Book Review: Shaken

Tim Tebow's story is inspirational to all readers. Here is a man who is willing to wear his faith for others to see. His life has not always been as charmed as it appears on the outside. He has had his share of criticism and scrutiny. However, he has learned from each obstacle that has been placed in his way.

This is the book that shows how this hero has turned into an inspiration and role model for many others. He shares his faith with others not to be proud but to show others that he has also seen difficult time and he shows that God is always with us. God is faithful. He helps us to learn how to live the Christian life.

We can share the behind the scenes events from his younger life. This book is for Tim Tebow fans and for all Christians. I looked forward to reading this book as a fan, but I feel like I have come away from it a stronger Christian.

I was given this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Wanting to teach her students about Mary Kingsley, Megan Jennings scheduled a tour to Africa. While there she finds Vidalia, a psychic, an unusual professor, a prince, a village headman and a witch doctor. Plus she became kidnapped. By the end of the book, and the tour, Mary discovered the vastness of her Divine Appointment.

This book reflects real life adventures by Lilly Maytree, the author. I found this book amusing, breathtaking and exciting. The idea of following her dream intrigued me. I feel this book encourages us to try to do just that. There were areas where I felt it was a little choppy but I enjoyed it overall.

Previously I did read the author's book "The Pandora's Box" so I knew what a great writer she is, but this book is a totally different experience. Difference is good. 

Overall I would give this book four stars out of five. 

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book may be purchased at Amazon HERE!
Barnes and Noble HERE
and Christianbook.com HERE

Book Review: Jadah's Wife by Angela Hunt

Leah had a childhood that would not be envied. Her father was verbally, as well as physically, abusive. To escape from this life, Leah marries Judah.

Judah saved Leah and her friend from some boys who would have liked to have their way with the girls. In addition to his physical strength, Judah is also a gentle person.

This area of the world is ruled by Antiochus IV who was one of Alexander the Great's generals son. He expects obedience to his every word. If the Jews do not they face death. This leads to conflict within the Jews as they risk all to follow Moses' law.

Leah is looking for peace while Judah's father starts a war by ignoring Antiochus IV degree. When faced with death he urges Judah to continue fighting.

This story of the Maccabees helped to clarify so much for me. I have read many of Angela Hunt's books and I know that she researches the subject before she writes the novel. The story is filled with the history of this time that I needed to understand the conflicts at that time.

The characters had depth and the descriptions of the people and the time was so concise that I was able to place myself in the time and place. I enjoyed this book very much.

I was given this book by the publisher, Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Heir to the Everlasting

In this book, "Heir to the Everlasting" Janice Daugharty focuses on Big Eddy which is the home of three generations of women from the South. This is their home. Pinkie Alexander's story takes place at the beginning of the previous century. She is a strong-will woman who is also lovely. This strong will helps her to make sure that her family survives on their home. A place that holds the family cemetery as well as secrets from the family past.

Pinkie's story is told through the eyes of her granddaughter as she grows. Pinkie considers the land and Big Eddy as much her family as those that take human form. She knows these will help sustain the bodies and souls of others in future generations.

Hon, the granddaughter grows up. However, she comes back to Big Eddy alone, and with her husband. She sees that her Grandmother Pinkie is aging but the importance of love is still being sowed in her loved ones.

The second part of this book continues with Hon's story, but now she is older. Many know her as the name that Pinkie gave her, Hon, than by her other name, May. We read about Fancy, Hon's sister, and their relationship. This is so tender and loving. We also see that Hon now takes care, part-time, of her granddaughter, Sara Ann. Sara Ann's father, Hon's son, Herman isn't sure how to care for Sara Ann, so he is strict and does not show love to his daughter. Herman's wife left many years ago but Sara Ann does not know the truth as to why. Due to these factor's Sara Ann prefers the company of her grandmother than her father. 

Through this book we see love instilled in others is love that will grow throughout the years. There are good and bad occurrences but these just make up the story of Big Eddy and this family.

There are other characters introduced through the story, who become apart of a woven cloth. They help to make interesting lives. The writer knows how to invest each character with depth to help the reader become involved through the reading. 

The author has spent her life in the location of the story and the love she feels for it is evident everywhere. She researched information and has described the area in such a way that I felt I was there myself.

For those who enjoy reading generational books or books centered around the South, I would recommend they look into this book.

I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Book Review: Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner

In the book Good in Bed, Cannie Shapiro has had a pretty good life, in spite of the fact that her mother has come out of the closet and her father is now where to be found in her life. She has wonderful friends, including Nifkin, her faithful rat terrier. She works for The Philadelphia Examiner.

One momentous day she see "Loving a Larger Woman" in a woman's magazine, written by her ex-boyfriend. Being larger, Cannie comes down to earth, but deals with the year in front of her. She travels round trip to Hollywood and begins a new life beginning to see who she is right now and who she wants to be.

I enjoyed this book, the serious and the fun parts. Weiner does such a good job writing realistic characters. In this case dealing with a size 12 woman who is viewed as large. I like how she was turned around to see what a valuable person she is.

This is a well-written book and I recommend it.
I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. 

This book may be found on Amazon HERE!

and on Barnes and Noble HERE!

