“Bread and Wine” by shauna niequist, book review

“Bread and Wine” by shauna niequist, book review

“a love letter to life around the table with recipes”

Author Shauna Niequist shares her passion for family, friendships and food in this new book published by Zondervan.  Each chapter stands alone with a short essay or story about her family or friends and a recipe.  It is easy to get to know the characters in the stories and learn about their lives.

The recipes range from simple to rather complex, but after reading the story that accompanies it, the reader seems empowered to try it.  Through out the book Niequist shares cooking and entertaining tips.  The book also includes basic entertaining guides, pantry lists and a reading guide to use the a book club.

This book would be a nice gift for a foodie or wanna be foodie.  Also those who enjoy cooking and entertaining would like this book.  It would make a nice mother’s or father’s day gift.

Disclaimer:  I received this book from Zondervan.  All opinions expressed are my own.

“Unbreakable” Road to Kingdom Book 2, by Nancy Mehl, book review

“Unbreakable” Road to Kingdom book 2, by Nancy Mehl, book review

This is the second in the Road to Kingdom series (#1 Road to Kingdom- Inescapable) and it continues the story of the Mennonite community in the small town of Kingdom.  This book deals with the Mennonite stand on non violence even during the attach on their town and people.

Hope is run off the road while on the way home from the fabric store.  While she is unhurt, the buggie is damaged.  Thankfully, Johnathan happens by in his pick up and scares off the attacker and gives Hope a ride home.  Later another member of the community is killed when his buggy is forced off the road.

The elders of the church meet to determine how to protect the people of Kingdom.  They long-held tradition of not using violence was challenged again and again as the attacks continued and became for violent.  Each member must decide how to protect themselves and their family, and there was quite a bit of disagreement.

This book was easy to read, but I did find the chapters a little long. And I thought the author could have explained a bit more of the Mennonite doctrine to educate the readers.  There was just a bit of romance and it was nice to see how these young folks turned to God in searching their life mate.

Disclaimer:  I received this book from Bethany House Publishers.  All opinions expressed are my own.

“Revealing Jesus” by Darlene Zschech, book review

“Revealing Jesus” a 365 Day Devotional  by Darlene Zschech, book review

I was most familiar with Darlene Zschech as a recording artist, and love her music.  So I was quite fascinated with her daily devotional book.  She has poured her heart and soul into this book.

It is set up in a traditional devotional format, with a verse or verses at the top of the page, then her thoughts as the body of the reading, and a prayer or response at the bottom.  It is a single page per day, so not a huge time committment in reading, but her words are quite thought-provoking and can linger for most of the day.  She uses song lyrics to open each month, and there are subtle graphics throughout the book.

This devotional would be good for either a man or woman (some devotionals tend to appear very feminine) and the book is beautifully bound, so would make a nice gift.  This time of year I think of Mother’s Day or graduation.  There is a companion CD that has the recordings of the songs that open each month, which would be a great way to meditate even more on the scripture passages of each day.

Disclaimer:  I received this book from Bethany House Publishers.  All opinions expressed are my own.

“North of Hope” by Shannon Huffman Polson, book review

“North of Hope” by Shannon Huffman Polson, book review

Author Shannon Polson lives what many live in fear of, that phone call that says your loved ones have passed.  For her, it was her father and stepmother, who were vacationing in the wilds of Alaska, and they had died in a rare bear attack.  In dealing with her grief, Polson, also travels to Alaska to walk in her father’s last foot steps, to gain some personal closure.

This book chronicles her path of grief and the remote places it leads her.  I did find the chapters and story a little difficult to follow, as she tended to jump around the time line from past to present, and many chapters dealt with her deep thoughts and feelings of the times.  She shares many details of her life and the relationship with her father and stepmother, sometimes difficult.

This book would be for someone who has an interest in the wilds of Alaska, as much of the book discusses various aspects of this often uncharted land.  But there is a sad undercurrent to the story, that did leave me a little depressed, as she kept searching for something she could not ever find.

