Book review

Beneath The Night Tree

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Do I have a child? Julia DeSmit knew she would face the question eventually, but she didn’t expect it now. At twenty-four, she is finally content with the way her life has unfolded. A single mother to her son and young brother, she works at the local grocery store while chipping away at a two-year degree. All her free time is spent with her unorthodox family—her boys, her grandmother, and her boyfriend of five years. It’s not perfect, but Julia is happier than ever.

So when she receives the cryptic e-mail from her son’s father, Julia’s world is turned upside down. She hasn’t heard from Parker since he left her in a college parking lot nearly six years ago. But one look at her son—the spitting image of his father—is enough to convince her that, for better or worse, Parker is a part of their story. Faced with this new reality and an unexpected tragedy, Julia begins a tightrope walk between what was and what is, what she hopes for and what will be.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicole Baart was born and raised in a small town in Iowa, where she and husband now live with their three young sons. After the adoption of their second son, Nicole discovered a deep passion for global issues and is a founding member of a nonprofit organization that works with a church and orphanage in Liberia.

Nicole is the critically acclaimed author of three novels. After the Leaves Fall was published in 2007 and was followed by a sequel, Summer Snow, which was a Christy Award finalist. That was followed by The Moment Between, Nicole’s first stand-alone novel.

Visit her Web site HERE to find out more about her. 😀

ISBN: 978-1-4143-2323-7

Release: February 2011

MY REVIEW

I was rather skeptical when I this book in my mailbox. I thought it’s going to be another of one of those dreadful chic-lit that could put me to sleep the instant I skim through the pages. But I was wrong, very wrong, as Beneath The Night Tree is a very moving and beautiful story.

I was immediately drawn into the lives of the characters in the story, and I find myself being pulled into their world where I laugh along with them and cry along with them.

This book taught me one lesson: We may have our lives planned, but there’s always surprises and unexpected things that comes along the way. It may be good and it may be bad, and we all must learn to live our lives one day at a time.

You see, the main protagonist, Julia thought that she had it figured out and her life is well planned after her unexpected pregnancy. She had new life and new boyfriend now, and she looks forward to marry him. But oh, how wrong she was. The father of her child reappear in her life once again and seeks redemption. Julia knew that she couldn’t deny him the rights as a father.

Beneath the Night Tree was written in such a wonderful way that I felt really close to the characters, and I actually cried when Julia’s grandmother died. It made me think of my own late grandmother.

Overall, Beneath The Night Tree is a very lovely read, and I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good inspirational family oriented story.

Thumbs up for Beneath The Night Tree and I rate this book 4 out of 5. I would definitely prefer it more if there’s a sequel to this book and I thought improvement ought to be made to the cover to make it look more lively and irresistible.

I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to give positive reviews. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do I have a child? Julia DeSmit knew she would face the question eventually, but she didn’t expect it now. At twenty-four, she is finally content with the way her life has unfolded. A single mother to her son and young brother, she works at the local grocery store while chipping away at a two-year degree. All her free time is spent with her unorthodox family—her boys, her grandmother, and her boyfriend of five years. It’s not perfect, but Julia is happier than ever.

So when she receives the cryptic e-mail from her son’s father, Julia’s world is turned upside down. She hasn’t heard from Parker since he left her in a college parking lot nearly six years ago. But one look at her son—the spitting image of his father—is enough to convince her that, for better or worse, Parker is a part of their story. Faced with this new reality and an unexpected tragedy, Julia begins a tightrope walk between what was and what is, what she hopes for and what will be.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicole Baart was born and raised in a small town in Iowa, where she and husband now live with their three young sons. After the adoption of their second son, Nicole discovered a deep passion for global issues and is a founding member of a nonprofit organization that works with a church and orphanage in Liberia.

Nicole is the critically acclaimed author of three novels. After the Leaves Fall was published in 2007 and was followed by a sequel, Summer Snow, which was a Christy Award finalist. That was followed by The Moment Between, Nicole’s first stand-alone novel.

