Duck Days of Spring

Meet Me in St. Louis

A few weekends ago we spent the day downtown St. Louis.  We enjoyed a riverboat cruise and we a trip to the top of the Arch.  Here are a few pictures of the sites we seen. :):):)

Swept Away - A Book Review

When a cowboy focused on revenge encounters a woman determined to distract him there’s going to be trouble in Texas!

Back of the book excerpt:

Swept away when her wagon train attempts a difficult river crossing, Ruthy Macneil isn't terrible upset at being separated from the family who raised her.  All they've ever done is work her to the bone.  Alive but disoriented, she's rescued by Luke Stone so unfortunately, there are more chances to die in her immediate future.

Luke is on a mission to reclaim the ranch stolen from his family.  But the men currently on the property won't let it go without a fight.  Luke plans to meet up with friends who will help him take back the land, and since he can't just leave Ruthy in the middle of nowhere, she's going to have to go with him.

The more time Luke spends around the hardworking young woman, the more he finds himself thinking of things besides revenge.  Will Ruthy convince him to give up his destructive path and be swept away by love?

My thoughts:

I quickly became a fan of Mary Connealy when I read The Kincaid Bride Series and I was very excited for the chance to read Swept Away thinking it would be just as great as her last series. Unfortunately I was disappointed.

The author is known best for her historical romantic comedies and usually she has me chuckling through her books, however for this novel I felt it to be more silly than funny. I felt at times she was trying too hard to be funny. I also felt the story to be a bit unbelievable. I didn't feel that Ruthy, a young lady during that time period would be so willing to stay with a bunch of men and be so comfortable with it.

I did love the fact that the Kincaid Bride character's were intertwined with this series. Although none of the Kincaid brothers are in the book, the author connects the families and explains how they are related. I found this interesting and can't help but hope that in the future books of this series that we might see a reappearance of some of my favorite characters!

Although there were some suspenseful moments and lots of action I found the book to be rather boring. My favorite characters where not the main characters, but instead Dare and Glenna. The next book in the series is about them and the author included the first chapter of that book at the end of this one so I will give this series one more try when that book comes out. Hopefully I'll be pleased.

I will say that I have read a lot of super good books lately so maybe the bar has been raised and I am being too picky. Either way though, this book left me bored and wanting...wanting for it to be over.

***This book was provided to me by Bethany House Publisher in exchange for my honest review.

All In Good Time - A Book Review

About the book:

Dessa Caldwell has a dream to open Pierson House a refuge for former prostitutes, in Denver's roughest neighborhood.  After exhousting all charitable donations, Dessa still needs a loan.  her last hope hinges on the owner of Hawkins National Bank.

Henry Hawkins owns the most successful bank in town, but he has a secret.  His initial capital came from three stagecoach robberies.  To protect his past, he's built a fortress around his heart that no one can penetrate...until the day Dessa Caldwell ventures into his bank requesting a loan.

Though Henry is drawn to Dessa's passion, that same passion drives her to make rash decisions about Pierson House....and about whom she can trust.  One man might hold the key to the future of her mission-but he also threatens to bring Henry's darkest secrets to light.  As the walls around their hearts begin to crumble, Henry and Dessa must choose between their plans and God's, between safety and love.

My Thoughts:

I have mixed emotions about this book.  I thought the character's where interesting and the story line was good, but at times I felt it was a little slow paced and I had a hard time getting into the story.  Its starts with a Prologue and you read about Henry robbing a stage coach.  I was instantly entertained and thought it would be a great story, but when I began to read the chapters it didn't have the same "zing" for me as the prologue did.  I absolutely loved Bees in the Butterfly Garden by Maureen Lang so maybe I set the bar for this book too high.  Dessa really is a great character and  I thought it was kind of humorous how she was so over-zealous about her mission that sometimes it clouded her thinking and judgement.  I also enjoyed reading as Henry's cold heart begin to soften.  Another thing I love about Maureen Lang's writing style is how she intertwines a deep faith in God into the story.  All in all I would  say it is a good book.  Not great, but good.

