Reviews

“Blue Like Play Dough” Blog Book Tour

blue like play dough

Blue Like Play Dough is a great book for mothers, because it really meets you where you’re at.  The author, Tricia Goyer, shares her experiences from the time she was a pregnant teen, to now, a more settled, yet still occasionally struggling, adult.

As she shared her joys and sorrows in parenting, I found that I could relate to much of what she was saying. Being a mother can be a lonely, demanding job. There are times when you feel like you are drowning, even though there are also times when you feel like you’re on top of the world. You often wonder if you’re doing things right, or if you’re screwing your kids up for life. I think every mother has dealt with these doubts, questions, and feelings of inadequacy at one time or another.

And yet, in the midst of all that, God is always there, guiding you, preparing you for great things. And even if you do make a mess of things, He is there to help you clean it up. And, if you finally let go of *your* plans, you can be open to the wonderful plans God has in store for you!

I found this to be a very uplifting, encouraging book that takes a real, honest look at motherhood, and how God can give us so much more joy in our job than we ever imagined!

Book Review: “Rick and Bubba’s Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage”

I had never heard of authors Rick Burgess and Bill “Bubba” Bussey before reading this book, but now I wish I had!  Rick and Bubba’s Guide to the Almost Nearly Perfect Marriage is the funniest book I’ve read in quite awhile. It’s like a combination of Chris Fabry (the Christian aspect, as well as the humorous look at marriage and the difference between the two sexes) and Jeff Foxworthy (the whole redneck thing), and that combination makes for some hilarious, yet clean, reading.

Even with the hilarity, there is some truth that can be found in this book, as far as how men and women are different, and what can make a marriage work (or not!). Even while laughing at the stories Rick and Bubba relate from their own marriages, I often found myself thinking: “I do that, too!” or “I think we’ve had that conversation before.” Humor and hyperbole can make the truth easier to see and admit to, and even though I could see myself and my marriage in some of their stories, the way the truth was delivered left me feeling like we’re not alone in how we interact, instead of feeling angry or ashamed that I’ve been found out!

Blog Book Tour: “The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn”

I recently read The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn, which is a “Love Inspired” Suspense novel. I don’t usually read books that can be purchased in the grocery store, but I thought this one was pretty good.

Kenzie Thorn (granddaughter of the state governor) teaches a GED course in a prison. She can’t help but be intrigued by her new student, Myles Parsons, but her curiosity turns to fear when he abducts her. His explanation? He’s an undercover FBI agent working to protect Kenzie, and to do so, he needs to hide her.

Can Kenzie trust Myles? Who is the real threat to her? And what kind of relationship can she have with the man sent to keep her out of harm’s way?

There was a twist to this story (which I obviously won’t share) that prevented this book from becoming a formulaic romance novel. I appreciated the Christian slant to the book, which prevented it from becoming a trashy romance novel. Certainly light reading, but not a bad way to spend time.

The verdict? Good for summer reading by the pool.

“Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes” Blog Book Tour

sisterchicks

Although the Sisterchicks series of books by Robin Jones Gunn has been around for a while now, I had never read one before Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes, and I quickly realized how little I knew about the books, so I have to address the series in general before I can talk about this book in particular.

First of all, I was worried that because I hadn’t read the first seven books, I wouldn’t be able to get into them, that I wouldn’t be familiar with the history.  As it turns out, that isn’t a problem.  After a little research, I came to realize that each book is about a different pair of friends, and the books aren’t dependant on each other at all.  That makes this the perfect series to pick up partway (or a long way, like me!) in, because you don’t have to worry about not knowing the characters or their stories–it’s all new with each new book.

Second of all, I totally didn’t get that the books are centered around traveling.  Now that I’ve look at all the titles, it’s glaringly obvious, but I didn’t realize it when I saw the books individually here and there.  The unique settings in each book help to reassure the reader that she’s not missing pieces of information.

I was also a little concerned about reading them because, let’s face it, the main characters are old enough to be my mother.  But that didn’t stop me from enjoying the story, and really feeling for the characters.

