Book Review: Until the Mountains Fall by Connilyn Cossette

I am going to declare this right up front. This is the best book I have read this year. The writing draws you in. The descriptions of the landscape paint a vibrant picture. And the way the food is described, can I just say Yum!

Until the Mountains Fall is the third book in the Cities of Refuge series. The story follows Rivkah, a young widow, and Malakhi, her dead husband's brother. To follow the law, Rivkah is betrothed to Malakhi to raise up a son for her late husband. Malakhi has loved Rivkah from afar and is happy to marry her, but Rivkah only remembers the brat he was as a child and doesn't see the fine young man he is becoming.

She runs away from the unwanted betrothal. Rivkah has a very hard life after leaving her family. Malakhi finally finds her and must figure out a way to release her from her master.

This was such a lovely story. Brings you right in and carries you through to the end.  I know I couldn't put it down.

I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

Book Review: The King's Shadow: A Novel of King Herod's Court by Angela Hunt

The King's Shadow is Book 4 of The Silent Years Series. This is a series that doesn't have to be read in a particular order. The silent years refers to the period of time between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament when God did not speak to the Jewish people.

There are two main characters in this story. One is Salome, the sister of King Herod. The second is Zara, Salome's handmaid. Salome is a selfish and resentful woman. Zara is a child at the beginning of the story. She grows into a selfless and compassionate woman.

Salome loves her brother, King Herod. She tries to help him keep his power safe. She hates the king's wife and mother-in-law who are always gossiping and plotting against her and eventually the king. There is a lot of intrigue revolving around the king's sons. Affiliations with Marc Anthony help the king stay in power but his power is threatened by Cleopatra.

When King Herod took the city of Jerusalem, Zara's father died and her mother was paralyzed. Zara was given the opportunity to become the handmaid of Salome when she was just a girl. She learned how to please her mistress and learned the inner workings of the court. When she grew up,  she wanted to have a family of her own.

I really enjoyed this story. It brings a lot of insight into what it might have been like in King Herod's court. Zara was a nice counter-balance to Salome. I thought the ending was very appropriate.

I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

Book Review: Empty Nest, Full Life: Discovering God's Best for your Next By Jill Savage

Empty Nest, Full Life is aimed right at me! Both my children will be heading off to college in the fall. It helped me identify what was bothering me about them leaving. The book had very practical advice on how to relate to my kids as adults. It had topics about relating to our spouse, our friends and ourselves now that the kids are out of the house.

The book was divided into two main parts. Part 1 was about letting go. It talked about letting go of our expectations, guilt, opinions, traditions and your child's problems. I personally find that letting go of guilt and my child's problems to be the hardest for me. The advice in these chapters were very helpful to me.

Part 2 was about holding on or grabbing hold of. Some of the topics were grabbing hold of new passions and friendships. Holding on to your marriage and God's hand. I found the topics about friendship and marriage to be the most helpful to me.

This book is aimed at a Christian mom. I highly recommend.

I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White Review

The Number of Love is the first book in a new series from Roseanna M. White.  Margot, the main character, was previously introduced in A Song Unheard.  Margo is a codebreaker in World War I.  Her mind sees numbers and patterns everywhere. She even prays in numbers. After the war, she wants to go to university and study mathematics. She doesn’t want to be the traditional wife and mother. She has goals and dreams.

Enter Drake Elton. He is her best friend’s brother and secretly a spy for England stationed in Spain. When he gets hurt and sent back to England, he falls for Margot. She declares she has no use for romance but slowly her feelings for Drake intensify.

The tension rises as enemy spies are about. Margot needs to break the code they are using so Drake can stop them.

I really enjoyed this story.  Margot is a well thought out character.  Her journey from extreme logical thinking to finally accepting and giving love was very believable.  The plot with the enemy spies was exciting. It was nice to learn more about codebreaking in World War I.

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest opinion.

Top 5 Books I Read in 2016.

2016 was a year of changes. I went from working 30 hours a week at the library to 40 hours a week. Dave and I both took on the role of teacher for our homeschooled kids. Our puppy grew and matured. Our son turned 18 and was able to vote in the election. Our daughter got her first job. She is a shelver at the library where I work.

My goal for 2016 was 45 books. I only read 35. Probably about a third of them were ebooks. 5 were nonfiction. 18 were by authors I hadn't read before. 2 of them I didn't like.

In the order that I read them, here are my top 5 of 2016.

