Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Truth About Dating, Love, & Just Being Friends

I recently read the Truth About Dating, Love, & Just Being Friends…and how NOT to be miserable as a teenager because life is short and seriously, things don’t magically get better after high school and lots of other important stuff, but we’ll get to that later…written by Chad Eastham. I really enjoyed the book, and I liked the overall format of the book which contained quotes, letters, pictures, and places for notes. The author takes the serious issue of dating for teenagers and addresses it in a way that is both humorous and sincere.

I really enjoyed how the book detailed the history of dating, the biggest dating mistakes, how to determine if what you are feeling is a healthy love, and the emotional feelings of teenagers. The author seemed to speak in a very honest and straightforward way, as if speaking to a personal friend. I am looking forward to sharing this book with my younger cousins, and I think the information contained in the book will help them in their future relationships.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The Search

The Search is a book in the Lancaster County Secrets series, and, as with The Waiting, the other book I read in the series, I was not disappointed by the content of the book written by Suzanne Woods Fisher. The book focused on two seemingly different women, Lainey O’Toole and Bess Reihl. Lainey is a young “English” woman who is planning on spending her summer working to save money to attend culinary school. When her car breaks down in Soney Ridge, the town where she grew up, she must face her past as she earns money to repair her car. Bess is a young Amish girl who is spending the summer with her grandmother at Rose Hill Farm, very close to the apartment where Lainey took up residence for the summer. Unbeknownst to both Lainey and Bess, they have a bond that will come to light due to during a summer spent in Stoney Ridge.

I have read very many books about Amish people in the past, and along with The Waiting, I think this was one of my favorites. I liked that the focus was not entirely on a single Amish family, rather it also looked at the life of an “English” girl who was struggling with her past and also deciding the plan God has for her future. This book contains the right amount of romance, suspense, and some mystery thrown in through the attempts of Bess and her friend to discover what is occurring to the wildlife at a local pond. Another good aspect of the book was that it mentions characters from the first book in the series, but it’s not necessary to have read the first book to enjoy the second book in the series. I cannot wait until I learn more about the residents of Stoney Ridge in the upcoming Lancaster County Secrets books.

“Available January 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

The Waiting

The Waiting is the second book in the Lancaster County Secrets Series written by Margaret Brownley, which looks at the life of Jorie King during the Vietnam War. The fact that Jorie and all of her friends and family are Amish did not keep her fiancée Ben from being drafted into the Army and traveling to Vietnam as a contentious objector who was still near, if not in, battles. As Jorie waited for Ben to return home, she began teaching school and helping the young children in her community with their task of passing their 8th grade exams. During this time, Jorie learns that Ben will not be returning home, as he was killed in Vietnam. An unlikely relationship begins to grow between Jorie and Ben’s brother, Caleb. Their relationship faces some turmoil, and they must decide if they belong together.

Although I’ve read numerous books about people who are Amish, I can honestly say this was the only one of its kind. I felt as if Jorie and all of the others in her community were “real” people, not just “perfect” people. The book shows that no matter who you are, or how you were raised, there is no one above making mistakes and having difficult relationships with others. For this reason, I think the book especially resonated with me.

I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series and find out more about the others in the community and how God will shape their futures.

“Available October 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Thursday, January 13, 2011

A Billion Reasons Why

A Billion Reasons Why by Kristin Billerbeck looks at the life of Katie McKenna and the relationships she is facing in her life. Katie must choose between her current fiancée, who has everything on the checklist of what a perfect husband should be. When she least expects it she is brought into contact the first love of her life, Luc DeForges. Katie must choose if she would rather marry the dependable man or the one who she has a strong connection with.

I really enjoyed this book, as I have the other books I read by Kristin Billerbeck. It is a perfect weekend read when you are looking for Christian Chick-Lit. I also liked how Katie must rely on determining what plan God has for her life, not relying on only herself.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Monday, January 10, 2011

Still House Pond

Still House Pond by Jan Watson, which continues the Troublesome Creek Series, follows the lives of Lilly, Manda, and Copper. Lilly is the young daughter of Copper, the town midwife, and she is striving to have her independence and not always be given the responsibility of looking after her younger siblings. She looks forward to a trip to visit her aunt, and her parents are faced with facing the possibility that she did not make it to her destination, as a train accident occurs. The book also focuses on Copper’s midwife practice and the young girl who was hired to watch her children while she is working.

Although I liked the book after I read it, as I read the book I found it difficult to stay focused on the contents of the book. I liked the historical nature of the book, but I think I may have not been as interested in the book as other reviewers since I did not have the opportunity to read the other books in the series. Also, I felt the main plot of the book, which was the train accident, could have occurred earlier in the book and that would have made the book more appealing to me, as I would have been interested in the lives of the characters from an earlier point in the book.

I Received this book from Tyndale for review.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Softly and Tenderly

Softly and Tenderly, the second book in the Songbird Trilogy, was written by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck, and it is the sequel to The Sweet By and By. I read the Sweet By and By nearly a year ago, and I was extremely excited to see the new book released this year. The book continues to follow the life of Jade who is struggling with issues such as anxiety, addiction, marital problems, and most of all infidelity. Her husband Max fathered a son who he wants to raise with Jade. This, along with other issues, causes Jade to question everything she has believed in her life, and I enjoyed seeing how she handled all of these issues which many people struggle with on a daily basis—although they typically only face one or two of the issues rather than such a large amount of issues at one time.

The book was an easy read, and I didn’t want to put it down as I read it over Christmas Break from work. I did feel the book was a little “soap opera-ey” as other reviewers have suggested, but that’s what I was expecting and anticipating when I began to read the book. I really enjoyed reading this book by country singer Sara Evans

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."