Christmas Roses by Amanda Cabot (Book Review)

Title: Christmas Roses
Author: Amanda Cabot
Publisher: Revell

About the Book: Celia Anderson doesn't need anything for Christmas except a few more boarders, which are hard to come by in this small mining town. She certainly doesn't have a husband on her Christmas wish list. But when a wandering carpenter finds lodging at her boarding house, she admits that she might remarry if she found the right man--the kind of man who would bring her roses for Christmas. It would take a miracle to get roses during a harsh Wyoming winter. But Christmas, after all, is the time for miracles . . .


My thoughts:  This book was set in the 1880's and again, the main character was a strong woman who has been widowed and left with a small child.  Her marriage had been one that had been arranged by their parents, as was often done, and while her husband was a good provider, there wasn't a whole lotta love. Bertha Pearson, her best friend, is always reminding her that she needs a husband and that Emma needed a father.  Bertha has tried to tell her that there are a couple of men who would like nothing more to marry her, but Celia just doesn't buy that.  And besides, she wants more from her marriage than just convenience this time.

Mark comes to town looking for a father that left him and his mother when he was just a boy.  He has been tracking him for a couple of years and the latest information that he has, has led him -to this small town.  Needing a place to stay, he ends up at Celia's boarding house. He appears- --as an answer to her prayers, as not only does she need boarders, but he comes just as she is struggling with a sudden illness that has come upon her Emma.  He takes control of the situation and soon Emma is breathing easier.  This is just the first of many things that Mark does for Celia... just because.

I loved the way that the relationship developed between Celia and Mark, and how naturally they became friends.  They were able to give each other encouragement and support when they each needed it.   The story moves along naturally and sweetly and I really enjoyed it.  God's love and forgiveness is also incorporated into the story unobtrusively.  It was a very nice Christmas read and I have already recommended it to a friend.

Available September 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my unbiased review.~

About the author: Amanda Cabot is an accomplished author under various pen names and a popular speaker. The author of Paper Roses, Scattered Petals, Tomorrow's Garden, and Summer of Promise, she is also a charter member of Romance Writers of America, the cofounder of its New Jersey chapter, a member of the ACFW, and an avid traveler. She lives in Wyoming.

Christmas Roses

Publisher/Publication Date: Revell, Sept 2012

ISBN: 978-0-8007-2004-9

172 pages

The Christmas Pony by Melody Carlson (Book Review)

Title: The Christmas Pony
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Revell

About the Book:  Eight-year-old Lucy Turnbull knew better than to wish for a pony that Christmas in 1937. Her mother had assured her in no uncertain terms that asking for a pony was the same as asking for the moon. Besides, the only extra mouths they needed at their boarding house were the paying kind. But when an interesting pair of strangers comes to town, Lucy starts to believe her Christmas wishes might just come true after all. 

The queen of the Christmas novel, Melody Carlson pens another magical tale of expectation and excitement as one little girl dreams big and the impossible becomes possible.

My thoughts: This was a cute Christmas story and was just what I needed to start the season off with the right perspective.  (I was already starting to get cranky because of the increased traffic around the mall!)

  

Lucy's father died four years earlier and it has been tough for her and her mom and grandma. They have sold just about everything they can part with, including most of the livestock.  Her mom has been taking in laundry and borders for extra money, but times have still been hard.  

Lucy would really like to get Smokey for Christmas, the pony the neighbors are selling, but knows that it is unrealistic.  Even so, she prays for it, knowing it upsets her mother, but she also prays for boarders and the return of her mother's smile. She knows that God can do anything. 

Boarders do show up, but will it be the blessing in disguise that Lucy has been asking for?   

I really enjoy books set in this time period.  There is something about being reminded of the simple pleasures that makes me realize the stresses that we feel we are under these days really don't have to exist.  Many of them are self-imposed.  Living with Lucy and her family preceding the Christmas of 1937, and hearing how much joy Lucy has in making the gifts for her family, a picture frame for her mom, crocheted hot pads for her Grandma, gave a much needed lift to my spirit.  

~I received a complimentary copy of The Christmas Pony from Revell Books in exchange for my unbiased review.~

Available Sept 2012  at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Other Melody Carlson Christmas books I have read and reviewed:

The Christmas Shoppe

Christmas at Harrington's

The Christmas Pony

Publisher/Publication Date: Revell, Sept 2012

ISBN: 978-0-8007-1927-2

176 pages

Life with Lily by Mary Ann Kinsinger and Suzanne Woods Fisher (Book Review)

Title: Life with Lily (Book One - The Adventures of Lily Lapp)
Author: Mary Ann Kinsinger and Suzanne Woods Fisher
Publisher: Revell

Available October 2012  at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

About the book: On a small Amish farm in upstate New York, a young Lily Lapp has plenty to do and plenty of people to love.  but changes are coming -- including a new baby brother,  a new teacher at school, and new ways of looking at the world.  Lily's growing up Amish, and there's always a lot to learn -- if only Lily can stay out of trouble!