Old Celtic Romances

Celtic stories are amazing. Most have been handed down from one generation to another. This people believe in keeping their heritage alive. They used to only do it orally through story-tellers. They were meant to memorize each of the poems, tales and even the historic tales and to share them with others. It is not unusual, then, for the story tellers to be given a house of honor and to be highly respected.

The author who brought the tales together is a folklorist who translated the tales from the Gaelic manuscript into today's English. Many are based on real-life events. Included in these romances are tales of warriors, maidens, monsters and mermaids. There are 13 in all including "The Overflowing of Lough Neagh," "Connia of the Golden Hair and the Fairy Maiden," and "The Fairy Palace of the Quicken Trees.

The compiler of these tales made an admission in his prologue that when he erred it was on the side of keeping the sense of the language instead of a literal translation. There are also footnotes throughout the book to help to clarify words or places.

This book is a reproduction which means some of the elements may not be ideal. The font is rather small throughout but more so in the poetry.

Those who are interested in the history of the Celts, like I am, would enjoy this book.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Creative Haven Fanciful Sea Life

Creative Haven makes some of the most beautiful pictures to color. This book is filled with many pictures to get the colorful imagination going. The pages only have illustrations on one side, so the reader does not have to worry about their colors bleeding through to ruin another picture. Plus each page is perforated so it may be taken out before or after coloring begins.

Inside there are picture of penguins, jellyfish, mystical sea creature plus many, many other delightfully created outlines to color in. I am so excited.

I think the most disappointing thing will be when I finish it, although then I will have many pictures to hang upon my wall.

I was given this book by Dover Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Creating Celtic Knotwork

I enjoy Celtic knotwork, plus I am working on keeping a journal this year. So when I came across this book, I fell in love.

The book begins with a basic grid page, to be copied, then continue on with the basics, such as a basic Celtic knot and how to modify it. They also give models of different knots such as the trefoil knot.

Some of the other sections in this book include borders and corners, crosses, spirals, maze and step patterns, zoomorphics, techniques and materials.

I found this book to be just right for me. I am not usually a very good pencil artist, but with this book in my hand, I believe that I can make a start at creating my own Celtic knotwork.

I was given this book by Dover Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Beneath a Prairie Moon

I have become fascinated by the writings of Kim Vogel Sawyer, as of late. This book is a good example why.

In Beneath a Prairie Moon, Abigail Brantley has suffered the affects of her father's illegal actions. She has been thrown from the world of social registers to one where she is now a tutor for ranchers in Kansas. These men need to be educated in manners so they can be deemed worthy to their mail-order brides.

There is one man, Mack Cleveland, who does not want these mail-order brides coming because of how his father was taken in by a scheme like this. Mack has also decided that Abigail does not belong here. Soon however he sees the work she is doing for the ranchers, but he knows that life needs more than smooth edges and he wants to show this to Abigail.

This author has a talent for developing the characters in her story. Each one stands alone and does not need to rely on others to create their story. I was envisioning the characters and the scenes as I read along. She also is great at showing the differences between the characters she writes about.

This was more than a historical novel. It contained twists and turns that surprised me throughout. I highly recommend this book.

I was given this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Under a Cloudless Sky

This novel tells how a town's past can bring it down or save it. Set in Beulah Mountain, West Virginia, in 1933 and in the present. In the past, there are two girls who make a vow. Ruby and Bean come from two different homes. One is the daughter of the mine owner and the other is the daughter of a mine worker. Both girls are looked after by Bean's mother and they do not know about the conflict that is coming.

In the present, Hollis Beasley has decided he is going to hold onto the legacy which his family left him on Beulah Mountain. His friend Buddy Coleman, however, want to increase the coal production of the town and open a museum. He wants to share the entire history of this town, including the 1933 uprising. He also will do this without care for anyone else.

These two stories come together through an elderly woman who lives miles away. The children of Ruby Handley Freeman want to take away the life she knows, so she disappears. While she is going she discovers a secret which will effect her and those who come across her path.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat clear until the end. It is so well-written that I felt like I was int he midst of the story from beginning to end. There is suspense throughout. I look forward to reading other works by this author in the near future.

I was given this book by Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.

This book may be found at Amazon HERE!
or
at Barnes and Noble HERE!

Book Review: The Masterpiece

Roman Velasco is a successful artist in LA. On the outside he appears to be the man who has everything. There is only one person who knows differently, Grace Moore. When he looks out at the view from his mansion, in fact throughout his house, he sees demons. When he gives into these demons he is a graffiti artist, named the Bird. This other side of Roman could end his career and land him in jail.

Grace also has her own secrets. Her former marriage turned her off of love, until she came to know Roman by more than his artistic reputation. This story tells how these two have learned to fit their lives together in spite of difficulties thrown their way.

Francine Rivers has the magic touch to be able to take people and their circumstances and thrown them together in unexpected ways. She does this without sacrificing faith throughout the book. For those who already love her works this will not let you down at all. For those who have not read her books before, try this one, it will leave you wanting to read her other creations as well. This is a fantastic book.

I was given this book by Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.


This book may be found at Amazon HERE!
or
at Barnes and Noble HERE!