The First Hostage by Joel Rosenberg



I read this in January. I love Joel Rosenberg's novels. They are suspenseful, thrilling almost prophetic. This is the second book in a series. The story is about journalist J. B. Collins. It starts where the previous book left off. ISIS has attacked an event in Amman, Jordan and the President of the US is missing. It is a breath taking, heart thumping read.


The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson



I read this in May. It is the summer before World War I in a town called Rye in East Sussex, England. The story follows Beatrice Nash who comes to Sussex to take a school teacher position and Hugh Grange who summers in Rye with his aunt. As the two get to know one another and draw closer together, the war starts. The characters are so well drawn that I was emotionally invested in what happened to each of them. Not just the main characters but the supporting characters as well. The story made me laugh and cry.


The Valley of Dry Bones by Jerry Jenkins



I read this in September. This story takes place in a California that hasn't had any rain in years. It has been declared inhabitable and almost everyone moves out of the state. But there are some holdouts. Some of the people who stay are Native American tribes, outlaws and a faith based group. The focus is on the faith based group. They stay to provide help to those who chose not to leave or couldn't leave. They have built an underground compound to help them survive the harsh weather conditions and the outlaws. There are problems within the compound as well as outside. As I read this story, I found that I needed to keep drinking water. The descriptions of the dry, arid conditions made me feel dry.


The Invisible Library and The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman




I read these books in October. The Invisible Library and The Masked City are Books 1 & 2 of a trilogy. Book 3, The Burning Page, comes out in January 2017. The Invisible Library sends out spies to procure books from many different alternate realities. Irene is sent to retrieve a dangerous book from an alternate London. Her assistant, Kai, is not quite what he seems. They join forces with a local detective who is much like Sherlock Holmes. They have to find the book while avoiding Fae, werewolves and a rogue Librarian. In the second book, Kai is kidnapped and Irene must ask Kai's intimidating relatives for help.  She has to go to a high chaos Venice alternate reality to try to find him before he can be auctioned off. As a librarian myself, I want to know how to apply for a job at this library! These stories were a lot of fun. The characters were well written. I can't wait until the next book comes out.


Crosstalk by Connie Willis




I read this in October. Connie Willis is one of my favorite Science Fiction authors. Her time traveling novels are wonderful. This is a stand alone novel. Briddey and her boyfriend, Trent, are going to get an EED. An EED is a neurological surgery to allow 2 people to feel each other's emotions. When Briddey wakes up from surgery, it is not Trent she senses. And it is not just emotions but thoughts that she is receiving! Soon, she has to learn how to cope with hearing the thoughts of everyone around her. This story is funny, warm and geeky all at once.

So there you have it. It was very hard to only choose five. I look forward to what stories the next year will bring to me.

Happy New Year!

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my honest opinions.

Review: The Calling by Rachelle Dekker

The Calling is a sequel to The Choosing. The Calling is told more from Remco’s point of view. Remco and Carrington are now living outside the city with other Seer’s. Remco is becoming overwhelmed trying to protect the group and rescue other Seer’s from the city. He is frequently told that he needs to surrender the fear that drives him but he can’t do that. His fear consumes him and almost destroys him and those he loves.

I thought that this was a good middle book. It continued the story from The Choosing and the ending is satisfying even though the story is not done. Some of the main themes of letting go of fear and trusting in the Father remind me of the themes in Ted Dekker’s stories. She was definitely influenced by her father. This was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to the conclusion.

I rate it 5 out of 5.

My kids are mirroring my reading choices.

During the school year, my kids check out books from the school library. They choose these books without any input from me. Recently, I asked them what they were reading that wasn't related to their schoolwork. I was so surprised when they brought out their books. They had each chosen a book that I loved!

My 14 year old son was reading Black by Ted Dekker! I love Ted Dekker's books. I can't say I have loved all of his books but most of them are very dear to me. Black is certainly high on my list of favorites. I have probably read it 5 times. As he reads further into the book, I anticipate some good discussions about the themes in the story.

My 12 year old daughter had just started The Song of Albion (Book 1, The Paradise War) by Stephen R. Lawhead. As soon as she showed the book to me, I walked over to my bookcase and pulled out my copy of the book. She decided that she would rather wait until summer and read it with me. It has been a long time since I read it so that sounded good to me.

It thrills this book lover's heart to know that I can share some of my favorite books with my kids.

