Book Review: A Sound Like Fire

A Sound Like Fire by K. D. Veron
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book, a novel about the great tribulation when God takes His church from this earth. the book follows Dax, a U.S. senator, who is living a worldly, luxurious life, devoted to his work and mistress and leaving his wife and 2 children to their own devices. At the beginning, we realize that Dax is imprisoned for religious dissidence and experiencing horrible conditions. the story is told in flashbacks as Dac shares his story with the other prisoners and other times that the story just jumps to a third person narrative about Dax's life. the writing is stilted and awkward and even being halfway through the book, I really don't care about any of the characters. Events such as the world uniting under one government are discussed as if sharing that the someone went out for groceries. Suddenly the government is openly against the Christian church and ignores any mention of any other religions.  The disappearance of the Christian church is barely reacted to except for Dax and his wife immediately believing in Christ though they had ignored his preacher brother for their entire lives. and they seem not to care enough to share the gospel with Dax's good friend and bodyguard, nor do they attend church or read the Bible until months later. The author's description of the believers being taken is interesting, and the premise is obviously excellent, however it seems very underdeveloped. charcters emotion and thoughts are ignored; no mention of his children is made after one dies during a drug deal and the other chooses the occult. Dax doesn't think at all of his wife when they are separated after being arrested. when they are executed with twenty pages left in the book, it is just matter of factly ststed that his wife's bloody head is placed for him to see while the executioner swings the axe for his own. this book has potential, but the author chose to treat it like a news story rather than getting the reader invested in the story and characters and living the amazing experience with them. Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book.

I recieved a copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.


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Book Review: Emma of Aurora

Emma of Aurora by Jane Kirkpatrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a set of three books set in the late 1800's about Emma, who starts out as a young woman with eyes for an older man in her colony.  They live in a cooperative community run by Wilhelm Keil, who is a thorn in Emma's side (and mine!) for the entire series.  Keil chooses to send her new husband, who she's had very little time with due to Keil's missions for him, as one of the scouts who go to the west coast to look for land to move the colony as Keil feels it is getting too many outside influences. Emma is a bit spirited for the community and talks her way into being sent along as well.  The series follows Emma and the scouts on their journey and the development of the new colony.  More details would give away too many surprises (not always good ones!), but the series was good. The historical details of the book are so interesting, and at the end of the third book we find that Emma and the colony are true historical characters fleshed out by the author, and that one can still visit the historical colony of Aurora.  Emma changes throughout the series through the hardships and joys she suffers in her life.  They were somewhat frustrating to read, as through most of the books, Emma separates herself and tends to think the worst of people as she struggles with being part of the colony and being dependent on others due to her circumstances.  It takes until the third book for Emma to return to her faith and find the joy in her life and those around her.  That is definitely the redeeming book for Emma as she takes the colony's initial mission of making other's lives better than one's own to heart and lives it out.  The things that happen to Emma definitely merit the frustration she has, though i would have liked to see her grow more as a person in the first two books as well as the third.  Perhaps that's more my (as the reader) desire to help her avoid the struggles her decisions lead her to.  I would recommend these books, and encourage the reader to read all of them, and the third book is definitely where Emma shines and shows her Godly character growth.  It is interesting to see the goals and lives of those in the colony grow and change as well from the picture we get of them in the first book or so.  I'd love to add the historical Aurora Colony to the list of sites to see if we ever travel to the west coast!

I recieved a copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.


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Book Review: Martyr's Fire

Martyr's Fire by Sigmund Brouwer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
The book Martyr's Fire, is an adventure type book set in the time of knights.  Main characters include Thomas, the Lord of Magnus who finds he is an immortal, Katherine, who is an immortal seeking to help him recover Magnus and the secrets of the Immortals, and Isabelle, a druid who wants to destroy them both and regain control of Magnus for her father who was "demoted" after Thomas took the fortress of Magnus from him.  This book took me a while to get into; it was hard to tell who were the "good characters" for a while.  The ending of books like this drives me CRAZY. If you aren't looking for a new series to read, than don't bother.  There is no conclusion whatsoever, except that Thomas begins to slightly trust Katherine.  If I'd have known it was this kind of teaser story, I wouldn't have bothered.  I much prefer books that actually give you a bit of satisfaction at the end, even if they have a teaser towards the next in the series to a book that's sole purpose is to get you to buy the next one.  I really can't rate this book very highly for that reason.  This book is actually the third in the series, which I did not realize when I began reading it. That may have something to do with my confusion at the beginning, though it still does excuse the lack of a complete storyline within this book. I actually find it astonishing that the third book in a series could feel so incomplete.   

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

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Quick wallet for L

It was my oldest's birthday on Sunday... Six years old!  We have decided to start giving her a little allowance and I thought a cute new wallet to keep it in was in order. I found a cute free pattern here at Modest Maven, and it is a pretty quick sew if you need a simple wallet!

 I added a little bow!  The outside is corduroy; and as I look at it I'm second guessing that white zebra... my white stuff never stays white...

