Wordless Wednesday ~ Anna Hoke's Award Winning Cotton Candy Bling Cupcakes

Wordless Wednesday ~ North Carolina Vacation Photos

Book Review: An Unlikely Suitor

I had been looking forward to reading An Unlikely Suitor by Nancy Moser for a while. I've read a couple of other books by this author and enjoyed them. I thought this book was a fun summer read. It's set during the gilded age and centers around the friendship between a young working class woman and a New York socialite. Both feel like they are on the outside looking in in their respective societies, and both crave true friendship.

I thought the characters were well fleshed out and easy to sympathize with. I did have to suspend my disbelief with the upstairs/downstairs romances. There were several. I found it a little hard to believe there would be so many in one circle of people, but it all worked out in the end as any good romance does. This was a good book for my Downton Abby withdrawals, but I preferred the other books I read by Nancy Moser, Mozart's Sister and How Do I Love Thee, both fictional biographies.

Book Review: Need You Now

Need You now is a contemporary story set in a small town in Texas. It deals with the struggles of Darlene Henderson and her family. The Henderson family has left the big city in hopes of raising their children in the safe environment of a small town.They learn throught the story that trouble isn't confined to the city and sometimes the "perfect" child is the one with the real problems.

Darlene Henderson is at a very vulnerable place in life. Her children don't need her as much as they use to. Her husband has a long commute and works long hours to provide for his family. She has moved to a new community and has left her old friends behind. She takes a job at a special need school to fill her days and bring in some extra money. At the school she becomes interested in the father of one of her students. Much of the story line deals with this attraction and the emotional affair she struggles with. Another main part of the plot dealt with Darlene's middle child, Grace. Grace struggles with the move, and begins a downward spiral into self destructive behavior. There is also a third plot dealing with a bitter neighbor.

Overall I enjoyed the book. It was a quick summer read with a good story and interesting, imperfect characters. I thought it dealt realistically with marrital problems and perfectionism. It was a good reminder to me that no child is perfect, and that the one child you think has it all together, may be the one who is falling apart. I think my complaint about the story is that it had too much going on. It seemed like I was reading a condensed version of a series. I would recommend this book to women who enjoy family dramas.

I receive this book for free from Book Sneeze for the purpose of review.

Book Review: Beloved Enemy

I was really hoping to enjoy this book. It is set during the Civil War, and I love a good Yankee/Rebel romance. Unfortunately, I could not get into the plot of this book. I found the characters stiff and the dialogue to be silly and melodramatic. The main female character was supposed to be a spy, but she did very little spying. There was a lot of historical detail given, and the Battle of Bull Run was covered very thoroughly. I just found it all rather dry. This book was part of The Battles of Destiny series, but it worked well as a stand alone title.

I received this book from WaterBrook Multnomah for free for the purpose of review.

Spring Reading Thing 2012 Wrap Up

I can't believe spring is over! It went so fast. To celebrate I got a sunburn last weekend. I'm beginning to wonder if it will ever go away. Anyway, the end of spring means the end of the spring reading challenge hosted by Callapidder Days. I'm happy to say I completed my entire list. Of the original eighteen books, I read fourteen and had four dnf's (did not finish). Here is my original list with ratings:

                                                   The Muir House ~ Mary DeMuth ~ 4/5

Martha ~ Diana Wallace Taylor ~ 3/5

A Most unsuitable Match ~ Stephanie Grace Whitson ~ 3/5

Romey's Place ~ James Calvin Schaap ~ dnf

Love Charleston ~ Beth Webb Hart ~ dnf

Silence ~ Shusaku Endo ~ 4/5

Mozart's Last Aria ~ Matt Rees ~ 3.5/5

Broken Wings ~ Carla Stewart ~ 4/5

Cottonwood Whispers ~ Jennifer Erin Valent ~ 3.5/5

Catching Moondrops ~ Jennifer Erin Valent ~ dnf

O Pioneers ~ Willa Cather ~ 3.5/5

Passionate Housewives Desperate for God ~ Jennie Chancey ~ dnf

Please Don't Eat the Daisies ~ Jean Kerr ~ 3.5/5

A Busy Woman's Guide to Prayer ~ Cheri Fuller ~ 5

Finding Our Way Home ~ Charlene Ann Baumbich ~ 3/5

Wings of Refuge ~ Lynn Austin ~ 3.5/5

A Light to My Path ~ Lynn Austin ~ 5

                                                          The Story ~ GOD ~ 5

I read some great books this spring, and really got my to-be-read pile down to a more manageable size. I'm already looking forward to the Fall Into reading Challenge in September!

 

WORDful Wednesday: Galatians

I have been reading the book of Galatians this month. I have been looking for something new to do for my Bible reading and decided to do what John MacArthur suggests, which is read an entire book of the Bible for an entire month. I decided to read my way through the General Electric Power Company books (that's Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians). I read it through a couple of times without really stopping and doing any real studying. Then I read it through in my study Bible a few times, reading the notes, and writing down what I found interesting. Now I am reading it in several different versions. There is a lot packed in this little book, including: the fruit of the Spirit, Paul telling off Peter, the verse about being crucified with Christ, and the comparison between Hagar and Sarah.

The central theme of the book is righteousness by faith, not the law. This is something I am so thankful for. I don't have to live under the rules and regulations of the Old Testament. I don't have to live under the rules and regulations of some person who thinks the are God's mouth piece, and can tell people what to do. I live in the freedom of the grace of God under the blood of Christ.

My favorite verse in Galatians is 3:26-27: "For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes." I love that picture of coming up out of the water after baptism all clean and ready for a new life.