My thoughts:  I really enjoy the adult Amish books that I have read and this children's chapter book was no different.  It is hard to imagine a world where children can still grow up so innocent and simple -- and so joyful. 

 Lily's favorite thing to do is play with her rag doll Sally - and if she can do it with her cousin Hannah, it is even better.  You find the family often doing chores together, gathering eggs, planting a garden, or Lily helping out with her two younger brothers for her mom.  

But not everything is wonderful for Lily.   Her aunt is battling cancer, her teacher's buggy  was hit by a car and she had to stop teaching due to her injuries, and the new teacher is very strict.  And on a regular basis she has to put up with Mandy Mast.  One of the few girls her age, and being raised without a mother, Lily's mom has asked her to be understanding with Mandy - but somehow Mandy always seems to get Lily into trouble! 

 I really liked Lily and look forward to reading more about her adventures in the following books in this series. Book Two - A New Home for Lily is due out in February of 2013.  Find out more at www.AdventuresofLilyLapp.com. If you like the Little House on the Prairie books, then I think you will like the Adventures of Lily Lapp books.


About the authors:  Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of The Choice, The Waiting, The Search, The Keeper and The Haven, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Christy Award nominee and is the host of an internet radio show called Amish Wisdom. She lives in California. Visit her website www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow her on twitter @suzannewfisher.

Mary Ann Kinsinger was raised Old Order Amish in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. She met and married her husband, whom she knew from school days and started a family. After they chose to leave the Amish church, Mary Ann began a blog, A Joyful Chaos, as a way to capture her warm memories of her childhood for her own children. From the start, this blog found a ready audience and even captured the attention of key media players, such as the influential blog AmishAmerica and the New York Times. She lives in Pennsylvania.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book for Revell Blog Tours in exchange for my unbiased review.~

Life with Lily

Publisher/Publication Date: Revell, Oct 2012

ISBN: 978-0-8007-2132-9

288 pages

Reading level - 8-12 years old

The Reunion by Dan Walsh (Book Review)

Title: The Reunion
Author: Dan Walsh
Publisher: Baker

Expert storyteller Dan Walsh pens a new tale filled with the things his fans have come to love – forgiveness, redemption, love and that certain bittersweet quality that few authors ever truly master. Fans old and new will find themselves drawn into this latest story about restoration for the broken and ignored.

Walsh brilliantly weaves together two stories of men embroiled in turmoil – Aaron Miller a Vietnam vet who returned from war only to lose everything and of Dave Russo, a writer unable to love again. The Reunion opens with Aaron, 40 years after the war, slowly putting his life back together. Dave uncovers his heroic actions during the war, leading both men to find a second chance in life and love – if they’re willing to take a risk.

Walsh captures genuine emotion in his writing, and according to RT Book Reviews, he “demonstrates that, like Nicholas Sparks, men are capable of writing romantic fiction.”

Walsh has mastered telling stories set in separate time periods. The Reunion is a contemporary story with flashbacks to Vietnam. When Walsh was young, he hated history until he discovered a few non-fiction history books that read like page-turning novels. “They made history come alive,” says Walsh. “Reading became a joy. That’s my goal now, to create that same experience for my readers. I hope they get inspired and thoroughly enjoy themselves.”

Available September 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Dan Walsh is the award-winning author of The Unfinished Gift, The Homecoming, The Deepest Waters and Remembering Christmas. He lives with his family in the Daytona Beach area, where he's busy researching and writing his next novel. Visit www.danwalshbooks.com for more information. 

My thoughts: Dan Walsh continues to make my list of favorite books.  This one started out like any other book - you know what I mean - just starting to get to know the players, seeing if the storyline was one that was going to grab you, wondering if it was going to keep your attention - and boom - I was hooked and already half-way through.  

I loved Aaron Miller.  He was this unassuming older man who was just living his life trying to make other's lives a little easier.  He was a Vietnam War Vet where he had won the Congressional Medal of Honor, but because of how his life fell apart after the war, he didn't feel like he was deserving of it and never spoke of it.  Like many Vietnam Vets, he came home from the war with lots of psychological/emotional baggage as well as physical wounds that left him hooked on painkillers. All this made him unbearable to live with so his wife sent him packing.

