Mending fences

Mending fences, by Suzanne woods fisher. Luke has just completed his rehab and now is looking at making  restitution to those he hurt with his carelessness. A four page list of people he needs to go apologize to and hear how his actions caused them pain and trouble is what lays in front of him. He soon learns when he starts his list that this isn’t going to be easy. The hurt he caused was very real. Izzy is also housing in the same house as Lune, but things don’t hit off between them right away.  Izzy isn’t taken by Luke and he quickly learns he’s going to have to earn her trust. So Luke does what he can to prove to Izzy that he’s a good guy and changed.
   I love love love Suzanne woods fisher’s novels! She does just an amazing and honerable job writing about the Amish people. She is one of my favourite authors of this genre. There are so many biblical themes throughout this novel, grace, redemption, forgiveness, etc. The best Christian novels leave you feeling like you learned something about father God, and this one does just that. Definitely a story I’ll remember and cherish.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc

We hope for better things

We hope for better things, Erin Bartels. In this novel we see the story unfold of three generations of the same family. We live in present day with Elizabeth as she struggles through loosing her job, but gets an interesting offer that may be useful to catapult her career again. All she has to do is agree to give photos to her elderly aunt. Next we travel back in time with Norah, and finally Mary. Finding how their stories all intertwine. We read about the racism of the time and the consequences of it.
   I really enjoyed this book. I adore story’s that have a historical component to them, this fit right in with that. It covered such a real topic like racism and made me think, feel, and want to not put this book down. Such a good book. From what I can understand this is the authors debute novel? Wow so good! So well done!!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc

Mark of the Raven

Mark of the Raven, by Morgan L. Busse. Heir to her house, Selene has the family gift of dreamwalking. The ability to manipulate dreams good or bad, however at this time the women have been using their gifts for gathering info and assasinating people. Selene struggles with following orders to assasinate and not loosing her family if she doesn’t.
     This is the first book I’ve read by Morgan Busse, I don’t normally read fantasy novels, but my teenaged daughter loves fantasy so I got this one with her in mind. I actually really enjoyed it. I can see this one becoming a popular series in our house! Fantasy isn’t a genre commonly found now in Christian writing, but obviously needed. I love being able to read books like this and to pass them on to my children that you know are good morally sound books! I can’t wait for the rest of the books in this series! Neither can my teens!! Well done!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

When your kid is hurting

when your kid is hurting, helping your child through the tough days, by dr. Kevin Leman. Dr. Leman covers the tough issues our children face, school shootings, bullying, social media, divorce, etc. He guides parents on how to help our children grow in a world that’s is just so different than the one we grew up in. I recall as a child coming from a family that was divorced was rare. Very few kids on my school had divorced parents. But now you expect there’s a good portion that are divorced or never married in the first place and still form broken families. Top that off with growing in a cutltire that has the internet at its fingertips. You hear the bad news instantly, the immoral is at your fingertips, it’s a different world our kids are navigating. Any help to parents in this is always welcomed! I wouldn’t necessarily refer to this as a Christian self help book, but I would say that it gives good sound advice! Listening to our kids, helping them deal with anxiety, which is running rampant in today’s society. The pressure on our children is unreal. Teaching them to take responsibility for themselves. You really can’t go wrong with this book. It’s going to give you some great advice on helping your children grow into functioning adults! A definite benefit to add to your parenting library!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc

Everything she didn’t say

everything she didn’t say, by Jane Kirkpatrick. In this novel we follow Carrie strahorn and the adventures of her life following her husband around to settle in the west. . Life isn’t what she imagined it would look like, she had her dreams and ideas of what life would look like for herself and this wasn’t it! But it was what God planned for her. We follow her through the pages with journal entries and see what life was like a a pioneer woman. The bravery, courage, strength, etc it takes to be a woman in that time.
   I love love love historical novels! They are my favourite genre! So this one has become an immediate favourite! A good book makes you feel good, but a great novel makes you want to be better. That’s what Jane Kirkpatrick has done. It is such an inspiring story of a strong woman! It is a story that encourages and inspires! Well done!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc

The first love

The first love, by Beverly Lewis.  Maggie has suffered a lot in time. Being diagnosed at a young age with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, she knows what it is to endure pain. Lots of it and often. Not only that, but the emotional pain and scaring of loosing her mother very suddenly too. Her father seems to move on from the death of their mother fairly quickly and in only 7 short months meets and marries Rachel, adding her to their hurting family. A tent meeting arrives in town, Maggie convinced to go by a cousin, attends and is drawn to it. The speaker, the message, the music, the speakers son. The idea of  God wanting and able to heal.
     As with all of Beverly Lewis’s books this one too is amazing. I am a sucker for Amish novels. She makes a simple way of life so appealing. I love wandering through this book with Maggie and Rachel as they persevere through the struggles that come at them. Maggie with her physical pain, emotional pain and navigating the addition of a step mother. And Rachel with suddenly becoming a mother with a large family and the struggle of becoming and parenting the children. It’s such a message of hope. You don’t walk away from a Beverly Lewis book without feeling hopeful. It’s just one of the many beautiful gifts Od has blessed her with in her novels. A brillaiant read.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc

It’s ok not to be ok.

It’s ok. It to be ok, by Sheila Walsh. This book is so much. It’s so much more than just another Christian self help book. It was exactly the things I needed to hear at the time I read it. It’s not about fixing ourselves, it’s about simply Jesus. There’s so much in this book that has me wanting to go back and read it multiple times so I can really grasp it. Being conscious about what you focus and think on,  to face disappointment with Jesus. To find ourselves at our worst moments living out the verse “come to me all who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest for your souls”. There is so much truth in this book that speaks straight to your soul. This book meant the world to me. It really points us to clinging on to the one who we find genuine peace in. I will be talking about this book for some time and recommending it. It’s a book our churches need!!


Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc

You can buy the book at your local Christian retailer or on Amazon.