All Things New by Lynn Austin

I read this delightful book by the Christian author Lynn Austin. It was a very well written,thought provoking book.

 

The book follows the lives of Lizzy a young slave women who is fearful for the future of her family  following the Civil War, she longs for freedom but wants a better life for her children, but will the be safe from the Southern men who are bitter from the war?

Eugenia Weatherly lost her husband and oldest son in the war and is left with nothing but a run down plantation with no slaves to help run it and a son who is bitter from the past. Will Eugenia be able to forget the past and embrace the future?

Josephine Weatherly is nothing like her Mother, Eugenia, and is tired of the bitterness that the war has left in every-ones lives . As she learns more about the people she once thought of as merely slaves she realizes that maybe her anger towards God over them losing the war is ill placed.

This was a wonderful,well written book and I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it.

The Walnut Tree by Charles Todd

I just finished this delightful book by the Mother/Son writing team Charles Todd and really enjoyed it. I am a huge fan of the Bess Crawford and Inspector Ian Rutledge by them and was delighted to read this wonderful stand alone novel.

Lady Elseph Douglas is use to the finer things in life, thanks to being born a daughter of an Earl, but it isn't until the outbreak of World War 1 when she finds her true calling as a Nurse. But what will her Cousin do when he finds out she is doing nursing? And what will Lady Elseph do with her growing feelings for young Scotsman when she is promised to another?

Although this book is not a mystery like Charles Todd's other books,I found myself enjoying this book as it was rich in historical detail and had a sweet love story.
Even though Charles Todd are not Christian writers there is no objectionable content in this book nor in any of the other books I have read by them which is partly why they are one of my favorite mystery writers.

All in all this was a great read and I highly recommend it.

The Next Target

I recently read "The Next Target" by Nikki Arana. Let me start off by saying that this is one of best Christian books that I have read in a long time! I really felt like the author Nikki Arana really did a fabulous job of plenty Christianity,suspense and real life situations into the book.
The book is about Austia who is  witnessing to the Muslims in her community despite the danger it put her in.When one of the young Muslim girls she brings to Christianity is killed because of her conversion it is only a matter of time before her conversion is traced to Austia.
This gave a realistic portrayal of a women who is trying to witness to the Muslims and the danger that is involved,but it is also a story about trusting God no matter what.

I really,really enjoyed this book and liked the fact that it had a lot more involved than just a love story (which the love story is there but it is a very minor part of the book). I really felt like Nikki Arana did a great job at helping you see the Muslims through God's eyes and realize the sacrifice they make when they convert to Christianity.

The fragility of life

"So teach us to number our days,that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" Psalms 90:12

I was reminded again of the fragility of life.I am sure most everyone has heard about the deadly shooting in Colorado at the midnight premier of the "Dark Night Rises" in which 12 people were killed and numerous were wounded. Reading about it this morning broke my heart and made me realize how here many people were going for a fun entertaining night,they were not doing anything dangerous and yet because of one man's choice,12 of those people did not come out of that theater alive.
I do not personally know any of the people who died in that theater and yet it could of easily have been any of us.I have countless friends who went to see the movie when it opened.Something like this just brings death all the closer. It makes you realize that we need to make each and every day count.

Please vote for Sweet Sisters!

My family own a gluten free bakery and are applying for this grant through Chase that will give $250k to 12 small businesses to help them out.If we get over 250 votes we will have a chance of getting one of those 12 grants.So that is where you come in,if you could be wonderful and go vote for our company,Sweet Sisters in Stewartsville,Missouri we would really appreciate that.:)

To vote all you have to do is go to www.missionsmallbusiness.com and log in which is super easy as you do it with your facebook,after that you look up Sweet Sisters and then vote,super easy and very much appreciated!

Interrupted: Life Beyond Words

I recently read "Interrupted: Life Beyond Words" by Rachel Coker,I was able to read it through netgalley which I just discovered (thanks Amanda!).
This book starts out with young Allie Everly who is taking care of her terminally ill Mother.Allie's life changes drastically when her Mother dies and she is sent off to live with a women who loves her and longs to make her feel at home,but Allie does not want a new Mother and she struggles with accepting her adopted Mother's faith.As Allie grows up and life changes because of World War 2 she comes to terms with her adopted Mother and realizes that her friend Sam is perhaps more important to her than she thought,but will he come home from the war and will her young faith survive whatever God throws in her path?

I must say that I was really impressed that this book was written by a 15 year old home-schooled girl,she did a great job and I look forward to reading her future books.This was a simple,sweet read.Not a very complicated store and fairly predictable,but it was refreshingly innocent and is exactly what you would hope a 15 year old would write about.
I would highly recommend this book and hope some of you will check it out!

"Cuts like a knife" Book review

I just now finished "Cuts like a knife" by M.K. Gilroy.This is his debut novel and I have to say that I am really looking forward to his next book which is due out in October.
This books is about Detective Kristen Conner who is good at what she does and yet is dealing with anger and hurt over her Dad's death a year earlier.Her whole career is put on the line when a serial killer comes to Chicago taking out successful women for no apparent reason. When Kristen learns that she is the next target things get exciting!

I would give this book a 5 star rating.It was one of the best books I have read in a long time.The book was exciting and interesting without being creepy (I was even okay with reading it at home by myself,which is a big deal for me).
I really liked the authors writing style,it was down to earth and realistic.The main character,Kristen,was believable,funny,down to earth and was someone most of us can relate to.She deals with anger issues,feelings of not being good enough and other emotions that most of us have gone through.
The book also has a wonderful cast of secondary characters which helped make it all the more interesting.
I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series due out in October!