Years later, after he had cleaned up his act, he tried to reconnect with his kids, but his wife shut the door on that idea and told him to just move along.  For twenty years he has lived with the regret that he has never been able to have a relationship or even know anything about his kids.  He finally got away from living on the streets, but his housing now is just a handyman's shed at a trailer park/campground.  From his little shed though, he does what he can to make the lives of the residents a little easier, a little safer, a little less lonely.

Dave Russo is a reporter writing a book to honor his father, who was killed in Vietnam.  He was just recently reunited with his son, Jake, because of the death of his ex-wife. He has realized that he had been valuing the wrong things in life and has vowed to spend more time with Jake.  While interviewing a Vietnam Vet for his research, he is set out on a journey to find Aaron Miller.  Little does he know how far, yet how near, this journey will take him.

I recommend having a box of Kleenex for the last third of this book.  I kept expecting my son to ask me why I was crying, but I guess he is used to seeing Mom cry while reading!  I have also read and reviewed Remembering Christmas and The Deepest Waters. 

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Baker Publishing in exchange for my unbiased review.~

The Reunion
Publisher/Publication Date: Baker, Sept 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8007-2121-3
304 pages

Director's Cut by Janice Thompson (Book Review)

Title: The Director's Cut (Backstage Pass #3)
Author: Janice Thompson
Publisher: Revell Books


About the book: Tia Morales is used to calling the shots. She's the director of the popular sitcom Stars Collide, and her life on set is calculated and orderly. Well, most of the time. But her life outside the studio is another matter. If only she could get her family to behave as well as her stars do When she starts butting heads with handsome camera operator Jason Harris, it's enough to send a girl over the edge. Will she ever learn to let go and take life--and love--as it comes? 


Full of the humor and crazy family dynamics Janice Thompson fans have come to love, this colorful story gives readers an inside look at Hollywood and a healthy dose of romance.

Available June  2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

My Thoughts: I had the opportunity to read the second book in this series last fall (Hello Hollywood!) so wanted to learn what happened with some of the other characters that we met then.  This time we get to take a step into Tia's shoes.  As the director of Stars Collide they are some big shoes to fill!  Between her job, "flipping" her house, and her ongoing family drama she is under a lot of stress. She is beginning to feel some attraction to her head camerman, but as their relationship has previously only been to antagonize each other, she is not sure what she is feeling.

This was a lighthearted romance that moved along quickly and was fun to read.  I really liked Tia and enjoyed the family drama that she was going through (helps to put one's life in perspective at times). This book helps to see when it is important to be in charge and when you need to let go and let God be in charge. 

I haven't had the chance to read the first book in the series, Stars Collide, and may still go back and read it to be able to fill in any missing parts.  I did like that she added a little extra info at the end of the book to tell you what the characters did after the book ended - that was kind of fun!

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my unbiased review.~

You can connect with the author at her blog Janice Hanna Thompson where she has been blogging with true stories about her career as a director.

The Director's Cut

Publisher/Publication Date: Revell Books, June 2012

ISBN: 9780800733476

296 pages

You're Already Amazing by Holley Gerth (Book review)

Title: You're Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You to Be
Author: Holley Gerth
Publisher: Revell


About the book: Pssst. . .pull up a chair and I'll tell you a secret.  You'd better lean in close for this one.


Ready?


You don't have to do more, be more, have more.


I'm sure there are security alarms going off somewhere.  You should probably hide this book when your in-laws come over.


But it's true.


It's the kind of true that will change your life, set you free, and make you wake up smiling for the first time in a long time.  I know because that'ss what it did for me. . .


So watch out, sister.  If you keep reading, you just might be next.

With this heart-to-heart message, Holley Gerth invites you to embrace one very important truth -- that you truly are already amazing.  Like a trusted friend, Holley gently shows you how to forget the lies and expectations the world feeds you and instead believe that God loves you and has bigger plans for your life than you've even imagined.

Available March 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

My thoughts: I love these type of books, but I always have a hard time reviewing them.  I think it is because different parts of the book can speak differently to everyone.  So I guess I will just tell you what part touched me and then give you an overview of the book's layout.

I have been having a tough time lately and my emotions have been all over the place. My daughter recently entered into an open adoption with a local couple and we have been dealing with the facts that what open adoption means to us, does not mean the same to them.  Even though we had plenty of discussions before hand and thought we were all on the same page.  So anyway, I cried through out the entire first chapter. And it really hadn't even started to get to the meat of the subject.

The chapter that really got to me was "Why Do I Feel This Way?".  Did I mention that I have been really emotional lately?  I did?  Okay - well, at one point in the chapter she says - Your emotions have nothing to do with reality right now.  Does that ever happen to you?  You get all bent out of shape emotionally, but when you really think about it, you are not quite sure why?

