Sunday, November 30, 2014

Book Review

 Are you ready for a new stack of books?  Turns out that I had a few more in my stack that I had not gotten to yet, so I had some reading to do this week.  I actually have a few more to go through before the next update. 
 When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall, was given to me by the publisher, my opinions are my own.  If you enjoy Amish fiction then this is more of what you will love.  This is the third in a series following the life of Hannah Lapp.  Hannah has been through the ringer in life (read When the Heart Cries, and When the Morning Comes for more).  She is living in the English world finishing nursing school and helping to raise her boyfriend's niece and nephews when she hears from her sister that her friend Matthew and his brother David have been in a fire and are at the local hospital.  Her world is about to collide back into the Amish world again.  Being home again is painful, and healing all at once.  Now she has to make decisions about how she wants to live the rest of her life.  You can't go home again, or can you?
Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas, was given to me by the publisher, my opinions are my own. This is a novel set after the Great Depression in a small town.  Where most of the townspeople go to the same small church.  I think that it will make you think about both sin and forgiveness in new ways.  Both a "pillar in the church" and a woman scarred by her own sin, have to decided how to let things affect their lives and the way they treat other people.  In the end, it's a story of love and forgiveness and I really enjoyed it.  I haven't read any other books by Ms. Thomas, but I will be looking to read more of her work. 



Sunday, November 16, 2014

What I've Read Recently.

I had a chance to read a lot of different kinds of books this month. 
In the fiction category I got to read:

Becoming Bea by Leslie Gould - I received a copy of this book from the publisher.  My opinions are my own.
This is an Amish fiction romance.  If you like this genre, you'll like this book.  I have to admit, when I want a light read, books in this genre tend to fit the bill.  This was an interesting book, I had to guess which young man the story was going to follow (although it wasn't hard to figure out as I read on) and I did like that I couldn't immediately tell the ending of the story.  It is the story of a young woman who is naturally an introvert, living with a sister who can be overwhelming and take the reigns of life.  It was great to see Bea come into her own.  To see her continue to be herself, but to find the value in herself, and the ability to speak to her sister, instead of just allowing her sister to control her life.  Pick it up, enjoy!

Aging with Gracie by Heather Hunt
This is one of the books I "bought" when it was free on amazon.  When I looked it up to write the review it is only $.99.  It is totally worth the purchase.  I loved Grace's personality, and I loved how hard she worked to make life better for all of the people around her.  She took her job seriously, and took people personally.  If you want to read a story of a strong woman, with real spirit, this is a good read.  Doesn't hurt to have a little romance thrown in too. 

Non - Fiction :
Restaurant Success, by The Numbers  - I received a copy of this book from the publisher.  My opinions are my own. 
This book was an interesting read, and I think a good resource to look at if you are opening any kind of brick and mortar business.  Each chapter was well thought out and had good information for you to think through before you open your doors.  I read the book, not because I'm opening a business, but because these kinds of things interest me, and I wanted to know what went into planning to open a restaurant.  It sounds like Mr. Fields has put a lot of thought into this, and would have a good idea of how to get anyone started in this business.

Colliding with Destiny by Sarah Jakes- I received a copy of this book from the publisher.  My opinions are my own. 
I loved this book.  Sarah Jakes makes her own life very transparent as she tells stories to emphasize points.  She brings the story of Ruth (from the Bible) to life and does a great job of relating things that Ruth is going through to things that are probably occurring in your life.  This is an uplifting devotional, that I found to be well written, and well thought out.