Book Review: Steadfast Heart

 

You know when you go to your favorite restaurant, and you know exactly what you're going to order? You get your taste buds all primed and you start looking forward to eating your favorite dish. Then the waiter says "Sorry, we're out." So, you order something else, but because you were looking forward to the dish they were out of, the alternate meal just wasn't as satisfying?

This is how I felt reading Tracie Peterson's new book, Steadfast Heart which takes place in 1880s Seattle. The official synopsis speaks of Lenore Fulcher, a young socialite whose father wants to marry her off to a man nearly 20 years her senior. But, when Chicago lawyer Kolbein Booth wanders into town, Lenore realizes she has feelings for him and must convince him to court her so she won't be subject to her father's arrangement. This was supposed to be the main point of the book. But, alas, Lenore and her courtship took up a small percentage of the novel, which was more about the differing social classes within the city than about the young woman's protest at arranged marriage.

Steadfast Heart, while an easy and entertaining read, was more like 3 books in one, and none of the substories wrapped up in a satisfying way. There were many loose ends. The main character was really not Lenore Fulcher, it was red-headed orphan Abrianna, whose adoptive aunts run the bridal school that Kolbein happened into while searching for his runaway sister. Abrianna has a heart for the poor, and wanders out among the hardest streets in town ministering to the homeless and bringing them food. I liked Abrianna's character; she was funny and intelligent and the author's writing style allowed me to feel like I was there with Abrianna as she wandered through the streets.

I was frustrated that there were so many loose ends. For example, a character was importing sex slaves from China, but there was no resolution or justice, and no hint that he would ever even be caught. I understand this is the first book in a series, but you can't just write about something that serious and have nothing resolve by the end of the book. At the end of Steadfast Heart, Abrianna is starting to hope for a man to love, but there was no hint to the connection I was expecting. She was just left hanging. Lenore and Kolbein's relationship also left me wanting. There was no real character development between them, and their story seemed like a bit of an afterthought. 

I liked the writing style and the ability Ms. Peterson has to relay a character's personality and deep character through his or her words, but I was distracted by what I was expecting the book to be about and what the book was actually about, and also wished for more resolution on some of the loose ends.

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

Book Review: Choosing Him All Over Again

This post is part of the Choosing Him Blog Tour which I am delighted to be a part of along with nearly one hundred other inspiring Christian bloggers. To learn more and join us, CLICK HERE! I received a free PDF copy of this book for review purposes, but all opinions are my own.

Juana Mikel's new book Choosing Him All Over Again: A Story of Romance and Redemption tells about her marriage journey with husband Terry. From Juana's early days of dissatisfaction leading to their separation, to Juana's accepting Jesus Christ, to Terry's not wanting her back, and finally her and Terry coming to reconciliation and a mutual faith. The book was easy to read, and Juana seems like a caring and genuine person. I enjoyed her story, and I also enjoyed her tips on marriage at the end of the book. The 11 Checkpoints To Refresh Your Marriage is an invaluable list of little things you should do every day that I want to print out and laminate. Things like giving a gift-tangibly or in deed, making him laugh, and praying for him daily.

Before my husband and I were even dating, God gave me a verse to keep in my heart. "Unless the Lord builds the house, it's workers toil in vain." (Psalm 127:1) I've found that the most difficult seasons of our marriage (we'll be celebrating 10 years in July) were the times we weren't spiritually connected. Knowing this, I try to pray for my husband every day, and I love the appendix at the back of Choosing Him that includes prayers and ideas for prayers you can use to lift your husband up. I loved the idea of praying one specific topic for my husband every day. (Praying for his leadership on Wednesdays and his protection on Saturdays, for example.) We can all stand to pray more, especially for our marriages, which unfortunately, seem to be the first thing we take for granted. Choosing Him All Over Again gave me the reminder and encouragement that marriage takes work, and if you become too complacent, too selfish, or don't keep God in the center of your relationship, it stops being the joy that God intended it to be.

Juana Mikels wrote her own story of how God saved her marriage along with practical teaching on faith and marriage written out of her own failure, pointing us all to Jesus Christ who has the power to change lives and marriages. You can get a copy here HERE or on Kindle HERE.

Book Review: Own Your Life

 

Sally Clarkson is the kind of woman I would love to sit and chat with someday. She seems like such a gentle, encouraging woman with a real heart for the souls of others. Well-known in the Christian book and homeschooling world, Sally Clarkson's new book, Own Your Life: Living with deep intention, bold faith, and generous love, promised to be a thought provoking read.

Own Your Life is divided into 5 Parts, then into Chapters pertaining each part. 

