The Memory Weaver

The Memory Weaver, by Jane Kirkpatrick tells the story of Eliza Spalding, who is the daughter Presbyterian missionaries with the Nez Perce in the Pacific Northwest. Although I wasn’t aware of this before reading the book, it is based on true events that happened in 1847. The book starts when Eliza is a young teenager. Her mother has passed away, and she is struggling with memories of her kidnapping that took place when she was 10 years old at a mission with another family, who worked closely with her parents. When Eliza was taken, she served as a translator of the other captives, since she was the only one fluent in the language. While there is a focus on Eliza’s past, the book also looks at her relationship with her husband and family as she elopes and leaves her father.

 

The format of the book was different than what I was expecting, as there was a lot of remembering the past and reliving it through diary entries of Eliza, the mother. I was also expecting more romance, but there wasn’t much focus on that. Rather the book focuses on Eliza, both her past and her present. I also think I had to focus while reading this book, which made it a little longer of a read than what I’m used to. Overall, I would recommend this book to people who are interested in history.   

 

 

This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my review. 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.”

Last Chance Hero

Last Chance Hero is the fourth book in the A Place to Call Home series by Cathleen Armstrong, and it returns us to the city of Last Chance, New Mexico. In this book, Dr. Jessica McLeod is starting a new doctor’s office in the community. Although all of the people agree that a doctor’s office is a great addition to Last Chance, they aren’t too open to changing their doctor and seeing her for doctor’s appointments. In addition to a new doctor in town, Andy Ryan has returned home to coach the Last Chance High School Football team. Andy played professional football and he’s returning to town a hero, but there is a lot of pressure on him to return the team to their former glory days. He also has some past memories from living in Last Chance that he has to work through.

 

Although these two characters don’t seem to have anything in common at first, it was nice reading about their relationship growing. I also liked that there were all of the same characters from the old books. You get to read how their lives have changed since the other books in the series, although there were a lot of different characters you had to remember from past books. I would not recommend reading this book if you haven’t read any of the other books in this series. I was interested in reading how the relationship would progress between Jessica and Andy, but I think there could have been a little more development of their relationship. Hopefully that is something that will be in the next book set in Last Chance. Overall, I enjoyed this book and will make sure to read future books in this series.

 

This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my review. 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.”

The Chase

The Chase: Trusting God with Your Happily Ever After by Kyle and Kelsey Kupecky is a great book for teenagers who are questioning their relationships and the person they are going to spend the rest of the lives with. After a short introduction which explains how Kyle and Kelsey met, the book goes on to discuss different topics in each chapter. They include things like The List, Worth the Wait, The Climb, Call Me Maybe, etc. Each chapter has a section from Kyle's point of view, and another section from Kelsey's point of view. I think that was a nice part of the book so the reader can see two different perspectives. I also liked that there were many different personal stories in the book that made the book seem like you were just talking to a friend about different circumstances and situations they went through in their life.

This book can be read very quickly, or you can read just 1 chapter a day as more of a devotional. I can't wait to share this book with my younger sister, since I think this is the perfect book for someone in their young 20s or teenage years. It has very realistic examples of how positive a relationship can be when you place God first in your life, and also examples of what can happen when you are chasing someone else rather than chasing after God.

This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my review. 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.”

Legend

Some of my favorite books are those that deal with historical events, and I even enjoy the book more if it’s a true story! I think that’s why I really enjoyed reading Legend: A harrowing story from the Vietnam War of One Green Beret’s Heroic Mission to Rescue a Special Forces Team Caught Behind Enemy Lines by Eric Blehm. The book was written in a way that was easy to understand, and I wasn’t confused by different military terms like I’m sometimes concerned about when I read this type of book.  The book looks at Roy Benavidez, a Staff Sergeant with the Army’s Green Beret Special  Forces who jumped from a helicopter into Cambodia where his team was trapped. Out of these 12 men, 8 men survived the disaster.

 

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in books concerning military matters or biographies. It’s a very interesting read, and it will keep you entertained from beginning to end.

is book was provided by Blogging for Books, in exchange for my review. 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.”

Taming the To-Do List: How to Choose Your Best Work Every Day

We all have one of them…the dreaded To-Do List, and more often than not, I find myself pushing everything on my To-Do List off until the next day. The book Taming the To-Do List: How to Choose Your Best Work Every Day by Glynnis Whitwer was just the book I needed to read! She focuses on how we need to prioritize the things we do throughout the day, and not just continually do busy work which keeps us busy but doesn’t allow us to really complete the important tasks.

 

This book is a great read if you are really looking to re-focus yourself and complete those tasks which truly need to be priorities in your life while also reevaluating commitments.  

 

This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my review. 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.”

Girl Meets Change

Change in our lives is inevitable, and everyone reacts differently to situations like a new job, entering a new college, or leaving the only place you’re ever considered your home. Kristen Strong looks at situations like these in Girl Meets Change: Truths to Carry You Through Life’s Transitions. Her book focuses on the fact that we shouldn’t look on these changes with fear. Instead we should embrace them, and look for God’s grace in all of these changes in our life.

 

This book really resonated with me. I do not like change, and I think sometimes my fear of change has held me back from things like changing my career or moving to a new city. This book helped me understand that I don’t need to be so fearful of change. The Bible verses offer encouragement and Kristen’s writing gives examples of some of the changes she faced in her life and how she dealt with them.

 

I would recommend this book to everyone, whether you are struggling during a particular time in your life, or if you are just looking for a well-written book that will offer you encouragement and sound advice for your future!

 

This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my review. 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.”

The Big Pig Stampede

The Big Pig Stampede, and a bunch more amazing miracles, written by Bob Hartman, is the perfect story for young children. The book is written in a way that young children will be able to understand Bible-times from the perspective of someone their own age in Palestine.  This is a great idea to interest children in Bible stories that may sometimes be too hard for them to understand. These stories were really cute and there were a lot of different characters that were brought into the stories that showed the relationships between Goat Boy (Gideon) and his friends. I think this book is perfect for someone around 10 years old.

 

This book was provided by Tyndale in exchange for my review. 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.”

The Mistress of Tall Acre

The Mistress of Tall Acre, by Laura Frantz, is set after the Revolutionary War in Virginia. Sophie Menzies is left alone, waiting for her brother’s return from the military, after her father escapes the United States as a traitor, and her mother passes away. When her neighbor, Seamus, returns home she begins to form a relationship with his daughter, Lily Cate. Romance, mystery, and history are all intertwined in The Mistress of Tall Acre. I really enjoyed watching the relationships grow in this book, since they seemed realistic and nothing was forced. There were some mysteries in this book I did not see coming, and I found myself not wanting to put the book down once I started to read it.

As with all of her other books, Laura Frantz wrote a great story that provided some insights into the time after the Revolutionary War as well as showing the growing relationship between these two characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading historical romance books.

This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my review. 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.”

Hot Mama

Hot Mama: 12 Secrets to a Sizzling Hot Marriage by Kathi Lipp and Erin MacPherson was a book different than anything I’ve ever read in the past, but I can understand why the topic is an important one. In a time where everyone is so busy, all too often relationships between spouses seem to take a back seat. In this book, the authors look at ways to keep moms feeling confident about themselves and their relationship. I liked that this book wove in funny stories, questions and answers, and Bible Verses. I think this is a great read for moms who are looking to spark their relationships again.

 

This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my review. 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.”