Tried and True - A Book Review

I was first introduced to Mary Connealy's books when I read The Kincaid Brides series and I became an instant fan.  Her next series was The Trouble in Texas series and I was a little disappointed with that series.  Now I just finished the first book in her new series Wild at Heart and let me tell you, she has captivated me again!  I absolutely LOVED this book and I cannot wait for the next book to come out.  From the very first page to the last I was intrigued with this well written and highly entertaining novel.  

Mary Connealy has a unique writing style.  Her books are all westerns and she has a lighthearted, comedic way of writing her stories.  There is also a lot of romance in them.  If there is such a thing as a wild west fairy tail then that is how I would describe the way she weaves her stories.  I loved all of the characters in this novel and there was plenty of page turning action and suspense!  This is surely a series you don't want to miss!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Kylie and her sisters disguised themselves as men and fought during the civil war, now the war is over and they have all claimed homesteads and are still disguising themselves as men in order to get their homesteaders exemption.  Kylie is not like her sisters though, she likes dresses and pretty things and dreams of a civilized life.  Her plans are to prove her homestead, sell out to her pa and then head for civilization. 

Aaron Masterson is a land agent and it doesn't take him long to discover that Kylie is really a woman.  When someone starts threatening Kylie's life in an attempt to run her off her land Aaron comes to her rescue time and time again, but will the only way to keep her safe be to marry her?  Will Kylie marry Aaron and give up her dreams of a civilized life?  You are just going to have to read for yourself to find out!  

***Thanks to Bethany House Publishing for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

  

Bend Your Brain - A Book Review

Calling all nerds...okay, maybe you don't have to be a bonafide nerd to enjoy Bend Your Brain, but if you love puzzles and bind benders this is a great book that you are sure to love.

Once you pick up Bend Your Brain it is hard to put it down.  It is filled with 151 puzzles, tips and tricks that blow and grow your mind.  There are five sections - Visual Perception, Word Skills, Critical Thinking, Coordination, and Memory. There is a wide variety of puzzles ranging from easy to hard.   

I sat down with my 16 year old daughter and worked through a lot of the puzzles together and what fun we had!  Some of the puzzles were challenging, but that just gets your brain working all the harder.  

Since I am a homeschool mom these type of books always intrigue me.  I have purchased several "mind bending" type puzzle books through the years and I have to say this is the best I've seen.  The puzzles are new and fresh and unlike any that I have seen in previous books.  The directions are clear, examples are given when needed and the answers are in the back of the book in case you get completely stumped or just want to check and see if you are right.

The only negative thing I have to say about the book is that many of the puzzles require writing and once you write on the puzzle that's it.  I like a book that can last for several uses, so we used a pencil, wrote light and then erased so someone else in the family could try the same puzzle.  So it still worked, but that was the only draw back I found. 

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

Honor - A Book Review

Honor is the first book in the Quaker Brides series by Lyn Cote.  I absolutely loved the story of Honor Penworthy, a young Quaker woman, who due to some unfortunate circumstances finds herself without a home, money or hope for a future.  All she has is her maid Royale, a black servant whom she has promised to free.  With no skills Honor's future depends on a marriage to Samuel Cathwell.  Samuel lost his hearing as a child, but has learned sign language and is a successful business man.  Despite his success he is withdrawn from the hearing world and feels like everyone sees him as a burden.  

Samuel and Honor along with Royale and a few other servants that they have hired, head west to start a new life.  Honor is very passionate about freeing slaves and soon becomes involved in the Underground Railroad.  Samuel knows that his wife is hiding something, but he is not sure what.  

Honor is such a brave character and is willing to risk everything to do what she feels is right.  The way the author portrays the feelings between Honor and Samuel is so realistic and I could relate to both of them.  I have a passion for deaf culture and have been learning ASL myself so I was instantly drawn to this book because one of the main characters was deaf.  It is so well written.  There is courage, suspense and love.  Honor is a true heroine and I was captivated from the first page to the last.  On top of loving the story of Honor and Samuel there were several minor characters that added so much to the story!  I can't wait to read the next book in this series.  

If you enjoy historical fiction I am sure you will love this book too!

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

Making Marion - A Book Review

Marion Miller comes to Sherwood Forest to uncover he father's mysterious past.    She is looking for somewhere to stay, but instead finds herself on the wrong side of the reception desk at the Peace and Pigs campsite.  Despite her shyness, she promptly lands herself a job working for the big-hearted and irrepressible Scarlett.