Review: When Jesus Wept by Bodie and Brock Thoene

When Jesus Wept is the story of Lazarus and his friendship with Jesus. Lazarus is a master wine maker. He travels to see who John the Baptist is and is there when John baptizes Jesus. He next sees Jesus at the wedding at Cana and witnesses Jesus turning the water into wine. Of course, this makes a huge impression on Lazarus. He seeks Jesus out more and more and becomes close friends with him. There are many comparisons involving how grape vines are pruned to get the best grapes and how the Father prunes us to get the best out of us.

The best part of the book was when Lazarus was dead and in Heaven. He is greeted by his parents first and then his son that died at 3 days old. Then finally by his wife who died in childbirth. Being reunited with our loved ones is something all of us look forward to. The description of what happened in Heaven when Jesus wept was very moving.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable read. I can highly recommend it.

I'm Back!

With my husband's encouragement, I have decided to come back to blogging.

Many things have changed since I last wrote. I now work part time at the local library but ironically I don't work with books. I work as a computer lab assistant and when I am not helping someone, I process DVD's.

I will be doing some book reviews. I would like to spotlight some authors that might not be as familiar to most. I will write about ebooks and the best places that I have found to find free ebooks.

I would welcome any suggestions for topics that you would like me to cover.

I hope you will be Inspired 2 Read.

What to do?

I am trying to decide what to do with this blog. I haven't updated it in a long time. I find myself wanting to get back to it but take it in a different direction. I just need to decide what direction to take.

I don't really want to focus on book reviews. I found that I wasn't really enjoying the book knowing that I would be reviewing it. I would be analyzing it while reading it. I will still do some book reviews but not all of the books that I read. I do have one book review that I need to finish.

I have always wanted to write a story. I have never felt like I could. I am feeling a strong pull right now to write. It seems that everywhere I look today, someone is mentioning NaNOWriMo. Maybe that is what I need to do.  I am still trying to decide on that one.
 

Book Review: Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury

Shades of Blue
Karen Kingsbury
Zondervan
336 Pages
2009

Shades of Blue is a stand-alone title from Karen Kingsbury. It is a story of forgiveness and healing.

The story starts with Brad Cutler. He is an advertising executive in New York. He is engaged to Laura and they are to be married in four weeks. He is working on an account about baby blankets. He can't concentrate and come up with a slogan for it. Something is bothering him. He finally realizes that an event in his past with his former girlfriend is standing in the way.

He is miserable. He must resolve the issue before he can get married. He tells his fiance and then goes to North Carolina to find his old girlfriend, Emma.

Emma is having her own problems. She can't put the past behind her and move forward.

Brad and Emma work through the past and eventually find forgiveness and healing.


Spoiler Alert







This story works through some tough issues. It works through the emotional pain that abortion causes to the people who have had one. It shows that the only way to true forgiveness is through God.

This was a very emotional story. The last third of the book, I had tears running down my face constantly. It is a good reminder that unresoved conflict can eat away at us for years until we take care of it.

I think that this is one of Karen Kingsbury's best books. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.



Source: Library

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler's Wife
Audrey Niffenegger
Mariner Books
560 Pages
2004

I had heard about this book from other book bloggers and then saw that a movie was made about it. I have always liked time travel stories so I logged onto my local library's web site and placed a hold on it. It had a lot of holds on it and took about two months before I had it in my hands.

The Time Traveler's Wife is told from two peoples point of view. The story of Henry and Clare is a love story that spans time.

Henry was born with the ability to time travel. He can't control when or where he goes. Sometimes he is gone for minutes and sometimes for days. A lot of the time, he travels to places where his loved ones are. He has viewed his mother's death over and over. He meets himself many times. He instructs his younger self on how to survive when he travels.

Harry has a big problem when he travels. His clothes don't travel with him. So he is frequently naked and without money. He has to learn how to steal wallets and clothes.

There is one place that he travels to more than any other. That is to a meadow behind the house of a little girl named Clare.

Clare is the other main character in this book. She meets Henry when she is 6. She leaves clothes for him in the meadow. She brings him food. He visits many times over the years. As time goes on, she falls in love with Henry. Henry knows that this little girl will eventually be his wife.

The story does go back and forth a lot. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of who is where in time. I have to look back and see what year it is. Even so, I think that the author does a fantastic job of telling the story.

