The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky is an enjoyable upstairs/downstairs love story set in the early 20th century. William Ramsey recently inherited the huge estate, and he hires Julia foster, the daughter of missionaries, to be the governess of his young children. Sir William is a bit of a snob and tries to deny his feelings for middle class Julia. It doesn't take long for Julia to make an impression on William, and they spend a good portion of the book trying to figure out how to handle their growing attraction for each other.
I'm not a big fan of romances, so I get a little nervous when I have to read one for review. However, I liked this one a lot. The story was interesting, and the characters were well developed. The love story was sweet without being sappy. I would recommend this book to fans of Downton Abbey and also to fans of Julie Klassen. I will definitely read more books by this author in the future.
I received this book for free for the purpose of review. The opinions are my own.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
Summer Reading 2013
Even though it's still technically summer, and even though Florida will still have hot weather for several more weeks, I thought I would update everyone on what I read this summer. I got through a few books, some of which had been languishing on my book shelf and in my Kindle cloud for a long time. Here they are along with some of my thoughts about them.
1. Cranford ~ Elizabeth Gaskell
I really loved this Victorian era book set in the quaint town of Cranford. It centered around several aging ladies who ,for various reasons, had never married. The BBC series is also excellent.
2.What Happens When young Women Say Yes to God ~ Lysa TerKeurst
I read this with my girls over the summer. I was looking for a Bible study for young women that didn't focus on dating and purity. This book fit the bill. Elin, Anna, and I had great discussions about how extraordinary your life will be when you obey God.
3. The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr ~ Sandra Byrd
I'm not a huge fan of Tudor era fiction, but I am enjoying this series. This book was about Henry XVIII's last wife, told through the eyes of her lady in waiting. Lots of details about the period, and the cover is gorgeous.
4. Gideon ~ Pricilla Shirer
I did this Bible study with the Living Proof blog community. A really good look at one of the Bible characters we think we know a lot about. I learned a lot, and highly recommend this one. I did it without the videos, and still got a lot out of it.
5. Jane Austen Ruined My Life ~ Beth Patillo
Enjoyable chicklit about a scorned woman who goes to England to dig up dirt on Jane Austen. She believes all of her problems stemmed from the fact that she was always looking for Mr. Darcy when, in reality, he doesn't exist. (Um, no dear, he doesn't exist. He's a fictional character.) She ends up discovering a secret society that is preserving the undiscovered letters of Jane Austen. As I said earlier, this was a fun book. I'm not a big fan of chicklit, but this one was pretty good.
6. Death Comes to Pemberly ~ P.D. James
I chose this book because of the title. I love it. The story was alright, too. It's a Pride and Prejudice sequel with a murder mystery. If you like murder mysteries, I would recommend it.
7. All of a Kind Family ~ Sydney Taylor
I read this book aloud to Anna. It's very sweet story about five Jewish sisters living in New York. They have adventures, and there are a couple of twists to the plot. If you have little girls that can sit and listen for a while, read them this book.
8. False Pretenses ~ Kathy Herman
This is the start of a Christian Mystery series, Secrets of Rioux River Bayou. One of the main characters has a secret that finally catches up to her. I thought this was a fun book, but I probably won't read the rest of the series.
9.The Fine Art of Insincerity ~ Angela Hunt
I'm a big Angela Hunt fan, so I really liked this book. The story is about three sisters who come together one weekend to clean out their grandmother's beach house. They all have issues and secrets, and they are more than a little self centered. Eventually, they see the value in their relationship to each other. This was an easy read, but it had a lot to say.
10. A Cast of Stones ~ Patrick Carr
This is the first book in the Staff and the Sword series. I really enjoyed it. I would highly recommend it of you like the fantasy genre.
11. Fly Away ~ Lynn Austin
I am a huge Lynn Austin fan. She's easily my favorite author. That being said, this was not a favorite of mine. I think it was one of the first books she wrote. It kind of read like a very long gospel tract. It got better as the story progressed, but still, I would recommend any of her other books over this one. In fact she has a new book coming out in a few weeks that I'm very excited about.
12. Iscariot ~ Tosca Lee
I'm still thinking about this one. On the one hand, it was a very well written story that held my attention the whole way through. On the other hand, I didn't agree with her portrayal of Judas, or of Jesus. I don't know if I would really recommend this book even thought it was interesting.
13. The Remedy for Regret ~ Susan Meissner
I loved this book. The main character is searching for forgiveness and love from her father. She finally realizes that what she really needs she can find in God. This was probably my favorite summer read, and one of my favorites this year.
Well, there's my summer reading in a nutshell. Some were good, some were okay. I'd love to hear what you read this summer. Let me know in the comments.
1. Cranford ~ Elizabeth Gaskell
I really loved this Victorian era book set in the quaint town of Cranford. It centered around several aging ladies who ,for various reasons, had never married. The BBC series is also excellent.
