Back on Track

  Somehow I let my blog get off course.  I haven't been blogging very often. Hopefully now that we are more settled in our new home I can get back at it!  I am still actively cleaning out any and all excess that I discover.  I love how our new home is starting to take shape! Now to get to work so I will have something worth blogging about!

Book Review - "Finding Our Way Home" by Charlene Ann Baumbich

"Once she'd served herself, Evelyn sat down, bowed her head, put the palms of her hands together , and said her usual premeal prayer, a prayer that covered many things during the day too. "Grace, Amen"

Finding Our Way Home by Charlene Ann Baumbich (Chapter 1 Excerpt)     " Finding our way home" by Charlene Ann Baumbich is a cozy afternoon type of book about the power of grace and how it worked in the lives of two very different women.  Big boned and perpetually sunny Evelyn has just graduated high school and much to her parents dismay has chosen to put off collage to work and to eventually marry her fiancee.  She ends up working for Sasha, a former ballerina whose career met a tragic end.  Bitter Sasha can't help but warm up to Evelyn's cheery disposition.  Together the unlikely pair help each other through physical and relational trials all while learning about grace,both God's grace and the grace that friends and family extend.
     This is the sort of book that you want to curl up in a comfy chair with a cup of tea and a splash of sunshine.  I loved Evelyn's go get em, glass half full attitude.  It was very refreshing.  I was, however, a bit perplexed by two things.  The first being that it had more comments on sexual intimacy then I was expecting in a Christian novel.  They were tasteful and moral but I was surprised none the less.  The other thing was that a talisman played a significant role in the story.  Again, I was surprised to find this in a Christian novel.  It seemed odd to me to have God's grace and a talisman play large rolls in the same story.  Other then that, I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

I received a free copy of this book for review from WaterBrook Press.

Book Review - "Submerged" by Dani Pettrey

   Baily is a girl with a past. She has since come to know Christ as her saviour but things she has done long ago continue to haunt her. The death of her beloved aunt cause her to leave the new life she has made for herself and head back to the one place that she never wishes to see again. It is the small town of  Yancey, Alaska, a place where everyone knows the girl that she used to be. She plans to go to the funeral, wrap up her aunts affairs and go home.  That is, until clues surface.  Clues that lead her to believe that her aunts death was not the accident that every one believed it to be.
   "Submerged" by Dani Pettrey is a fast paced story with interesting characters, intriguing scenery and a deep message about letting go of the past and accepting the future Christ has in store for us.  I thought the mystery was a bit predictable but the characters were so full of personality that they filled in any gaps. The way the author wove in romance and a bit of Russian history into the story helped it to grab and hold my interest. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading other stories by the author.

I recieved a free copy of this book to review from Bethany House publishing.

Adjusting

     Just a few short weeks ago I lived in the north west part of the United States. It was snowing the day I left. Now I find myself with the gulf of Mexico practically in my back yard. I've traded endless wheat fields and snow capped mountains for emerald waters and sparkling white sand. The change is quite drastic. I'm sure I will miss where I came from but I am quickly falling in love with it here. It is so green! Somethings will take a bit of getting used to however. I am not used to very much traffic. One could drive for miles and never see a car back home. Here people seem to be everywhere and most of them are in a hurry for some reason or another. I am also not use to all of the bugs and lizards that are scurrying about everywhere. Overall the pros seem to out way the cons. The colors, scents and the lure of the unknown are definitely feeding my imagination. I wonder if anything will become of it.

Book Review - "Tandem" by Tracey Bateman

    "Her own screams woke her.  She had dreamed she was alone in the dark, captive of a madman.  When she opened her eyes and realized the nightmare was real, she couldn't stop screaming."  With a striking balance of family drama, mystery and a perfect dose of chills Tracey Bateman had me engrossed in her novel "Tandem" within the first chapter. 

Tandem - a novel by Tracey Bateman (Chapter 1)  
      The story takes place in the quaint little town of Abbey Hills.  Nestled in the Ozark mountains, this once idyllic town has found itself the host of some sort of evil.  People are being murdered.  For awhile it seems that a house fire has killed the murderer but a fresh string of murders has demolished that theory.  20 something Lauryn Mcbride has inherited her father's auction business and is in charge of the estate.  It is her actions that unearth dark secrets as she works to balance her work, personal life and still care for her father who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
    I wasn't sure what to think when I realized that I was reading an inspirational vampire story but I must say that the author made it work.  She skillfully wove a story that was both touching and thrilling. The characters were complex and the themes were subtle but strong.  I was blown away by the thought provoking last paragraph.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I received a free copy of this book to review from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

book review - "The Messenger" by Siri Mitchell

    " The Messenger" by Siri Mitchell is a Christian historical novel set during the revolutionary war.  It follows Hannah Sunderland who is a devout Quaker and Jeremiah Jones, a colonial spy who feels he has nothing to live for.  The story alternates points of view between these two central characters as their paths meet and they both become involved in aiding a group of patriot prisoners.
     I thought that the way the story explored the historic setting through the eyes of two such different characters to be fascinating.  I must admit, however, that I found the first half of the book a bit difficult to get into.  By the end I was completely caught up in both the plot and the characters.  The spiritual growth that takes place in the story was slow to unfold and I felt it was rather incomplete but at the same time it was thought provoking. I found Hannah's honesty and desire to do the right thing no matter what the circumstances to be very encouraging. By the time I finished the novel I had a renewed interest in colonial America and a much deeper understanding of the Quaker faith.  Overall I would say that I enjoyed this book very much.

I received a review copy of this book for free from Bethany House publishing.

Moving

   I haven't been online much lately.  Hopefully I will be able to start blogging with some regularity again.  My husband just came home from a year long remote tour and as soon as he did we moved across the country.  We have been at our new base for 3 whole days now.  Tomorrow we will be moving into our new home.  I will have to write about my progress as I strive to set up our new home and fit into a new community.  One thing is for sure, it will take some time to adjust to our new surroundings.  It was snowing when we left our last base and now we are at a sunny beach!