Going home to Blessing, North Dakota is a favorite reading pastime for me. I’ve been a fan of Lauraine Snelling’s books about the Bjourkland family and their friends for well over ten years. I look forward to each new book about the townsfolk and the going ons in their lives as they live out the American dream out in the west. With this book, we get to read the story of Rebecca Baard, cousin of Penny and daughter to Ingeborg’s best friend who died several years ago. Rebecca is tired of the life she lives, having to tend an all male house and wants to start a new life. She dreams of opening a soda shoppe in her hometown but needs to find resources and funding to make this dream come true. I really liked her relationship with her friends and cousins. It’s good to read about how girl talk was an important part of life even back in the day.

My favorite part about this book was the talk of all the ice cream! Rebecca is extremely productive and takes a lot of initiative to make this dream of hers become a reality. There’s a lot of planning and research that went into making her decision. I appreciated that she did take the time to learn about what goes into running an ice cream shop and not had it magically happen. There was a lot of things to consider, including the question of who would go get ice cream in the winter time. I really liked it when she went on the behind the scenes tour of the ice cream parlor in Bismarck and then got to eat the ice cream.

I also have really enjoyed seeing the Valders boys change and mature throughout the entire Blessing saga. When we first met them, they were ragtags who were troublemakers, stubborn and rude. They eventually got adopted and throughout the books began to change and soften the hearts of the townsfolk and their own parents. With this book the focus is on Gerald and it’s wonderful to see him now be a kind hearted man who has definitely grown up from him wild beginnings. I was also really glad to see him take a stand against his mother, who seems to be the ever popular grump of the town.

The only thing I felt was a bit odd was that the story of Mr. Jeffers seems to end up abruptly with no conclusion. There was nothing really wrong per se, but I just felt that the story was left hanging and just pushed aside. It’s not a big plot but since it affected the main characters it would have been nice to have some closure. Other than this, I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s total comfort reading for me, and I love the historical setting. I am dying to read Astrid’s story and am excited that the next series about Blessing is going to be based entirely on her. Lauraine Snelling is one of my favorite Christian historical fiction authors and I feel that if you start with the first book in this saga, you won’t be able to stop.

If you’re in the mood for a book that has a moving story and will touch your heart while you read, this is the book for you. Once you start reading, you’ll feel connected to Mary and her son Jack who steals your heart almost immediately. The book takes place in the 1930s and shows how difficult life was back then if you were poor and had a handicap that made you different from everyone. The relationship between Mary and Jack is very deep and the love that Mary has for her son is very strong. Jack’s gift for a time brings them hope and financial security but at the same time it questions Mary’s faith and makes her become wary of everyone she meets.

What I really liked best about this book was that this wasn’t a happy go lucky, everything ends up alright story. From the beginning, you can tell that Mary and Jack have things rough. With every turn of the story things get even worse for them. Even at the end of the story, even though they do eventually get help, there is no making up for the past. I think the biggest evidence of this is the actions of Mary’s husband and Jack’s father, Jerry. He’s just the bad guy from the start and treats his family with disdain and disgust. Throughout the story, his character shows no signs of repentance. I was so glad at the end of the story that he ends up divorcing Mary instead of having a conversion scene where she’s forced to forgive and forget everything he’s done to make their lives miserable. Now divorce is something that can be a taboo topic in Christian fiction, but I believe in this scenario it can be justified.

The only qualm I had about the book was that I felt that Jack’s gift is never really explained. I understand how it’s shown as a gift from God, but I guess I’m the sort of person who likes there to be explanations. I also wondered, if Jack is the narrator of the story and is able to tell us what happened later on in his story at the end of the book, how did he learn to fully communicate with others? He has either learned how to read and write, talk or sign. I guess this was just a loose end I wish had been tied up.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book. The story is written in a easy to read manner that will keep you turning the pages. Even with the Gift aspect, it’s a very realistic story and I believe the historical details to be accurate and not misleading. The scenes in the asylum are heartbreaking as to how the patients at the time were treated and viewed. It makes one grateful to be able to appreciate how well off people of today are who have the same kind of problems. If you are a fan of historical fiction in the style of Tracie Peterson, you’ll really enjoy this book and I would love to see Michael Landon Jr. turn this into a movie one day!

