Rebellious Heart

What does one do on a Christmas holiday? Catch up on reading, that's what I do at least.

I finally got around to reading Rebellious Heart. When I first got the book I was excited to read it. Then school started, and other things happened in the family that I had to put it off for months. I finally was able to catch up and read it.

I read a lot of reviews saying that they couldn't put this book down, and that it was an amazing read. While it wasn't the worst storyline I could have ever read, it wasn't on my top 10 reading list though. For me, the beginning was slow moving and I had a hard time getting in to it. The book is loosely based on the story of John Adams and I loved the HBO movie. When I first got the book, I had no idea that it was based on that. I don't know much about historical events, as in details, so I do not know how closely this story was really related to the story of John Adams. It was a pleasant read once I got into the book.

Doon

Scootish Moors, fancy dresses, medieval like town, fantasy, tales, mystery.

A boy in a kilt.

Everything your heart could want in a fantasy-like setting....

I'm a sucker for Young Adult collections...however, I'm starting to realize my obsession has gotten a little crazy and it's taken over my reading time a little too much. But I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with this one.

While I thought that the book was going to be based solely on Veronica, Makenna's best friend, I was glad to see that it wasn't just about her. The book is broken up in to chapters for each girl and I had to remind myself that the POV was from one of the two girls.

Makenna inherits her Aunt Gracie's estate in Scotland and she takes Veronica with her. Veronica, on the other hand, has been seeing a mysterious boy in a kilt, and thinks she's gone mad. ENTER: a trip to Scotland with Makenna to see her Aunt's house. They find Gracie's journal about stories that Makenna had grown up listening to and it all goes on from there.

I don't want to say too much considering it will give stuff away. I think this would be a great movie (MUCH BETTER THAN TWILIGHT!!!!!) I think it's kind of funny that it's labeled as "Christian" young adult, only due to some minor language and some more intimate relationship settings. Other than that, I can totally see the two girls talking. The use of "teen" language is heavy through the book and you can feel the teenage atmostphere. Which is fine for me, because teenagers are an interesting species. :)

Now...of to find me MY boy in a kilt....(my boyfriend is of Scottish/Irish ancestry, and he's HOT in a kilt!!)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com®  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Samson

I'm not normally one to read books on the Holocaust, or boxing, or anything that sound remotely like a "guy's" kind of read. However, something drew me to this book.

Based on true events, Shawn Hoffman weaves a wonderful tale about a man named Samson and what he must do to save his family. He is found out that he was a previous boxing champion and is ordered to box for entertainment of those that run the concentration camp he is in. However, there's a catch. Winner gets extra rations, loser gets death in the gas chamber. An unlikely friendship between Samson and a Polish Catholic priest begins to blossom. Samson is down on his faith and wonders where is God when he needs him the most.

This is a great story. A part of history is being retold and you can't help but feel like you are part of the story. Shawn did an excellent job at having the story unfold. It's a tough story to read, but worth every minute.

Dear Mr. Knightley

I've always been a Jane Austen fan. There was always something about her writing that intrigued me. Maybe it was because I was always in love with times gone past and am a romantic at heart.

When I first read the book, I was hoping it was going to be something like the book "Austenland" (which is actually mentioned in the storyline a few times, along with other Jane Austen tales and classics of the time). The story is written in a series of letters to a man named Mr. Knightley. It took me a little bit to get into it, but as the story started to develop, I found it easier to follow along. I was almost ready to throw the towel in. Then...Alex came along. And it was much better from there. A little slow starting (for me at least) but over all a good read.

Redeeming Love

When I first read the back of the cover of the book, I noticed the parallels resembled the story of Hosea and Gomer. I was also a bit daunted by the size of the book. I haven't read any book, other than a text book, over 400 pages other than Harry Potter....but, I still dove in.

I was thoroughly pleased with the writing. I was easily drawn in (I'm a sucker for romance novels and period pieces as well...) and I had a hard time putting it down. I was so drawn in to the story, the characters, the writing, the atmosphere of the book... It took me on an emotional journey-not with just the characters, but within myself as well. This book is about love and redemption. Extraordinary love. Something that I needed in a very difficult time in my life right now...to show that God is good and bigger than anything I've ever imagined. And he can take something we think is nothing and turn it into something beautiful.