Enough about the series in general, though–on to Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes!

Summer Finely and her pastor-husband Wayne have always taught their children “we do what we have to do so we can do what we want to do.” But when she receives an abnormal reading on a mammogram, Summer decides to throw caution to the wind and fly to Holland to visit her life-long pen pal, Noelle, whom she’s never actually met, but who she feels as close to as a sister.

Summer asks her husband to allow her to stay in denial about the potential medical crisis looming over her head, and he reluctantly agrees, so she sets off, travel book in hand, eager to get to know Noelle, worried about embarrassing herself in a strange land, and anxious to see the fields of tulips in bloom.

As she and Noelle explore Holland, they share secrets and heartaches, and form a closer bond from their shared experiences.  Uncertain of what the future holds, one thing is certain–Summer and Noelle have their faith, their families, and their friendship to hold onto.

I really enjoyed this book–it’s interesting to read about life in other countries, the characters were instantly likable, and they were dealing with real problems and experiences.  I barely even noticed the age difference between myself and the main characters (although, I imagine if I revisit the book in 15 years or so, I may find it even more meaningful).  Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes has made me want to read the rest of the Sisterchicks novels, and now I know I don’t even have to worry about reading them in any particular order!

“Saints in Limbo”/”Stealing Home” Blog Book Tour

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I really wanted to like Saints in Limbo by River Jordan, but to be honest, I just couldn’t get into it.  The prologue (which I’m generally not a fan of in books, anyway–just get right to the point!), didn’t draw me in, and the characters did not gain my sympathy from the beginning (or at all, for that matter).  That best I can do is share a short summary of the book–perhaps it will be more appealing to other audiences than it was to me.

Ever since her husband Joe died, Velma True’s world has been limited to what she can see while clinging to one of the multicolored threads tied to the porch railing of her home outside Echo, Florida.

When a mysterious stranger appears at her door on her birthday and presents Velma with a special gift, she is rattled by the object’s ability to take her into her memories–a place where Joe still lives, her son Rudy is still young, unaffected by the world’s hardness, and the beginning is closer than the end. As secrets old and new come to light, Velma wonders if it’s possible to be unmoored from the past’s deep roots and find a reason to hope again.

stealing-home

Stealing Home by Allison Pittman is a pretty unique book in terms of setting and plot.

It’s 1905 and the Chicago Cubs are banking on superstar Donald “Duke” Dennison’s golden arm to help them win the pennant.

I don’t think I’ve seen too many books about a baseball player that take place around the turn of the 20th century. Maybe I’m just overlooking a genre of book, but I really enjoyed this, both because of the characters, and because of the unique subject matter.  I especially enjoyed the small town of Picksville–it really seemed like the kind of place you’d want to visit and take in a ball game.

Only one thing stands between Duke and an unprecedented ten thousand dollar contract: alcohol.

That’s when sportswriter David Voyant whisks Duke to the one-horse town of Picksville, Missouri, so he can sober up in anonymity. He bides his time flirting with Ellie Jane Voyant, his unofficial chaperone, who would rather hide herself in the railway station ticket booth than face the echoes of childhood taunts.

Ned Clovis, the feed store clerk, has secretly loved Ellie Jane since childhood, but he loves baseball and the Duke almost as much–until he notices Ellie Jane may be succumbing to the star’s charm.

Then there’s Morris, a twelve-year-old Negro boy, whose only dream is to break away from Picksville. When Duke discovers his innate talent for throwing a baseball, Morris might just have found his way out.

Four individuals, each living in haunted isolation, each harboring a secret passion. Providence brings them together. Tragedy threatens to tear them apart. Will love be enough to bring them home?

It wasn’t necessarily the happiest book I ever read, but it is enjoyable and thought-provoking!

Book Review: “100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs”

I think 100 Bible Stories, 100 Bible Songs by Stephen Elkins is a cool, somewhat unusual idea for a Bible storybook. Instead of having only child-length Bible stories, it also comes with 2 CDs that have songs that accompany each story.  There’s a nice combination of songs, hymns, and spiritual songs, and also a good combination of old favorites (for our family, anyway), and new songs.

