receive this book free from Book sneeze in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review

A path toward love

by Cara James

When I opened up "A Path Towards Love", I really didn't have any expectations. I hadn't read this particular author's writing before, but I do always enjoy a good historical fiction read, so I decided to try it.
All her life, Katherine Osborne was raised to become a woman of New York society. To her parent's dismay, she runs off at the age of 18 and elopes with a young man that is not up to the high standards of a mate that her mother has set for her. They settle in Florida to manage her husband's family orange groves, but that is where the whirlwind romance ends. Quickly, Katherine finds herself in a loveless marriage and soon after, a young widow. Struggling to make ends meet, her father convinces her to travel up north for a month long vacation of leisure: swimming, canoeing, picnics, dancing. Oh, and don't forget that her mother already has her next marriage partner picked out: Randy, a non-committal, lazy son of an heir who is pressured as well into courting Katherine.
Enter Andrew, Katherine's dearest friend from her childhood and cousin of Randy. He also happens to work for Katherine's father as a lawyer for his company AND he's in love with the boss's daughter (Katherine). Andrew, unlike Randy, warn born into modest means and has not lived the life of luxury. Unfortunately, because of his lot in life, he has never been considered a favorable suitor for Katherine. As Andrew's affection grows, the more persistent Katherine's parents are that she becomes engaged to Randy.
I really did enjoy this novel, but I wouldn't say it was any different than any other historical romance. It's sweet, easy to read and has a predictable ending. BUT I did enjoy it. I would have enjoyed it more if she would have had more "distance" between Andrew and Katherine. Perhaps Katherine could have moved back down to Florida or maybe Andrew actually did end up going west to California. Through it all they could have exchanged letters, etc. I just felt like it could have been so much more. But I still liked it.
Technical critique: I read the Kindle version, and the beginning of the paragraphs didn't indent, so it was hard to tell when one paragraph ended and another began. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but it took away from the content of the novel. I hope that this is a feature that can be fixed as it was rather distracting and annoying.
I received this novel in exchange for my review from BookSneeze. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one

Cruel Harvest

by Fran Elizabeth Grubb

was a hollow existence: nomadic, extreme poverty and deprivation, with no comfort. Fran's father sold her older brother for five dollars, murdered her infant sister and sexually molested his other other daughters.
Fran could be excused if she were bitter. But she is not. Even as she watched her mother and older sisters run away from the family, disappearing one by one, even as she sought opt make sense of her circumstances, even as she struggled to get her young adult life on track, Fran was able to down what her father could not - love, enjoy life, embrace God.
There is more, much more, to this story. There is wickedness and despair. But there is also courage and hope. And a happy ending too.
This was a hard book to read but it is also one I did not want to put down. Fran Grubb handled the telling of her story with grace and dignity. Even without graphic details, one could envision the horrors of her life.
I am in awe that in spite of her tragic circumstances, she kept clinging to hope; believing in a God that did not seem to answer her prayers.
I was not ready for the book to end and hope she plans to share more of her life and that of her siblings as they one by one removed themselves from the monster they called "daddy". I hope that one day she is able to find Mary Anne and Millie.
While the book is filled with horrors, Fran's ability to love and forgive is the real story.
Should you buy the book? Without a doubt!!
I received this book free from the publisher through the Book Sneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Faithful to Laura

by Middlefield Family

The main character in this book is Laura Stutzman, a young Amish girl that fell in love with an "English" man named Mark. She was raised in the small, close knit Amish community in Etheridge, Tennessee. One day she met a handsome English man that helped in her family's bakery. The two teenagers fell in love but only later did she realize he was just using her to get the money from the bakery. After stealing the money, setting the barn on fire and locking her inside to die does she realize that he is not the man she thought he was. Now left with permanent scars on her face, she decides to go to Ohio to stay with some kin until she can face her parents. All she can focus on now is finding Mark and exacting her revenge for all he has done but her Amish roots are telling her she needs to forgive. However, Laura doesn't know if she can forgive and although meeting someone new is the last thing on her mind, her heart may have other ideas.
Sawyer is a "Yankee" that has been raised by the Amish since his parents' death when he was a child. Now, the time has come to choose which life he wants to follow, Amish or Yankee. To further complicate things, a lady claiming to be his grandmother shows up wanting him to come with her to New York so she will have an heir to leave her wealth to when she dies. Sawyer doesn't know which way to turn. Then he meets Laura and all of a sudden has someone he can talk to. He sees past her scars and looks into her heart. Is being Amish in God's plan for him and if so, can he ever get Laura to trust him after her previous experience with men?
I loved this book and although there are other characters and their stories intertwined, I found it very intriguing and hard to put down. I would definitely read more books by this author in the future.

