Ruby's Slippers by Leanna Ellis

Ruby's Slippers by Leanna Ellis

published by B&H Publishing Group

www.bhpublishinggroup.com/fiction/books.asp?p=9780805446982

Before I begin, I want to say that I am reviewing this book of my own free will. I did not receive an advanced copy of this book, nor have I been solicited to review this book. Its all me....

I picked up Ruby's Slippers because I had read Elvis Takes a Back Seat, by the same author, earlier this year, and found it delightful. I loved the both the characters and the story, even if I was never an Elvis fan.

I absolutely loved Ruby's Slippers! Once again, I felt the characters were rich in character and easy to love. I identified with Dottie at first, being the oldest of two sisters, and feeling like she had the obligation to look after her mother and her younger sister, Abby, in light of her father's mysterious departure when she was four years old. As a teenager and then into adulthood, she feels as if she is standing in her aspiring actress sister's larger-than-life shadow. She remains where she is comfortable, at the family farm in Kansas, even if that is not where she is content, sheltered from the outside world.

She is seriously injured when a tornado rips through her farm, leaving the farm completely destroyed, and only a small box of personal possessions. She awakens after being in a coma for three months and one week with a brain injury that takes time to heal. She learns that her sister has moved her to a rehabilitation facility in California and has put the family farm up for auction. She also discovers a pair of ruby slippers that her father, who she has not seen for thirty years, has left for her while she was in a coma.

While recovering, she meets and befriends Sophia, an older lady with a big heart, as well as an adventurous streak. They embark on a journey to find Dottie's father in Seattle, with few clues to go on.

Dottie meets her long-lost Uncle Tim, and he accompanies them on their journey. Tim offers Dottie a perspective of her family that she never before had. He tells her things about her parents she would have never known...of their youthful dreams and heartaches. The group expands to four when Sophia meets up with her son Leo. Leo has been living in a cabin in the woods, tucked away from society, nursing emotional wounds inflicted by a trusted associate.

The group encounter adventures on the way to Seattle, but are determined not to give up.

Dottie finds herself drawn to the wild but big-hearted Leo, and it seems he is drawn to her as well.

The group finally arrives at their destination: the home of Dottie's father. She is deeply disappointed to be turned away at the gate, being given the request to return only when she has Abby with her.

I am not going to give any more details, but I found the conclusion immensely satisfying. While I found myself wishing Abby would get her comeuppance, I was delighted to see that Dottie had come to terms with the pain and loss of her past, and realized that she had always had the best Father ever, and feeling confident in His love, was able to make a sacrifice that surprised and at first dismayed me. I understood why she made the sacrifice, though, and was able to take away a lesson of my own.

To anyone who reads this review, if anyone at all, please forgive me for rambling. I wanted to capture the feelings and lesson I learned from reading this book. In many ways I am like Dottie, feeling like the plain invisible one in a family that demands to be seen and heard, and seeking comfort hiding from the world. The lesson I took away from this book is this: all of us as human beings are broken and fragile creatures. We will be hurt and disappointed, and we will hurt and disappoint others. Our Heavenly Father will never let us down. Sometimes the lessons we learn will hurt, and our loved ones will never live up to expectations. Our Father calls us to love, and in doing so, we are healed and restored. Also, sometimes family can be the ones who love you and accept you for who you are when your own family does not or can not.

I cannot say enough about this book. I enjoyed it immensely, and I am going on a quest to find Lookin' Back Texas, another of Leanna Ellis' books. I have a feeling I will again be delighted, entertained, and glean another of His nuggets. I love reading fiction that brings me closer to Him!

Rose House by Tina Ann Forkner

My Review of the Rose House, by Tina Ann Forkner

published by Waterbrook Press

www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781400073597

I just wanted to add that I am reviewing this book on my own. I did not receive a free copy from anyone!

I couldn't wait to read this book, having loved the first book, Ruby Among Us, and the characters within the book.

Rose House is the story of Lillian. When the story begins, she is grappling with the overwhelming grief of losing her husband and two children in a suspicious accident. She is also dealing with the pain of secrets and betrayal involving her sister and her husband. She visits the Rose House in the midst of her grief, and is unknowingly captured in a portrait painted by a local landscape artist, Truman. She flees from La Roseda, cutting her vacation short, when she suspects someone is stalking her.

Four years later, she is still grieving and having difficulty coming to terms with her many losses. She returns to La Roseda, shocked and at first angry to see the portrait Truman has anonymously donated to the local gallery. The artist seemed to have captured her pain and grief perfectly, leaving her conflicted. She cultivates a friendship with Paige, owner of the local bed and breakfast where Lillian is staying, and Paige helps to discover the painter's true identity.

