“Across the Blue” by Carrie Turansky ~ Book Review

“Across the Blue” by Carrie Turansky

Review copy from publishers through Blogging for Books

My rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

 

About the Book:

Set in Edwardian England and ideal for readers who enjoy Julie Klassen novels, this romance about an English aviation pioneer and the girl who falls in love with him is filled with adventure and faith.

Isabella Grayson, the eldest daughter of a wealthy, English newspaper magnate, longs to become a journalist, but her parents don’t approve. They want her to marry well and help them gain a higher standing in society. After she writes an anonymous letter to the editor that impresses her father, her parents reluctantly agree she can write a series of articles about aviation and the race to fly across the English Channel, but only if she promises to accept a marriage proposal within the year. When James Drake, an aspiring aviator, crashes his flying machine at the Grayson’s new estate, Bella is intrigued. James is determined to be the first to fly across the Channel and win the prize Mr. Grayson’s newspaper is offering. He hopes it will help him secure a government contract to build airplanes and redeem a terrible family secret. James wants to win Bella’s heart, but his background and lack of social standing make it unlikely her parents would approve. If he fails to achieve his dream, how will he win the love and respect he is seeking? Will Bella’s faith and support help him find the strength and courage he needs when unexpected events turn their world upside down?

 

 

My Thoughts:

This book is set in 1909, when aviation was up and coming – the history aspect was interesting. (Although I noticed the characters all used the modern word ‘airplane’ and I’m pretty sure that historically they would have only used ‘aeroplane’). When I was younger, I loved Amelia Earhart and learning about aviation, the first aeroplanes, and whatnot. Journalism and Newspaper-ism was also a major fascination of mine (never really outgrew it, to be honest!), and so when I saw that this book held both of these ingredients, I was eager to try it.

Isabella is a determined young woman who has a passion to become a published journalist. James Drake is a pilot with the desire to be the first to cross the English Channel.

They are attracted to each other almost right away, but with James not certain of his parental heritage, Bella’s family would never dream of allowing a match to become of the two. However, they continue their friendship as it grows, and Bella has a hard time keeping her promise to her family that she would encourage other wealthy young men.

For me personally, this book fell a little flat  – I just couldn’t really get into the book and connect well with the characters themselves. Bella, while understandable that she wants to be a journalist, pursues that at the cost of headstrongness and disobedience. I just didn’t connect.
But that doesn’t mean other readers won’t – I think for many this book will be excellent. It was just a miss for me – could be because of mood, the time I read it, or what have you, but not necessarily a reflection of the book itself.

So while it wasn’t the book for me, I wouldn’t toss it aside, because it could be your favourite book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

{Note}Book Review: “A Record of My Vinyl: A Collectors Catalog”

 

(Review is of the notebook alone; I added the record in back for display purposes)

 

“A Record of My Vinyl: A Collectors Catalog”

By Potter Style

Review copy from Blogging for Books

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

 

 

About:

Whether you’re a casual collector or vinyl store junkie, this essential journal–with a high-quality cover that looks and feels like a record–includes: 
-Space for cataloguing details and “liner notes” or memories about your vinyl
-Tips for cleaning discs and maintaining a serious collection
-Information on evaluating vinyl for resale from Goldmine’s vetted rating system
-Perforated wish lists to tear out and take with you

A catalog, journal, and guide all in one, A Record of My Vinyl is the ultimate autobiographical companion to your analog collection.

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

I do not make an effort to hide my love for notebooks or records. So a notebook dedicated to keeping track and caring for vinyl records? Yes please! I was so excited to see this option presented on the Blogging for Books site, and requested it immediately. When I received it in the mail, I squealed with delight – the journal is truly stunning with a lovely cover showcasing a vinyl record.

I am new to the Vinyl world, but am quickly falling in love. So while I am not perhaps the “hard-core” vinyl collectors out there that some of the info in the notebook hinted at, I am vastly enjoying it, and cannot wait to transcribe my own personal collection of records into this journal. The style is easy to use, clearly presented, and the information in the back quite helpful. Definitely a gem for any Vinyl enthusiast – new or old!