The Parts topics are: 

"Barriers to Owning Your Life: Don't Settle for a Mediocre Life"

"Owning Your Vision: Mapping Your Life Purpose" 

"Owning Your Life by Giving God Control: What Only He Can Do" 

"Owning Your Life By Partnering With God: Attitudes and Actions that Transform"

"Owning Your Life By Loving Well: Create a Lasting Legacy". 

There are several chapters in each part that break down how you you can apply each topic to your quest for living a more intentional, purposeful life. 

At the end of each chapter, there is a section entitled "Own Your Part", which gives summarizing study questions, Bible verses to meditate on, and a prayer. I liked the organization of the book, but I wish there was reference to the Part or Chapter at the top of each page so I could go back and reference later. 

There were several main ideas that permeated this book, and if I had to use several phrases to describe everything I read, they would be: "the greatest legacy in life is the legacy of love", "God calls us to rest in Him", and "minister to each person where they are with a wholehearted approach". I was encouraged by this wholehearted approach, as I realize often I live my days just  checking off boxes, and looking on to the next thing when I should be finding the joy and rest in each and every day, and investing as much as I can into my children's spiritual and emotional growth, since they will remember sweet moments together much more than a spotless house or endless toys.

This was an encouraging book, and it gave many good reminders. There was nothing earth shatteringly new or different, but I enjoyed it.

Thank you to Tyndale for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

 

Book Review: My Perfect Pantry

Sometimes I feel like a contestant on Chopped when I'm going through my refrigerator trying to make something fantastic out of leftovers. So, I was excited to see what kind of recipes Chopped judge, Iron Chef, and renowned chef Geoffrey Zakarian would bring in his new cookbook, My Perfect Pantry.

The cookbook is a great idea--taking 50 common pantry items and transforming them for use in 150 different recipes. Some of the pantry items include: steel cut oats, cocoa powder, canned beans, BBQ sauce, and popcorn. Some of the reimagined dishes include Pecan Herb Pesto, Fresh Ricotta with Honey and Lemon, Cast-Iron Burgers with Secret Sauce, and Chocolate Muffins.

I decided to make the Secret Sauce for the burgers and the Chocolate Muffins. (Of course I had to make something with chocolate!)

The Secret Sauce, a concoction consisting of BBQ sauce, ketchup, and horseradish among several other common ingredients was amazing. I could eat it with a spoon, and I plan to make it every time I make burgers from now on. The Chocolate Muffins were good, although not as moist as I was hoping. They had a good flavor, though, and were easy to put together.

Here are some of the Pros and Cons of My Perfect Pantry:

Pros
-photos of every recipe
-combination of easy and more challenging recipes for every home cook's skill level
-wonderful tips for each pantry ingredient
-good result from the recipes I tried

Cons
-some of the recipes required specialty ingredients that I wouldn't just be able throw together
-in thinking "pantry meals" I assumed it would be a little more budget minded

On the whole, I really liked this cookbook, and it is a good addition to my cookbook collection. Next, I plan to try the Brown Sugar and Black Pepper Bacon. Yum!

Thank you to Blogging for Books for providing me a free copy of this cookbook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

Book Review: I Can Learn the Bible

I'm always looking for good devotionals to add to our homeschool Bible time. I had been looking for a good book for Tater that encourages memorizing Bible verses, when I saw Holly Hawkins Shiver's children's devotional I Can Learn the Bible: 52 Scriptures Every Kid Should Know, and thought it would be a great addition to our Bible time.

This hard cover devotional is geared towards children age 4-8, and is based on O.S. Hawkins' adult devotional The Joshua Code. I Can Learn the Bible has 52 devotions and memory verses, with each chapter meant to last one week. Monday, you're supposed to read the devotional out loud and have your child repeat the memory verse. Tuesday your child should memorize the first part of the verse, Wednesday he or she should memorize the middle part of the verse, and Thursday he or she should memorize the last section. Re-read the devotion and verse on Friday, and review over the weekend.

I like how this system reinforces both the concept and the verse, instead of just memorizing a verse without any context. Several devotion themes include: the Bible being true for all time, God is our shepherd, God works all things for our good, and we all have a unique talent to bring to the body of Christ. I think the devotions are well laid out, and engaging.

My only complaint was the translation they used for the verses, from the International Children's Bible. For example, Tater knows pretty well "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth". In this book, however, it's "In the beginning, God created the sky and the earth." To me, "the heavens" refer to the universe, and the "sky" refers to just this world. It may seem petty, but this version doesn't fit my personal preference, and I will probably have Tater try to memorize the verses in a different translation.

On the whole, however, I think we will really enjoy this devotional as an asset to our homeschooling Bible time.