Lillian and Truman begin a tentative romance. Lillian is not sure she is ready to give up the memory of her husband, and, even though they are strongly attracted to each other, Truman is not sure she is ready. He leaves to give her space, and Lillian is surprised to discover how much she misses him.

I felt that Lillian's sister, Geena, and their history were interesting, but not fully developed. I did not have much sympathy for Geena, and found her to be self-serving. It was hard to have any kind of sympathy for her. Was she really sorry for how she hurt her sister, was a party to the betrayal as well as the "accident" that claimed Lillian's family, or did she feel sorry for herself because her lover was now dead? I wasn't convinced she was truly remorseful.

I also felt that the suspense of whether or not someone was stalking her was good, but also not fully developed. The climax was kind of confusing. Again, I liked the suspense of wondering about whether or not something sinister was happening, but I did not completely understand when it all came out. This too, I felt was not fully developed.

Having said all that, I still loved the book, and would recommend this author to any of my friends. I love the characters that reside in La Roseda, and would love to "visit" again. I would love to get the chance to know and understand Geena better. Hmm...maybe that is what the author had in mind? :)

Never the Bride by Cheryl McKay and Rene Gutteridge

Never the Bride by Cheryl McKay and Rene Gutteridge

Published by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group

I originally picked up this book because of Rene Gutteridge. I have read all of her books, and I know that it seems like I always say this, but she is one of my favorite authors. Her books are wonderfully different, always a great plot. I would not have picked up this book by looking at the cover. But, seeing her name on the cover as one of the authors, I decided to bite.

And boy, am I glad I did! I found this book to be a pure delight! I should have known better. I absolutely loved this book. I found the character of Jessie Stone very real and enjoyable. All I am going to say about the plot is....well done.

I usually prefer suspense or mystery, but I have to make a confession: I LOVE chick lit. And I would put this book in that category. Chick lit with a meaningful message.

Because of the discussions regarding new FTC rules, I want to disclose the following:

I reviewed this book on my own. I did not receive a free copy or compensation from anyone.

Seaside Letters A Nantucket Love Story by Denise Hunter

Seaside Letters
A Nantucket Love Story
by Denise Hunter

Published by Thomas Nelson


www.brb.thomasnelson.com






I was so excited to see this book on the list of books available to review from the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers website. Denise Hunter is one of my favorite authors. I'll put it this way: I have bookcases throughout my home, but only one for my FAVORITE authors and books. My husband knows that this particular bookcase is OFF LIMITS for anyone wishing to borrow one of my legions of books. I have a shelf for each author, and will NOT part with these books. Denise Hunter's collection is on the second shelf. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to review this book, and to add it to my collection. :)

Sabrina Kincaid is a waitress at the Cobblestone Cafe. She serves coffee every morning to the regular customers, including Tucker McCabe. But she is more than just a waitress, and he is more than just a regular customer. They have been corresponding to each other via the Internet under the screen names Sweetpea (Sabrina) and Harbormaster (Tucker). The online friendship has evolved into each having strong feelings for the other. Sabrina opens her heart to Tucker through the safety and anonymity of the emails.

Sabrina is dealing with issues of fear, insecurity (not feeling like she is pretty or good enough for Tucker), hurt from past betrayals, as well as shame from a bad decision made in the midst of a painful time in her life. She is hiding out on Nantucket Island after running from a painful betrayal by her fiance and cousin. She is avoiding dealing with her past. When she learns that Tucker would be affected by her past mistake, she goes to elaborate lengths to hide her true identity, further shutting him out of her future.

What she does not realize is that he knows who she really is, and is reaching out to her. He goes to elaborate lengths to reach out to her, to draw him to her, and to help her feel safe in revealing her true self. Unfortunately, Sabrina's fear of his finding out her past indiscretion is stronger, and she continues to hide.

I don't want to reveal any more of the plot than I already have, but I was deeply touched by this book. I loved how Denise used Tucker's love for Sabrina to illustrate God's love for us. The issue with more than one of the characters dealing with fear was powerful as well. Fear really does paralyze us, stops us from doing and being who God created us to be. Last, but not least, there is the theme of forgiveness. God's forgiveness, forgiving others, and forgiving ourselves. I think we all can use the reminder that one mistake does not define who you are, and if God can forgive us and remember our sins no more, than we can forgive ourselves and others.

I would recommend this book to all of my reader friends. If you have not read any of Denise Hunter's books, I highly recommend starting with Mending Places, book one of the New Heights Series. I promise you will not be disappointed!

The American Patriot's Bible

This is my review of The American Patriot's Bible, The Word of God and the Shaping of America, published by Thomas Nelson Publishers. This bible is presented in the New King James version, and is considered a Study Bible. According to the back cover, this Bible "connects the teachings of the Bible, the history of the United States, and the life of every American. Beautiful full-color insert pages spotlight the people and events that demonstrate the godly qualities that have made America great."