 

 

Book Review: “Daring to Hope” by Katie Davis Majors

 

“Daring to Hope” by Katie Davis Majors  

Non-fiction, Inspiring

Review copy from the publishers through Blogging for Books

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

 

About the Book: 

How do you hold on to hope 
when you don’t get the ending 
you asked for?

When Katie Davis Majors moved to Uganda, accidentally founded a booming organization, and later became the mother of thirteen girls through the miracle of adoption, she determined to weave her life together with the people she desired to serve. But joy often gave way to sorrow as she invested her heart fully in walking alongside people in the grip of poverty, addiction, desperation, and disease.
 
After unexpected tragedy shook her family, for the first time Katie began to wonder, Is God really good? Does He really love us? When she turned to Him with her questions, God spoke truth to her heart and drew her even deeper into relationship with Him. 
 
Daring to Hope is an invitation to cling to the God of the impossible—the God who whispers His love to us in the quiet, in the mundane, when our prayers are not answered the way we want or the miracle doesn’t come. It’s about a mother discovering the extraordinary strength it takes to be ordinary. It’s about choosing faith no matter the circumstance and about encountering God’s goodness in the least expected places. 
 
Though your heartaches and dreams may take a different shape, you will find your own questions echoed in these pages. You’ll be reminded of the gifts of joy in the midst of sorrow. And you’ll hear God’s whisper: Hold on to hope. I will meet you here.

My Thoughts:

 

 

I absolutely loved Katie Davis’ first book, “Kisses from Katie”, and so when I saw that she was writing a new book, I was beyond thrilled! And then even MORE beyond thrilled when the opportunity came to review it. Yes please!

I do not read a lot of non-fiction. But Katie’s two books have captivated me fully. I have loved them both. “Daring to Hope” was so inspiring, so encouraging, and so challenging. I was just deeply moved. Each new chapter had me thinking more, and I shed many a tear from my heart being touched by her words.

A truly magnificent book. She just writes with so much passion, and it is all so God-centered. Really, I’m not sure I’ve read a book so full of God’s glory being the focus as this book was. Every thought was turned back towards Christ. What a lovely accomplishment! He is worthy to be praised, and that was shown well in “Daring to Hope”.

This book isn’t just a light, inspiring book – it is prick-your-heart and make-you-want-to-grow-more. So much so. Katie D. Major’s tackles the hard aspect of faith: Do we trust Him even when it’s hard? When He does something different to what we prayed for? Wow. Her life-experiences lends so much to these lessons. Reading this, I just was encouraged to really pray even more and trust even more. He is Worthy. He is in Control. And He does all things for our good – even the hard things. I so definitely recommend this book – it is a must read!

I also loooved reading about how her marriage came about. Wow, what a cool God-story. <3 That really encouraged me too.

I could probably just go on and on about this book – I am just full of love for it! But I suppose I shall end with one last word:  Exceptional!

“The Road to Paradise” by Karen Barnett ~ Book Review

“The Road to Paradise” by Karen Barnett

Book One in the Vintage National Park series

Review copy from Blogging for Books Program

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

About the Book:

An ideal sanctuary and a dream come true–that’s what Margaret Lane feels as she takes in God’s gorgeous handiwork in Mount Rainier National Park. It’s 1927 and the National Park Service is in its youth when Margie, an avid naturalist, lands a coveted position alongside the park rangers living and working in the unrivaled splendor of Mount Rainier’s long shadow. 
But Chief Ranger Ford Brayden is still haunted by his father’s death on the mountain, and the ranger takes his work managing the park and its crowd of visitors seriously. The job of watching over an idealistic senator’s daughter with few practical survival skills seems a waste of resources.
When Margie’s former fiancé sets his mind on developing the Paradise Inn and its surroundings into a tourist playground, the plans might put more than the park’s pristine beauty in danger. What will Margie and Ford sacrifice to preserve the splendor and simplicity of the wilderness they both love?
Karen Barnett’s vintage national parks novels bring to vivid life President Theodore Roosevelt’s vision for protected lands, when he wrote in Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter: “There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias and redwoods, the Canyon of the Colorado, the Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Three Tetons; and our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their children’s children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred.”