It takes all of Marion's determination to come out of her shell and get to grips with life on a busy campsite, where even the chickens seem determined to thwart her.  Then an unfortunate incident with a runaway bike throws her into the arms of the beautiful, but deeply unimpressed, Rueben...

Can Marion discover her father's secret?  And will she find peace, and perhaps even love among the pigs?

I have to admit that the thing that first attracted me to Making Marion by Beth Moran was the cover.  Unlike most books I've read lately the cover looked fun and lighthearted, then when I seen that it was a Robin Hood story I was even more intrigued.  After reading more serious drama filled books I was ready for something fun.

I hate to say that I was disappointed with what I found within the pages of the book.  The story was just okay, but what bothered me the most was some of the language.  There was not a huge amount of bad words, but enough to turn me off from it.  I am very particular as to what I read and I would not classify the book as a christian novel and because of those reasons I could not recommend this book to others.  

About the Author:

Beth Moran lives in Nottningham with her husband, and three children.  When she's not writing, Beth helps lead a national women's network.  You can visit her website by clicking HERE.

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

Little Book of Book Making - A Book Review

I am an avid scrabbooker, I love smashbooks, I have sketchbooks, nature journals and I keep a daily journal so I was confident that the Little Book of Book Making would be very beneficial to me in all my artistic endeavors and I was right!

This "little book" comes in a convenient size, 7.5 x 7.5 inches, but don't let the size fool you.  Within it's pages it is packed full of beautiful pictures and instruction.  It has all the information you need to start making your own books!  Be prepared to me motivated and get your creative juices flowing.

The first two sections of this book is packed full of pictures of the inspirational work of different bookmakers. It shows the different methods of folded bindings and the different methods of sewn bindings. 

Next you will find a section on page and cover treatments.  Again, there are a ton of beautiful pictures to give plenty of inspiration so you can make your own unique books.  

Section four concentrates on the book packaging, or cover.  This chapter gives you a lot of info on how to make your book stand out.  

The last section of the book is the best!  It gives you the "how-to".  It gives pictures and description of the tools needed to make your own books. It then goes through step by step instructions on how to make several different styles of books.  It includes materials you will need and special tips!  

This handy size book gives all the information you need to start making your own books.  I am seeing lots of mini books, journals, Christmas gifts and more in my future!   If you love to be creative and think you will enjoy bookmaking this book is just the think you need to help you start your journey!

***This book was provided to me by blogging for books in exchange for my honest review.

With Every Breath - A Book Review

Every now and again I'll pick up a book and within the first couple pages I know I am going to love it.  That was the case for me with this book by Elizabeth Camden.  I was captivated from the first page to the last.

The book starts out with Kate and Trevor competing at their school for Valedictorian.   The winner also gets a scholarship.  For the past four years Trevor has been Kate's nemesis.  The only way that Kate will be able to continue her education is to win the scholarship.  Trevor is rich and rebuffs everyone who tries to make friends with him.  Trevor wins the competition and the scholarship.  Kate hopes she never has to see Trevor again, with that the book skips forward twelve years...

Kate is working as a government statistician when she is offered a position to work with a doctor.  This is the job she has been dreaming of, but the doctor just so happens to be the one man she hoped to never see again...Trevor!  Despite her misgivings she agrees to work for him.  Trevor is trying to find a cure for tuberculosis and he is certain that Kate will benefit his efforts.

This book has it all!  There is breath taking romance, twists and turns and a little bit of a mystery.  The characters are interesting and well developed.  I love the element of faith that is portrayed in Kate's life and the ending way great!  And I have to add that I think the cover is beautiful.  It looks exactly like the way the author describes Kate!

I would definitely recommend this book and it is one that is going on my book shelf with my other favorites that I know I will read again!

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

The Butterfly and the Violin - A Book Review

The Butterfly and the Violin is the first book by Kristy Cambron and she has done an excellent job in creating a masterpiece of a story!  The thing that first caught my eye about this novel is the exquisite cover.  It simply is beautiful!  A beautiful cover that matches the beautiful story!

This is a story that you won't soon forget.  The novel is about two women, Sera and Adele.  Sera is from present day and Adele is from 1942.  Sera is an art dealer that becomes enthralled with a painting of a young violinist.  Sera is determined to discover who the painting is of.  The painting is of Adele who was imprisoned in a concentration camp for smuggling Jews.  Adele played her music to honor God even in the midst of her circumstances.

I did enjoy the historic part of the story much better than the present day part with Sera and William, but it was all good!

