Review: Tied to the Soul

Tied to the Soul by Eva G. Headley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Book Summary
Ria Jackson thought she was making the right choice when she relocates to New York to fulfil her dream. She leaves behind the love of her life Shawn Matthews in Los Angeles. What she soon finds out is her choice to leave brings about devastating effects. Left alone Shawn Matthews reunites with Andrea Lasalle 'a rebound'. They become lovers quickly but Shawn cannot get Ria out of his mind-she has a hold on him. Shawn's loyalty to his brother Kenny is put to the test when Shawn find's out he is a drug addict. After a heated scuffle Shawn kicks Kenny out of his home, in order for Kenny to get a life. This leaves Kenny on the streets looking for revenge. Andrea thinks she has the man of her dreams but fails to realise to have him she will lose her own soul and become a possessive lover. When Ria returns to Los Angeles a love triangle forms between Ria, Shawn and Andrea. Weeks before a wedding tragedy hits leading everyone to believe it was a murder not an accident.

My ReviewThis book was a little all over the place. There were several things going on 1) a relationship, 2)addiction and 3) questionable friendships. The book's main character, Ria, is in a relationship with Shawn Matthews when her dream job gets offered to her, but she has to move to NY. After accepting this job she goes through some life changes but refuses to discuss them with Shawn whom she is still in love with. She eventually ends up back in California but Shawn has moved on and she still holds on to her secret which creates all sorts of problem. Between Shawn's new relationship and fake friends, Ria's life spends out of control. It's not until she starts being truthful that things get back on track. When unexpected tragedy occurs, Shawn and Ria's lives change forever. The author did a good job of telling the story including adding drama and backstabbing in the appropriate places. Ha ha! The climax to me occurred late in the story but it was emotional and appropriate for this story. Overall, it was a good read.

From a Christian PerspectiveWell there were certain situations in this book that had unexpected consequences. As Christians we know that should we choose to live in and with our sin, there will be consequences. Ria had to face the consequences of her relationship with Shawn. I struggled with the faith as it was presented in this book. It was sort of an afterthought, but on the other hand I don't think this was meant to be a Christian novel. Throughout the book there was forgiveness which did add a nice touch to the story. I would recommend this book for mature audiences due to the fact that some of the situations are mature.

This was a book from my personal collection, all opinions expressed are my own.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

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Review: Olive Branches Don't Grow On Trees

Olive Branches Don't Grow On Trees by Grace Mattioli
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Olive Branches Don't Grow On Trees

Book Description
Silvia Greco's family is anything but peaceful and hasn't been together in over six years. But when her brother graduates high school, Silvia is drafted into helping her mother organize a family gathering and welcomes the challenge. In her journey to make peace in her quirky, feuding family, she learns that peace isn't something that's freely existing but something that needs to be cultivated. In other words, she learns that olive branches don't grow on trees.

My Review
I really tried to like this book but unfortunately it really didn't do much for me. It was written well (as far as grammar and such), the characters were defined well and the settings were described well. It reminded me of someone's memoir or biography.  But it was boring, I didn't find much story. It was more like sitting with an acquaintance and listening to her telling me everything that had happened in her life since the last time we met. At times the story just rambled on and I was trying to understand the point. Silvia, the main character, was trying to find herself and understand herself. I got that much out of it. But it was so convoluted and there didn't really seem to be a conclusion to the story. It just ended with the family dinner. I'm sure I missed some deeper meaning but for me, it wasn't worth searching for in this book.

From a Christian Perspective
I have to admit, this book was somewhat disappointing.  I should have known from the description!! I don't agree that peace is cultivated.  I believe peach comes from the Lord which allows you to see the good in others even when you are upset or angry with them.  Silvia was trying to fix things under her own strength which wasn't really working. If only she had turned to Jesus!  Jesus can fix anything.  I also was sad about the lack of hope that run throughout the book.  I think an element of faith and prayer would have mad a huge difference in this book! 