Dark Halo

I have been waiting for this book! I read the first two and I fell in love. When I saw that this book was finally available for review (a part of me actually forgot all about it....SILLY ME!!!) I was super excited.

WHen I first got Angel Eyes, I was a little concerned because I thought it would be another Twilight. It seems a lot of teen drama/romances are similar to that. However, I was very happy when I started reading it. THen came Broken Wings. And I finished that book in two days. So I couldn't wait for this book to come.

I was happy and sad when it finally was avaiable. I was happy because I could continue on with the story. I was sad becuase it's the final book in the story. I fell in love with the good characters, hated the bad characters. I "talked" to the book as things happened, talked to Brielle as she was going through stuff like I was her friend. I was so involved with this book. And sad that it has ended. I definitely recommend you read the first two. Even though there is a brief summary in this book, I recommend getting involved from the very beginning. I loved this series and will definitely read it again!

Trouble in Store

Little Miss Thing is feisty. When she comes to the West because of a letter she recieved from her deceased cousin to come and take over the part of the store that he left her, there was trouble waiting to brew. Murder, love, humour...all are included in this book. It is a true Romance Fiction. I've been on one of those kicks lately with stories like this (maybe it's my lack of romance happening in my life...) but I enjoy reading them.

City on Fire

I don't know what's gotten in to me reading more historical fiction, other than my Amish novels I've read. I guess there's something intriguing about the characters of times gone before. I love seeing how people lived and how they interacted and if they are anything different than us in today's time.

When I read "City on Fire", I was captivated by the characters in the first few chapters of the book. It was almost like I was watching a movie in my head. I saw, I felt, I smelled....It was like I was almost there even. The characters are well developed and you really feel like you are part of their story. I had never read anything from Tracy Higley before, but I will definitely be picking up another book soon. I like finding new authors and adventures to go on. I will be reading this again in the future.

31 Days...

I started reading this book at the beginning of October, (so, two days ago.) and I've only read the first couple chapters. Maybe this book wasn't for me. Maybe I didn't try hard enough to try to "get" something from it. Maybe it just wasn't my style of writing that was in it. I don't know. But I wasn't captured by it. That's just me personally. Others may find this book to be fascinating. Hence the reason God created us all with different views. Life would be pretty boring if we all thought the same. I hope that my review doesn't deter you from reading. It might be something you might be interested it. As for me, I just didn't click with it.

The Secret Keeper

I love Beverly Lewis. I love Amish Romance.

This story came close to home. The story of Jenny Burns in "The Secret Keeper" brought back many memories of me growing up. I live in a small town in Wisconsin that is surrounded by the Amish. Being an Englisher, I've always wondered what it was like to be Amish: Do they allow the English to mingle with them? Help at home? "Hang out"?

The characters in this book were very believable. I felt Jenny's struggle and her sense of failure when she wasn't able to understand certain things. I fell in love with Andrew right away. He seemed sweet, funny, caring...everything you'd ever want in a guy.

It was a nice change to finally see what it's like for someone who doesn't feel like they fit in with "this" world. I know what it's like. I mostly don't feel like I fit in with my family because I love "old" stuff. I've been called "old" before. I think I just have an old soul. :)

Once Upon a Prince...

I love fairy tales. I'm a Disney geek through and through and always have dreamed about meeting my Prince Charming. I think most girls have that dream of waltzing around in a big poofy gown in the arms of their beloved and gazing longingly into his eyes.

I also love movies like The Prince and Me and The Princess Diaries. Oh to be a small town girl and be whisked away by a prince or be told that you are the princess of a country. Now, I'm not saying that I want to run a country...I can barely keep my own household afloat!

I'm also a sucker for romance novels. C'mon...you can't tell me after a long day of stress you wouldn't want to curl up with a book with a cheesy romantic aire and just lose yourself in the world of royalty, love, and romance. I know I do. Maybe that's what helps keep me "sane". Not sure, but I will choose to believe it for the moment.