Another question that she posed in the book was, and this one is from memory because I couldn't find it, but it had something to do with what is behind the way you are feeling right now - what is driving your emotions.  (and I was thinking that a lot of my emotions right now are being driven by fear - afraid that I won't get to know my granddaughter like I want to, afraid that my daughter will not be able to move forward, afraid that she will think she did the wrong thing) It made me take a step back and try to put some perspective on everything and, not that I have completely surrendered it to God, I am on a better track.  I still have a little stubborn streak that I have to let go of, but I am aware of it and know I will get there.

This is definitely a book that I would love to share in a Bible study with a group of women, but at any rate, I plan on going back and spending a little more quality time in each chapter. There is a "Go Deeper Guide" in the back of the book that would be great for either a group or for my individual use.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Blog Tours in exchange for my review.~

You're Already Amazing

Publisher/Publication Date: Revell, March 2012

ISBN: 978-0-8007-2060-5

216 pages

Sarai by Jill Eileen Smith (Book Review)

Title: Sarai
Author: Jill Eileen Smith
Publisher: Revell


About the Book: Sarai, the last child of her aged father, is beautiful, spoiled, and used to getting her own way. Even as a young girl, she is aware of the way men look at her, including her half-brother Abram. When Abram finally requests Sarai's hand, she asks one thing--that he promises never to take another wife as long as she lives. Even her father thinks the demand is restrictive and agrees to the union only if Sarai makes a promise in return--to give Abram a son and heir. Certain she can easily do that, Sarai agrees.

But as the years stretch on and Sarai's womb remains empty, she becomes desperate to fulfill her end of the bargain--lest Abram decide that he will not fulfill his. To what lengths will Sarai go in her quest to bear a son? And how long will Abram's patience last?

Jill Eileen Smith is the author of the bestselling Michal, Abigail and Bathsheba, all part of The Wives of King David series. She has more than twenty years of writing experience, and her writing has garnered acclaim in several contests. Her research into the lives of biblical women has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in Old Testament times. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.

Available March 2012  at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

My thoughts: I really enjoy Biblical fiction books and this one was no exception.  While there is no replacement for reading the true story from the Bible, for me, it is a lot of fun to read the stories with all the added dimensions that the authors bring to them. It is fun to imagine along with the author what the characters may have been thinking, and learning more about the times in which the people lived. 

This is the story of Sarai, wife (and half-sister) of Abram.  The prologue starts out with the wedding of Lot (Sarai and Abram's nephew) to his wife Melah - then it jumps 15 years into the future.  Melah is trying to get Sarai to make a sacrifice to her (Melah's god) to try to help her conceive a child.  Sarai gets as far as the temple steps and then turns and runs.  She cannot be unfaithful to Abram's God, Adonai.  

The theme running through the story is about Abram and Sarai's vows - that Sarai would give Abram a son and that if she did, then Abram would never take another wife.  Abram had also received a promise from Adonai that he would have a son and his descendants would be great, but that he needed to leave his father's household and go to a land that He would tell him to go to. Sarai and Abram go through many many years waiting for the promise of a son.  They travel through many lands, including Egypt, where Abram almost loses Sarai to the Pharoah because he claims Sarai is his sister, not his wife.  He thought he could protect her better that way -- but Adonai sends an illness to the wives and children of the Pharaoh and the truth comes out.  Sarai and Abram are sent on their way, unharmed.

I don't think that I would be spoiling this for anyone if I tell them that Sarai does eventually bear a son, Isaac, in her old age, just as God had promised.  This is where the book comes to a satisfying conclusion.  I hope that I get to read more of the Wives of the Patriarch books in the future. 

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Donna at and Revell Blog Tours in exchange for my review.~

Sarai

Publisher/Publication Date: Revell, March 2012

ISBN: 978-0-8007-3429-9

320 pages

The Jerk Magnet by Melody Carlson (Book Review)

Title: The Jerk Magnet
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Revell

About the book:  When Chelsea Martin's future stepmother helps her transform from gawky and geeky into the hottest girl at her new school, Chelsea is pretty sure it's the best thing that ever happened to her.  But her hot new look has a downside.  She's attracting lots of guys who all have one thing in common: they're jerks.  Oh, and stealing the attention of all the guys in school doesn't exactly make her BFF material for the girls.

Finally a great guy catches her eye.  But he's the only one around who doesn't give her a second glance.  Can Chelsea come up with a plan to get his attention?  Or will her new image ruin everything?

Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

My thoughts:  This book does a real good job of getting to the heart of how easily we judge people -- and even though this is a YA book, I don't just mean teenagers here.  Chelsea's new stepmom helps her transform from a wallflower into a rose, but she isn't equipped to deal with the attention that it garners.  Still being the insecure person on the inside, she either doesn't trust the friendships she is making or she gets too caught up in keeping the outside appearances and always feels like she is 'acting' so no one will know who she used to be, or really still is inside.