2.What Happens When young Women Say Yes to God ~ Lysa TerKeurst
I read this with my girls over the summer. I was looking for a Bible study for young women that didn't focus on dating and purity. This book fit the bill. Elin, Anna, and I had great discussions about how extraordinary your life will be when you obey God.
3. The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr ~ Sandra Byrd
I'm not a huge fan of Tudor era fiction, but I am enjoying this series. This book was about Henry XVIII's last wife, told through the eyes of her lady in waiting. Lots of details about the period, and the cover is gorgeous.
4. Gideon ~ Pricilla Shirer
I did this Bible study with the Living Proof blog community. A really good look at one of the Bible characters we think we know a lot about. I learned a lot, and highly recommend this one. I did it without the videos, and still got a lot out of it.
5. Jane Austen Ruined My Life ~ Beth Patillo
Enjoyable chicklit about a scorned woman who goes to England to dig up dirt on Jane Austen. She believes all of her problems stemmed from the fact that she was always looking for Mr. Darcy when, in reality, he doesn't exist. (Um, no dear, he doesn't exist. He's a fictional character.) She ends up discovering a secret society that is preserving the undiscovered letters of Jane Austen. As I said earlier, this was a fun book. I'm not a big fan of chicklit, but this one was pretty good.
6. Death Comes to Pemberly ~ P.D. James
I chose this book because of the title. I love it. The story was alright, too. It's a Pride and Prejudice sequel with a murder mystery. If you like murder mysteries, I would recommend it.
7. All of a Kind Family ~ Sydney Taylor
I read this book aloud to Anna. It's very sweet story about five Jewish sisters living in New York. They have adventures, and there are a couple of twists to the plot. If you have little girls that can sit and listen for a while, read them this book.
8. False Pretenses ~ Kathy Herman
This is the start of a Christian Mystery series, Secrets of Rioux River Bayou. One of the main characters has a secret that finally catches up to her. I thought this was a fun book, but I probably won't read the rest of the series.
9.The Fine Art of Insincerity ~ Angela Hunt
I'm a big Angela Hunt fan, so I really liked this book. The story is about three sisters who come together one weekend to clean out their grandmother's beach house. They all have issues and secrets, and they are more than a little self centered. Eventually, they see the value in their relationship to each other. This was an easy read, but it had a lot to say.
10. A Cast of Stones ~ Patrick Carr
This is the first book in the Staff and the Sword series. I really enjoyed it. I would highly recommend it of you like the fantasy genre.
11. Fly Away ~ Lynn Austin
I am a huge Lynn Austin fan. She's easily my favorite author. That being said, this was not a favorite of mine. I think it was one of the first books she wrote. It kind of read like a very long gospel tract. It got better as the story progressed, but still, I would recommend any of her other books over this one. In fact she has a new book coming out in a few weeks that I'm very excited about.
12. Iscariot ~ Tosca Lee
I'm still thinking about this one. On the one hand, it was a very well written story that held my attention the whole way through. On the other hand, I didn't agree with her portrayal of Judas, or of Jesus. I don't know if I would really recommend this book even thought it was interesting.
13. The Remedy for Regret ~ Susan Meissner
I loved this book. The main character is searching for forgiveness and love from her father. She finally realizes that what she really needs she can find in God. This was probably my favorite summer read, and one of my favorites this year.
Well, there's my summer reading in a nutshell. Some were good, some were okay. I'd love to hear what you read this summer. Let me know in the comments.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
The Word as a Weapon
I have been doing some verse mapping with my current Bible study .It has been eye opening to dig a little more into some common verses that I have known since childhood, and see a deeper meaning than I have seen before.
This week I was looking at John 15:4 ~ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
My NLT Study Bible (which is awesome!) says about remaining in Christ, "A disciple's life is fully formed by Jesus' words". It also says remaining "means a commitment on the part of God and the disciple".
I am #amazed that God is committed to me. He isn't asking anything of me that he isn't already doing for me.
This week I was looking at John 15:4 ~ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
My NLT Study Bible (which is awesome!) says about remaining in Christ, "A disciple's life is fully formed by Jesus' words". It also says remaining "means a commitment on the part of God and the disciple".
I am #amazed that God is committed to me. He isn't asking anything of me that he isn't already doing for me.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
My #Saywhat Moment
Her name was Susan. She was a captive audience in my living room. She had come to my home to sell me a very expensive vacuum cleaner. She did her demo, and I listened politely. In exchange for this I got a clean living room carpet and a small, rather useless camera. She got stuck at my house with no sale and no ride for an hour.
To say this was awkward is an understatement. I'm extremely introverted and I struggle with small talk. Thankfully, she was somewhat chatty. We talked about life for a few minutes. She asked me what my husband did . I said he was studying to be a minister. This brought on a rather long diatribe about why she didn't like ministers because they were so rich and took money from little old ladies.
