You are here: Home / Archives for book review

Somewhere To Belong

June 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Somewhere to belong Somewhere To Belong

Somewhere to Belong (Daughters of Amana, Book 1) Somewhere To Belong

BOOK SUMMARY:

Johanna Ilg has lived her entire life in Main Amana, one of the seven villages inhabited by devout Christians who believe in cooperative living, a simple lifestyle, and faithful service to God. Although she’s always longed to see the outside world, Johanna believes her future is rooted in the community. But when she learns a troubling secret, the world she thought she knew is shattered and she is forced to make difficult choices about a new life and the man she left behind. Berta Schumacher has lived a privileged life in Chicago, and when her parents decide they want a simpler life in Amana, Iowa, she resists. Under the strictures of the Amana villages, Berta’s rebellion reaches new heights. Will her heart ever be content among the plain people of Amana?

AUTHOR BIO:

Judith is an award winning and best-selling author of historical fiction for Bethany House Publishers. With a love of history, a dash of romance and a touch of mystery, Judith transports her readers to another time and place. Her passion for history and love of God keep her inspired. Judith and her husband are empty-nesters who live in the Flint Hills of Kansas.

MY THOUGHTS:

While I am a lover of Amish books I was almost more thrilled to find a book set in Amana.  I frequently stop at the Amana Colonies on my way to Chicago and  I have fallen in love with the historic place.  Judith Miller will take you back in time to when Amana was functioning as  a cooperative living set of villages.  She writes with a talent that keeps you interested and curious about what will happen next.  Two girls from very different worlds come together when Berta moves from Chicago to Johanna’s Amana.  They learn to cope and grow from each other’s flaws and when Johanna is in Berta’s Chicago the tables turn.  The story really shows what it is like to have “the shoe on the other foot”.

A copy of Somewhere To Belong was provided for review by Bethany House.

 

Filed Under: book review Tagged With: , ,

The Bridegrooms

June 19, 2010 By 1 Comment

bridegrooms The Bridegrooms
The Bridegrooms The Bridegrooms

ABOUT THE BOOK:

It Only Takes an Instant for Love to Strike

Tragedy hits the Allenhouse family on a hot summer night in Ohio when a mother of four vanished. Eight-year-old Vada virtually grew up overnight and raised her three younger sisters while her father lost himself in his medical practice in the basement of their home.
 
Now, Vada is a grown woman, still making her home with her father and sisters. Her days are spent serving as an errand girl for Cleveland’s fledgling amateur orchestra; her evenings with Garrison Walker, her devoted, if passionless, beau.
 
Dizzying change occurs the day the Brooklyn Bridegrooms come to town to play the Cleveland Spiders and a line drive wallops the head of a spectator. The fan is whisked to the Allenhouse parlor, and questions swirl about the anonymous, unconscious man.
 
Suddenly, the subdued house is filled with visitors, from a flirtatious, would-be sports writer to the Bridegrooms’ handsome star hitter to the guilt-ridden ballplayer who should have caught the stray shot. The medical case brings Dr. Allenhouse a frustration and helplessness he hasn’t felt since his wife’s disappearance. Vada’s sisters are giddy at the bevy of possible suitors. And Vada’s life is awakened amid the super-charged atmosphere of romantic opportunity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Allison Pittman is the author of Stealing Home, the Crossroads of Grace series, and her nonfiction debut, Saturdays With Stella. A former high-school English teacher, she serves as director of the theater arts group at her church. Allison makes her home in Texas with her husband and their three boys. Learn more about the author at www.allisonpittman.com

MY THOUGHTS:

Overall I enjoyed The  Bridegrooms.  I found it a bit slow at first but after I got into the story you start to realize how the beginning of the book is crucial to the rest of the story.  I love the format of the book being divided into sections of days.  The entire story takes place in a week but it is almost hard to believe as you read that you haven’t been part of the story for much longer than one week.  So much history entails this story.  There is a diverse group of characters and almost anyone can find someone to relate to in this novel. 