This was to be the first bible I was to review for the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers site. It was exciting to have UPS stop at my door and deliver this Bible to me! I could not wait to get started!

My husband and I homeschool our eight-year old son, and we were looking forward to using this Bible in both Bible studies with Nick and as a supplement to his history lessons. My goal this summer was to homeschool Nick right through with no stopping. Unfortunately, my oldest daughter's tragic accident superseded all of our best-laid plans. This review, the entire book review blog, was put on hold. Lauren is still hospitalized, but on the way to recovery. We were able to resart homeschooling in the past few weeks. So, I have made the decision to also restart my dream of reviewing books. Sorry if this is rusty, but here goes:

When we initially received The American Patriot's Bible, we sat down and went through the pages. We read several of the inserts, and were amazed and impressed that there is much of our American history that WE do not know! We read with Nick the color insert on Christianity and Equal Rights, located in the beginning of the book of John. We were satisfied that it helped to illuminate that, even though our country was built on liberty and justice for all, certain minority groups have not always enjoyed their rights as American citizens. We thought this insert was timely, having recently inaugurated the country's first black president. We thought the information was both timely and relevant to what is going on right now. We also reviewed the book of John, and emphasized with him the article on the Bill of Rights on page 1217. He is only considered a second grader, but I don't think one is ever too young to learn about the history of this country. We also liked the short blurbs scattered throughout each chapter. On page 1208, titled, Selfless, we read a quote from Colin Powell about our young men and women fighting for freedom in other countries, tying this quote with John 3:16.

We are very impressed with The American Patriot's Bible and would recommend it to anyone homeschooling, or just hungry for more knowledge of American History. I know that we have learned just as much as Nick has!

Available in both hardcover and blue bonded leather.


www.brb.thomasnelson.com

How I Spent My Summer....

I started this blog in May, so excited to discover that Thomas Nelson publishers would send me (FOR FREE!!!) select books to review. I had always wanted to be an author when I was young, and even though I enjoy reading so much more, I thought this would be a way to polish my writing skills. I will NOT be writing any novels ANYTIME soon, just want to make that clear. My passion is reading, reading, reading.

In June, life as we know it was forever changed. My oldest daughter, Lauren, was a passenger on a Harley Davidson that was struck by an SUV. Her boyfriend (the driver) was thrown from the bike and died instantly. Lauren was pinned under the Harley, which exploded on impact. She suffered full-thickness burns to 40% of her body, and her left leg was amputated mid-calf upon impact. In fact, the left side of her body was badly broken. Her injuries are too numerous to list right now. She was lifelined to one hospital, then transferred the next day to the Richard Fairbanks burn unit in Wishard Hospital due to the extent of her burns. She remains there today. In fact, she was to transfer to the rehabilitation hospital this week, but for insurance and medical reasons, she was told she will be there at least three more weeks. But I am getting ahead of the story.

Her prognosis was grim. She had so many injuries, and each one was critical on its own. For about five weeks, we lived from day to day. She has had so many surgeries I lost count after #10.

Despite all the obstacles, Lauren has survived. I give all the glory to the Lord! She is a miracle! She has a long, hard road ahead of her, but she is going to make it. She is neurologically intact, thank God, so when she is rehabilitated she can come home to her two little girls.

Throughout all of this I forgot all about my vow to become a book reviewer. I had not returned to this blog until this afternoon to post the review for the Max Lucado book, Fearless. I have spent what little computer time I get anymore to post entries on Lauren's Caring Bridge website.

Having returned, I discovered that I missed opportunities to review books I would have loved to review. I started this blog for me, never thought anyone would actually read this!

So, I am making a vow to spend more time doing what I orginally set out to do.

Book Review: Fearless by Max Lucado

"Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reasons for fear."

"Can you imagine your life without fear?"

-Direct quotes taken from back cover of book.

I requested Max Lucado's new release, Fearless, with a mixture of skepticism and hope. This summer has been a particularly rough summer for me and my family. I have had many reasons to be fearful. Plus, working at a Christian book store for the last three years, I have witnessed many new releases claiming to have the answer to life's problems. I DO enjoy Max's writing style, and figured, if anyone is going to teach us how to conquer fear, why not Max? So, I requested a copy of this book.

I found Fearless to be informative, reassuring, and touched my heart in several chapters. Easy to read, yet not a light read. Max has a way of drawing you in, and targeting the core of our fears. He covered the gamut of our personal fears in fifteen chapters.

Chapter one opens the book with the story of Max's brother, Dee, who passed away from a massive heart attack while Max was writing Fearless. He also defines fear as well as explains how Jesus conquered fear, once and for all, on the cross. The following fourteen chapters define individual fears, and how Jesus specifically addressed each one. He first addressed fears related to our personal shortcomings, such as, fear of not mattering and fear of disappointing God.