For The Love Of Books

Well, I went through this book myself as a wife, but I also asked my husband to give it a look through to make sure everything was feasible for a man to be able to read and say. Both of us approve! This book, as with its’ counterpart, 100 Words of Affirmation Your Husband Needs to Hear, both give excellent tips in a way we can help build up each other and speak life into each other on a daily basis. Some of the things given to think about and say are things we often hear, but some of them are things that really make you think. The amount of 100 things also makes it where, if you were to use one each day, you would not say anything more than 4 times, so it won’t be over done.  This would make a wonderful stocking stuffer if you were to both be working on your marriage together! I received this book free from the publisher, Revell. I was not required to give a review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

This book would make a great stocking stuffer - maybe into your own stocking as a husband though. Or, if both of you are working on your marriage, buy this one and it’s companion book 100 Words of Affirmation Your Wife Needs to Hear and put one in each! In 100 Words of Affirmation Your Husband Needs to Hear, Lisa Jacobson walks us though one hundred different ways that we can show our husband we love them. Words can either give life or crush someone’s spirit, so it is very important that we take the care of actually giving out life giving words to others. When we are constantly around someone (those in our family or those we work with), it is easy to just sit back and let the mundane kick in. This book helps stop that by being a breath of fresh air. Some of the things to say have a longer explanation than others and at first I was miffed and wanted it more uninformed, but I came to realize that this was actually good! Some things just require more explanation than others, and this ...

In Must Love Pumpkins, Tracey Joy Jones gives us another novella story about the Mayberry family. I am enjoying reading through the family stories as they have been releasing throughout the year, and can not wait to read the final Christmas one soon! Tracey Joy Jones touches on many issues that we deal with as every day, down to earth people in a way that offers forgiveness and redemption.

In Sheriff Reagan’s Christmas boots, Lynnette Bonner transports us to her town of Wyldhaven and weaves a tale about Charlotte and Sheriff Reagan. I have not read any of the other Wyldhaven books, but thoroughly enjoyed this, so it does fine as a stand alone as well as part of the series. I thought it may be the same as all of the other Gift of the Magi tales, but Lynnette Bonner has done a great job of creatively coming up with a plot that leaves the reader guessing. This book is part of her Christmas novella series she is releasing this season, and I look forward to reading the others! I received a copy of this book free from the author. All opinions expressed are my own and I was not required to give a review.

A quick little review for a quick story! This gem is free when you order the All is Bright Christmas collection on Kindle by contacting the author Chautona Havig.  Chautona Havig has done a fantastic job of working a short story in that packs a big punch! The story flows smoothly and gives a complete story in a small amount of space.

When I was given the chance to be in the 40 Day Sugar Fast launch group, I quickly took it! Wendy Speake is fantastic, and I feel as if she truly understands where many of us are coming from. In the book, we are not held to a certain level of fasting - we can completely give up anything that turns to sugar (white flour, etc) or just strictly sugar. If we stumble and fall during the fast, she does not condemn you, but rather lifts you up and tells you it’s ok to just pick up the pieces and go again. How deep and far you take the fast is up to you. Each day has a few pages of inspirational messages (and many times convicting. Ouch!). The author has gone through each day and given us carefully selected Bible passages to relate to the topic of the day as well. I was given a free digital copy from the author and publisher when I pre-ordered the book. All opinions expressed are my own, and no Review was required.

I recently finished an advanced copy of this book, and it was fantastic!! Melanie Dickerson has once again transported us away to a magical realm in The Piper’s Pursuit! In the Piper’s Pursuit, we meet Katerina and the people of Hamlin as both Katerina and Steffan battle their pasts and hopefully learn to trust and love again.  Melanie Dickerson weaves the tale flawlessly, interconnecting the past books with this present one with ease. While it may be a bit too intense for younger kids in scenes, this book is written for a young adult level of maturity, and I feel it does not overstep the bounds. I am mid-30’s and love this series!  If you like fairy tale retellings, this one is superb. God and Christian values are woven into this in a way that helps the reader apply scriptural truths to situations in a way that is not too preachy.  I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own, and I was not requi...

I have been fascinated with Melanie Dickerson’s Hagenheim series and this boom, The Warrior Maiden, did not disappoint! Melanie Dickerson takes us on a journey into a brilliant retelling of the Mulan story legend. In a world and time when women meant nothing, Mulan was able to cross barriers, but will romance suffer because of it?

Once again Beverly Lewis has made a home run with her latest release, The Timepiece. We are taken back to Hickory Hollow to continue the story of Silvia and Adeline (and Ernest and the rest of the family!).  The sisters continue to draw closer as we see a story of forgiveness and God calling us to Himself. We also get another glimpse of the beloved Wise Woman, Ella Mae Zook. I am already anticipating the next book by Beverly Lewis 

I was pleasantly surprised with The Sound of Distant Thunder. I had not heard of Jan Drexler before, but decided to give this series  a go. I did not even read the back cover, but dived right in. It was a shocker that this book was set during the Civil War. Books that make me research history are wonderful in my opinion, and this book did just that. Jan Drexler is definitely one I will be adding to my Amish reading pile!

In The Roll of the Drums, Jan Drexler takes us back to the Amish of Weaver’s Creek. We get a chance to follow the older, single daughter Ruby as she finds God’s purpose for her life. I really enjoyed the healing themes found throughout Mrs Drexler’s books. No one is perfect in this life, not even the Amish, but God offers healing to all those who admit what had happened and start the healing process. My favorite illustration in the book was the splinter - the literal and the figurative one. Mrs Drexler blended the two together and pulled it off seamlessly. I’ll be honest - I am not as brushed up on my American history as I should be, but reading different periods of history helps my interest to spark. The Roll of Drums has done that, and I am now eager to  research more into the Civil War just from reading a well written fiction book from that era. Fans of Beverly Lewis, Wanda Brunstetter, and Suzanne Woods Fisher will enjoy these books by Jan Drexler. I received a complemen...