"Once Upon a Prince" had a lot of the same similar ideas as the movie the Prince and Me: Royalty travels to foreign country, falls for a common girl, hides who he is, problems arise, becomes King, and so forth. The story was also fairly predictable throughout. But that didn't bother me at all. After reading books where you are trying to figure out the end, or remembering 500 characters and the storyline is so complex you need a Cliffs Notes and diagram to figure it out, it's nice to have an easy predictable read. I think the characters were easily distinguishable, relatable, and easy to understand. Even though I knew what was going to happen at the end, I still teared up. I guess I felt like I was Susanna, and was waiting for love to come along.

This is also a great story to show that you do not have control of your own life. You may have a "plan" as Susanna did, and like the beginnign shows, she was more in lvoe with the plan than the man she thought she loved for 12 years. Susanna had to let go and give plan over to God. And He obviously had more in store for her than she could have ever dreamed...far more grand, more full of love and passion than she probably ever let her heart desire.

I would recommend this book to those that love romance, predictable or non, those looking for love, those searching for a reason for their life. God's got it.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Wishing on Willows

When I first read the description of this book, it sounded familiar to me. I couldn't place why though. After I started reading the first chapter, I was like, "Wait a minute....Robin sounds familiar....." And sure enough; I was right. 

Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert was a nice little step back into Peaks with some familiar faces. I enjoyed reading Wildflowers from Winter, which was the prequel to this book. I sometimes have a hard time with series books, because I don't feel like they can live up to the first book (I've read some series recently that felt like they bombed compared to the original). However, Katie's style of writing had me drawn in once again and I felt like I got to know the characters more and meet some new characters. 

I can't wait to see where Katie takes us next. This is a good, easy, leisure read. Good, clean romance. 

Bread & Wine

When a small group from my church decided they wanted to read this for this month, and create some of the recipes from the book, I was really happy that when I saw that Thomas Nelson was having this books a BookSneeze selection. I was giddy with excitement as I got my package in the mail.

When I was flipping through it, though, it wasn't what I expected it to be. 

"My prayer is that you'll read these pages first curled up on your couch or in bed or in the bathtub, and then after that you'll bring it to the kitchen with you, turning corners of pages, breaking the spine, spilling red wine on it and splashing vinegar across the pages, that it will become battered and stained as you cook and chop and play, music loud and kitchen messy" Shauna writes on the back cover of the book. Even though in the book she says this is not a cook book, it is more of an collection of stories of her life. 

I was hoping for more recipes that are in here. This is not a book that I would bring into the kitchen with me. Some other people might, but that is not for me. My cookbooks are loaded with leftover food, stuck and curled pages. This book would never make it in my kitchen. 

I did find the book pleasing to read, and I will (try) to make some of the recipes in the book. And it will be interesting to hear what the ladies in the small group at church thought about the book too.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com®  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Letters to Katie

It's been some time since I've read an Amish inspired book. I think it probably was one of Beverly Lewis' ones. When I read the description for "Letters to Katie" it sounded interesting and I decided to give it a go. This is a sweet story centered around Katie. It took some time to get in to where the "letters" were going to be part of the story, but when it was finally revealed, it made sense. I quickly fell in love with the characters. This is an easy, quick read and I enjoyed it. If you are looking for a wholesome love story, this is a good choice.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com®  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

God "Hearts" Me

I'm a journaler. I love to jot down my thoughts, put pictures and items in my journal to keep as remembrance of things. My journal is much like a smashbook. I know this journal is supposed to be for girls, but as a thirty-something woman, I wish that this would have been available in a hard copy instead of an ebook. I love how the devotional for each entry makes it feel like it was written especially for me. It makes it personal. However, because I am a journaler, I would have love to have a little more writing time. To each their own I guess. I think that was the books only downfall. Great design, great readings, great time with God. 

Simply Delicious Amish

ONE WORD: YUMMO.

I LOVE Amish food and growing up we had Amish that lived in the area in Northeast Wisconsin (Still do and they drive past my parent's house all the time). It was always like a little slice of heaven when I would buy some cookies or fresh baked bread (Yeah....bread was something that I could NEVER master...so I would cheat and use my bread machine or go Amish). 