The scent of Rain

by Kristin Billerbeck

It's Daphne's wedding day. She has given up her dream job for love with the perfect man and to start the perfect life. The only problem, the groom didn't show up for the wedding. Left at the altar heartbroken embarks on a new journey to reevaluate her life. She heads across the to the new home and job miles away from family friends only to discover nothing is really what it had seemed to be. Daphne is a professional "nose" hired to turn around a failing business, but suddenly her sense of smell has disappeared. Feeling like a fraud on her new job, Daphne sets out to support the new boss, Jesse, to help make the company flourish and so he doesn't lose his job.
I really enjoyed Daphne's character and riding the ups and downs with her as she discovered the true reasons behind her loss of smell. As she makes these discoveries she grows personally and learns to make better choices without losing her own identity. Daphne encounters many people to help her through this time and she She discovers kindness and caring, how to accept help and friendship, and how to give to others for the right reasons. She also realizes that God can work all these situations together for good and to show her the real meaning of love.

The Bride wore Blue

The Bride Wore Blue by Mona Hodgson is an intriguing historical novel. The third book in the Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek tells the story of Vivian, the youngest of 4 sisters. The choices she made both before the novel starts and during, are not the best choices, but understandable and definitely a part of the story. This novel is about unconditional love and forgiveness, as well as not judging others.
I loved Vivian with her spunk, and her insecurities, as well as her resourcefulness and desires to not be beholden to her sisters. How she didn't give up just because the first job she tried for did not work for her and that she did not look to a man to fulfill her.
Carter grows from a man blaming a prostitute for his father's death, to realizing that all people have reasons for doing what they do, and that it does not mean that God's Love and Forgiveness is not for them. Vivian's sisters are great characters, and I would love them for my own. I have not read the other sister's stories, but would like to go back and read them. Not because they need to be read in order to have this own make sense, but because I have found a great author in Mona and would love to read more of her novels.
I received this book free from Waterbrook Press through their Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review, which you have here. The opinions stated are my own.

Tis Scarlet Cord

Rahab was a young Canaanite girl in Jericho who hid two Israelite spies. In doing this she was able to save herself and her family from Joshua's army during the battle of Jericho. During this time Rahab learns of the one true God and finds favor with God and in turn is placed in the genealogy of Christ. That is essentially all we are told about Rahab in the Book of Joshua.
"This Scarlet Cord" by Joan Wolf brings the story of Rahab to life by letting us imagine what her life was like before and after she met her future husband, Sala. Rahab was kidnapped as a girl and rescued by Sala. Several years later they meet again. They soon realize their love for one another but he is an Israelite and she is Canaanite. Sala shares his religion and the one true God with her and in her time of need she beings to pray to God instead of the pagan gods of the Canaanites. When Rahab hides the Israelite spies and helps them escape they give her a scarlet cord to hang from her window. The cord will be a sign that she and whoever is in the house will be spared. After Rahab and her family leave Jericho unharmed, both her father and Sala's father allow them to marry. Many years later their descendent Joseph married Mary who was the mother of Jesus.
I have read and heard about the battle of Jericho since I can remember. But I never paid attention to Rahab and what an important person she was. Joan Wolf brings her to life and shows us that no matter what kind of a person we are God can and will use to for a greater purpose. I received a complimentary copy of this book to review fromBookSneeze.

Arms of Love

by Kelly Long

Kelly Long sweeps us away to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in the year 1777; to a tumultuous time in the history of our country, where the Redcoats, loyalists, patriots, and Amish pacifists coexist. It is also a time of great political unrest, and persecution towards the Amish sect, who, in spite of their peace loving dictates, find their hearts rebelling against the injustices perpetrated in the colonies.
In spite of the political uncertainty surrounding her, Lena Yoder, a beautiful young Amish woman, can barely contain her joy. She is in the throes of love with the handsome Adam Wyse, and her mother is expecting another child. Unbeknownst to Lena, however, in just a short time a promise that her dying mother exacts from her beloved Adam, will turn her world upside down, and she will find herself forced to turn to another for support, Adam's brother, Isaac.
Adam Wyse carries a dark secret of guilt and shame from being physically abused, and ponders joining the Patriot's cause to try to escape his problems, the worst of which is being unable to bear seeing his beloved Lena with Isaac. Can Adam ever overcome his demons?...and why does his father seem to delight in tormenting him so? Will Adam run off to war, and keep his promise to Lena's mother concerning her?...and is it too late for forgiveness and redemption between a father and son, and a lifetime of abuse?
This was the first book I have ever read by Kelly Long, but it won't be my last! She touches on some very heavy issues in this book; PTSD, child abuse, the controversial habit of unmarried Amish young people "bundling", to name a few. Her characters are realistic and not flawless as in some of the Amish books of today, and I loved the inclusion of an older couple's romance, which landed a tender, heartwarming touch to this novel. This is truly a heartrending story of love, redemption, and forgiveness

Momaholic By Dena Higley

book about women for women, particularly those who `hover'-- parents who constantly seek to be perfect mothers and people.
Dena Higley hovered over her family until the day her world bushwhacked her and she fell apart. Through an unexpected major glitch in dreams for her oldest daughter she slowly recognized her need to control everyone and everything. She slowly gave up always rescuing her family-- and let them develop the character God intended for them.
Higley writes with a lively, compelling style and unrelenting honesty. Her story begins with her trip to the Emergency Room from an overdose of vodka. Then she explains the difficult lives her children deal with. This author's family problems will awe you. Many of us could fall apart from less.
After her dramatic first chapter Higley tells readers what is truly wonderful about her children and husband. She explains the symptoms of helicopter monism, to help other parents escape similarities. She began finding answers to her destructive behavior when she accepted her need for help.
Throughout the book we hear a talented growing human who discovers how to enjoy life. Grand-parents as well as parents can benefit from this absorbing account of an imperfect, great family.