My Thoughts:

I shall start out this review by commenting on the cover – because it’s beautiful, is it not? I read some other reviews of this book, and several others have said that the cover is what drew them to the story, and I have to agree. It’s so unique, and well-put together; it really attracts the eye! And even the back-cover has intricate little details that match the story so well. Very impressed!

Now onto the inside. :)

“The Road to Paradise” was a good book ~ well-researched and presented. Margie was a very likeable character, and Ford was marvelous as well. I liked how Margie was so determined, and how important her faith was to her. I was glad to see a book touching on the ‘be ye not unequally yoked’ part of romances as that is so often disregarded or swept under the rug.

Their romance was sweet, though for my personal tastes, there was a bit much at some points – with the kisses, etc. Nothing inappropriate, just definitely a romance book.

The setting was great – the whole air of the Mountain and its surrounding was charming. Enjoyed that quite a bit. :)

I liked this book just fine – it was a good one, and I don’t really have any complaints (besides personal preference of how far romance goes). I’ve seen that many people have absolutely loved this book, and I’m glad! For me, it wasn’t an “adored” book, but I didn’t dislike it either. I enjoyed reading it for sure. :)

Blogging for Books Review: “Far Afield” by Shane Mitchell

 

Far Afield: Rare Food Encounters from Around the World by Shane Mitchell

 

An extraordinarily photographed culinary travel book featuring profiles of the stewards of the world’s traditional foodways—farming, fishing, and herding methods—along with 40 recipes.

Journalist Shane Mitchell and photographer James Fisher have traveled the world on assignment for food and travel publications such as Travel + Leisure and Saveur. Along the way, they have encountered the fascinating people who are keeping some of the world’s oldest food traditions alive, such as taro farmers in Hawaii who have never left the islands, Maasai warriors in Kenya, and Icelandic shepherds who still use the techniques of their Viking ancestors. Full of compelling photography from far-flung locations, Far Afield profiles these people, sharing their unique and captivating stories along with forty recipes.

 

My Review:

This is a fascinating book. I’ve quite enjoyed going through it, reading the real-accounts, and browsing the pictures and recipes. It’s full of different cultures that is great to absorb. The recipes are all very intriguing and I will have to try several of them.

A very interesting and enjoyable book! Very colorful, fun, and inviting.

*I received a complimentary book through Blogging for Books.

 

Blogging for Books: Simply Calligraphy by Judy Detrick

“Simply Calligraphy” by Judy Detrick

Source: Blogging for Books

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

 

About the Book:

Learning the simple and beautiful art of hand-lettered calligraphy is as easy as picking up pen and paper!

Italic is the calligraphy’s most popular alphabet, and this delightful manual introduces basic capital and small letters and numbers, plus all the creative flourishes you need to customize your unique script for every project and occasion.

With quick and easy instruction from calligraphy teacher and designer Judy Detrick, Simply Calligraphy will have you whipping up elegant invitations, pleasing place cards, and personalized thank-you notes in no time.

Includes practice exercises, advice on tools and materials, and project ideas for place cards, invitations, and more!

 

My Thoughts:

The cover of this instructional book is very eye-pleasing, I shall say right off. I love the colours. ^.^

This book is well-put together, and easy to understand. It helped me know right where/how to hold the pen, which I appreciated. :) Seems like a simple thing, but I hadn’t previously been holding it correctly, and therefore it wasn’t working quite as smoothly as it could.

My only complaint about this book is that it was hard to keep open so that I could go through the steps.  Mine was a soft cover, I’m not sure if they make a hard cover – it would certainly make it easier to hold the book open while you practice the steps.

Otherwise, the content of the book is good for learning calligraphy, especially for beginners!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publishers through Blogging for Books.

 

Blogging for Books review: “Light of the Last” by Chuck Black

“Light of the Last” by Chuck Black

Book #3 in The Wars of the Realm Series (I believe it is also the final book?)