This was a book from my personal Kindle collection.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

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Review: Oceans Apart

Oceans Apart by Karen Kingsbury
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Summary from Goodreads

A riveting story of secret sin and the healing power of forgiveness. Airline pilot Connor Evans and his wife, Michele, seem to be the perfect couple living what looks like a perfect life. Then a plane goes down in the Pacific Ocean. One of the casualties is Kiahna Siefert, a flight attendant Connor knew well. Too well. Kiahna’s will is very clear: before her seven-year-old son, Max, can be turned over to the state, he must spend the summer with the father he’s never met, the father who doesn’t know he exists: Connor Evans. Now will the presence of one lonely child and the truth he represents destroy Connor’s family ? Or is it possible that healing and hope might come in the shape of a seven-year-old boy?

My Review

Karen Kingsbury always has a way of taking relevant issues and building stories that make you think. This book, Oceans Apart was no exception. From the moment I opened this book, I knew it was going to be a special story. I was right! To take such an issue as infidelity and it's consequences, and weave a story of redemption and grace, just wow!!!

The main character's Connor and Max, had no idea of the existence of each other. Connor's marriage was the picture of perfection, until tragic circumstances caused his world to collide with Max's. The heartbreak of infidelity combined with the very visible consequences in the form of a child, brought Connor to his knees. Not only that, his wife had to examine herself and make some difficult choices regarding the future. In the end, God's grace and mercy allowed the entire family to work through the difficulty and come out on the other side whole and restored.

From a Christian Perspective

There's not much more that I can say other than what the author portrays in the book. We will face many difficult situations in life. We have a choice to face them with God's grace or try to solve them through our own understanding. A verse that is repeated throughout the book is Isaiah 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD." This pretty much sums it up. Either we are going to trust His ways or we are going to fail using our ways.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

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Review: Once Upon a Summer

Once Upon a Summer by Janette Oke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Summary from Amazon

Josh Jones realizes his family isn't typical, but it's the only life he's ever known. Aunt Lou, Gramps, Uncle Charlie, Grandpa--they all have shaped the young man he has become. But as he grows into manhood, Josh begins to face important questions about life, love, and faith.

My Review

I enjoyed this historical fiction book. The story is told from the point of view of Josh, who is a young man that lives on a farm. Josh was a very likable boy and I fell in love with him and his spirit. Being a young man, Josh faced a lot of uncertainties and was a little bit loss. Thankfully Aunt Lou, Grandpa, Uncle Charlie and later Gramps were there to help him grow and shape him as a young man. I really enjoyed how this story was just about family and how in times of trial, they work together and become stronger. Throughout the book, I could tell how important each member of this family was to the other. I loved that even the men showed emotion and love in tangible ways. Definitely a nice, sweet read and I look forward to reading more in the series.

From a Christian Perspective

This book falls under the Christian fiction genre. Throughout the book, Josh is fighting with God, seeing Him as an enemy rather than an ally. He has that selfish outlook that many of us have when we forget about grace and look at God as only a giver. As I read the book, I recognized some of Josh's struggles as my own. In the end, Preacher Nat helps Josh to find his way to Christ and freedom from all of the anger and hurt. As Josh wept and confessed, he released those burdens that were weighing him down. He finally experienced the rest Jesus told us about in Matthew 11:28: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

This was a book in my personal collection. I was not compensated to provide a positive review.

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

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Starring Me by Krista McGee #christianbookreview

Starring Me by Krista McGee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary from Booksneeze:

Kara McKormick is told she’s auditioning to star in a new teen variety show. But it’s what she isn’t told that could change her life.

The feisty New Yorker moves to sunny Orlando to participate in a month-long audition, where she’ll live with nine other contestants and an eccentric housemother. Kara knows that the show already has a big-time celebrity lined up for the co-host, but she doesn’t know who it is.

Chad Beacon quickly rose to fame after winning America’s Next Star, but he doesn’t want his entire career to be about singing. There is so much more he wants to do—like act. The new variety show sounds like the perfect next step for him, but his parents want him to have a co-star who shares his faith since they’ll be spending so much time together.

