Tuesday, April 19, 2011

When the Soul Mends

When the Soul Mends, Sisters of the Quilt Series #3   -             By: Cindy Woodsmall      When I first received "When the Soul Mends" by Cindy Woodsmall, I noticed it was part 3 of a book series called Sisters of the Quilt. I did the smart thing and ordered part 1 and 2 (When the Heart Cries & When the Morning Comes) from Amazon.com for a fairly decent price. I didn't want to read Book 3 without the whole beginning of this story. I HIGHLY recommend reading the first two books! Since I only received this book for review I will talk about Book 3.

Hannah Lapp gets a call from her sister, who is suffering from a mental illness. She decides to go back to her Old Order Amish community that she fled from 2 1/2 years earlier. 

During the past 2 years she gained a new family to take care of and new responsibilities with work and school. When she returns to Owl's Perch, she is confronted with her past and everything that has happened since she left. Through the series she struggles with what God is doing and what He can do. In the end she finds healing and is able to forgive those who have wronged her. I don't think the series could have ended any better. Honestly, it's hard to review this story without giving too much away so I will stop there. Great series to read!










I received this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for review. This is my opinion.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Courting Miss AmselI really enjoyed reading "Courting Miss Amsel." This story is set in the 1800s which happens to be one of favorite time periods. Edythe was finally free from her old life. She didn't have to be a mother to her siblings and father any more. She traveled to Walnut Hill where she got a teaching job. She stayed with her landlady Mizz Kinsley. She was one of my favorite characters in this story! A more mature woman in years and she feared the Lord. She speaks to Edythe Amsel a lot about depending on God and praying. Although this is sort of a romance novel, I didn't finish this book thinking of it as a romance. There is the love story involved, obviously, but trusting God seemed to be the main theme in this book. The best part of all is that Edythe does end up giving her life to God. I really do hope there is another story to follow with these characters. I want to know what happens with Joel, Edythe, and the boys!



I received this book from the wonderful folks at Bethany House for review. This is my opinion only :)

Thursday, April 7, 2011

A "Focus on The Family" Book

This Adventures in Odyssey book "Attack at the Arena" took a bit longer than usual to read because we were reading it together. My son, Alex, and I were taking turns reading each chapter. Cousins, Patrick and Beth, go on a mission in the Imagination Station to find a silver cup in Rome for Albert. Albert is an ancestor of Mr. Whittaker's that they are trying to help. Patrick and Beth get their necessary wardrobe changed to the time period and begin their journey in the time machine. In a quick change of events the cousins were taken into two different directions. Beth was dressed as the Emperor's slave and Patrick was dressed as a monk. A Roman soldier carried Beth back to the palace and Patrick followed another monk after much persuasion. A lot happens in the story, but they do finish their mission and are given a new one. Alex really enjoyed this story.


I received this book for free from Tyndale Publishers to review. This is my own opinion.

The Travelers

"The Final Summit" takes you to places with historic men and women who had the hand of God upon them. David Ponder had lost his wife already. He was sitting in a room in his house looking at a collection of items from his travels. A note from President Harry Truman, a scroll with King Solomon's writings, a parchment from Columbus, and a few other items from some of histories finest people. I really like that Andy Andrews included bits of important, historical information to his readers. 

It did take me a few pages to really get into it, but I pushed through because I love history and knew I would be getting to the juicy part of the book soon. It never really got juicy, but I made it through. This book just didn't do anything for me, unfortunately.

Below is a video trailer that Andy Andrews has available on his Youtube page andyandrewsdotcom.







I received this book for free from Booksneeze.com for this review. This is my own opinion of the book.


Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Surprise Ending!

I have been reading "Promises to Keep" by Ann Tatlock for the last 2 days. I must say this is a very good read that keeps you reading because you want to know what's happening next! Just from the back cover you know it's going to be a good read. "A mother fleeing unspeakable danger to keep her children safe...Two young girls guarding secrets in a "cross your heart and hope to die" pledge...A father desperate to be reunited with his family..." This story is set in the 1960s during the Vietnam war. Wearing seat belts wasn't the law, being an interracial couple was frowned upon, and having an alcoholic father wasn't unheard of. This story starts out with a single mom of 3 who has escaped an abusive marriage to start a new, good life for her and her kids. They move to Mills River, IL. A place that I personally wouldn't mind living in. School starts and two young girls meet outside a little shop. Two different races, two different lifestyles, but two similar dreams. I was mostly surprised by the end. You get a feeling throughout the story that something not so good is going to happen, but it's not at all what you would expect! I would love to see this turned into a movie! This is a great read for anyone :)

I received this book from Bethany House for review. This is my only my opinion.