Disclaimer:  I received  a copy of this book from Handlebar Direction for Publishing.  All opinions expressed are my own.

 

“A Dream So Big” by Steve Peifer, book review

“A Dream so Big” by Steve Peifer, book review

“Our Unlikely Journey to end the Tears of Hunger”

This non-fiction book chronicles the journey of the Peifer family from Dallas, TX to Africa and the impact that was made on the American family and the African children.

Steve shares from his heart and his gut very honestly and openly of their truly unlikely journey.  The journey actually begins with the heartbreaking death of their youngest son, who was born with a chromosomal abnormality and lived only a few short days.  In dealing with the grief of losing their son, an incredible opportunity was presented to serve in Africa as dorm parents at a missionary school.  This book is the story of their adventures in Africa.

Steve is quite a writer and I was quickly drawn into the story of their family, sons, calling to missions, and transition to Africa.  Peifer shares very openly about the challenges and well and the rewards of their work.  And he is quick to give God all the credit for their achievements and accomplishments.

As the mother of a young woman called to be a career missionary, I am always fascinated with books about ordinary folks who answer God’s call to do extraordinary work.  This book definitely falls into that category.  I was moved to tears at the honesty of the feelings of inadequacy and overwhelming need, but also rejoiced at the tales of God’s provision and supply.

I recommend this to anyone who has a remote interest in missions and especially those who might need a reminder of the needs for missionaries.  Gone are the days of Sunday evening church where the missionary comes in full tribal costume and shoots a poison dart across the church to share his missionary story and ask for support.  But the miracles of missionaries are still happening everyday around the world.

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book from the publisher Zondervan.  All opinions expressed are my own.

“The Color of Hope” by Kim Cash Tate, book review

“The Color of Hope” by Kim Cash Tate, book review

This is the continuation of the story of the town of New Hope, the 2 churches, and the Sander’s Family.  The cast of characters is the same as in the first book, “Hope Springs” and the same problems continue, segregation, prejudice, dysfunctional families, hurting teens, and religion.  All these issues are explored in various events, some interesting events, and some rather tragic ones.

Families can and are complicated, and in the novel, we see all sorts of issues, but throughout the whole story, God’s love and forgiveness.  The family dynamics are rather complicated, and even with the family tree at the beginning of the book, I had a hard time keeping all the characters in the correct family.  But I did enjoy the book and hope that there is a conclusion to the story  of New Hope.

Disclaimer:  I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers.  All opinions expressed are my own.

“The Guardian” by Beverly Lewis, book review

This week, the
Christian Fiction Blog Alliance
is introducing
The Guardian
Bethany House Publishers (March 26, 2013)
by
Beverly LewisABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Beverly’s first venture into adult fiction is the best-selling trilogy, The Heritage of Lancaster County, including The Shunning, a suspenseful saga of Katie Lapp, a young Amish woman drawn to the modern world by secrets from her past. The book is loosely based on the author’s maternal grandmother, Ada Ranck Buchwalter, who left her Old Order Mennonite upbringing to marry a Bible College student. One Amish-country newspaper claimed Beverly’s work to be “a primer on Lancaster County folklore” and offers “an insider’s view of Amish life.”

Booksellers across the country, and around the world, have spread the word of Beverly’s tender tales of Plain country life. A clerk in a Virginia bookstore wrote, “Beverly’s books have a compelling freshness and spark. You just don’t run across writing like that every day. I hope she’ll keep writing stories about the Plain people for a long, long time.”

A member of the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Evangel University, Lewis has written over 80 books for children, youth, and adults, many of them award-winning. She and her husband, David, make their home in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, and spending time with their family. They are also avid musicians and fiction “book worms.”