 It closes with a simple little snap (though trying to get done I put it in wrong and had to cut it off and re-do... sigh.

I did change it up a little on the inside cause I wanted her to have a place for her change, and, really, the only card she might carry is her library card, so she didn't need two rows! 

super simple, and I think she will be excited!  We'll see how fast her little allowance blows out of there...

Book reviews: The Passionate Mom, The Quilted Heart series, and Bathsheba Bathed in Grace

The Passionate Mom: Dare to Parent in Today's World by Susan Merrill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Passionate Mom is a great book that challenges you to be passionate about your kids. The author studied the story of Nehemiah and relates that to a mother's work of raising her children. I enjoyed the details of the story of Nehemiah, and really appreciated the stories from the author's life as well. It makes the book even more readable and enjoyable and brings the ideas alive. I loved that the book was not just ideas, but also included practical application ideas.  When she discusses the importance of Prayer, she shares the 4 step pattern (I learned it as ACTS in high school) that Nehemiah follows (Adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication). She discusses the story of Nehemiah, makes parallels to a mom's mission, gives concrete steps and suggestions and then makes it even more understandable with examples from her own family.  I recommend this book to christian moms who are passionate and intentional about raising their children and/or have a desire to become even more so!

I recieved a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. 


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Dandelions on the Wind by Mona Hodgson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a very quick read for me.  It was fairly simple and there was no huge drama, it was just a sweet simple love story. I enjoyed it as a nice quick getaway read.  Maren comes to Denmark planning to marry a man who is quick to run off when he realizes her sight is failing. She has settled in with Mrs. Brantenberg and her granddaughter, helping to raise the young granddaughter and do the farmwork.  A man shows up on the farm and turns out to be Gabi's father, and Mrs. Brantenberg's son-in-law, who left them in grief for the war when his wife dies in childbirth.  The story has a bit of romance, and grace and redemption. If you are looking for a book to keep you on the edge of your seat, this is not it.  But if you enjoy clean, sweet and simple romance to get away from the stress of life, then I recommend this book to you. This is the first book in a series, however, this book can be read as a stand-alone novel.  

I recieved this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  

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Bending Toward the Sun by Mona Hodgson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was another short and sweet novella in The Quilted Heart series by Mona Hodgson.  Similar to my review of the first in the series, this is a simple love story telling the story of Emilie, the shopkeeper's daughter, and Quaid, the son of Irish "teamsters".  Emilie finds that her father, who she always thought to be accepting of all people, is less than thrilled to see his daughter showing interest in Quaid (and vice versa!).  He asks Quaid not to "encourage her" and the story follows their response as a couple to this.  Similar to the first, it is a simple story, without edge of your seat action, but an excellent, quick, uplifting read.  I recommend it to those who enjoy a nice, clean romance.  As with the first novel, I felt it could stand alone as it's own story. It follows characters introduced in the first book, but one does not have to read the first book to enjoy the second.

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher for review.  

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Ripples Along the Shore by Mona Hodgson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This book was the one I thought looked the most interesting of the series, but disappointed me most at the end. The story was similar to the others, simple and sweet. This one did not have much romance in it though, but focused on the female character, Caroline, and also shared more of Anna's story as well. There was some romantic interest but it did not lead anywhere in this story; instead it focused on Caroline's feelings of being unwanted in her living situation (as well as not wanting to be immersed in the negativity there) and her dilemma as a single widow as to her plans for the future.  She decides to leave on the wagon train with other families looking for new opportunities, but is denied by the leader. While the other two books in the series offered complete stories for their characters, this one really felt like a "throwaway" book.  It felt like the author was just enticing you into the story to get you to buy the next series. It did not feel complete at all, and was really disappointing. I'm not a fan of the whole "novella" phenomenon. To me, its a money making ploy selling chapters of a book. It seems that the author is continuing with these characters, however, looking at the description of the first novel, it does not even continue with Caroline's unfinished story, but tells Anna's, which was a side story in the first book.  This makes this novella even more of a throwaway for me; what is the point of starting a story that she doesn't plan to finish... WHile i was interested in the story, i'm not really interested in reading more "novellas" so i'm not so sure that I will be reading this next series, which is disappointing as I did enjoy the first two novellas, and the beginning of Caroline's story.

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. 


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Bathsheba Bathed in Grace: How 8 Scandalous Women Changed the World by Carol Cook

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Bathsheba Bathed in Grace is a fictionalized account of 8 women in the Bible.  I was excited to read this but ended up a bit disappointed.  Granted, the author tells each story in one chapter so there isn't a lot of room to expand the stories, and I actually appreciated that she didn't go out of the way to invent details and what "might" have happened. However, I did feel that the stories were rather superficial and basic.  For example, in the first story of Bathsheba, I thought the author's covering o f the murder of her husband Uriah was very lacking.  She really didn't seem distraught at all, even though she was so in love with him at the beginning of the story.  She very quickly was grateful to David for taking her and her unborn son to the palace rather than leaving them to fend for themselves, instead of being angry that he'd killed her husband.  Perhaps she didn't know this, but still her grief for Uriah was very superficial.  I did learn more about the women and what their perspectives might have been.  She does give the reader new insight into some of the lesser known women like Tamar and their stories. Tamar was probably my favorite and I learned the most from that story.  I would read more from this author though I do hope her writing deepens a bit. 