Visit her Web site at www.nicolebaart.com.

ISBN: 978-1-4143-2323-7
Release: February 2011

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Book review

An Amish Christmas

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Need a book to get yourself in the warm mood of Christmas? Well, an Amish Christmas, expanded edition by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, Kelly Long, and Barbara Cameron is the book for it. Warmth, love and Christmas is guaranteed in this collection of Amish story book.

Christmas have been way too commercialized in this era. It’s all about presents and toys that most of us tend to forget what the real Christmas is all about. The book contain four mini novellas that tells the story of four different women.

The first novella is “A Choice to Forgive” by Beth Wiseman. It tells the story of Lydia, who is offered a chance with her first love again after many years. But has too much time passed and can she ever forgive him for ever leaving her?

The second novella is “A Miracle for Miriam” by Kathleen Fuller. Miriam was an awkward child and was teased and had her feelings hurt as a young girl, there are resentment in her. Can she learn to to forgive and forget?
The third novella by Barbara Cameron entitled “One Child.” Sarah and David are childless and the pain that results from this is so strong. So, why on this snowy Christmas night is a couple brought to their door needing a place to stay and also ready to birth their first child?

The fourth novella in the book is “Christmas Cradles” written by Kelly Long, and it tells the story of Anna who travels a couple of hours to fill in for the local midwife so she can spend time with the family. Soon after falling asleep Anna is woken to travel to a home to help with the delivery of a baby. This is only the beginning of births for this late evening and early morning on Second Christmas for Anna and her faithful driver Asa.

I like this book very much. Very delightful and relaxingly read though I find that the stories moved in too fast and does not have a leisurely pace to it. I rate this book 4 stars out of 5, and I think this book makes a perfect Christmas present for those who loves to read.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, Kelly Long, and Barbara Cameron

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Book review

Blind Sight

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Publisher:
Tyndale
ISBN-10: 1601454384
ISBN-13: 978-1601454386
Retail: $17.95

364 pages

I’m a Procrastination Queen. You see, I’ve received this book from Kathy Carlton- Willis Communication earlier this month, and I’ve been putting off reading the book entitled Blind Sight by James H. Pence because I’ve been too busy doing something else…. you know… my yearly NaNoWrimo challenge.

Anyway, I wouldn’t want to waste anymore time, so without further ado, allow me to review ‘Blind Sight’ by James H. Pierce.

Blind Sight is a very intriguing and fast-paced story, and I don’t know why I’ve put off reading it for so long. It’s about a about mind-control cults. Sounds scary and intimidating,eh? Well yes, it is a rather dark fiction.

James H. Pierce brings you the story of Thomas Kent, a man who lost his will to continue living and move on after loosing his family.

Thomas was disillusioned by the tragic loss of his family in an auto accident and he wants nothing more than just die. Without his family, life is just meaningless. He had lost the purpose to live until one day, he received a mysterious message and a voice from the past stir him to fight for his life and the lives of a family he doesn’t know.

Thomas found himself reluctantly drawn into the murderous plot of a dangerous cult that threatens to steal America’s future. And as Thomas attempts to expose the cult, Thomas finds himself facing the past he had buried, and his anger towards God who had taken everything dear to him.

Blind Sight is a very good book. I find it very intriguing and I couldn’t let it down. And unlike many other Christian fiction, Blind Sight is not slow-paced, and made you ponder on a lot of things: Mainly the purpose of life, God’s plan and allowing yourself to let go when it’s necessary.

Blind Sight address the grief of a man who had lost everything that matters to him, and also shows the reader that God always have the best plan for you, even if you think otherwise. All you need to do is let Him into your life, and He will show you the way.

Generally, Blind Sight is a very good book to read on a rainy night, and I highly recommend this to those who felt as if God has abandoned them and for those who prefers fast-paced novels.