If you would like to see more reviews of this book or order a copy for yourself feel free to click the title link at the top of this post.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Filed Under: book review, Books Tagged With: , ,

The Right Call

May 19, 2010 By 1 Comment

I recently had the opportunity to finish reading “The Right Call” by Kathy Herman. This is the third book in the Sophie Trace Trilogy.  You can read my previous review of the second book as well.  Vanessa returns with Ethan from book two to be the primary characters in The Right Call.  This is a very easy and enticing read as you follow a story of gambling, secrets and the desire for people to be in control.  How do these characteristics fit into the Christian lifestyle and when we stumble how does one’s Christianity lead us to make different choices.  The twists and turns in The Right Call are going to lead you down these paths with the Jessup family. 

the right call The Right Call

The Right Call (Sophie Trace Trilogy) The Right Call

The downside to the book, it is the end of the trilogy and likely the retirement of the characters I have grown to love.  I am sure Kathy Herman’s next series will be just as brilliant but I am often disappointed when I finish a series of books that I have really poured myself into reading.

A copy of The Right Call was provided by B&B for the purposes of review.  No other compensation was provided.  Opinions are 100% mine.

Filed Under: book review Tagged With: , ,

Dead Fred, Flying Lunchboxes, and the Good Luck Circle

March 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I recently finished reading Dead Fred, Flying Lunchboxes and the Good Luck Circle by Frank McKinney.  It is a wonderfully imaginitive tale about a fish (Dead Fred) that needs help saving his kingdom of High Voltage.  The story is based on over a 1000 walks that took place on the way to school between Frank McKinney and his daughter. 

deadfred Dead Fred, Flying Lunchboxes, and the Good Luck Circle

Ppeekk (pronounced peekee) is the main character and you will follow her through a journey of trying to save Dead Fred the fish and his underwater kingdom of High Voltage.  She is new to town and soon meets friends whom she lets in on her secret.  Ppeekk and her friends work together with creativity, research and teamwork to help Dead Fred and their new underwater friends.  The story is enchanting as a fairy tale but advanced enough for the tween reader to stay involved in the story.  There is a lot of adventure and twists that keep the story moving.  My boys are enjoying this book as well and recommend you buying it for your children. 

Visit Dead Fred online and purchase the book.  Proceeds from the book support The Caring House Project Foundation which has built 11 villages in Haiti.

A copy of this book was provided by Ascot Media for the purposes of this review no other compensation was given.

Filed Under: Books Tagged With: , ,

The Last Word by Kathy Herman

January 13, 2010 By 2 Comments

The Last Word The Last Word by Kathy Herman

The Last Word: A Novel (Sophie Trace Trilogy) The Last Word by Kathy Herman

Summary:

When Vanessa arrives home, her mother, Sophie Trace Police Chief Brill Jessup, is stunned to see that she’s pregnant—and by one of her professors.  While Brill is glad her middle daughter rejected the father’s abortion ultimatum, she’s also hurt that Vanessa ignored her upbringing and angry that the professor has disappeared without as much as a nickel of child support.
 
But that’s not all Brill’s got on her plate.  One of her detectives has been killed, and the attacker has threatened to come for her next.  When a second cop is wounded, public criticism mounts as Brill attempts to stay alive long enough to catch the perp.  And she’s trying to find the deadbeat dad as Vanessa struggles to make decisions about her future. 
 
In spite of Brill’s best efforts to stay safe, the murderer finally kidnaps and threatens to kill her and then commit suicide.  As her life hangs in the balance, Brill becomes concerned that her attacker is about to die and is not saved and refuses to be silenced in her witness of God’s love for him.  In a show of grace under pressure and fierce determination, Brill will manage to have the last word, even if it kills her.
 
Author Bio:

Best-selling suspense novelist Kathy Herman has written fifteen novels, including CBA bestsellers The Real Enemy, Tested by Fire and All Things Hidden, since retiring from her family’s Christian bookstore business.  Kathy and her husband, Paul, have three grown children and five grandchildren and live in Tyler, Texas.

My Thoughts:

Kathy Herman is an excellent writer and if you haven’t had the pleasure of reading one of her books you really should pick one up.  The Last Word is no exception.   There are really two stories going on one involving Brill and the PD and the other involving her daughter Veronica.  Personally, I got much more involved in Veronica’s story than Brill’s although they do intertwine a lot.  There is contstantly a sense of suspense throughout the book.  If you are looking for a story that will keep you involved and wanting to finish pick up The Last Word.  The ending will not disappoint.

A copy of The Last Word was provided for review by David C Cook.

Filed Under: book review Tagged With: , ,
« Older Posts