She eventually comes clean with her next door neighbor and new friend Janelle.  She has been attending some youth group functions with Janelle and rededicates herself to God (she had accepted Christ when she was much younger, but due to the death of her mom and some changes with friends, she didn't ever grow in Christ.)  So now she is trying to fit in with her new looks and new friends and is learning to trust in God to be her friend through it all. 

There is one guy though, Nicholas, who is a strong Christian, seems like a nice guy, and Chelsea has developed a crush on him.  For some reason, though, Nicholas won't give her the time of day.  She can't figure out what she might have done to make him dislike her so. Well, Janelle comes up with a great social experiment for her and Chelsea to try out at a fall church camp.  While they sort of knew what the results would be, to actually live it and then be able to share it with their peers was an eye opener for all involved.

This is a great book for any YA - boy or girl (though the boys may be a little bored with it.)  I think the message would relate to both sexes, and is one that we all need to be reminded of occassionally.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Blog Tours in exchange for my unbiased review.~

The Jerk Magnet

Publisher/Publication Date: Revell, Jan 2012

ISBN: 978-0-8007-1962-3

217 pages

Challenges:

Where Are You Reading?

A to Z Reading Challenge

Completely Contemp Challenge

Just Contemporary Challenge

YA Contemporary Challenge

YA Reading Challenge

ARC Reading Challenge (2)

Free Reads Challenge



Remembering Christmas by Dan Walsh (Book Review)

Title: Remembering Christmas
Author: Dan Walsh
Publisher: Revell

About the book: Rick Denton lives his life on his terms. He works hard, plays hard, and answers to no one. So when his mother calls on Thanksgiving weekend begging him to come home after his stepfather has a stroke, Rick is more than a little reluctant. He's never liked Art and resents the man's presence in his life, despite the fact that his own father abandoned the family when Rick was just twelve. When what was supposed to be just a couple days helping out at the family bookstore turns into weeks of cashing out old ladies and running off the homeless man who keep hanging about, Rick's attitude sours even more.

Still, slowly but surely, the little bookstore and its quirky patrons--as well as the lovely young woman who works at his side each day--work their magic on him, revealing to Rick the truth about his family, his own life, and the true meaning of Christmas. With skillful storytelling, Dan Walsh creates a Christmas story that will have readers remembering every good and perfect gift of Christmas.

My thoughts: This book was sort of bittersweet for me.  Rick's stepfather, Art, didn't have a stroke, but had a brain aneurysm, and while I was reading it, my Aunt Corinne had a brain aneurysm burst and passed away the next day.  Her funeral was two days before Thanksgiving (part of the reason why I was absent from blogging for awhile).  But I don't want to overshadow the wonderful story in the book.

Rick's father had taken off when he was a kid, so when his mom married Art, he made no effort to welcome him to the family..  Though Art made many attempts to get to know Rick, Rick continued to push him away, eventually leaving for college and a career.  He seldom made it back to his hometown and had never gotten close to Art. He returned now to help his mom out, as she needed to be at the hospital and the bookstore they owned was their only source of income.  The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas were some of the best sales weeks of the year, so they really needed to be open.  Rick reluctantly gives up his ski weekend and heads home.

This was actually a very enjoyable book to read.  Rick is the narrator and he remembers the events one day while sitting at the corner across the street from where the bookstore used to be. It isn't an over the top sentimental Christmas story though.  The events really could have happened. It deals more with family relationships, finding out what's important, looking beyond the surfaces - making it all happen at Christmas time just makes for a nice Christmas book.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Baker in exchange for my unbiased review.~

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Remembering Christmas

Publisher/Publication Date: Revell, Sept 2011

ISBN:  9780800719791

272 pages



The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson (Book Review)

Title: The Christmas Shoppe
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Baker

About the book:  The small town of Parrish Springs is not ready for Matilda Honeycutt. A strange older woman with scraggly gray hair and jewelry that jangles as she walks, Matilda is certainly not the most likely person to buy the old Barton Building on the town's quaint main street. When it becomes apparent that her new shop doesn't fit the expectations of Parrish Springs residents, a brouhaha erupts. After all, Christmas is approaching, and the last thing the town needs is a junky shop run by someone who looks and acts like a gypsy. But as townsfolk venture into the strange store, they discover that old memories can bring new life and healing.

Once again, Melody Carlson delivers a Christmas story that will touch hearts and delight the senses. Sure to be a classic, The Christmas Shoppe is filled with the special magic the best Christmas stories share--that intangible mixture of nostalgia, joy, and a little bit of magic.

