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

The christmas singing

I am a big fan of Cindy Woodsmall so when I got the opportunity to read her latest book I jumped on it! I was a little nervous though with it being a novella because I read her trilogy's and I am always sad to see them end so I was worried how I would feel after this one ended in under 200 pages!!
I was really satisfied with the length and the story line!! As always with Cindy Woodsmall she creates these deep and meaningful characters that you just can't help falling in love with!! I especially fell head of heels in love with Gideon!! He is such a tender hearted man and I admired how he repeatedly thought of others over himself. Mattie was also great; she was a scatterbrained baker that I could totally relate to. I myself bake and decorate cakes so I understand her really well!
Like all other books by Cindy Woodsmall there is a lesson to learn; this being that the truth is always the best answer to all. Lying to someone you love, even just to protect them, can do more damage than you thought possible!! Gideon had to learn this the hard way! Not only was this a lesson of lying but also of forgiveness! While forgiveness can be hard it is what we Christians need to do!
One of my biggest issues with novellas is that they don't really get deep in to the story and you just feel short changed on the people and the story. I did not feel that way at all about The Christmas Singing. It was deep and emotional, humorous and overall charming! Overall I felt warm, cozy and satisfied with The Christmas Singing and I will be anxiously awaiting Cindy's next book!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Waterbrook Press. 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: "Guides Concerning the Use of

Cliques,Hicks and ugly Sticks By K.D. McCrite

Drama, Drama, Drama.
We've been there... and done that, I'm sure.
Well, at least I did. You know, back in junior high and all.
But sometimes it's fun to read a good book with a bit of drama.
That's just what I was able to do when I read
Cliques, Hicks and Ugly Sticks
Confessions of April Grace.
Aside from the fact that I really like the name April Grace, and I really like the cover ar
I love the story (cause I'm really a country girl at heart y'all.)
April Grace is pretty much enlisted by her mother to help
stage the church play. The only thing is, April Grace has to spend much of her entire fall on this project.
That, and she is expected to spend that time with Isabel and Myra Sue
AKA- "A+ drama queens."
Myra Sue is April Grace's sister (older sister that is.)
So, it inevitably makes her "dumb," didn't you know?
When everything is going so well (get the sarcasm) April Graces learns that she is
no longer the baby in the family.
I mean really, what more can happen?
{REVIEW}
I really like this confession from April Grace...
On Doing Algebra Homework:
"I have to say, my friend and I would probably have had more fun if we'd had
our teeth extracted by the dog dentist."
I laughed so hard when I read this! I'm terrible at Algebra and find it the least bit interesting.
I really like the fun headers and transition pages for the chapters.
The book would be a great gift for a pre-teen and some teenagers.
If you are interested in buying the book, Amazon.com has it available.

An Amish wedding by Beth Wiseman

An Amish Wedding" is a collection of three short stories written by three different authors. A Perfect Secret is written by Kelly Long. A Perfect Match is written by Kathleen Fuller. A Perfect Plan is written by Beth Wiseman. Each story is intertwined as the same characters are found in each story.

In A Perfect Secret the reader is introduced to Rose Bender. She agrees to marry Luke Lantz who has been her best friend most of her life. He is very practical and matter-of-fact. At least Rose thinks he is. As the days progress toward their wedding she begins to wonder is she ever really knew Luke at all.

In A Perfect Match the reader is introduced to Naomi King. She owns her own bakery business, and finds herself agreeing to help her friend and employee Margaret to find a husband. When Zeke Lapp shows up in order to attend a friend's wedding, he finds himself the object of a matchmaking scheme. His ideas differ from theirs as to which girl would be best for him, and Naomi finds herself torn between helping her friend and being true to her own heart.

In A Perfect Plan the reader is introduced to Priscilla King. As she plans for her wedding everything seems to be going wrong. She has always had to have everything planned out and running smoothly. So, when things don't go as planned she begins to wonder if she is in God's will. Is she really supposed to marry Chester Lapp? Her heart says yes, but her circumstances say no.