Acting is high on Kara’s priority list. But a relationship with God? Not so much. In fact, she’s tried to stay away from anything religious. But God is after Kara’s heart and He’s put people in her life who are showing her there’s far more to Christianity than rules and judgment.

And just when it seems that Kara’s going to have to give up her acting dream, God reveals that she may have a starring role after all—in a story so big only He could write it.

My review:

I really enjoyed this book as you can see by my rating. This book is target to the teen or young adult reader.  With that said, I think this book would be fine for an advanced reader of a younger age.  So many books targeting this age group are filled with vampires, werewolves or some other paranormal creature. It's tiring really and this book was refreshing in that it had none of that.

The lead character, Kara, was well written. I enjoyed her bold attitude even before she became a believer. I loved how the author used her friend Addy as a witness without her being overbearing. The subtle ways the author showed the love of Christ to Kara, was refreshing. Chad's character really helped to set the foundation for the book very well. He was a believable character as were his parents and his housekeeper Flora was hilarious but great! Again, it was refreshing to see such a great story without all the sleaze (and no vampires or werewolves!). While there were romantic relationships in the book, they were presented tastefully and clean.

The author did and excellent job of showing Kara's path to God. I thought the story she told was realistic in today's world of reality shows. The competition, the disregard for others by some of the characters was believable. The twist at the end with one of the house characters was kind of expected but was presented well.

I really didn't have complaints about this book. I would let my 11 yo read this book even though it involves high school age characters.

Thank you Booksneeze for a copy of this book for the purpose of review.

Love and Blessings Always!
Margaret

Perspective

This morning I got up and I had a whole list of complaints:

The kids are fighting and calling each other names!
I still have a million things to do before they leave for leadership next week!
I can't have my yard sale because everyone bailed on me!
Why am I the only one here who can pick Dad up from the doctor!
Poor me, poor me, poor me...

When I look at the CNN blast on my phone, my perspective was shifted in an uncomfortable way:

14 dead, 50 wounded at an Aurora, Colorado movie theatre (later updated to 12 dead, 38 wounded)

Some mother is mourning her child, mine are just fighting.
Some father is wishing their child was getting ready for leadership training, instead of lying in the city morgue.
Some wife is wishing just was cleaning out her husband's clothes for a yard sale, instead of planning his funeral.
Some child woke up this morning asking their mom where their Daddy was, and she couldn't answer because of the tears. 

We don't realize how blessed we are until our paradigm shifts, until our perspective is changed.

My heart aches, my soul cries for all of the anger and evil in this world. However, Jesus warned us of this period of time in Matthew 24.  Yet, even it the midst, I know that there is HOPE.  Revelation 21:4 tells us:

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Joyce Meyer shared Psalm 62:5 on her page today and I think it is very appropriate:

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him." 

Today there are 12 souls who have departed this earth.  My hope is that they are now resting in the arms of our Heavenly Father.  I pray for the victims, the families of the victims and for the gunman.  As my soul aches for them, I am comforted by the knowledge that the Lord reigns for evermore and even in the midst of this tragedy, He is still on His throne.

Love and Blessings Always!

Margaret

Christian Book Review: Wildflowers from Winter #christianbookreview

Wildflowers from Winter: A Novel by Katie Ganshert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Bethany Quinn thinks she has it all with her fancy job in Chicago, her high profile boyfriend and staying as far away from Peaks as she can. That is until tragedy strikes and she's forced to face her fears that stem back to her childhood. Not only that, she's got Evan to deal with and she's not sure where he fits into her life. Follow Bethany's journey as she hooks up with old friends and faces old fears.

You can see the complete book description on Amazon: Wildflowers from Winter: A Novel
  
My Review:  
For me this book was just OK. I don't think I ever developed an emotional connection to it, it just felt like a story being told to me.  I like to feel like I am part of the story.

The major character were developed well.  I did gain an understanding of Bethany and Evan as well as the secondary characters of Robin, Dan and the other minor characters.  Robyn's mother was also developed very well.  

As for the storytelling, I think the story could have been developed better.  While the characters were described well, I didn't relate to them or get any sort of emotional response from their stories. This is important for me when reading a book, I have to be able to relate or at least have an emotional response.  I think the storyline is an overused one where the "heroine" really hates this guy then ends up dating him.  

