When Lucinda dies, two men are at her funeral claiming to be her nine year old son, Anthony's, father. One, Anthony had known as Pa for most of his life.  The other he knew not at all. But neither one are who he wants to be left with since Kate Dawson was his mother's choice for guardian when she died of consumption. There is no denying that teacher, Miss Dawson will love Anthony and that he will has little luxuries but will be provided for. But both "fathers" want Anthony as well. One, for his own gain and the other because he desires a family and was married to Lucinda a decade ago.  The courts must decide who Anthony belongs with.

Knowing Anthony will be gone the following week with whomever the judge gives custody, Kate chooses to make the most of her brief days with him. What she doesn't expect is to begin to have feelings for one of the men. However, he will be leaving her behind after the hearing, or will he?  And what if Anthony isn't willing to let the judge decide his future and decides to take matters into his own hands?

Set in 1885, A Bride At Last by Melissa Jagears is the story of escaping a haunted past, sorrow, and love. I had never read any of Mrs. Jagears books before but very much enjoyed her writing style.  Her humor was evident throughout the book and I could picture the settings even though I have never visited Missouri and of course didn't live in the time period.  You may think the ending predictable from the first chapter but Jagears keeps the reader guessing until almost the end as to how it really will turn out.  From the other book titles listed by the author, this is most likely one of a series of Bride books but stands alone as far as I can tell. Never did I feel that I missed out on anything in this story by not having read the previous three.  Jagears is an author I will look for again.

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

It's Good to Be Queen: Becoming as bold, gracious, and wise as the Queen of Sheba

While little is written about the Queen of Sheba, only a few verses in 1Kings then repeated in 2 Chronicles, Liz Curtis Higgs thinks there is much to be learned from her so she has taken each verse, broken it down in small chunks, given the reader necessary back ground information to aid in understanding, and then made practical application to each verse in our lives today.  The Queen may have been envied by many of her day because of her wealth (leaving today's equivalent of 200 million dollars with Solomon),  power, education, or social graces but what she desired most was wisdom, which she wisely sought from Solomon, the wisest of all.  What a noble trait to seek!  Today's world seeks far too much for power and the things of this world but those are fooling us.  Seeking God's wisdom is far greater and needed more than ever before.

But seeking wisdom is only one trait we can learn from the Queen of Sheba's life.  Even though known as a pagan queen, Higgs has chosen 9 traits in the brief 13 verses in 1 Kings--boldness, openness, seeking wise counsel, humility, honesty, the ability to encourage, praise God, give without reserve, and receive graciously.  When you finish It's Good to be Queen, you will not only feel as if you have met the Queen of Sheba and know her but you will have practical tools to apply her characteristics in your own life. I love how Higgs explains that those traits look like in today's world.

Well, I must admit that, at first, I was a bit surprised. When I ordered this book, I didn't clearly read the description and was expecting a historical fiction novel on the Queen of Sheba.  I was so excited to see something new by Liz Curtis Higgs, I guess my brain just skipped over that detail that it was a non-fiction book.  However, Higgs' writing style makes a non-fiction book so easy to read and this particular book is printed in easy to read font, nice headings, and includes both discussion questions and a study guide, depending on the way you wish to use it--small group discussion at a one-time meeting or perhaps even as a ten week women's study.

I love Higgs' sense of humor!  Her honest forth-rightness makes every page one to enjoy. She is one of my favorites.  Two thumbs up for Liz Curtis Higgs' latest, It's Good to be Queen.

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

The Day is Waiting

Everyone loves the children's book Corduroy about the little bear needing to be loved by Don Freeman.  Apparently, when he died, he left behind a treasure of drawings, some of which were made available to his friend Linda Zuckerman for this delightful children's story reminding children that they can see the world and so all kinds of fun things with their days but at the end of those travels and sites, home is waiting for them.  Whether they simply daydream out their window, go to far away places or travel by train or plane, go to a concert, swim, or smell the flowers, home is waiting and, for me, the best place I can be.

The words are simple, the watercolor illustrations bright and cheerful and bound in a sturdy hard back book. It is economically priced as well for a hard back.  I love the fact that Mr. Freeman's legacy lives on and even is renewed with these newly published drawings.  I must admit though that Corduroy will remain my favorite Freeman book.

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

More fun with desserts!

Love to be creative with your cake and cookie decorating? The Sweetapolita Bakebook may be perfect for you. The paperback book contains 75 very creatively decorated desserts with some of the most unusual accompaniments. What do you think of painting your cake with edible paint? How about chalk cookies with edible chalk? Interested in a cake you can draw on with edible food markers? Never again will you need to look further for a fun filled way to celebrate any occasion. There is even a section for prized basic cakes  which includes a wonderful basic white cake (my personal favorite), buttermilk cake, red velvet cake, pink cherry cake, cotton candy popcorn, and more. From cut out cookies to layer cakes to frosting and fillings (salted caramel!), this will be a cookbook you will turn to again and again. I can just see myself in the kitchen with my daughter and the fun we could have!