I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

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Book Reviews: Simply Delicious Amish Cooking

Simply Delicious Amish Cooking: Recipes and Stories from the Amish of Sarasota, Florida by Sherry Gore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This looks like an excellent cookbook!  i can't wait to try homemade root beer!! I have wanted to make it ever since reading an Amish fiction novel where the family made and sold it, so that one popped out right away! I have read lots of complaints from reviewers about using items like jello, pudding, and canned fruit, etc, and also about recipes not being healthy. In my experience, (I live in an Amish area and am Mennonite), typical Amish and Mennonite cooking is not meant to be healthy!  Most conservative amish and Mennonite are working so hard physically every day, there isn't much need for dieting.  And I'm not surprised either at the use of canned fruits (my guess is that some would use their home canned items anyway) and mixes.  The recipes look delicious and I recognize many of them as being common in our area also. My mom makes Poor Man's Steak, and we love hamloaf (though I've never attempted to make it from scratch... I'm tempted though, it looks so simple!).  The breads look amazing; amish bread is famous around here and I'd love to be able to make my own! And Country Caramel French Toast... that one will be on the list too! And for a super traditional dessert (around here in central PA anyway), try the whoopie pies!  Delicious... There is an excellent range of items; delicious looking desserts, breads, breakfast items, main dishes, salads, cookies... and a yummy looking seafood section that looks to be the most unique thing about the Pinecroft Amish!  Alligator Stew may be difficult to make if you aren't seaside, but there are a lot of other options, like Grilled Lime Fish Fillets, and Peppered Lime batter for fish.  I'm not a seafood eater, but I may have to try those! The stories peppered throughout the book are like snippets of Amish life, stories about family life- they may not be super exciting, but its a neat peek into Amish living- it feels like you are reading bits out of the Budget!

If you are looking for a healthy, simple living cookbook, then this is probably not the one for you.  If you want good, simple, authentic Amish food, then try it! Tons of great recipes and a peek at Amish life.  I'd recommend it!

Note:  In looking at the pictures, it seems that that Pinecroft Amish are more like conservative Mennonites in our area (central PA), though I believe there are more liberal Amish in the Lancaster area as well.  Either way, the food is very similar to Amish and Mennonite food here as well.

I recieved a copy of this book for my honest review from the publisher.


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Anywhere Dress Pattern Review

I am doing my own little Kids Clothing Week this week, since I wasn't prepared for the "real" one. (We'll just pretend I am prepared this week and not just spending my hour taping patterns and cutting fabric...).  The first thing I finished up was an 
Anywhere Dress from Go To Patterns (affiliate links). 

This dress is simple and the PDF pattern makes it even easier to sew up!  There are just a few pieces to cut out; adding in the facings make it seem like more but they really save you so much time later since you don't have to do any binding at the neck! 

You can see the neckline on this picture. The facing is the inside piece that helps finish off the neckline.

Another great thing about the pattern (and most patterns from Go To Patterns) is that it includes sizes for 12 months to 12 years!! That is an amazing range you DO NOT get with traditional paper patterns.  Plus they are so simple to sew from, and include tons of detailed instructions and photos.  Plus the designers are usually available to answer questions!

My only complaint of the entire pattern is that the front and back dress pieces  use the same letters as marks for connecting the PDF pattern pieces (if you've never used a pdf pattern, most have little matching marks that show you which pieces to tape together and line them up correctly). And this is pretty much a moot point, since they are mirror images of each other so it's pretty obvious which goes where.  

It is a little large, but that is not a fault of the pattern.  I made her a size 6 because I don't want her to grow out of it this summer!  Still wearable now, but should last for quite a while! I did cut the hemline to the next size to make it a bit longer. I'm not positive I would do that again though- it feels a bit long and I'm not sure if it is because of the next size up sizing or if its just cut too long.  I thought the pictures of the models looked a smidge short for our tastes though... 

While I usually try to be cheap thrifty and use larger size clothes for fabric, I bought this at Joann's because I loved it! It's not as unique though...I actually showed a picture of this exact dress to L though, to show her what it would look like with her sleeve choice!

Pictures are not great, regrettably.... snapped quickly before school this morning (thus little bro in his PJ's...yep, we'll just pretend he doesn't also end up wearing those most of the day...)!

Anyway, this was a great pattern and I'll definitely be using it more!  I can see it coming in super handy to make tee-shirts with as well! This would be an amazing beginning project for using knits.  They are not as scary as they seem and make such amazing comfy clothes!

Next up: the Hangout Hoodie from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop! (affiliate links)


I recieved a copy of this pattern for free in exchange for my honest review.