So when I saw the book Simply Delicious Amish Cooking: Recipes and Stories from the Amish of Sarasota, Florida by Sherry Gore, I was so excited. I flipped through the book and I can't WAIT to try  these recipes. I really enjoyed the Introduction and reading the stories through the book. And the pictures? Made me drool. I turn to mush when looking through cookbooks regardless. Glancing at the recipes, I was surprised to see some "special" ingredients (mashed potatoes in Cinnamon Rolls???!!!). Very excited to play. I love cooking, and this book just made my day!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com®  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Accidental Pharisees

My pastor read this book and presented it to our congregation. He said this was a challenging book. This is coming from a pastor who has read lots of different types of material. So I was happy to see that this was a BookSneeze selection. 

I agree with Pastor. It was a challenging read. It got right to the heart of things and dug in deep. Deep into scripture, deep into your heart, deep into your soul and really made you think about things. I liked the Discussion sections at the end of the each Part. This is a real eye-opening book and if you are ready to take a deep breath, jump off the cliff and learn more about God, yourself, your faith...then I suggest reading this. If you are ready to look in the mirror and acknowledge who you are, then this is the book for you. No turning back. 

Finding God in the Dark

Who hasn't been hurt by someone? Who hasn't felt the sting of doubt, fear, condemnation, guilt? I'm sure all of us can relate to something that has happened in our life where we have felt lost, alone, and in despair. I'm sure there have been plenty of times where you have felt like God wasn't around- especially when you needed Him to be.

Finding God in the Dark is a great book about learning to seek God when things don't seem to be going the way that you had your life planned to be going. I appreciate the men sharing their personal life struggles and feelings in the book. I enjoy reading books like this; it helps "bring it home" and make it more personal. The writing is easy and is a fairly quick read. It is written in a way that anyone would be able to understand. You don't need to be a philosophical genius to be able to read this and understand what God wants for you. 

Broken Wings

I have to admit. I'm a sucker for sugary, sappy teen romance novels. I devoured the Twilight series when each book came out. I know Harry Potter isn't a 'romance' but, yet again....devour. I just wish so many of the romance novels on the adult market weren't so trashy. Honestly...you mean you can't have a love story without sex or vulgarity? Oh, publishers....I do believe you can. But once again, we are catering to the world's desires.

When I first picked up Broken Wings, I didn't realize that it was part of a trilogy. So, I had to go and read the first book. Then I read the second book. (and now....I patiently wait for the third book.....). I love Jake. Can I just admit that? I fell in love with Jake so quickly. All the characters come to life on the page and I feel like I get to know each of them, but Jake.....sigh. (See.....teen romance...got to love it). I felt like I was actually in Stratus with all the characters. I love Shannon's depiction of the angels. When I pictured them, I felt safe and protected. 

I don't know if Broken Wings was really meant just for teenagers or not. But as a thirty-one year old woman, I enjoyed reading it. Guess every now and then a little light reading is good for the soul, no matter what your age. I would recommend this book to anyone that has read any teen romance series. I think you will enjoy it. 

 I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Quiet

Ok. I am an introvert. I know I am. I am very quiet and reserved when I am around people who do not know me.

I was really excited to read this book. Maybe it was just me, but I felt bored with it. It was very much like reading a textbook. Not something I wanted to do in my spare time at the moment while I am reading textbook after textbook. But I pressed on. And with little luck and motivation, I found it very dull and boring. I'm sorry to say, that I was not able to finish it. Maybe I will at some other time. Here's hoping, because I was so looking forward to this.

I know a lot of people had rave reviews about it. I guess I'm just not seeing what they are.

Pocket Your Dollars

My parent's never showed my brother and I how to conserve our money and how to save for future years of emergencies and "fun" stuff. And so, I am years and years in debt (thank goodness no credit cards, but medical bills that I can't seem to get caught up on that have gone to collect and damaged my credit ratings). I

When I started reading this book I was optimistic. I never read things like this. However, as soon as I started reading it, I could help but think, "Holy cow.....Is she inside my HEAD?!?!?!" It was scary how she was describing situations that I have been in. 

I highly recommend this book. There are lots of great tips on how to start saving and make a change and take that step to get out of debt financially or save money for a "rainy" day. Carrie also has a really great website with tools and tips and tricks to get you started and continue on. You can visit it HERE.