My Thoughts: This was definitely a feel-good story but for those who  might be scared off by the title, I did not find it overwhelmingly "Christmas-y".  It was set in the weeks before and after Thanksgiving, and does give you small doses of the message of salvation, so would be good for someone who doesn't have a personal relationship with Christ.

It made me think about treasures from my childhood that might evoke nostalgic memories if I were to stumble across them today.  Like a Mrs. Beasley doll or an old diary. Do you have treasures in your life that remind you of a certain time or experience?

This was a quick story and just gave you glimpses in to the lives of these townspeople.  I look forward to seeing if Melody Carlson is going to expand on any of these characters for any further books.  Seems like there would be some interesting backstories or future stories here - Like that of Rose, Susanna's mother-in-law; or the future of Susanna and Tommy. 

If you want a quick read and a "warm-up" book for the Christmas season - take a look at The Christmas Shoppe.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my review from Baker Publishing.~

The Christmas Shoppe

Publisher/Publication Date: Baker, Sept 2011

ISBN: 978-0-8007-1926-5

168 pages

Knit with Love by Lisa Bogart (Book Review)

Title: Knit with Love: Stories to Warm a Knitter's Heart

Author: Lisa Bogart Publisher: Revell
About the book:  The rhythm of knitting brings peace and joy to life.  Knitters love to share stories, skills and even their stashes of elegant yarn.  And they love finding new outlets for their talents.

Knitting can't feed the hungry, fight crime, or stop global warming, but a hand-knit sweater warms a cold child.  A cozy scar eases a homeless night.  A tiny hat comforts a new baby's head.  A lovely prayer shawl wraps a worried patient in peace.

Through inspiring stories and gentle encouragement, Knit with Love, reveals the many ways you can, with your own two hands, bring joy and comfort to those around you.

My thoughts:  This was a nice easy read for me this week.  It is filled with stories of how others use their knitting to bring themselves peace, or try to add a little peace to the world around them.  It is also great for inspiration and encouragement.

Of course, I also found it frustrating this week, as I just purchased some yarn to make blocks with my soon-to-be granddaughter's name on them (project picked out by my daughter) and then have to limit things I do with my eyes!  I am definitely not one of those knitters who don't have to look at their work.  I wanted to make her a blanket, but she is already getting one from MY mom, so she wanted me to do something different.  She set off for Hobby Lobby tonight and I told her to look for some more yarn for a blanket anyway.  So as you can see, this book is urging me to knit! 

Really though, what I think I liked best about it were all the stories, both big and small, in which people used their knitting to reach out to others.  It gave me tons of ideas for places to look where I might be able to help out, even in a little way. And the ton of websites that are listed is wonderful!  I think I especially like the woman who said to take a little time to think about the end recipient.  Don't send crazy hats to people in a war zone where they might become targets - or teddy bears to children in Africa, but maybe a different kind of animal toy.  And the idea of praying for the recipient as you stitch it is pretty neat too.

If you know a knitter, or are a knitter, I think you would enjoy taking a look at this book.  If you are a wannabe knitter, this just might be the thing to push you over the ledge!   Take a chance!

Available October 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

 

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my review.~

Knit with Love: Stories to Warm a Knitter's Heart
Publisher/Publication Date: Revell, Oct 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8007-1970-8
171 pages

The God Girl Bible - Hayley DiMarco (Book Review)

Title: The God Girl Bible
from Hayley DiMarco
Publisher: Revell

Now the popular God Girl Bible is available in a fantastic new color! The perfect companion to the #1 CBA bestseller God Girl, the God Girl Bible merges GW with incredible new material that helps a girl become the woman she was meant to be. Jam-packed with special features created just for them, the God Girl Bible offers teen girls

• Book Intros: including quick facts about author, audience, themes, and more God Girl Stories: 26 full-page profiles of women in the Bible
• Know This Devotions: 200 half-page devotions on topics related to becoming a God Girl
• Ask Yourself: sidebars that encourage girls to consider how God's Word applies to their lives on a practical level
• Prayers: 40 timeless prayers rewritten in language today's teen girl understands
• Quick Relief: index of helpful verses on topics and issues teens face
• GodGirl.com: a site where girls can interact with Hayley and other God Girls diving even deeper into their Bible study

My daughter's thoughts: I like this Bible because it reads like someone is talking to you.  The version is translated into today's language - so easy to understand.  It lays out a plan how to start reading and gives a great glossary in the back so that you aren't clueless.  There is also a quick relief section in the back - has good stories about women and girls who love God and their profiles.

It helps explain to you what you are reading so that you can understand it - so I don't always have to go to my mom to have her help explain something. It is kind of like a text book in that it highlights the important terms, ideas and themes.  It explains these ideas and themes of each book before you read it, which helps with understanding. 