This book received a three for several reasons.  One, the characters were not made out to be super-Christians.  They got mad at God when they faced tragedy, they called out to Him in moments of weakness.   Also, while there weren't scripture references, you got the sense that the characters spend a lot of time in the Word which is essential for a strong Faith.  Again, this made their faith more realistic.  Finally, everything wasn't tied up so neat and tidy.  People died, people got their feelings hurt, people had their eyes opened.  I really enjoyed those aspects of the story. 

Overall, this book would make a pleasant weekend read, but don't expect much depth as it is very predictable.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book as part of the Blogging for Books program.  I was not required to write a positive review, as such, opinions expressed are completely my own.

Love and Blessings Always!

Margaret

Book Review: Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Whitson #bookreview

Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis from Amazon:

Sixteen Civil War widows living in St. Louis respond to a series of meetings conducted by a land speculator who lures them west by promising "prime homesteads" in a "booming community." Unbeknownst to them, the speculator's true motive is to find an excuse to bring women to the fledging community of Plum Grove, Nebraska, in hopes they will accept marriage proposals shortly after their arrival!

Sparks fly when these unsuspecting widows meet the men who are waiting for them. These women are going to need all the courage and faith they can muster to survive these unwanted circumstances--especially when they begin to discover that none of them is exactly who she appears to be.

My review:

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were developed well and the author did a great job of drawing the reader into the story. Each woman was an individual, yet part of the larger story. As each story begins to develop, you can't help be gain a sense of admiration for these women. I loved the character of Caroline Jamison most. She just had such a deep determination to succeed in what she came west to do, all while remaining the lady that she was. In some ways, this helped her to be successful, but in other ways it stood in the way. Ellen and her mama, as well as Ruth and Hettie, were fun, lovable characters.

It was so interesting to see how these women relied on faith, inner strength and intelligence to accomplish their goals. It was only then that we began to see the different romances that were brewing. The author did a great job of weaving all of the elements of the story together.

From a Christian perspective, this is a nice clean read, something I would let my 11 year old read. There is no violence (other than from nature), no sexual situations and no profanity.  It is an example of trusting God when it seems things are hopeless!

Love and Blessings Always,

Margaret

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Book Review: Church Missing Black Men - Women Going Alone: Get Saved Man! by Lydia Paul #christianbook

Get Saved Man! by Lydia Paul
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Sorry I don't have a picture of the book cover for this one.

The premise of this Christian book is to show Christian women that there are many of us who have husbands who do not attend church regularly. What I was expecting was guidance in prayer and conduct for Christian women who want their husbands to attend, but not be overbearing or nagging. What I got was a book that described various situations the author faced with her husband who is not a church attender.

The book certainly had some golden nuggets. I love how she said nagging will not work, instead choose prayer and fasting. She gave some great advice on setting an example of godliness rather than using manipulative measures. I had to shake the pan to get rid of the dirt to find the gold nuggets, but the search was worth it when I found them! 

What I didn't like what that there was a LOT of information, but it was disorganized.  For example, there are a lot of links and references to books on Amazon in this book. That was very distracting to me, I would rather see traditional bibliography or footnote. In physical books, I rarely see a link unless it's directly related to the subject, not a reference document.  It seemed like the author got tired of researching the subject and just referenced other people's work. I really didn't connect at all even though I'm in a similar situation. This was certainly disappointing.

As a Christian book reviewer, I think the book needs a bit more work, maybe a review by a professional editor would have addressed my concerns. It definitely has potential and could be a good resource for women in this position. As a Christian reader, I would like to see a shorter version of this book that just sticks to the challenges of having a Christian husband who does not attend church and how she coped
with it.

Love and Blessings Always!

Margaret

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Book Review: Chasing Rainbows by Kathleen Long

Chasing Rainbows by Kathleen Long
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bernadette Murphy is undergoing some changes. She unexpectedly lost her father, her husband left her and she's still grieving the loss of her daughter five years later. When I seemingly small thing sends her over the edge, her world changes forever! It seems that her lifeline is a book of cryptograms found among her father's things. Each of these puzzles provide wise words and brings Bernie one step close to her healing.