There is a sub-plot about Clare and another man that I didn't like. There is also too much sex. I would rather not read about their sex life.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Source: Library

Book Review: Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham

Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently
Marcus Buckingham
Thomas Nelson
2009
288 Pages

Marcus Buckingham is a consultant that specializes in strengths-based solutions. His newest book, Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently, grew out of a workshop he did for The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Mr. Buckingham and his team counseled thirty women to help them rediscover the passion they were missing in their work. They followed them for six months and then came back together to see what changes had been made.

It was what happened after the show aired that caused him to write this book. After the show aired, over a million (mostly) women downloaded the workshop from Oprah.com and then lit up the message boards.

Mr. Buckingham has created a test called The Strong Life Test. It asks you 23 questions and then tells you what your lead role and supporting role is based on your strengths. In chapter 7, he defines what each of the nine roles are. The nine roles are: Advisor, Caretaker, Creator, Equalizer, Influencer, Motivator, Pioneer, Teacher and Weaver.

I was very interested in reading this book. I am in the midst of a transition and have been trying to decide what type of work I should look for. For me, the best advice that Mr. Buckingham gives is to examine the times in your past that were strong moments. What excited you. What made you look forward to going to work. You must pay attention to those moments and apply what you learn to the decisions you make about the future.

I took The Strong Life Test. It said that my lead role is Teacher and my supporting role is Influencer. These are not the roles that I would have thought described me. I am not saying that it is wrong but I am going to have to think about it more and see where those roles might lead me.

I would recommend this book for any woman who is not satisfied with her work.

Reviewed for Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger Program. http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

You can take The Strong Life Test here.

What's on My Nightstand - September

Looks like the last time I participated in What's on My Nightstand was April. It is time to dive back in. Since I have already posted my Fall reading goals for Callapidder Days Fall Into Reading, I will be picking from that list.

Here is my list for this next month in no particular order:

• Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham
• HTML In Easy Steps by Mike McGrath
• Beginning Programming with Java For Dummies by Barry Burd
• National Audubon Society Guide to Landscape Photography by Tim Fitzharris
• The Creative Photographer by John Ingledew
• The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
• Green by Ted Dekker
• Eleventh Guest by Bodie & Brock Thoene
• Left Behind: The Kids Books 1 and 2

Fall Into Reading Challenge 2009

Katrina at Callapidder Days is hosting the Fall Into Reading Challenge. It is a challenge to list the books that you want to read this fall and at the end post how you did.

These are the books that I am going to read this fall:

Non-fiction:

• Find Your Strongest Life by Marcus Buckingham
• HTML In Easy Steps by Mike McGrath
• Beginning Programming with Java For Dummies by Barry Burd
• SQL Demystified by Andy Oppel
• National Audubon Society Guide to Landscape Photography by Tim Fitzharris
• The Creative Photographer by John Ingledew
• First things First by Kurt Warner

Fiction:

• The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
• Green by Ted Dekker
• Eleventh Guest by Bodie & Brock Thoene
• 1st To Die by James Patterson
• 2nd Chance by James Patterson
• Left Behind: The Kids Books 1 and 2
• Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury
• The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
• Forgiven by Shelley Shepard Gray

That makes a total of 17 books. As you can see from the non-fiction titles, I am trying to teach myself programming and photography. We will see how that goes.

Review: Next Generation New Testament Audio Bible

I received the Word of Promise Next Generation - New Testament: Dramatized Audio Bible through the Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger program. It includes 3 MP3 CDs and a behind the scenes DVD. It features an all-star cast. It uses the International Children's Version of the Bible.

From the publisher's website:

Now the entire New Testament is ready for the Wired Generation.

Today's youth ingest media at a faster rate than any previous generation. And they can't get enough! The Word of Promise: Next Generation - New Testament is the perfect way for young multi-taskers to absorb Scripture. This ambitious recording makes the Word accessible to more kids than ever before.

Starring a Hollywood-level cast of young talent including Cody Linley (Hanna Montana, Dancing with the Stars) as Jesus, AnnaSophia Robb (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as Mary Magdalene, Jordin Sparks (American Idol Winner) as Elizabeth, Cobin Bleu (High School Musical) as Peter, Alyson Stoner (Cheaper by the Dozen) as Martha, and narrated by Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings). The project includes informative book introductions by author Max Lucado and his daughter, Jenna Lucado, who is a speaker on the Revolve^® Tour.

My children were excited to be able to listen to the Bible. They put the audio files on their mp3 players. They both thought it was a good way to learn what the Bible says. They liked recognizing the voices of some of their favorite actors and actresses.