I received this book free from Kathy Carlton Willis Communications. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Book review

Start! The Bible for New Believers, NKJV

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I’m not a new believer, but I have difficulties understanding God’s words, and I always prefer to read children’s bible than the adult bible, because the words in children’s bible are easier to understand. You see, I am the kind of person who likes to read things that I can understand, not the other way around, so when it comes to bible, I’ve always preferred to read children’s bible. The words are simpler and not as confusing as the adult bibles.

Anyway, when I saw this Start! The Bible for New Believers, NKJV is up for grab in Booksneeze, I knew I had to order it. Why? Simple. Because it’s a Bible for new believers. And usually, bibles for new believers will contain explanation for the verses and scriptures, and I was right about this bible. It does contain explanation for those difficult verses and scriptures, and it also explains the theologies inside the bible.

The commentaries and the notes in this bible really helped me to understand God’s word better, and I like this bible very much.

This bible is perfect for those who wants to learn God’s words on their own. I give this a 5 star, and would recommend this as a gift for young teenagers or new believers. It’s really useful, I can vouch for it.

Another great thing about this bible is that it’s lightweight and easy to carry around. So if you’re looking for a bible that you can carry around everywhere… to school, to church and whatnot, this is the perfect bible for you.

Features Include:

-GROW entries, revealing key disciplines of the Christian life.

-KNOW articles, exposing the core beliefs of the Christian life.

-LIVE messages, focusing on various aspects of salvation.

-LEARN notes, providing mini-commentaries on key passages for spiritual growth.

-Topical Index to articles and scriptures to help you find your way around the Bible.

You can also download the Gospel of John from the new START! Bible HERE.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Book review, E-books giveaways

Juliet

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Juliet by Anne Fortier is a well written book. It’s a blend of Shakespeare’s tragedy- Romeo and Juliet and dash of the Da Vinci Code with romance thrown in.

The story follows American Julie Jacobs on a quest to Siena, Italy to retrace her roots. She soon discovers that she is a direct descendant of Giulietta Tomei, the inspiration for Shakespeare’s well famed Juliet.

She also finds that the descendants of the two feuding families from the tale of “Romeo and Juliet” are still living in Siena and still feuding. In an attempt to uncover the past, a contessa and the contessa’s handsome nephew appeared in Julie’s life.

There is also an assorted quirky cast of Italian police, mobsters, and locals in this novel. Julie’s search involves old paintings, a journal, old relics, and antique texts. A good part of the fun of this book is unraveling the mystery, but the the heartbreaking love story is also well represented.

If  one had to find fault with this novel is that it does not know quite what it wants to be, historical fiction or romance novel, but then again that was part of the fun. 😀

Cleffairy: Romeo and Juliet is not a love story. It is a tragedy and almost a warning not to fall in love at the first sight.

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Book review

Then Sings My Soul

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When I first saw this book on Booksneeze, I knew I have to have it. First, it’s because of the beautiful cover that has a ‘clef’ as a watermark of the book cover. Hey, Clef is my name, and I knew that i’d fall in love with the content of this book as well. Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan Special Edition contains 150 Christmas, Easter, and All-Time Favorite Hymn Stories.

The concept of this book is so simple, yet so engaging and endearing.The stories are truly inspiring and certainly put a new light on the hymn that most of us believers are familiar with.

With this book, we’ll never see those hymn as boring ever again. I like the he torn page edges too. It’s just so classic.

The devotional-style stories in Then Sings My Soul show the emotion and drama behind the hymns of faith that have changed many lives throughout history.

This book is designed to be personally reflective and these stories speak to the soul and add depth to a meaningful worship time with God through songs.

Frankly speaking, this is not a book that I’d usually pick up off the shelf, but it is insightful nevertheless and I enjoyed it very much.

Highly recommended for believers, especially for music ministers. I give this book 3 stars out of 5 stars and recommends it to be used in churches and Sunday classes.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers for an advance reading as part of their Booksneeze bloggers program . I was not required to write a positive review and therefore, the book review is 100% my own opinion.