At some point during all of this I got the strong impression that I was supposed to share my faith with with Susan. After hearing her talk about all that was wrong with churches, and Christians, and pastors, I was a little hesitant. But I was obedient. I asked her a few questions, and found out that when she was young she went to a hell-fire-and-brimstone church. All she had ever heard about God was how judgmental he was, and that he couldn't wait to send people to Hell. Pastors scared her, Christians scared her, and God scared her. I was able to share God's love with her, and tell her that I'm not a Christian because I'm afraid of God. I'm a Christian because of the love He showed when He sent Christ to die for me.
I never saw Susan again after the hour we spent together. I still pray for her whenever I think about her. I'm so thankful I was obedient that day. I hope today she is serving the God that I know. The one that loves her more than anything.
To say this was awkward is an understatement. I'm extremely introverted and I struggle with small talk. Thankfully, she was somewhat chatty. We talked about life for a few minutes. She asked me what my husband did . I said he was studying to be a minister. This brought on a rather long diatribe about why she didn't like ministers because they were so rich and took money from little old ladies.
At some point during all of this I got the strong impression that I was supposed to share my faith with with Susan. After hearing her talk about all that was wrong with churches, and Christians, and pastors, I was a little hesitant. But I was obedient. I asked her a few questions, and found out that when she was young she went to a hell-fire-and-brimstone church. All she had ever heard about God was how judgmental he was, and that he couldn't wait to send people to Hell. Pastors scared her, Christians scared her, and God scared her. I was able to share God's love with her, and tell her that I'm not a Christian because I'm afraid of God. I'm a Christian because of the love He showed when He sent Christ to die for me.
I never saw Susan again after the hour we spent together. I still pray for her whenever I think about her. I'm so thankful I was obedient that day. I hope today she is serving the God that I know. The one that loves her more than anything.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
With All My Heart
I have been meditating on Deuteronomy 6:5 this week:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."
I've known this verse since I was a little girl. I never really thought about it being anything spectacular. Of course I love God. I am a Christian. That's what Christians do.
Last night I dug a little deeper. My study Bible commentary says the heart, soul, and strength are our intellect, will, emotions, and our physical being. Everything I am needs to love God. Everything that makes me who I am needs to love God. Not just my mind if I'm tired, and not just my body if I'm thinking about something else. I need to love Him with all my being. This takes concentration and discipline. It takes time. It also takes reading the next verse:
"And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you."
Wholehearted commitment. That's what it looks like.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
19 Facts About Adam
My oldest child, Adam, turned 19 yesterday. In honor of his birthday I thought I would try to come up with 19 facts about him. So here goes:
1. He loves fried chicken
2. He got his first car when he was 18
3. We pretty much had to make him get his driver's licence
4. To call him a movie buff would be an understatement
5. Just before his 4th birthday, he told us he was going to "get wild"
6. Adam is a tennis player
7. He loves movie soundtracks
8. He loves to say he is going to do something crazy, and then never does it
9. His first job was as a field hand in an Iowa cornfield
10. Adam's first girlfriend worked with him in said cornfield
11. He was home schooled
12. He graduated at the top of his class
13.To say he is a voracious reader is an understatement
14. He is a lefty
15. He had to get stitches 3 times before his 6th birthday
16. He was the district doubles champion his senior year at Matanzas High School
17. When he got his car, he took his sisters out for ice cream
18. He finds theology fascinating
19. His mother loves him more than words can say
Happy birthday, Adam!
1. He loves fried chicken
2. He got his first car when he was 18
3. We pretty much had to make him get his driver's licence
4. To call him a movie buff would be an understatement
5. Just before his 4th birthday, he told us he was going to "get wild"
6. Adam is a tennis player
7. He loves movie soundtracks
8. He loves to say he is going to do something crazy, and then never does it
9. His first job was as a field hand in an Iowa cornfield
10. Adam's first girlfriend worked with him in said cornfield
11. He was home schooled
12. He graduated at the top of his class
13.To say he is a voracious reader is an understatement
14. He is a lefty
15. He had to get stitches 3 times before his 6th birthday
16. He was the district doubles champion his senior year at Matanzas High School
17. When he got his car, he took his sisters out for ice cream
18. He finds theology fascinating
19. His mother loves him more than words can say
Happy birthday, Adam!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Book Review: Wishing on Willows
Wishing on Willows is a sequel to the book Wildflowers from Winter. It is Christian romance dealing with falling in love after a tragedy.Robin has thrown her life into the cafe her late husband always dreamed of owning. She cannot see herself ever falling in love again. Ian is trying to save his family construction business by building condos...right where Robin's cafe is located. These two characters have a lot of chemistry and a lot of spunk. I enjoyed the story line and thought it was a well written book and a sweet love story.
I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah.
I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah.
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