Thank you to BookLook Bloggers for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own, and have not been influenced in any way.

Book Review: A Cry From The Dust

When I was younger, I aspired to be an archaeologist. Spurred on by a love of history and adventure, the thought of being the first person to discover an artifact after thousands of years answered the typical childhood question of What do you want to be when you grow up? It wasn't until I was older that I realized 95% of an archaeologist's job is either spent subsisting in dusty, ragged conditions in the middle of nowhere or categorizing and record keeping. So, I opted to not follow that career path, but still maintained a love of all things antique and adventure-related anyway.

Carrie Stuart Park's debut novel, A Cry From the Dust, immediately got my attention. Not only does it have archaeological and adventurous themes, but the author was mentored by well-known author Frank Peretti. (I read and re-read the Cooper Kids series often as a kid.)

In the novel, forensic artist Gwen Marcey is working on a job reconstructing the faces of several recently discovered bodies in Utah. The bodies were part of the real historical event, the Mountain Meadows Massacre, in which 140 men, women, and children part of a wagon train were murdered in 1857 by Mormon extremists. Gwen's hopes this temporary gig will give her a break from her reality...a spiteful ex-husband, a rebellious teenage daughter, and the stress of having recently completely chemo for breast cancer. But, instead, after stumbling across a body killed in the form of ritualistic sacrifice, she realizes there is a 150 year old cover-up that some people will go to any length--including kidnap and murder--to keep covered up.

A Cry From the Dust is a real page turner. Gwen is a likable, funny, and determined main character. I actually wanted to be Gwen's friend--which is the mark of good character development. The book is written in first person, Gwen's perspective, but occasionally, parts are told in 3rd person from Gwen's daughter's perspective so we have additional information. Towards the end of the book, things get a little less realistic (with Gwen's recent cancer and chemo, she probably would not have had the energy and stamina to make it through some of the extreme physical tasks she had to engage in.) But, for the most part, I couldn't put this book down and hope Carrie Stuart Parks plans to write another Gwen Marcey book soon!

*Thank you to BookLook Bloggers for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

Book Review: Love Unexpected

 

It's no surprise to my readers that I've chosen yet another historical fiction book to review. This time, I've read Book One of Jody Hedlund's new Beacons of Hope series, entitled Love Unexpected, which takes place in 1859 rural Michigan.

Emma Chambers and her brother Ryan came to America with their father during the Irish potato famine several years prior, after their mother starved to death. Once their father passed away, they decided to leave Michigan's Mackinac Island for better opportunities. As they passed Presque Isle, a small outpost in rural Michigan, their ship was attacked by pirates, and they were forced to abandon ship. Ryan and Emma were rescued by the local lighthouse keeper, Patrick Garraty, a single father whose late wife had passed away just hours before. 

Ryan finds a job in Burnham's Landing, the small town attached to Presque Isle, but Emma is unsure of her future. That is, until a traveling preacher comes into town and suggests that Patrick and Emma marry out of convenience. Patrick needs a mother for his 2 year old son Josiah, (he cannot manage the lighthouse duties and be a single father) and Emma needs to be financially supported.

After a short consideration, Emma decides to marry Patrick, since the arrangement makes sense, and they return to their home at the lighthouse where Emma slowly learns how to be a mother and a homemaker. She soon learns some shocking news about Patrick, however. He has a criminal record, and the circumstances surrounding his late wife's death are suspicious. Emma must decide if she wants to learn to love and trust Patrick, or if she's going to let the rumors stand in the way of achieving a relationship with her husband. 

There were some things I liked about this book. Patrick's 2 year old son, Josiah, reminded me of Junior. Stubborn yet sweet, with a mind of his own. I pictured Junior's little face in all the paragraphs about Josiah. I also liked the historical aspect to life at a lighthouse, and all that the antiquated job entailed. I've visited 19th century lighthouses, but I never really considered how much work went into maintaining them, and how challenging a life it would have been--especially in rural Michigan.

Some things I didn't like about the book--the hesitancy, indecisiveness, and assumptions made by Patrick and Emma about themselves and their relationship. There are only so many times Emma can play the "he loves me, he loves me not" dilemma without getting annoying. Patrick is the same way. But, neither character discusses their feelings about each other, so they're left assuming the worst and make some fairly poor decisions as a result. This made the main characters not that likeable. 

The majority of the book is about Patrick and Emma learning to love each other (mostly by making the assumption that the other doesn't love him/her), Josiah's relationship with his new "mamma", Patrick's learning to forgive himself for his past, and Emma believing that God cares about her.

All in all, it was an entertaining book, and I did learn a few things about lighthouses, but I wish the characters just weren't so wishy-washy.

*I was provided a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.