Besides Dave Ramsey (I've never really cared for Suze Orman...), I think Carrie does a great job at connecting with the reader and explaining situations that SHE has gone through and problem that YOU can relate to. 

Definitely worth picking up!

****I have received this book for free in return for my honest opinion for Bethany House. All views are mine and mine alone. ****

Dirty God

Grace.

Dirty God from Johnnie Moore is a story of grace and how Jesus came to be one of us. I love how real he gets with the story and how relatable he makes the Scripture. This is an easy read in the sense that there are no difficult understandings to try to follow. But it is also a hard read emotionally and spiritually. This book really digs down into the soul and makes Jesus a person. A real person that you can confide in, understand, and talk to. He is not some historical figure that seems unattainable. He is real. And Johnnie does a wonderful job explaining how much God really does loves us and what he sacrificed for us. Grace. No matter how horrible we think we are, it's grace that covers us. 

Unexpected Love

Imagine for a moment living in Biblical times. Imagine even further yet being a Disciple walking with Jesus. Go even further yet to living in the time of Jesus and His Disciples as a WOMAN. What might you expect? Women weren't so revered back in the day. But Jesus had a different view of women. 

In Unexpected Love, the stories of Jesus and women come alive. What a wonderful way to experience nine different stories in which Jesus associated with women of his time. We are not talking royals or socialites of our day. We are talking poor, unacknowledged, and even messed up women. We get to take side seat with Jesus and spend some time with these women learning more about them and digging deeper into the mind of Jesus and what He could have been thinking. 

In closing, we bring it back to us, and how seeing these stories of these women can relate to us. None of these women were perfect. None of these women were "special" in the eyes of their world. But they were CHOSEN. Just as we are. And God loves them, just as He loves us. What a wonderful story.

It's time to grab a cup of coffe or tea, and have a conversation with Jesus and the women in His life.

 I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Respect Dare

I may not be married, but I think as a woman and as a Christian woman as well, it is very important to learn how and understand the respect it takes in a relationship. Whether it be marriage or in a friendship or family relationship. I think so many people have forgotten what it means to be respectful to others, myself included. We are so concerned about our needs that we forget about others feelings and putting their needs above ourselves. After all, isn't that what it means to serve?

The Respect Dare is about what works. It is based off many relationships of what works and what doesn't. Nina makes a few suggestions to help soak in what you will read about and learn in this book:

*Take one day at a time.

*Have no expectations of your spouses behavior, or you will experience discouragement and resentment.

*Measure your progress in terms of spiritual growth. 

*Keep a journal.

*Remember that this is a journey.

*Do the book with a few friends, and meet once a week to encourage each other.

The journaling comes in handy with the questions of meditation and thought at the end of each section. Now, I'm a journaler and I love to keep record of my thoughts so I can go back and see how I've grown or not grown and where I can improve. I think journaling is a very important part of learning and growing and I would highly recommend it as well, just like Nina did. This book covers a lot of subjects and supplies a lot of thought provoking questions. 

 I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Who Do You Think You Are?

To be honest, I was so ready to read this book. I have loved Mark's videos I've seen on Mars Hill Church website as well as the videos from Right Now Media. I also thoroughly enjoyed reading his previous book "Real Marriage".

The beginning of this book crept very slowly for me. I have a very hard time getting into it and was almost ready to put it down. There was a huge history lesson about Ephesus and the people of that time. I'm not saying that was bad. But, I just finished a Bible Literature class for college that was more exciting and engaging than the first couple chapters. But, I pushed through.

The final chapters are broken down into descriptions of your identity in Christ: a saint, blessed, appreciated, saved, reconciled, afflicted, heard, gifted, new, forgiven, adopted, loved, rewarded and victorious.

The thoughts and ideas expressed in the book were not really anything that I had never heard before. For someone that has been struggling in their faith, or have never read any books on "Who are you in Christ" kind of thing, this would be a good read. This would also be good book for someone that is starting out in their faith and they have no idea where to begin in the Bible or in their walk with Jesus. For those of us that have been in this faith journey and have read many "Jesus-help" books, this is a good refresher and reminder. The text is easy to read and easy to follow.


 I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”