I learned to decorate cakes years ago but only did your typical roses, borders, and such. This book opens up a whole new line of cakes. Who knew you could make a cake or cookie that you could use edible chalk on? This book has the recipes, colorful illustrations showing what the cake "should" look like when finished, variations you may want to try, and tips to the creator.

The only thing I am not that crazy about is the paperback format. I don't care so much for cookbooks that won't stay open on the counter. For a few extra cents, the publisher could have made this spiral bound and it would have been much more manageable to work with when baking. In addition, I will have to do some shopping to attempt some of the cakes. Unless you are one to keep cake flour, fondant, and white gum paste in your pantry, you might have to pick up a few items at the craft or grocery store yourself.

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.

Perfect Bedtime Book

Really Woolly Nighttime Lullabies by Bonnie Jensen is a charming board book to share with young children. The child sized volume contains nineteen bedtime rhymes connected to a Bible verse with reference and accompanied by a short prayer to point your child to the One who blesses us with all good things. I love the brightly colored simple illustrations by Donna Chapman, each featuring Really Woolly and his friends. Easy for little ones to hold on to at approximately 5x7 inches in size, it is sure to become a favorite.

The Woolly books are new to me since I don't have small children anymore. However, they are the first greeting cards I typically take a look at when choosing one at my local Christian bookstore so I am not surprised that these illustrations capture me in the same manner as the cards.

I don't know of any better way to spend time with your child than closing out their day reminding them that God is close, watching over them, and cares for them deeply. This book would make an excellent baby gift or birthday for children up to four but even I enjoyed the rhymes. While nothing is indestructible, this is one book you won't have to be concerned with torn pages as it is very durable. 

I did receive this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review and am in no way obligated to write a positive one. Two thumbs up to Tommy Nelson for another resource to use with our children as they close out their day and darkness falls.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade

Several weeks ago, a friend of mine invited David and Jason Benham to his church as guest speakers and I was intrigued enough about his Facebook invitation to read a bit more about the brothers. What I learned was that the brothers were scheduled to host an HGTV show entitled Flip it Forward and that their show was cancelled out of the blue because the brothers stood up for the Biblical definition of marriage. What????  Why is it that those who scream tolerance and mock the Christian faith, trying to validate their sinful lifestyle by making it "legal", are left alone but let any Christian stand up for their belief and they are labeled intolerant and "haters".  Okay, enough of that bandwagon.

Whatever the Cost is the story of twin brothers, David and Jason, from their early years as sons of a minister to their college years at Liberty University where they had dreams of being Major League Baseball players until they suffered life changing injuries in the minor leagues to deciding how to take what life had dealt them and making the most of it, finding the path God had for them in the business world. Their story will inspire you to stand up for your faith, perhaps give you the courage to rearrange your own priorities, and provide you with real life examples of men who will leave this world better than they found it. Their faith and integrity are motivating.

The book is a quick, easy read.  I love a good biography and this is one I will keep on my shelf to reread. I think the part that make me sad is that Americans had opportunity to have strong Christian men of faith that would have modeled Christian principles on HGTV for the world to see and we have missed that opportunity. God's ways are higher than our ways though.  I somehow think God isn't finished with these brothers and their story of closed doors and seemingly failures might just touch more people than their success might have.

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

Perfect garden in a small space

I love to garden but even after planting everything from okra to tomatoes to squash, I have had zero success in growing vegetables.  Flowers? No problem. Food for my family? I might get enough off the plants for a meal but nothing more. Thankful that the grocery isn't far away but I am becoming more and more cautious and skeptical about the food available in the grocery stores. What exactly has been used as fertilizer and pesticides on the foods I prepare for the ones I love the most? Personally, I would love to be able to be self sustaining but I don't have the time or the land to do so at this time.

Thanks to new neighbors who don't like the flower bed between my home and theirs and on their land, I might just have an area to grow a few vegetables with enough to share during season with the owners of the land. But the space isn't all that large so I am going to have to be pretty wise about what I grow and how. Thanks to The Postage Stamp Vegetable Garden by Karen Newcomb, I just might be a bit more successful now than without her recommendations. A postage stamp garden is something just about anyone can find a spot for as it can measure as little as 4 by 4 or perhaps container gardening might be more your cup of tea.

From planning what to grow and how many of each to suggested layouts, recommended varieties and companion plants this 217 page volume with index is definitely worth a try for this lady who has been composting and babying her vegetable garden for years with nothing to show for it. The author seems to think I won't be disappointed and promises I will water  less and spend less time maintaining.

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.