There are so many things that can speak to your heart and soul within the pages of this book.  Even when there seems to be evil all around us, we need to just open our eyes and see the beauty that God has for us and see that his presence is ever near and also to learn to look past the pains of yesterday and move past our mistakes into a brighter future.  Let go, trust and embrace freedom!

I can't wait to read the next book by Kristy Cambron!  She is definitely an author that I will be keeping my eye on.  You can find out more about her at kristycambron.com.

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

Your Family In Pictures - A Book Review

I love preserving our families memories through pictures.  I'm just a mom though.  I don't have a fancy camera or special talent when it comes to photography.  I'm just average and guess what!  This book is awesome for people just like me!!  

Your Family in Pictures is written by Me Ra Koh.  Her work and photo recipes have been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The New York Times and Parenting Magazine just to name a few.  This is the third book in a series and even though it is the first one I have read I would really like to check into the other two.  

This is such and inspirational book!  It is filled with forty photo recipes that has step by step directions that include:  when, prep, compose and capture.  The photo's in the book are absolutely beautiful and are a motivation in themselves.   The author includes lots of tips and "steps" to capturing great family photo's.  It even includes tips on capturing great photo's with your smartphone!  

Whether you take photo's professionally or are just a simple mom who wants to preserve your families memories I believe this book will be beneficial to you! 




***This book was provided to me from Blogging for Books in exchange for my review.

Captured by Love - A Book Review

Jody Hedlund has done it again!  She has captivated me with another beautifully written historic romance novel.  Captured by Love is the third book in the Michigan Bride Collection series.  You do not have to read all three books in order to know what is going on.  The one thing that the books have in common is their setting is in Michigan, however, all of these books are so great I don't think you want to skip any of them!

Captured  by Love takes place during the war of 1814 on the Mackinac island.  The British have control of the island and America wants the island.  In their attempts to gain control of the island they block supplies from coming to Mackinac.  The people of the island are starving.

Angelique lives on the island with her stepfather who is very controlling and likes to punish her by locking her in the attic.  She is betrothed to Jean but is in love with his brother Pierre.  Pierre is a fur trader and when he comes back to the island as a spy sparks begin to fly between him and Angelique.  Angelique knows that he will not stay on the island and she does not want to leave the land that she loves.  She also battles with staying true to her betrothed.

Pierre has recently come to know God, but still struggles with knowing what the right thing to do is.  He finds himself helping both the British and the Americans and soon finds out you can't ride both sides.  As the war begins and his betrayal is revealed his own life becomes endangered.

Jody Hedlund is an amazing author who knows how to paint beautiful pictures with her words.  She has such an elegant writing style!  I love the playfulness that she brought out with Pierre and Angelique and I truly felt as if I was sitting on the sidelines watching the story unfold before my very eyes.  I can't wait to see what Joday Hedlund has in store for her readers next.  Whatever it is I m sure it will be great!

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

Super Stitches Sewing - A Book Review

Super Stitches Sewing is A Complete Guide to Machine-Sewing and Hand-Stitching Techniques by Nicole Vasbinder.

I was so excited when Super Stitches came in the mail and I got even more excited as I began to flip through the pages.  This book is loaded with so much information and beautiful illustrations that are easy for even the beginner sewer!

I have been sewing for about 10 years and most of what I know I have taught myself.  I usually stick to the basic stitches and I knew that I was not getting the full benefit of my sewing machine.  Super Stitches has opened up a whole new world for me.  I finally "get" what some of the other features of my machine do.  The book not only gives step by step instructions it shows step by step pictures so you can actually see what you are supposed to be doing.  An example of some of the things shown is how to do a zipper, button hole, hems and smocking and that is just to list a few.

In addition to all the great sewing machine techniques the book also covers hand stitches.  I was super excited about this feature as well.  I remember a few hand stitches from home economics, but that was quite a few years ago (I'm not telling how many).  Like the machine stitching the hand stitching section is complete with instructions and pictures.  A few examples of the stitches to be learned are the ladder stitch, darning, basting and the whip stitch and there are many more!

Another feature that I loved about the book is that the author includes a section on tools and equipment. This section describes the different kinds of needles and their uses for both machine and hand stitching, it shows and describes the different pressure foots and also the different kind of threads and their uses.

Whether you are just starting out as a seamstress or you have years of experience this is an amazing book that I know I will be referring back to for years to come!

As a homeschool mom I must add that this book is a great resource for teaching home economics as well!

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