This Bible also is so soft to touch and is really pretty.  I haven't gotten to decorate mine yet, but plan to spend some time doing that.  I think any teenage girl would love this Bible.

~I received a complimentary copy of this Bible from Revell in exchange for my review.~

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

God Girl Bible Snow White/Pretty Pink, Tree Design Duravella
Publisher/Publication Date: Revell, Sept 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8007-2016-2
1520 pages

Hello Hollywood! by Janice Thompson (Book Review)

Title: Hello Hollywood!

Author: Janice Thompson
Publisher: Revell


About the Book: Athena Pappas is the head writer on Stars Collide, one of the most popular sitcoms in television history.  But when Vegas comedian Stephen Cosse is brought in to beef up the show's suddenly sagging ratings, she starts to worry about her job.  Sparks fly as the competition -- and attraction -- between the two writers heats up.  Athena has never had a problem writing the romances of her characters.  So why is her own love life so hard to script?


With humor and a Hollywood-insider viewpoint, Hello, Hollywood! delivers lots of laughs as Athena and Stephen discover that not being in control of the ploy of their lives might just be the best thing that ever happened to them.

My thoughts: This was a very lighthearted book and quick to read.  I believe it is the second in a series, but, as I have not read the first one, feels it reads well as a stand alone also.  I didn't feel as closely connected to these characters though, as I did with her characters in the Weddings by Bella series. 

Athena is the head writer on a sitcom, and even though she is head writer, she doubts her abilities.  When they bring on another writer for a new perspective, it makes her doubt herself even more.  In spite of this, she finds herself attracted to the new writer.  With her low self-esteem though, she doesn't feel he would want anything to do with her.  Though they can write humorous romance for the show, their own romance doesn't follow any script.

The story has a lot of secondary characters that fill out the ensemble, including her cowriters, her family, and even an adopted dog. Though it wasn't one of my favorites, I did enjoy the story and the unobtrusive message of faith that was intertwined.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my review.~

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Hello, Hollywood!: A Novel (Backstage Pass)
Publisher/Publication Date: Revell, Sept 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3346-9
278 pages

Book Tour: The God Girl Bible (Oct 2-8)

God Girl Bible
Snow White/Pretty Pink
Tree Design Duravella
Hayley DiMarco


Now the popular God Girl Bible is available in a fantastic new color! The perfect companion to the #1 CBA bestseller God Girl, the God Girl Bible merges GW with incredible new material that helps a girl become the woman she was meant to be. Jam-packed with special features created just for them, the God Girl Bible offers teen girls

• Book Intros: including quick facts about author, audience, themes, and more God Girl Stories: 26 full-page profiles of women in the Bible
• Know This Devotions: 200 half-page devotions on topics related to becoming a God Girl
• Ask Yourself: sidebars that encourage girls to consider how God's Word applies to their lives on a practical level
• Prayers: 40 timeless prayers rewritten in language today's teen girl understands
• Quick Relief: index of helpful verses on topics and issues teens face
• GodGirl.com: a site where girls can interact with Hayley and other God Girls diving even deeper into their Bible study

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Tour: Hello Hollywood by Janice Thompson (Oct 2-8)

Say Hello to Hollywood!

Find out just how funny life can be when you try to script it.

Popular romance author and screenwriter, Janice Thompson, is charming her readers once again with a behind-the-scenes look at life in Hollywood. Her new book, Hello, Hollywood! (ISBN: 978-0-8007-3346-9, $14.99, 288 pages, September) is the second installment in the Backstage Pass series. This time, Thompson takes her readers inside the writer’s room.

At 28, Athena Pappas has a pretty great gig. She’s the head writer of one of the most popular sitcoms in television history, Stars Collide. Yet, something’s still lacking: her love life.

Athena finds nothing wrong with still living at home with her large, wacky Greek family and making her bed with the same Strawberry Shortcake sheets she had as a kid. None of that has prevented Athena from plotting her characters’ romances. So why is her own love life so hard to script?

Athena’s love life gets the shakeup it needs when her boss hires up-and-coming Vegas comedian, Stephen Cosse, to help boost the show’s sagging ratings. Feeling her position as head writer threatened, she starts to doubt her talents, and the fact that Stephen is as good looking as Adonis doesn’t escape Athena’s attention either.

Sparks fly as the competition—and attraction—between the two heats things up. While they struggle to create conflict and comedy for their characters on the page, Athena and Stephen develop a relationship they never would have scripted for themselves and discover that not being in control of the plot of their lives may just be the best thing that’s ever happened.

Hello, Hollywood! delights readers with its charm and humor. Every character will jump off the page and into the readers’ hearts.

