God Gave Us Christmas

When Little Cub begins to question Mama Bear about the invention of Christmas, Mama Bear patiently and lovingly explains that it didn't come from Santa but from God.  Together, they look for God in the northern lights indicating that Jesus is the Light of the World, in an iceberg showing God's might, and in the sky showing that Jesus is the Morning Star.  Mama Bear also guides Little Cub's understanding that, while Santa reminds us of many good characteristics, it is Jesus that is the reason we have Christmas.

If you're looking for a book that is a children's version of Luke 2, this isn't it but I think the author, Lisa Bergren, does an excellent job reminding us to look for God in all of creation and what the true reason for Christmas is.  The illustrations are simple but colorful.  I would recommend this precious story for children ages 3 - 7.    For additional information on the author or to see other books she has written, visit http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=75646.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.

Another great story by Robin Lee Hatcher

Julie Grace moved to Wyoming years ago as a young bride.  Recently widowed, she finally feels free to run her cattle ranch the way she sees fit and to enjoy life as never before--free from an abusive husband or any man for that matter.

Hugh Brennan finds himself in Wyoming searching for his sisters he was separated from 18 years ago when they were declared orphans.  He longs to fulfill his dying mother's wishes to locate and take care of his sisters regardless of the time that has passed.  When Hugh shows up at Julie's ranch hungry and with a lame horse, Julie agrees to allow him to stay and work for her until he is able to move on.  When the welfare of Julie's ranch is threatened, Hugh agrees to stay on for a few weeks to help out.

Both Julie and Hugh have been betrayed by those who should have loved them so are wary of trusting others.  But both of them need the other.  While they can't change the past, will they each be able to forgive, move beyond this past hurt and pain into the joyful life God wants for them?

Betrayal: Where the Heart Lives is the second in the series, following Belonging.  While I typically will never begin a series without reading the first book, I did in this instance for the purpose of reviewing Betrayal. Having read it, I am anxious to go back and read Belonging (which focuses on Hugh's sister, Felicia) and look forward to Beloved,  the next book in the series.  I had no difficulty following the storyline of Betrayal as I was expecting.  Ms. Hatcher fills the reader in with details that are necessary to understanding the history behind the characters, making this an easy stand-alone story but I am certain others will feel as I do and want to read the entire series, if only to find the answers to questions left unanswered in this volume.  Ms. Hatcher also has a writing style that is easy to read and flows perfectly.

Simply put, as a lover of historical fiction, I loved this book.  The characters were interesting and multi-dimensional, adding to the story's appeal.   Their ability to move beyond their past and "betrayals" makes them so real and easy to identify with.  You won't want to put this one down.  It is a wonderful story of forgiveness and God taking something ugly and making something beautiful from it.

I did receive this book free from Zondervan Publishing in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.  To order directly from the publisher:  http://zondervan.com/9780310258094.

Three novels from Karen Kingsbury

What can possibly be better than one novel by Karen Kingsbury?  How about three novels in one?  A Kingsbury Collection contains Where Yesterday Lives, When Joy Came to Stay, and On Every  Side.  Each "book" has a main character who is dealing with challenge in their life and their faith in God:  One from issues and secrets in her past, one dealing with depression primarily due to the choice she made in giving an infant up for adoption years ago, and one trying to stand for what they thinks is right in a church and state issue facing their town.  The thread that remains the same though is that each portrayed the importance of prayer and laying your struggles and doubts at the feet of Jesus.




As I mentioned above, this is three novels in one volume.  Depending on your perspective, this could be a positive or a negative.  It is a good value but, personally, I think I prefer one story per volume due the size of the book.  Also, the stories didn't really build on each other.  I think a compilation of novels may be more appropriate when the characters remain the same people or at least the same family.

Karen Kingsbury has been a long-time favorite of mine and these books don't disappoint yet I would question if they are my favorite. If you have never read One Tuesday Morning  by Karen, you may want to start there as I think that is her best but make sure you have the tissues ready.  Another favorite is Even Now followed by the sequel Ever After.  She's has written enough to keep you busy for a year so don't stop with those. One thing I love about Karen's books is the fact that you have no doubt about her intent to write Christian fiction yet she never comes across preachy.

Might I recommend A Kingsbury Collection as a good Thanksgiving weekend read?  I did receive this book free from Multnomah in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.

If you love historical fiction, All Things New is for you!

Three women, all walking through the same war, but seeing things through very different eyes.  The year is 1865 and the American Civil War has taken just about everything from Josephine Weatherly--her family, her home, and perhaps her faith.   Now Richmond is burning and the Confederate soldiers are fleeing.  Is there any hope?

When the war ends and Josephine, her mother Eugenia, and the free slaves who chose to remain with the Weatherlys return to their Virginia plantation, they resolve to restore White Oak to what it was before the War.  That may prove to be  pretty difficult task without Josephine's father and brother who were both casualties of the war though through different causes.  And the newly declared freedom of the slaves is pretty hard to accept if you were once their owner.  Eugenia feels that her slaves should still be waiting on her and that she shouldn't need to change the way she has treated them her entire life. In essence, Eugenia refused to give up her way of life prior to the War even though the entire country has changed and nothing will be the same again. 

At the same time, the story of one of their newly freed slaves, Lizzie, is artistically woven into the book.  Life is different for her as well but it is hard to trust and move beyond the only thing she has known. What does freedom mean for Lizzie and her children?