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Book review

Really Woolly Bible Stories

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I just received this cute children bible story book from Booksneeze today, and I was really delighted. The book is really cute and well illustrated. I like it very much, and I daresay children will like it a lot too. The book is a case-bound padded board book, suitable for toddlers and also children up to 8 or 9.

It’s small in size, and contain biblical stories from Old and New Testament. The bible story book is written in the form of rhyme, and it encourages children to look up the complete story in the bible. 😀

This is a really nice book. II may be an adult, but this book caught my attention nevertheless. Perfect for you if you’re a parent and wants to read bible stories to your children during bedtime.

My all time favourite is Noah’s story. In this Really Woolly Bible stories, Noah’s story is told like this:

Noah

His name was Noah, his heart was good,

He built an ark of solid wood,

The animals entered, two by two,

The cakatoo, the kangaroo.

For forty days the rain came down,

Then God sent wind to dry the ground.

He placed a rainbow in the sky,

His colourful promise, way up high!

Very short and sweet, isn’t it? Very easy for children to understand. And on the page where the illustrations is, it reads : Read all about Noah in Genesis 6-9. Same goes with other stories like David and Goliah, Jonah, Joseph, Abraham and many more biblical figures. There’s a rhyme one one page, along with illustrations as well as the bible reference. Really good and encouraging for children. I like this story book very much, even though I’m no longer a child.

This story book is perfect for bedtime stories session and for read-along. Highly recommended, and I give this book two thumbs up. I rate this book 5 stars out of 5.

I received this bible story book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers for an advance reading as part of their Booksneeze bloggers program . I was not required to write a positive review and therefore, the book review is 100% my own opinion.

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Book review

Cause and Effect

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It’s been a very long time since I listened to audio books. So when I saw this on Tyndale Blog Network, I decided to request for it instead of the conventional book, seeing that there’s no other fiction available except for this. I received this audio book not long ago, and have been putting off listening to it til today.

Cause&Effect is an audio book, packed with over 5 hours of entertainment. It’s packed with action and various mystery.

The audio book starts off with the mystery of a Clock Tower in the City Hall, where the clock is always at 11.45, no matter how people try to fix it and set it to the right time. So Eugene and Matthew embarked on a journey to solve the mystery shrouding the Clock Tower in the City Hall.

There’s also other stories in this audio book, one is about a phantom in a school play while another is about Thanksgiving, but my favourite got to be the one with the Clock Tower in it, having visited a historical Clock Tower myself not long ago. It is something I could imagine and relate to.

This audio book is pretty exciting, and it ignites the listener’s imagination with loads of moral to learn from.

Highly recommended for those kids aged 8-12 years old, and those who needs some bedtime stories to listen to. Or those who are looking for a good audio book to listen on a leisurely Sunday. I would recommend this book to listeners of all age and it’s perfect as a gift as well. I rate this book 3 stars out of 5.

I received this audio book from Tyndale House Publishers for an advance reading as part of their bloggers review program . I was not required to write a positive review and therefore, the book review is 100% my own opinion.

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Book review

Suitor for Jenny

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It’s Wednesday again, folks. Do you know what Wednesday means? Mamarazzi and Chee Yee knows what it means. It means… book review day and booksneeze request day. LOL!

So without further ado, allow me to review one of the book that I got from Booksneeze.

A Suitor For Jenny by Margeret Brownley. A Suitor For Jenny A is the 2nd book in Rocky Creek series. The story was set in 1888… in the cowboy town of Texas.

The story revolves around Jenny. Trouble followed Jenny wherever she goes, whether she was looking for it or not. Jenny had a one track mind in finding suitable husbands for her sisters and she’s not sure Rocky Creek is the right place to look for husbands, though. Rocky Creek seems to be lacking potential males that could be made into a fine and dependable husbands.