ABOUT THE BOOK

When schoolteacher Jodi Winfield goes for a morning run, the last thing she expects is to find a disheveled little girl all alone on the side of the Pennsylvania road, clad only in her undergarments, her chubby cheeks streaked with tears. Jodi takes the preschooler home with her, intending to find out where she belongs. But Jodi is mystified when no one seems to know of a missing child, and the girl herself is no help, since she can’t speak a word of English. It’s as if the child appeared out of nowhere.

As the days pass, Jodi becomes increasingly attached to the mysterious girl, yet she is no closer to learning her identity. Then an unexpected opportunity brings Jodi to Hickory Hollow–and into the cloistered world of the Lancaster Old Order Amish. Might the answers lie there?

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Guardian, go HERE.

This book was easy to read and entertaining.  The characters seemed very real, not made up or fake.  The plot moved easily and kept my attention.  As with all Beverly Lewis books, this one book does not tell the whole story, and I am eager to read the next in this series.

Disclaimer:  I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.  All opinions expressed are my own.

“Invisible” by Ginny L Yttrup, book review

“Invisible” by Ginny L Yttrup, book review

Three women make up the main characters in this new novel set in Northern California.

Ellyn- owner and executive chef of the town’s most popular restaurant.  She is loved my staff and customers, but does not really like herself and is very self conscious of her weight.

Sabina- comes to Mendocino to escape.  She rents a house overlooking the bay for a year.  She is a practicing counselor, but at this point she needs counseling, and healing.

Twila- works at the local health food store and is following a vegan diet.  She has battled an eating disorder, but is now on the other side.  Or is she?

In “Invisible” each of the ladies want to be invisible or have an invisible problem, that really only God can heal.  Through out the novel, the characters interact and through the weeks actually begin to help each other heal, and at the same time, begin healing for themselves.

The book has short chapters, titled with a character’s name, so it is very easy to follow.  It is very easy to read, and would make a good beach vacation take along.  Although, if you are battling with a problem that is similar to the character’s it might be a bit harder for you to read.  I did get a little insight into how to help friends who are going through a really hard time.

Disclaimer:  I received this book from B and H Publishers.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Purex Glitter! Product Review

You all know we live on a farm, so this time of year our clothes can look pretty dingy from all the mud and working with muddy sheep and lambs.  But Purex has a new formula that not only gets the mud and dirt out, but adds some glitter.  And this is very important in the show ring, when we want to catch the judge’s eye, so a little glitter goes a long way.   Look for this new Purex product at a store near you, today.

Check out these pictures:

“The Return of Cassandra Todd” by Darrel Nelson, book review

“The Return of Cassandra Todd” by Darrel Nelson, Book Review

Turner works at the world famous Mountain View Motel as the handyman, in exchange for rent and home cooked Sunday dinner.  He attends the local community college and tries to get by.   He loved working at Camp Kopawanee, and really thought he had found his place.  He was good at his job, leading wilderness camps and was making a difference in the lives of young people.  But then the economy tanked and the church could not continue to pay for the camp, or Turner’s salary.

Cassandra had been the homecoming queen, cheerleading captain and just girl everyone in high school knew would go places.  And she did!  She married the captain of the football team and moved to Las Vegas where Brad had his own construction business, building multi -million dollar homes.  It was the picture perfect life.  But then the abuse started, small things at first, but it became more and more violent.  And one night he threatens their young son, Justin.  That was it for Cassandra.  She spent the next several days planning her escape, and when Brad came home late from the bar, a bit drunk, she knew this was her chance.  She grabbed Justin and ran!

This story is the details about how Turner and Cassandra battle evil and find hope.  For some the story may see a bit farfetched, armed men hunting them, multi state chase and ugly threats.  While I do not have any experience with this, thankfully, my daughter worked at a domestic violence shelter in OK for 3 months and some of the stories she told were quite unbelievable, what a man will do to a woman or child, and think is ok.  If this type of reading would be disturbing to you, it might be best to choose another book.  But God’s protection is evident within this novel, as well as the people who tried to help Cassandra in her escape.

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book from Chosen / Realm Publishers.  All opinions expressed are my own.