While each of these characters view the end of the war a bit differently, their stories are intermingled into one.  Each of them must learn to live with the changes the war brought and it affects each of them in a much different way.  The fact that this story is written from the perspective of those who totally lost their way of life may open your eyes to how difficult this was for them. Wrong as it was, slavery was a way of life for Southerners that had been passed down for generations. Their livelihood was now gone and they must learn to rebuild both their homes and their way of thinking.

Lynn Austin has written a number of historical fiction novels and I have not been disappointed in any of them.  All Things New  is a wonderful story of restoration, forgiveness, renewed relationship with the Father, dealing with change, hope, suffering, and faith.  Once you pick it up, you won't want to put it down!  Ms. Austin always adds enough historical detail to make the reader feel like they are right there in the midst of the story but not so much that it bogs you down.

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.  As always, two thumbs up for Lynn Austin's newest, All Things New.

Lovelier Than Daylight

Susanna Hanby is ready to go off to college soon but plans to spend some time with her sister and her children on her way to Westerville, Ohio and Otterbein College.  Upon arriving at her sister's home, she finds the house in total disarray and her sister and children gone.  Her husband claims she has left (with another man) and put the children in an orphanage but only his drunkenness could drive her to do such a thing.  George had been a good man until whiskey claimed him.

Back in Westerville, Mr. Corbin is attempting to open a saloon in perhaps the town in Ohio where the temperance movement has been the strongest.  Having seen the destruction of her own sister's home due to alcohol, Susanna will stop at almost nothing to keep the liquor away from Westerville.  However, she is befriended by Johann whose family supplies the new saloon.  Johann even offers to help Susanna find her sister and rescue her "orphaned" children but can she put aside her feelings for Johann's family business to accept his help and his friendship?  Can she also ignore the attraction that begins to develop between the two?

This is the third book in the Saddler Legacy Series by Rosslyn Elliot.  All the books center around the Hanby family of Westerville who truly lived there.  Lovelier Than Daylight centers around the Westerville Whiskey War of 1875 which is also an actual historic event. This is the second of the series I have read but don't let the fact that it is part of a series prevent you from reading it.  Each of the books is set in a different time period and stand alone even if there is that family connection.  Ms. Elliot's treatment of the time period and attitudes about temperance are, in my opinion, well researched and accurate.  I can find some of my self in the main character of Susanna which is unfortunate because she does come across as a bit self-righteous and judgmental.  But, again, from my understanding, this is exactly the way the women of the late 1800s would have reacted and felt.  I found this story to be an excellent mix between romance, historical accuracy, and suspense. 

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to write a positive review.

Twice a Bride

Willow Peterson has to begin again.  By this time on her life, she expected to be the mother of several of Sam's children but when tragedy strikes, the only reason she felt God left her on this earth was to help nurse her father when he developed consumption but now he is gone.  Not wishing to place the burden of her care on anyone, Willow strives to find her own path yet near her brother and his bride.

Photographer Trenton Van Der Veer never thought he'd end up settling in Cripple Creek, Colorado to begin his business after having spent time in places like New York.  When a patron suggests he find someone to paint portraits from the photos he shoots, that gives him something to consider.  Might Willow's desire to be an artist fit into Trenton's dreams for his studio?  Trenton also has an interesting past which makes it difficult to trust any woman.

Twice A Bride is the fourth book in the Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek series.  Picking up only the fourth book did make it a bit more difficult to get into even though the author does provide enough background to make it possible.  I think the author assumes you have read the other three so doesn't develop the characters as fully as she might have had this been a stand-alone title.  However, each of the main characters are fun and personable.  The secondary characters are a bit more difficult to pick up on except the Sinclair sisters who were sent to Cripple Creek to find husbands and are the main characters of the previous books.

As a  lover of historical fiction, I did enjoy this book and would like to read the three preceding it.  Miss Hattie, the owner of the boarding house that seems to be the centerpoint of each of the  novels in the series, is absolutely delightful!

This book was provided free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  To read the first chapter of  Twice A Bride, go to http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/blog/2012/03/02/sneak-peek-twice-a-bride-by-mona-hodgson/.  

You Can't Make Me: But I Can Be Persuaded

Do you ever wonder if your child is strong-willed or just stubborn and defiant?  While defiance can be seen as a heart issue, having a strong will can be quite beneficial in our world, if channeled properly.  Being the parent to a strong-willed child is quite the challenge, but it doesn't have to be so frustrating that you want to throw up your hands and quit.  Cynthia Tobias, parent of a strong-willed child herself, offers strategies and and tips to keep you from doing so as well as insight into the benefits of their strong will.  As she states, "(your) child may change the world--after all, it's not likely that the world is going to change them"!

I ordered this book because I am the parent of a strong-willed child.  I felt like I was reading a book written by some other mom about my child.  I never realized that my child might feel as if I were taking all the power away from them or that they may not resent authority but may resent how that authority is communicated.  I also felt like it was too late for me.  After all, my children are both in their late teens.  If you find yourself thinking the same thing, there is hope. Tobias offers strategies which will preserve your relationship with your child while also helping them to use that "gift" God has given them to accomplish great things.  Like many parents, perhaps you may disagree with your spouse regarding how to deal with your child.  Tobias has advise for these situations as well. 

This book can easily be read in half a day making it something you can begin to put into practice immediately whether your child is a toddler, teen, or adult.  Even if you feel you have blown it with your child, it isn't too late. To read the first chapter, check outhttp://waterbrookmultnomah.com/blog/2012/04/28/sneak-peek-you-cant-make-me-but-i-can-be-persuaded-by-cynthia-ulrich-tobias/. 

I did receive this book free from Multnomah Press in exchange for an honest review.  I was in no way obligated to leave a positive review.