I really enjoyed reading all three stories. A Perfect Secret had some unexpected surprises that kept me turning the pages. A Perfect Match was predictable, but an enjoyable story nonetheless. A Perfect Plan was a bit unbelievable with all the things that did go wrong. And Priscilla's character was a bit ridiculous, but I did enjoy reading the story anyway. It certainly was not as good as the other three. If you need a quick light read this would be a good book for that. I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through their Booksneeze blogger program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

THE PIRATE QUEEN BY PATRICIA HICKMAN

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The pirate Queen by Patricia hickman
Well to do and unsatisfied. These words describe Saphora Warren, the main character in The Pirate Queen. Saphora is a southern woman who, after decades of marriage, has finally decided to leave her womanizing, plastic surgeon husband Bender. After Southern Living magazine visits their home to feature it in a future issue, Saphora packs her bags and leaves for their bungalow in Oriental on the Outer Banks, hoping to make sense of her self. Just as Saphora is about to leave for Oriental, Bender arrives home and says he's dying of cancer. With this monkey wrench thrown into her plans, Saphora agrees to care for him at their bungalow. Inwardly, she wants to kick herself for being such a pushover. Their bungalow gets more and more crowded when family members arrive and townsfolk stop by to check on them. Frustrated, Saphora asks God to show her the way back to herself. The Pirate Queen is a deep character study of Saphora who, after years of fulfilling her duties as a wife and mother, fights to discover Saphora. Hickman's poignant writing style allowed me to easily slip on Saphora's distinctive view of her marriage and family. In addition, the cast of characters in this story add dimension to the novel. This story courageously deals with the often unspoken expectations of womanhood, especially as women navigate their role in the home. The Pirate Queenhad me turning the pages, wanting to see how Saphora comes to terms with her life. A great story.

Indelible By Kristen Heitzmann
Trevor is former Olympian who now teaches skiing/hiking and suriving skills to kids along with whitewater rafting and rock climbing.On the side he is a local hero who is always helping local police find the missing or injured along the mountainside.He rescues his neighbor Natalie nephew from a lion,that is how they meet.Natalie owens the art gallery next to Trevor's store.Natalie has a gift or disabilty for sculpting but doesn't come without a coast.This book reminded me a lot of the tv show Criminals Minds were you could and see things from many angles.I loved the story line the most .I had never heard about this sort of disability with before and was every fascinted with her story.the ending is unprediectable and you never knew what was going to happen next.both Trevor and Natalie were dealing with some pretty awful history and a lot of things about themselves but as this story unfolded they grew and mature in a accepting who god made them to be.I recieved this book from WaterBrook press free in exchange for my honest review.
Posted by Wilma at 5:38 AM 0

The Crossing by Seita Jales

The Crossing is not a pretty story with a fairytale ending where everyone lives happily ever after. Actually it is a gritty, down-to-earth, real life narrative centered around a ten-year-old unsolved school bus murder and the lasting effects it has had on several witnesses and the people in their lives. Two of the students on board the bus on that fateful night experience symptoms of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Claudia Campbell experiences increasing bouts of anxiety attacks and her spending habits have gotten out of control. Police officer Casio Hightower struggles with out-of-control bursts of rage that physically harm the people he loves most. When Claudia's husband Victor, an assistant DA reopens the case in hopes of helping his wife, Casio determines to help him solve the case. As new clues come to light, secrets of the past are revealed that change everything they believed to be true. The Crossing was a new reading experience for me. Just when I thought I knew how everything would turn out, something totally unexpected and/or shocking would occur. Interspersed between present day narrative were the last thoughts of the murder victim as she lay dying. Although this did not contribute to the solving of the case, it did add extra insight to the story. The book is well written with evident thought given to the characters and their unique reactions to their shared experience with an emphasis on how faith made a difference in their circumstances. Although The Crossing is very different than the books I usually choose, I would highly recommend it for its honest and insightful look at how one event can change a life forever. This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing

Softly and tenderly

Softly and Tenderly by Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck
This book follows Jade as she wades through some of life's toughest issues. She says she feels like she's in the middle of a soap opera and I would have to agree. Some parts of the story and it's characters certainly weren't as believable as they could've been. "Jade begins to question everything she thought she knew about family, love, and motherhood", but in the end she "begins to see a future that doesn't rest on the power of her past, but in the goodness of God's tender mercies."
This book had an interesting story line that kept me guessing about what would happen next. However, I feel it focused too much on the negative and the bad things that happened and not enough on how God could be glorified through all that went on. I also feel like the story left me hanging - I finished the last chapter and was really wondering why the story was over right then. It was like my book was without the last two chapters! I appreciate the points made about forgiveness - there was forgiveness on many fronts in this book - and I think it makes you evaluate your own life to see if you, too, have secrets that need to be shared.
This book was provided free of charge from Thomas Nelson. All opinions expressed are solely my own.