Through all the trouble that Jenny finds and Rhett tries to rescue her from the troubles that she’s been  thrown into, and they are attracted to each other.

But both Rhett and Jenny is suffering from a past neither has been able to forget. Rhett believes God forgives but can’t forgive himself for things that happened during the war.

Jenny on the other hand, is not sure whether God is around. After their parents died she had to do awful things just to keep her sisters alive. No man would want her now.

Can Jenny find just the right husbands for her sisters or do they have someone else in mind? Will Jenny believe that the right suitor will want her, in spite of her past? Will Rhett be able to let the past go and feel true forgiveness? Can God convince both Rhett and Jenny that He has the best plan for everyone?

A Suitor For Jenny is a good read, it’s a story of redemption that teaches you that God’s love for everyone is so great that He will never leave you to suffer more than you could endure. God is love, and God always have plans for you, and your sacrifices will be rewarded in His Kingdom.

This story is a perfect summer romance or a good, lazy Sunday read. I would recommend this to everyone who enjoys love story as well as Christian fiction.

I rate this book 4 out of 5.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers for an advance reading as part of their Booksneeze bloggers program . I was not required to write a positive review and therefore, the book review is 100% my own opinion.

Trouble followed Jenny whether she was looking for it or not. Jenny had a one track mind in finding suitable husbands for her sisters. She’s not sure Rocky Creek is the right place but you could find suitable husbands almost anywhere as long as you had Miss Abigail Jenkins’ book “The Complete and Authoritative Manual for Attracting & Procuring a Husband“.

Through all the trouble that Jenny finds and Rhett tries to rescue her from they are attracted to each other. But each is suffering from a past neither has been able to shake. Rhett believes God forgives but can’t forgive himself for things that happened during the war. Jenny’s not sure God is around. After their parents died she had to do things she just as soon forget to keep her and her sisters alive. No man would want her now.

Can Jenny find just the right husbands for her sisters or do they have someone else in mind? Will Jenny believe that the right suitor will want her, in spite of her past? Will Rhett be able to let the past go and feel true forgiveness? Can God convince both Rhett and Jenny that He has the best plan for them? AND what does MISS Abigail Jenkins know about men?

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Book review

On a cold, dark night…

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I thought it was befitting to make use of the cold, rainy weather to read a darker, mysterious fiction, so I got my hands on this last night while the rest of my family was dozing away.

Trust me, I was tempted to get between the sheet with that sort of weather and sleep, basking in the warmth of my husband’s embrace… but it would be a complete waste of time to sleep, especially when nobody is awake to bother me for food…and whatnot. It’s a moment of solitude… of silence…of escapism!

So I sneaked out of bed, and picked up this book in my ebook library…

The Stone Child by Dan Poblocki is about Eddie Fennicks, who has always been a loner, content to lose himself in a mystery novel by his favorite author, Nathaniel Olmstead. That’s why moving to the small town of Gatesweed becomes a dream come true when Eddie discovers that Olmstead lived there before mysteriously disappearing thirteen years ago.

Even better, Eddie finds a handwritten, never-before-seen Nathaniel Olmstead book printed in code and befriends Harris, who’s as much an Olmsteady as he is. But then the frightening creatures of Olmstead’s books begin to show up in real life, and Eddie’s dream turns into a nightmare.

Eddie, Harris, and their new friend, Maggie, must break Olmstead’s code, banish all gremlins and monster lake-dogs from the town of Gatesweed, and solve the mystery of the missing author, all before Eddie’s mum finishes writing her own tale of terror and brings to life the scariest creature of all.

So, is this a good read? Yes, it is a good read, especially if you have the ‘dark’ and ‘cold’ element around you. This book whisk you away into the world of weird creature that will harm you…so, beware when you read it.

Cleffairy: Beware…on a cold, dark and stormy night, there’s always monsters lurking to devour you and tear your world apart!

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