The stories presented in the Bible are short, even for a children’s Bible, which I guess is because the songs are included, and take up some normal reading time.  The children singing on the CD are cute and likable.  My own children really like the music, and enjoy looking at new Bible illustrations, even if the stories are already familiar to them, and shorter and less detailed than they are used to.

My only complaint is the way the CDs are packaged.  They are almost impossible to get out of the book and their vinyl envelope within it without damaging them.  I guess there are no alternative ways to pack a set of CDs in a book, but I could see the discs becoming damaged easily, thus defeating the purpose of the songs along *with* the stories.

“The Night Watchman” Blog Book Tour

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I loved The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir!  It’s a great mystery/suspense story that takes place in and around Orlando, FL, and deals with corruption in government as well as the local police department.  It’s an extremely well-written story, with an ending that’s almost impossible to figure out ahead of time.

The Night Watchman is former detective Ray Quinn, who has a new life as a security guard/P.I. (and part-time alcoholic)–a life he certainly didn’t choose voluntarily, but was forced into after a mysterious shooting that crippled him and killed his partner.

After the murder/suicide of an exotic dancer and pastor that occurred at the condo on Ray’s new beat, he gets sucked back into police work, trying to discover who the real killer is, and how this attack might relate to his accident, as well as the death of another exotic dancer he interviewed. He learns secrets about the people he used to work with, breaks several laws, is beaten, and even had an attempt made on his own life while trying to untangle the mystery of the killings, and how they relate to several powerful men in the Orlando area, and the local nightclub scene.

Along the way, he befriends a young man with whom he works–Crevis, a somewhat bumbling red-head who dreams to one day become a police officer himself. It’s an unlikely friendship, and one that Ray avoided for as long as possible.  Ray also allows himself to become closer to Pam, the sister of the pastor found dead in the condo.  Only time will tell if that will become a romantic relationship in future books.

This book kept me furiously turning the pages until I had it finished.  I wasn’t  sure who Ray could really trust until the very end, when all of the truth finally came out. Until that point, I had a trust no one attitude, which seemed to be shared by Ray, as he discovered just how deeply the investigation ran.

I can’t wait to see what kind of cases The Night Watchman Detective Agency tackles next!

Homeschool Review: “The Classical Kids Collection” CDs

One of my favorite things to use in our homeschool this year has been The Classical Kids Collection CD set (specifically volume 2, as well A Classical Kids Christmas).  To be honest, I haven’t yet been able to purchase volume 1 of the set, and I don’t really plan on buying Daydreams and Lullabies (although I am sure it is also excellent), but I love the five CDs we do have!

These CDs don’t just offer music by a composer, they weave the music into a story.  My children aren’t great at listening to stories on the radio, CD, etc., (the American Tall Tales CD we listened to this year was a burden to get through!), but for some reason they were riveted by the Classical Kids stories.  I think this is partly because the music breaks up the narration some, but also because there are children’s voices on the CDs, which they can relate to, and in general, all of the narrative voices are quite pleasant.

Volume 2 contains four CDs, which can also be purchased individually: Song of the Unicorn; Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage; Tchaikovsky Discovers America; and Hallelujah Handel.  The first CD is a compilation of medieval music, while the other three (obviously) focus on works by individual composers.  Tchaikovsky Discovers America was by far our favorite, because it’s an enchanting tale about some children hopping a train with the composer as he attempts to escape his commitment to conduct at the grand opening of Carnegie Hall.  The other CDs in the set were also excellent, but the story on this one captured our attention in a special way.

A Classical Kids Christmas was equally wonderful, using music from different time periods and composers to tell the Christmas story in the form of a Christmas pageant much like children used to participate in.  Different traditions and characters from around the world were shared, and the selections of music were wonderful–some familiar and some completely foreign.  The whole story very much mirrors the St. Charles Christmas Traditions walk that has become such an important tradition in our family.

