The Christmas Singing: A Review

If you need a fabulous vacation read or a great gift idea, I highly recommend The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall.  I think I read this book in slightly less than 24 hours. 

Yes.  It was a weekend, ok?

A sweet story.  And it takes place in winter . . . I heart winter stories. 

Mattie, the main character, finds herself no longer engaged – and is very confused by her former fiancé.  Little does she know, her understanding of the situation that led to the breakup is far from the grave reality of the situation.

Three years later, a fire destroys her cake baking kitchen.  Mattie is forced to move back home while she recuperates.  This move causes her to collide with her former beau, causing conflicting feelings.

To read more, head on over to Amazon (this would fit in your stocking!)

A special thanks to Waterbrook Press for sending me a copy of The Christmas Singing to review for free.  I was not paid for this post nor do I have to return the book.

Lady in Waiting: A Review

Susan Meissner is on my “I’ll read her work anytime” list. 

Except I don’t have that list.  

But if I did, she would be on it.

Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner is a novel about modern day, Jane Lindsay, who finds her life intertwining with sixteenth-century, Lucy Day, the fictitious dressmaker to Lady Jane Grey .  A “random” find in a box of old relics from a moldy box leads Jane on a journey that helps to salvage a stale marriage. 

I enjoyed the long history that was linked to this little and almost priceless ring.  It would certainly be a ring that Gollum would covet . . . for it most likely represented a very secret, long forgotten covenant. 

Join Susan Meissner as she ponders who Lady Jane Grey was . . . where her heart lie . . . and what she triumphed in during her short reign.

Please rank my review!

 

Note:  I was given this book for free for review purposes.  I was encouraged to give my honest opinion.  I was not paid nor do I have to return this book.  Thanks to Waterbrook Press for a copy of this book, which can be found on Amazon.

God Gave Us the World: A Review

God Gave Us You by Lisa Tawn Bergren was already one of our favorite books.  An heirloom book.  A book that won’t end up in a Goodwill pile, or Paperback Swap, or a garage sale.  God Gave Us the World ($8.79) has recently joined the heirloom pile. 

Once again through the sweet dialogue of Little Cub and Mama Bear, a child gently learns big spiritual concepts such as the purpose and plan God has for our world, how much God loves us, how the world reflects God’s handiwork, and God’s creativity as seen by the variety of species of bears. 

My favorite quote from the book that I will leave with you,

“We love what we know because it’s home to us. 

Every bear has a special place in God’s great big world.”

This is a book that has the potential to spark many important big picture conversations.

(I was provided his book for review purposes to for free from Waterbrook Multnomah in partnership with MamaBzz. I do not have to return the book.)

The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari: A Review

The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari ,by Donita K. Paul and Evangeline A. Denmark, is a child’s story that should be read with a British accent.  Silly names accompany this tale about a dragon, named Padraig, and a turtle, named Roger.  They are camping at the base of Mount Sillymanborrow.  Throughout the night they are frightened by various animal noises and desire to return home. 

I have an imagination.  However, I struggled to read this book enthusiastically to my children as I found the dialogue forced and unrealistic for even a child’s tale.  As I understand it, this is a story parents can use to teach their children about trusting God when they are scared.  However, this gigantic leap is only made on the very last page which features Bible verse, Deuteronomy 31:6,

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. . . . God goes with you; he will never leave you.

Yet not once throughout the book do we see Padraig or Roger invite God to help them with their apprehension.  They rely on each other (which has some merit) and eventually return to their house as dawn breaks, having thus achieved their goal of braving night camping.  They feel successful.

This reader, however, finds their accomplishment meaningless.

Do my kids like the book?  Yes. 

But I would wager that if they were to backpack up into the Colorado Rockies with their mom and dad and hear coyote howls ricocheting the surrounding rock wall, they too might find Padraig and Roger spineless.

If you would like to win this book, head on over to my bloggy friend’s giveaway at The Munchkin Farm!  She has a different opinion of the book – so don’t just take my word for it! 

I am sure that you can tell I gave my honest opinion that wasn’t paid.  Please remember it is rare that I give a thumbs down on a product I review.  I don’t opt to review something that I feel I won’t like.  The Dragon and the Turtle Go on Safari was provided to me for free from Waterbrook Multnomah in partnership with MamaBzz.  It can be purchased for $8.63 here.

God Loves Me More Than That: A Review

The Bible tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son . . .  (John 3:16) and 1 John 3:16 reinforces God’s love for us by stating, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.”

As an adult, I find it hard (sometimes) to grasp the love that God has for me.  So if I, who have been loving Jesus for 16+ years now, struggle to wrap my mind around God’s abounding love, I would wager that to some degree it is a little hard for a kid to picture the unseen magnificent Almighty loving them.

Or maybe not.

They still have one of God’s greatest gifts – an imagination for the unseen.

So whether you or your child struggle with grasping the concept that God loves you, I invite you to read  God Loves Me More Than That by Dandi Daley Mackall and illustrated by David Hohn, to usher your imagination into the reality that God loves you very much.  The book is especially appealing to boys as it features a young lad who hops through the pages discovering that through God’s creation he can know

that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3: 17,18)

A special thanks to Waterbrook Press for allowing me to review this book.  I was not paid for this post, nor do I have to return the item. 

Shades of Morning: A Review

Shades of Morning by Marlo Schalesky is definitely a great summer vacation read.  It was one of those books that I stayed up entirely too late reading. 

Main character, Marnie Wittier, left her former life behind to start over in a new location.  However, her past followed her many years later.  Surprise!  She discovers that she has full custody of her sister’s son, who unfortunately died.  We embark on this journey with Marnie as she discovers how to care for a child she never knew about and who offers some challenges.   With the child comes the attorney handling all of her sister’s affairs, Marnie’s former boyfriend, who she never stopped caring about.

And with that . . . I’m not going to tell you anymore because there is a twist at the end!  I will warn you though, the twist isn’t entirely realistic, but it does wrap the story up with heartwarming feelings.

Note:  I received the book for free.  I do not have to return it nor was I paid for this post. 

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