This was a free download from Amazon, so I try not to get my hopes up. Fortunately, this book was really good!!! Bernadette was a well-developed character. I connected with her as she struggled with her grief, from the moments of complete breakdowns to the hilarious antics. Yes she had some missteps along the way but in the end, it's the healing that counts.

The story line was easy to follow (which when you are dealing with death and grieving is not always easy). The author introduces the secondary characters, Ryan, Bernie's mom, her brother, her neighbors, her best friend and others all and fun and believable ways.

This was the book I wanted to keep reading and was annoyed when I only had time to read a chapter at a time (if only I didn't have to sleep!)

This book is from my personal collection.  I was not required to write a review.

Love and Blessings Always,

Margaret

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Coming Full Circle - Who I Am

When I started this blog, I thought it would be fun to share things in my life, review books, talk about my Christian faith... but somewhere along the way I got "lost."  I started reviewing products I really didn't have an interest in, attempted to do giveaways, and other distracting things... and the blog became a burden.  Then I did away with all of that and the blog became boring (or maybe it already was!).

So this is a fresh start! It will be truthful, challenging and sometimes difficult.  My focus is on quality, not quantity.  I may do a giveaway here and there, but mostly  I will be telling you stories about my husband, my children and myself, sharing about books that I've read and some of my other hobbies like dolls, photography, digital scrapbooking, public education (well I don't get paid for it so I guess it's a hobby!).

This is us for the curious!

So if you don't want to "hear" all that stuff, unsubscribe now, I won't be mad at'cha! 

I also did some housecleaning.  I unsubscribed from a LOT of blogs.  I had so many blogs that I followed, it was hard to follow and comment.  Hopefully now I will be better at coming to see y'all! I'm getting rid of the banners that don't apply anymore and hopefully in the next few weeks I'll have a redesigned heading!!  It feels good to be excited again!

So that's where I am! I have some book reviews to post over the next few days, I'm sure I'll share a few stories and hopefully I'm on the path to making some new friends!

Love and Blessings Always!

Margaret

A Question For My Fellow Bloggers

Short and Sweet Question:

When you read blogs, do you prefer blogs that stick to one subject (niche bloggers) or do you like the ones that are a Mish Mash of different topics?

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Love and Blessings!
Margaret

Super Nanny I am NOT!

So Monday was Columbus day and I worked from home because my kids were off. My 9 yo daughter decided to spend the day watching the Super Nanny marathon. It was culture shock for her! LOL! One child called the mom a B-word. She looked at me wide eyed and said Mommy, I'm shocked, did you hear what he said! I'd be dead! All his mom did was wash his mouth out with soap!

Now I am not a spanker by any stretch of the imagination, but using the B-word is just not tolerated in this house. I got upset when I learned what Sugar Honey Iced Tea stood for in Madagascar!!! (Yeah the kid's movie). Although I was tickled at my daughter's reaction to the show, I wonder sometimes, why aren't my children like that?

I believe there are a few reasons:

1. Our family foundation lies in Christ. He is the Head of our family and that is what we teach our children. We are never away from His presence.
2. My children have a strong male influence in their life, my husband, my dad, their uncle. I think this as important for my daughter as well as my son. I'm NOT that women cannot or do not raise wonderful children alone. I'm saying that in OUR family it has been a blessing.
3. My children have boundaries appropriate for their age. They've had them since they were old enough to understand. Because of this, they knew when they crossed the line and knew that they would be disciplined.
   
4. My children are raised by a "village." Their parents, grandparents, church family, friends, aunts, uncles, cousins are all active in their lives. They know that they are loved and supported. They know that they are prayed for.
   

What are you thoughts on this? What do you think makes GOOD children? Are all children inherently good and need to be taught to bring that goodness out? That's what I like about Super Nanny, she brings out the goodness in children! By the way, my daughter says I'm much nicer than Super Nanny! LOL!