Review source: Blogging for Books

My Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

 

About the Book:

To Fight What Others Can’t You Must See What Others Don’t

After an accident left him temporarily blind, Drew Carter didn’t just regain his sight. He now sees what others can’t imagine–an entire spiritual realm of mighty beings at war.
 
Forget the gift, Drew just wants his life back. Part of that involves Sydney Carlyle, a woman he is inexplicably drawn to. When he’s offered the chance to become a CIA agent, it seems the way to redeem his past. The only problem–his visions of the supernatural realm are increasing in frequency.
 
It’s up to the warrior angel Validus and his hand-picked team of heavenly agents to protect the unbelieving Drew. Validus now knows that the young man is at the epicenter of a global spiritual war, and the angels must use a millennia of battle experience keep Drew alive, for the Fallen want him dead.
 
Surrounded by spiritual warriors and targeted by demons, Drew’s faced with an impossible decision that will forever alter the destiny of America…and his own soul.

 

My Thoughts:

Oh wow! How do I even begin to review this amazing book?! I loved it. So much so. Truly fantastic. I am a HUGE fan of Chuck Black and have been eagerly awaiting this third (and I believe, final?) book in The Wars of the Realm series – it’s finally here!! And SO worth the wait. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing, and the plot was so extensive and amazingly crafted. That is some serious God-given talent Mr.Black has!

Okay yeah, can I say what an extensive plot-line this book has, and the series as a whole? I was so impressed. Just about every story-thread was brought to completion and wrapped up so nicely. There was ONE story line I so badly want to continue though….I won’t say which for fear of spoiling it for you readers. But yes, another book series for two specific characters would be pretty…epic.

I really liked how it entwined both character-point-of-views of Drew Carter, and Validus. Both were engaging and equally exciting and enthralling.

And I just love how it’s about Spiritual Warfare. So amazing, and such a great, necessary reminder. Wow.

The technology shown in this book was incredible too. :) Amazing all the way around.

This book was just SO big! And I don’t mean in size. It just blows me away.

Usually I am fairly adept at writing helpful reviews, but when it comes to Chuck Black’s books….I love them too much to form a coherent sentence! I just want to shout at everyone “Read these books!!!!” :)

I appreciate how Mr.Black states in the beginning that “this is speculative fiction and it’s not intended to confuse or diminish the truth of God’s holy and inspired Word.” He does an excellent job depicting what the Bible does tell us and how he interprets what the Bible is silent on.

The one and only thing I had a different thought on was that sometimes the angels seemed more ‘angry’ than fierce as the Bible says they are, and that it sometimes portrayed that there aren’t enough angels to do spiritual battle for us, and I believe that God does provide enough. However, this wasn’t negative, nor did it affect my love for these books. Just a personal thought. And of course, as Chuck Black says himself: only God knows the whole story!! :)

The characters were so great, and I loved returning to them. Sydney is an amazing young woman and I hope I can be as much of a prayer warrior as she is (even though she’s fiction! :D).