The Classical Kids Collection volume 1 is on our list to purchase as soon as possible.  Like volume 2, this also contains four CDs, each focusing on a specific composer: Mr. Bach Comes to Call; Beethoven Lives Upstairs; Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery; and Mozart’s Magic Fantasy.

These CDs are a wonderful way to introduce children to classical music–the different composers, different sounds, and all the things to appreciate about this art form.  This is the type of resource that can be instrumental (pardon the pun!) in the development of a life-long love of music in children.

Book Review: “Sisters, Ink” Series

It took me over a year (due to publication dates, not because they were boring or anything), but I finally finished the Sisters, Ink series of books by Rebeca Seitz.  There were only four books in the series: Sisters, Ink; Coming Unglued; Scrapping Plans; and Perfect Piece.  Each book focuses on one of the Sinclair sisters, a very diverse group of young women who were all adopted by Jack Sinclair and his late wife.  Throughout all of their shared troubles, including starting a new business together and learning to deal with a new step-mother, Zelda, who could not be more different than their beloved mother, the sisters get together to share their favorite hobby, scrapbooking, and solve all their problems (and consume a lot of chocolate along the way!).

The individual books each deal with their own theme, in addition to the above-mentioned themes that are present in all the books. The first two focus on the only two unmarried sisters as they deal with relationships and ponder marriage.  I thought these two books were excellent–Sisters, Ink, about the red-haired lawyer sister Tandy, really drew me in, and made me want to get to know the sisters, learn about their pasts, and anticipate what might happen in their futures.  Coming Unglued, about artistic Kendra, was an excellent sequel, answering some questions raised in the first book, as well as creating some new ones to be explored in future books.

I wish I could say I enjoyed the last two books as much as the first two.  I thought that Scrapping Plans was the worst of the four, partly because of some previously mentioned Lutheran bashing, and also because I felt that the main story, about Martha-Stewart -in-training Joy’s dealings with infertility and adoption, was unrealistic, and too easily resolved.  Perfect Piece was a better book than Scrapping Plans, but it was lacking the same spirit of the first two books.  In this book, the oldest sister, and mother of three, Meg, dealt with a brain tumor, and then her husband’s emotional infidelity as well.  I felt the author had a completely unrealistic opinion of how quickly someone who just had brain surgery should recover, and, like the previous book, felt that the tension wrapped up a little too neatly.

My only other criticism of the series is that it seemed to plagiarize the television show Gilmore Girls quite a bit.  From the main setting being a small town called Stars Hill (complete with over-the-top annual festivals), to Clay’s Diner, and Tanner, the over-zealous town champion who loves holding town meetings for the betterment Stars Hill, a lot of things in the books seemed familiar, in a “I’ve watched this show for way too long” kind of way.  I’m assuming it was unintentional, but for anyone familiar with Gilmore Girls, it is impossible to miss.

It was a good series of books, but the third one really left a bad taste in my mouth, and in some ways, ruined the whole series for me.  I do know that I wish I had the sisters’ scrapping studio for my use, as well as their disposable income to purchase all the supplies I want!

Book Review: “When Love Blooms”

When Love Blooms by Robin Lee Hatcher is a typical Christian romance novel.  Emily Harris, a young woman who is uncertain what she wants to do with her life, takes a job as a governess with the Blake family on their Idaho ranch in the 1800s.  What she doesn’t realize when she takes the job is that Brina and Pet’s mother, Dru, is dying of cancer.  At first all Emily knows is that Dru is sick, Dru’s husband, Gavin, immediately disapproves of Emily, and Emily takes an instant liking to her new charges.

Emily is also unaware of Dru’s plan to find a new woman for Gavin to love after her passing.  Even without knowing of Dru’s plan, both Emily and Gavin begin fighting an attraction for each other, and the typical misunderstandings follow, including Emily becoming engaged to another man, and her returning home to Boise.  But will they discover how they feel about each other before it’s too late?

It was a good book, the kind you might take to the pool or beach over the summer.  Certainly not a particularly original story–kind of The Sound of Music meets Love Comes Softly–but that characters are likable, the setting is fairly unique, and the Christian themes make it a better alternative to a lot of the books currently available in bookstores.