Janice Thompson is a seasoned romance author. An expert at pulling the humor from the situations we get ourselves into, Thompson affords an inside look at TV land, drawing on her experiences as a screenwriter. She is the author of the Weddings by Bella series and lives in Texas. To learn more about Janice visit her at: www.janicethompson.com

Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman (Book Review)

Title: Grace for the Good Girl
Author: Emily P. Freeman
Publisher: Revell

About the book: You're strong. You're responsible. You're good. But. . .

. . . as day fades to dusk, you begin to feel the familiar fog of anxiety, the weight and pressure of holding it together and of longing left unmet.  Good girls sometimes feel that the Christian life means doing hard work with a sweet disposition.  We tend to focus only on the things we can handle, our disciplined lives, and our unshakable good moods.

But what would happen if we let grace pour out boundless acceptance into our wornout hearts and undo us?  If we dared to talk about the ways we hide, our longing to be known, and the fear in the knowing?

In Grace for the Good Girl, Emily Freeman invites you to release your tight hold on that familiar, try-hard life and lean your weight heavy into the love of Jesus.  With an open hand, a whimsical style, and a heart bent brave toward adventure, Emily encourages you to move from your own impossible expectations toward the God who has graciously, miraculously, and lovingly found you.


My thoughts: I could - can - relate to the good girl that Emily Freeman is talking about in this book.  

"Still, I like knowing the rules.  If the sign says Don't Touch, I don't touch.  If it says Keep Out, I stay away.  If the form is due on Friday, I'll turn it in on Thursday just in case. . . .And even though I admit to occasionally bringing candy into the movie theater, I am always worried that the ticket person will search my bags and throw me out for smuggling in a bottle of water and two Peppermint Patties." (Grace for the Good Girl, p68)

This is very much me - but it would be a can of soda and Three Musketeers! I was the good girl in high school - good grades, didn't like confrontations, didn't smoke, didn't really drink. . . When my dad passed away the end of my junior year, I kept the mask on for weeks that everything was fine before I could even let myself breakdown and cry.  That mask of responsibility that I had to be strong for everybody else.  And then I went into my first marriage.

"She also believed she was supposed to form her opinions around his.  She loved peas but wouldn't cook them because she knew he didn't like them.  She waited for Charlie to come home for dinner before she would eat.  Even if he called ahead to tell her to start without him, she refused and suffered through hunger headaches for the sake of being wifely." (Grace for the Good Girl, p90)

This is pretty much how the first couple of years of my marriage went and when my husband would go out to sea, I would basically fall apart because I had no one to "be a wife" for, so I didn't know how to act.  After we got a divorce, I came to realize that many of my "favorites" were not really my favorites at all - but were my ex-husbands favorites.

I often think know, who in their right mind thought that I was responsible enough to take care of three kids?  I am 45 years old and still don't feel like a grown up.  I listen to other women talk and feel like I am an inadequate teenager playing a game of dress up.  Do I show this?  Of course not.  I am still pretty good at wearing masks.  I know that taking off these masks is not something that is going to happen overnight. 

"I understood at an early age about the first rescue.  Jesus came to save sinners.  He came for the lost, the broken, the hurt, and the lonely.  He came to heal sick people and to raise dead people and to die for the sins of everyone.

Never once did I consider he also came to save me from myself.  I'm a good girl who has done good things and has good intentions for the world around me.  What harm could I do to myself?  But then I reconsider, and I think of the effort and the work.  And then the shame.  I think of the worry that keeps me up at night and the fear that perhaps I've not done enough.  I think of the way I compare myself and the pain that comes when I grasp for worth and security from my husband or my job or my children." (Grace for the Good Girl, p124)

I can remember when I quit work when my son was born 7 years ago, how I didn't feel "needed" because I wasn't working a 40-50 hour a week corporate job.  I was feeling worthless, but didn't realize that I had staked so much of my worth on that job.  It took me a very long time to come to realize that my worth as a person did not diminish because I was a stay-at-home mom.  I still struggle with it from time to time.

I don't want to say that there are "steps" that she outlines in the last part of the book, because accepting Christ and living in Him should not and does not follow a  checklist. I have yet to learn how to stop trying so hard to be good and do good in order to be good enough for Christ.  He has already paid the ultimate price, all we have to do is receive Him and remain in Him.  I need to learn to let go of trying to control everything and rest in the peace that ALL things are in Christ's hands and His control - then maybe I can take off all the masks once and for all. I am looking forward to rereading the last sections of this book to reaffirm what I know, but seem reluctant to embrace.


Oh - there is a study guide at the back so that this book can be used as a small group study.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my review from Revell.~


“Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”
Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life
Publisher/Publication Date: Revell, Sept 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8007-1984-5
257 pages