So yes, absolutely amazing and I loved it soooo very much!!! I cannot wait to read this whole series over again.

~~~~~

I received a complimentary copy from the publishers and Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review which I have given.

Blogging For Books Book Review: “A Refuge at Highland Hall” by Carrie Turansky

Happy 2016 readers! I’m sorry I haven’t written an official post to welcome the new year – it’s been quite busy, and now I am trying to catch up on some reading and reviewing! So yes, 2016 should definitely hold more book reviews from this blog! Hopefully some “normal” posts too. :) I hope your year is blessed!

 

“A Refuge at Highland Hall” by Carrie Turansky

Book Three in The Edwardian Brides series

Review copy source: Blogging for Books

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

 

About the Book:

In this third and final book in the Edwardian Brides Series, you’ll be swept away to England and France in 1915 as the Ramsey family and their staff and friends face the dramatic challenges and losses of World War One, yet they also experience the hope and triumph that comes as they put their trust in God to carry them through. Penny Ramsey helps the family welcome a group of orphaned children to Highland Hall, but she soon discovers caring for them is more difficult than she’d expected. She writes to Alex Goodwin, a daring British pilot, who chases German zeppelins across the sky over the Front Line in France, and longs for the day she will see him again. You’ll be delighted by two pure and heartwarming romances: Penny and Alex, and Lydia Chambers and Marius Ritter, a lady’s maid and a prisoner of war. But most of all I hope you’ll be inspired by the characters’ examples of trusting God through the trials they face.
Fans of “Downton Abbey” will find many of the same elements in this series: A wealthy, aristocratic family living on a large English country estate with romance, conflicts, and family drama; and loyal servants with troubles and heartaches of their own.

My Thoughts:

This was a very light, good, clean read. Very much like Downton Abbey, only without the scenes you have to skip so that’s nice! The Christian theme through this book was good and pretty strong. If you like English, Downton Abbey-like books or WWI books, you should definitely give this series a try. :)

Penny and Alex’s story was my favourite. I know I haven’t read the first book of this trilogy, but out of each of the characters shown, Penny and Alex were most positively my favourite. I could easily relate to Penny, and Alex…well he was dashing. :) This story took place during WWI and it was very fascinating.

I did not care for Lydia’s story pretty much at all…I didn’t care for hers in the 2nd book either, and was a little dismayed to find it was continued in this book too. That’s not to say that nobody else will like it – I’m sure it is a favourite among many. It just wasn’t for me.

It was for that fact and the fact that Kate got on my nerves that I am giving this book a lower rating. I will be honest: I was really hoping and expecting for this book to be solely about Penny and Alex, but it was not – the other stories seemed almost more strong, and so that made it hard for me to really love this book.

But for the side of the story I did like, it was excellent Penny and Alex are great characters, and I loved watching their story unfold! They were an exceptionally sweet and strong couple, and I would’ve loved to have seen more of their story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review, which I have given.

 

Blogging for Books Book Review: “It’s Good to be Queen” by Liz Curtis Higgs

“It’s Good to be Queen” by Liz Curtis Higgs

Nonfiction

Review copy source: Blogging for Books

My Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Stars

 

 

About the book:

Sheba Journeyed Across the Desert with a Caravan of Riches,
 Only to Find the Greatest Treasure of Them All.  So Can You.

When it comes to famous queens of the Bible, we know the good one, Queen Esther, and the bad one, Queen Jezebel. Now meet the wise one, the queen of Sheba, who traveled to Jerusalem to test the mind and heart of a king.
 
Her quest for wisdom will surprise you, challenge you, inspire you, change you. This wealthy royal from antiquity will show you how to live boldly, seek after truth, ask the right questions, encourage others, receive graciously, and honor the Lord above all.
 
Shedding new light on this ancient biblical role model, Liz Curtis Higgs unveils timeless wisdom for all who aspire to please the king of Kings.

My Thoughts:

For some reason, non-fictions can sometimes be a trifle bit hard for me to get through. I adore reading, but non-fiction takes me much, much longer than the regular fiction piece would. I don’t know why. :)

But even so, when I saw this nonfiction book come up for review, I thought I would give it a chance, as I had been wanting to read one of Liz Curtis Higgs’ books for a while, and this seemed like a good opportunity.

The premise was interesting – there are so few verses about The Queen of Sheba in the Bible, but it was impressive that Mrs. Higgs could write a whole book on those verses. I hadn’t before given much thought to the Queen of Sheba, so it was definitely interesting.