***This book was provided to me by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my review.

The Heiress of Winterwood - A Book Review

This is an excellent book!  It is a regency novel about Amelia Barret who is an heiress to a large estate.  She grew up without a mother and when her dear friend dies after giving birth she promises to take care of her baby.  Within the next few months Amelia raises baby Lucy as her own.  She loves her as much as a real mother could and is determined to do everything in her power to keep Lucy in her care.  The thought of Lucy growing up without a mother is more than Amelia can bare so she devises a plan.  When Graham, Lucy's father, a Captain who has been away at sea for a long period of time, returns home Amelia knows she must do something drastic. She asks Graham, a complete strange, to marry her.

When tragedy strikes and Lucy disappears and an ominous ransom note is left, Amelia and Graham are determined to bring the baby that they both love back home safely.

From the very first paragraph of this book I was hooked.  I loved the characters and the Author Sarah Ladd penned the story in such a way that captivated my interest!  This book has it all!  Suspense, adventure, history and love.   The only negative thing I can say is that I got very little sleep until it was finished.  I couldn't put the book down!!!  I can't wait to read more from this Author!


***This book was provided to me through the booksneeze book review program in exchange for my review.

American Literature - Curriculum Review

I'm really excited to tell you about an awesome American Literature Homeschool curriculum for your high school age children.  It is written by James P. Stobaugh and is a 34 week course and has selections from classic prose, poetry and drama.  The complete set comes with a 542 page student book and a 359 page teacher's manual.  The teacher's manual is designed in such a way that leaves minimal work for the parent/teacher.  The lesson plans are laid out for you and an answer key is also included.  It also includes a grading guide or you can incorporate your own grading system.

The course promotes independent learning from the student.  Literary content covered in the course includes works by: William Bradford, Edgar Allan Poe, Frederick Douglass, Emily Dickinson and many more!  It is a VERY thorough course that will equip students to think critically about philosophy and trends in culture. They will also learn to articulate their worldview through writing.

Each weekly chapter has 5 daily lessons with clear objectives, concept-building exercises, warm-up questions, and guided readings.  It will take approximately one hour per lesson.  There are weekly test to help assess student learning.

I know when it comes to high school a lot of homeschool parents begin to worry whether or not they will be able to homeschool through the highschool years.  This curriculum will help put you at ease.  It is such a complete and thorough American Literature curriculum and the fact that it is well laid out for the educator is an added bonus.  You can check out more about it at masterbooks.net

***This curriculum was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my review.

Noah Webster Father of the Dictionary - A Book Review

It is no secret that I love books and if I had to pick a favorite from my own personal library I would be hard pressed indeed.  However, I can tell you that one of my most favorite books and a recommended must have for everyone is my 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary.  There is something special about it.  I still remember the day I got it and I have referred to it many times throughout the years.

I recently had the opportunity to read for review Noah Webster - Father of the Dictionary by Isabel Proudfit.  I was so excited and I knew it would be a valuable asset to our homeschool library.  The book is written for mid-elementary age children, but I also think older students would enjoy it as well.  It goes beyond just telling the story of Noah Webster writing the dictionary.  It also tells of his childhood, his struggles and successes.

If you are wanting to learn more about the man who wrote the Noah Webster Dictionary, or maybe you are doing a unit study, or you need a great resource to go along with your History curriculum, this book would be for you!

***This book was provided to me by the publisher through the bookcrash program in exchange for my review.

One Glorious Ambition - A Book Review

One Glorious Ambition by Jane Kirkpatrick is a historical fiction novel about Dorothea Dix and her crusade to help others, specifically the mentally ill.

Dorothea was born to an abusive father and to a mother who suffered from a mental illness.  As a young girl, Dorothea longs to take care of her younger brothers, but when she is fourteen she is sent away to live with relatives in order to be raised properly.  Everyone thinks she should find a husband, but Dorothea has no desire to live the life that others think she should.  She has a yearning to fulfill her God-given calling and soon she discovers that she has a gift for teaching.  Eventually she is reunited with her brothers and after a visit to a prison that houses the mentally ill, Dorothea finds were her heart and her true calling lies.  She begins a journey that takes her across the nation, where she meets many people in high authority.  She constantly seeks to help those who "are the least of these".