I thought that the readings were good. The readings weren't as polished as they would be if adult voice artists were used. The translation, International Children's Version, does a good job of modernizing the dialogue.

I would recommend this for children 8-13.

Book Review: Fearless by Max Lucado

Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear
Max Lucado
Thomas Nelson
2009
224 Pages

Fear confronts us everywhere we look. We are reminded of our fears when we watch the news or read the newspaper. We are afraid of what will happen at our child's school. We are afraid when we go to the doctor. We are afraid when we look at our finances.

In Max Lucado's latest book, Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear, he brings our fears into the light so that we can face them and overcome them. He devotes a chapter each to 13 of the most common fears we face. He uses scripture and anecdotes to illustrate how to overcome fear through faith.

I found this book to be very easy to read. It is not a deep theological discussion. It is written so that anyone can understand and apply this to their life. It includes a comprehensive study guide that would be good for personal or small group study.

If you need some help overcoming fear in your life or know someone who does, this would be a good book to read.

If you would like more information about this book, you can click Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fearto go to Amazon or click on The Fearless Times.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Reviewed for Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger Program. http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

Summer's Over

Wow! The summer flew by. We seemed to spend most of the summer at the Little League Park. My son played in the major division for the first time. His team won the regular season. Then he played on the 9-10 All Star team. We went 2-2 in district pool play and didn't move on. Then he started playing in a fall league that is still going on.

My daughter played softball for the first time. She has such a small strike zone, that she walked most of the time. She played right field. I think that she enjoyed the team camaraderie more than the actual game. But she says she would like to play again next year.

School started August 12. That seems so early to begin the school year. So now we are getting back into studying and memorizing and projects. The kids were very glad to be back with their friends but not so glad to get back to the schoolwork.

Our fall sports season has started. My son has started hockey training camp. He has moved up to the Pee-wee level. He is a full-time goalie. He will have to adjust to the faster pace of the game.

My daughter will be starting dance classes again. We are still trying to decide what form of dance she will be taking. It will probably be ballet or tap.

As for me, the little girl that I have been babysitting 3 days a week will be going to preschool now. So I will have more time to work on this blog. But I will also be looking for other ways to replace the babysitting income.

I will have several reviews posted this week. I am also working on some author spotlights.

What's on my Nightstand - April

It is time for the monthly What's on my Nightstand post hosted by 5 minutes for books.

It was a good month for reading. I read most of the books on my list and added a few others. Here is the list of what I read last month:

• Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne (My Review)
• Weekend Makeover by Don Aslett
• The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
• Beauty by Robin McKinley
• The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley
• Michal by Jill Eileen Smith
• Blog Blazers by Stephane Grenier
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Take One by Karen Kingsbury (My Review)
• The Noticer by Andy Andrews (My Review)

On my nightstand for next month:

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (for Classics Bookclub)
• The Prayer Chest by August Gold and Joel Fotinos
• Inside the Revolution by Joel C. Rosenberg
• Children of God by Mary Doria Russell
• Ulterior Motives by Mark Andrew Olsen
• Boneman's Daughters by Ted Dekker
• Tenth Stone by Bodie & Brock Thoene

Little League starts this Saturday and both of my children are playing. Maybe I can read between innings. Maybe I just won't sleep. Anyway, it should be a busy but enjoyable month.

Book Review: The Noticer by Andy Andrews

The Noticer: Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective.
Andy Andrews
Thomas Nelson
2009
176 Pages

I was very happy to receive a copy of The Noticer by Andy Andrews from Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger program. I have read several of Andy Andrews books and heard him speak several times.

The Noticer is a story about an old man named Jones. Not Mr. Jones as he tells everyone, just Jones. At first, he seems to be a drifter. But as the story progresses, he seems to be much more. He finds people that are at a crisis point in their life and shows them a new perspective.

He talks to a young homeless man, a married couple headed for divorce, a worrier, teenagers, an old woman who feels useless, a business man who cuts corners to achieve the "big picture" and many others. He talks to them about how they can put their life in perspective and make it into something better.

I think that just about anyone can identify with one (or more) of the people in this book. I certainly did. I intend to reread that section and apply Jones' advice in my life. There is a good study guide in the back with some very thought provoking questions to ponder.

The Noticer is a quick read. It is meant to help the reader gain a new perspective on their own life. I found it enjoyable and it gave me a lot to think about.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.