Need You now

    By Beth Wiseman

This is Beth Wiseman's first non-amish fiction book. While I wanted to love it, since I am a big Beth Wiseman fan, I didn't. It's a good book, but to me it lacks the spark that Beth Wiseman's books usually have.
The basic story is that a city family moves to the country, in an attempt to separate their children from some undesirable situations. (A son with bad friends, a daughter with boyfriend troubles)Once they settle into their fixer upper, they find that trouble can't be outrun so easily.
Darlene, the main character, is the mother of 3 children who finds herself wishing for a job outside the home in order to make some new friends and feel a little more "independent." Her husband isn't overly fond of the idea, but wants his wife to be happy and tries to support her desire to work. From this point, the family begins to fall apart. Their son engages in questionable behaviors, their middle daughter develops a dangerous addiction, and secrets between husband and wife threaten the very fabric of the family.
Unfortunately I found many of the characters a bit flat, and some almost unnecessary. (Many barely got "fleshed out" so to speak)The husband is almost an afterthought through much of the book, as is the youngest child. A side story about a neighbor is mostly a distraction. The husband blames the family's troubles on the wife working outside of the home, the wife blames the husband for working too many hours...Too many problems pop up, one after another, until the story gets far too spread out, wandering all over the place. In the end, many of the loose ends don't really get addressed, and the neighbor is suddenly a focal point, distracting from the main story about the family.
I still give the book 4 stars, as it was a good read. However, I usually cannot tear myself away from a Beth Wiseman book until it's finished. This book did not quite inspire that feeling. It was a good read, but it was nothing like Beth Wiseman's usual writing. The characters didn't feel as "real" which is a departure from the usual, since Beth's Amish characters often seem so real, that the reader forgets that they don't know them in person. I do think that it would be wonderful if Beth continued to write non-Amish Christian fiction, but I hope that future novels have more of the "Wiseman spark" that was missing from this one.

The Wedding Dress

 

    By Rachel Hauck

Four brides. One dress.
A tale of faith, redemption, and timeless love.
Charlotte owns a chic Birmingham bridal boutique. Dressing brides for their big day is her gift--and her passion. But with her own wedding day approaching, why can't she find the perfect dress--or feel certain she should marry Tim?
Then Charlotte purchases a vintage dress in a battered trunk at an estate sale. It looks brand-new, shimmering with pearls and satin, hand-stitched and timeless in its design. But where did it come from? Who wore it? Who welded the lock shut and tucked the dog tags in that little sachet? Who left it in the basement for a ten-year-old girl? And what about the mysterious man in the purple vest who insists the dress had been "redeemed"?
Charlotte's search for the gown's history--and its new bride--begins as a distraction from her sputtering love life. But it takes on a life of its own as she comes to know the women who have worn the dress. Emily from 1912. Mary Grace from 1939. Hillary from 1968. Each with her own story of promise, pain, and destiny. And each with something unique to share. For woven within the threads of the beautiful hundred-year-old gown is the truth about Charlotte's heritage, the power of courage and faith, and the beauty of finding true love.
I loved it!! I loved the characters and the story. I loved the mystery of the dress Charlotte was trying to solve, and the places and people that mystery led her to. I could not stand the suspense of seeing how it was all going to end up and finished the book in one rainy, lazy, Sunday afternoon. I loved the ending!! I thought the author did an awesome job tying it all together. The ending gave me chills and made me cry. My favorite thing though, was the symbolism of the dress. "It's just like the good news of the gospel of Jesus. Always fits. It don't need no changing. The good news is always good. It never wears out and by gum, it's always in style."
I received a complimentary copy of The Wedding Dress from Thomas Nelson for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation.

Beauty For Ashes By Dorothy Love

 

 

One of my favorite promises from God is that "all things work together for good for those who love God." This verse gives me hope when life doesn't make sense...and when I'm not sure that I'm making the right decisions. I know that as long as I'm putting my trust in Him and doing my best, all things will work together for good--maybe not in the way I want them to, but for His good.
Beauty for Ashes tells Carrie Daly's story. Carrie is an orphan and a widow who lives with her only brother. Unfortunately, her brother is marrying a woman with undisciplined children--a woman who demands that Carrie serve her and her children and even give up her own room. In response, Carrie leaves, not even returning upon her brother's request to help his now-pregnant wife as he leaves town in search of a job.
In the meantime, Carrie falls in love with Griff, a man who is in town only briefly to train a horse for a race intended to breathe life back into their dying town. Both Carrie and Griff are running away from their families, following their own way instead of listening to what God wants for them.
In doing so, Carrie misses a chance to say good-bye to her brother before he dies, and Griff misses the opportunity to have a relationship with his father. In the end, though, both find that God can bring beauty, even from the ashes of our bad decisions and selfishness.
This was an interesting read, though at times the story seems a bit implausible.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review