I love reading Historical Fiction and really had high hopes for this book.  I was greatly disappointed.  The book is divided into two parts.  The first part was just okay and I found the second part very dull and it was a chore just to get through.  In my opinion, Dorothea Dix's life is not exiting enough to be this large of a novel.  It would of been much better if the story was shortened.

***This book was provided to by Waterbrook/Multnomah in exchange for my review.

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen - A Book Review

If you love Regency romances mixed with a little mystery you will love The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen.  This is a well written book about Emma Smallwood, who accompanies her widowed father to the Weston manor to tutor the two youngest son's.  Emma and her father have known the family for years.  The two oldest Weston boys, Phillip and Henry, attended Emma's father's boarding school when they were young.   Emma does not have pleasant memories of Henry as he always teased and bullied her, Phillip on the other hand has remained a good friend.  She also meets Lizzie who appears to be a ward of the Weston's, but clearly has some secrets of her own.

Upon arriving at the manor, mysterious things begin to happen.  Emma hears someone playing the piano in the middle of the night only to find that the room is empty.  Then someone begins sneaking into her bedchamber, leaving spine shivering evidence.  It seems that everyone there is hiding something and the lady of the house makes it no secret that she does not want Emma and her father there.

I absolutely loved this novel!  I could hardly put it down.  It was filled with suspense and mystery.  Add a little romance and I was enthralled.  Every time I thought I had figured out who was doing the bizzare things at the manor, something would happen to blow my theory.  It kept me guessing till the very end!  I loved the character of Emma and I can't wait to read more of Julie Klassen's writings!  I highly recommend this book!

Here's a book trailer that will give you a sample of what a great story this is.



****This book was provided to my by the publisher in exchange for my review.

Threads of Grace by Kelly Long - A Book Review

Threads of Grace - A Patch of Heaven - A Novel by Kelly Long

When Grace Beiler was eighteen years old she was married off to an older Amish man in order to save her family's farm.   After enduring years of abuse her husband dies and Grace finds herself a widow and a single mother to her young son who has Autism.  She decides to leave the past behind her and she moves to Pine Creek Pennsylvania for a more quiet life.

Seth Wyse is instantly drawn to Grace and not only cares deeply for Grace, but also for her Son Abel.  Grace wants nothing to do with Seth and is determined to protect herself and her son from another man.  Everything soon changes when Tobias, Grace's brother-in-law tracks her down and reveals Grace's late husband's will.  Seth instantly offers to marry Grace and supplies her with a way of escape from Tobias and another loveless and probable abusive marriage.  Even though Seth has rescued her, Grace is not ready to trust him.  As time goes by Grace's heart softens and love and hope begin to come into her heart for the first time.

My personal thoughts of this novel are a little mixed.  It is the 3'rd book in a series.  I have read many books from the middle of series before and most of the time I find that the Authors write in such a way that it doesn't matter.  You don't feel like you are missing anything and if done creatively enough it will give you the desire to read the previous books.  This was not the case for me with this novel.  There were several times that certain things or characters were mentioned that left me in the dark and not in an intriguing way, but more of an irritating way that I did not no what was going on.  So if you do read this book I would definitely recommend starting from the beginning of the series.

The story line concerning Tobias started out very exciting for me, I kept waiting for something to happen.  I expected some great mystery or suspense to come into play.  It was all set up for and intriguing story line, and with trying not to give too much away, I'll just say I was very disappointed.  There was such great potential to go somewhere exciting with this plot and it was such a let down as it all seemed to just drop.

I also felt like many of the things were not true to the Amish culture.  I know it is just a fiction book, but some of it was so unbelievable that you just kwno would never happen in an Amish community.

On a more positive note, I did find this book easy to read and in the beginning I was very intrigued by it, but as I already said, the deeper I got the more I was let down.  I have read other novels by Kelly Long and have been pleased with her writing, so I will definitely read more of her work, but this book just did not work for me.

***This book was provided to me by the publisher through the booksneeze program in exchange for my review.