There were some things I didn’t agree with – there was quite a bit of focus on make-up and looking nice in the beginning, even when the author said we wouldn’t focus on it since the Bible didn’t. Looking nice on the outside definitely isn’t the goal in life – it’s looking good on the inside for our Heavenly Father. Also, something else that bothered me was the vast use of Bible translations to get the point across. I just didn’t agree with that. It was making it seem like there was more to the actual few verses than there really were, and many of the translations were far off course from the actual verses. But I know there is much controversy on that subject, and I don’t wish to get into an argument. I just disagreed with it.

All in all, it was an interesting book, but not really a book for me. It didn’t really minister to me as much as I was hoping – it was good, and there were some good parts that I will keep in my memory, but overall, it just wasn’t a favourite. That doesn’t mean it won’t be a favourite for you, though. :)

 

Thanks to Blogging for Books for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, which I have given. :)

Blogging for Books Review: “The Art of Losing Yourself” by Katie Ganshert

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Losing-Yourself-Novel/dp/1601425929

 

“The Art of Losing Yourself” by Katie Ganshert

 

Review copy source: Blogging for Books

My rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

 

About the Book:

Every morning, Carmen Hart pastes on her made-for-TV smile and broadcasts the weather. She’s the Florida panhandle’s favorite meteorologist, married to everyone’s favorite high school football coach. They’re the perfect-looking couple, live in a nice house, and attend church on Sundays. From the outside, she’s a woman who has it all together.  But on the inside, Carmen Hart struggles with doubt. She wonders if she made a mistake when she married her husband. She wonders if God is as powerful as she once believed. Sometimes she wonders if He exists at all. After years of secret losses and empty arms, she’s not so sure anymore.
 
Until Carmen’s sister—seventeen year old runaway, Gracie Fisher—steps in and changes everything. Gracie is caught squatting at a boarded-up motel that belongs to Carmen’s aunt, and their mother is off on another one of her benders, which means Carmen has no other option but to take Gracie in. Is it possible for God to use a broken teenager and an abandoned motel to bring a woman’s faith and marriage back to life? Can two half-sisters make each other whole?

My Thoughts:

Having read and enjoyed Mrs. Ganshert’s book, “A Broken Kind of Beautiful”, I was glad for a chance to also read this newest book of hers. And while I enjoyed ABKOB more, I still found this a pleasant read.

My favourite and most engaging parts of the story to me were those from Gracie’s point of view. I felt for Carmen and her struggle, but it was easier for me to “bond” with Gracie, perhaps because she was closer to my age. And Elias was a remarkable character – I would like to know where Gracie’s and his story goes next.

There were some things in this book that I was not “sold” on. One particularly being about a magic eight ball and the brief story behind why Gracie and her friend at the time , couldn’t play with one. The friend’s mom had taken it away because she didn’t want her daughter playing with things that promoted/were associated with fortune-telling/magic. I fully agree with this mom, but in this story, it was told as if she was an angry, overbearing mom who was being mean and unfair – as if she was wrong. And then the magic ball became a “cute thing” in the book – I like when a there is an item that signifies something in a relationship, but not something related to magic and fortune-telling. (And if Elias was the strong Christian he was portrayed to be, I don’t think he would’ve “approved”). I guess most people don’t take it literally that the Bible tells us not to mix light with darkness. And any form of magic, fortune-telling, etc. is dabbling in the occult. I know people don’t like to hear that, but the Bible is very clear on it.

One other thing that sort of confused me is the maturity level of this book. Half the story would suggest it can be read by teens (Gracie’s story) but the other half, the more primary one (Carmen’s) had many intement details between husband and wife that shouldn’t necessarily be read by teens but rather a married person. I personally think that there shouldn’t be any kind of ‘sex-scene’ no matter the detail in any age book – even if I was married, I wouldn’t care to read such things. And while this book didn’t contain graphic details, it was still unnecessary in my opinion. A sweet, godly relationship can be portrayed without mentioning the sacredness between man and wife.  God had showed me recently about the verse “Whatever is pure, whatever is noble…think on these things” and how it pertains to everything in our lives – books, movies, tv. Everything – we are to put only God-honouring, pure, uplifting things before our eyes. Sometimes it’s very easy to forget that – I know I do. But I guess what I am saying, is that a lot of people think that there has to be “sex-scenes” to make the book worth reading, but I don’t think it is necessary. ‘Think on these things…’

I like Katie Ganshert’s writing style – I think it is very good, smooth, and well working, if that makes sense. :)

I find myself still often thinking about Gracie and her side of the story – it was one I enjoyed and with there was more of. :)

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review which I have given.