You know it’s Christmas time, when Melody Carlson has a new book just for the holidays! I’ve been a fan of Melody’s Christmas time stories throughout the years and I’ve been looking forward to this one. This story is another short but satisfying novella in the same style as her other Christmas books. In this story, we are introduced to Betty who has a new neighbor who is driving her nuts with his unexplained actions on the house next door. Then a stray dog appears on her porch, seemingly to belong to the said neighbor next door. However all attempts to return the dog are futile and Betty is left with a guest she hasn’t prepared for.

I thought the book was really cute and perfect for animal lovers. Ralph the dog brings joy into the hearts of those who meet him and creates a special bond between Betty and her granddaughter. I enjoyed her interactions between the two women. I really liked how even though this isn’t a blood relative, Betty and Avery have a wonderful relationship even if the two aren’t on the best of terms with Avery’s mother.

I did feel that the dog on the cover of the book is WAY cuter than Ralph was described in the story. He’s depicted as a cute little dog on the front yet in the book, even after his bath, is still described as a mangy mutt. I also felt that I could understand Betty’s paranoia about her neighbor and being nervous about his sketchy behavior. It wasn’t as if she was making assumptions about him and gossiping behind her back. She had gone several times to try to speak to him and kept getting rebuffed or treated very rudely. Normally I’m not a fan of interfering neighbors who stick their nose in other’s business, but this time I felt that Betty’s actions were justified.

However overall I did enjoy this story. Yes it’s over the top cute and could totally become a Hallmark movie but I’m a sucker for books about dogs and this one was right up my alley. This book is a wonderful way to get you in the holiday spirit. It’s perfect for an afternoon read, yet will get you totally jolly and happy by the time you finish. It might also make you want to go find a dog to adopt and call your own Ralph!

With the Thanksgiving holiday right around the corner, one does a lot of thinking about what they are thankful for in their life. For many, it’s family or having a job or the material things they own. But have you ever been thankful for being alive and well? We as Americans take our way of life for granted. We have so many freedoms that we just immediately dismiss yet there are millions of people all over the world who are suffering and would give anything to have just one thing of ours that we so casually discard. This book really makes you think about what you have and what thankfulness really mean.

Stuart is a photographer who is searching for that perfect shot. He’s having some marital problems and leaves for Africa with things unresolved between him and his wife. He had previously won a prestigious journalism award for a photo he had taken several years ago that depicted the tragedy of death and it’s affected him ever since. Now in Africa he sees how the people are ravaged by AIDS, starvation and the children who have to suffer for it. Mixed in with Stuart’s story is the story of a 12 year old Swazi girl named Adanna. Her story is absolutely heartbreaking. I can’t describe it, you have to read it to know the full impact.

The contrast between the rich and the poor were incredible. Stuart sees both worlds. He ate the best food at the hotel, better than almost any restaurant in the US with steak and dessert. Then the next day he sees women weeping because their child has died from starvation. When Stuart realizes how much just a little bit of food from the local store helps out, he and his friend buy what they can to help out the village. One scene in the book that really interested me was when a so called charity comes the village and pretty much does a photo shot. They act like they’re about to pass out tons of food but in reality they are just getting publicity to send back home to get more funds. The funds are clearly going into the pockets of the charity and NOT to help out the people. This is something one should always look into before donating, make sure you know exactly where the money is going.

This is a book that everyone should read. It’s totally eye opening and really makes you think about what you have vs what others don’t have. It’s an intense book. I felt really guilty for being able to eat a PBJ sandwich while reading and thinking about how there are so many people who would literally die for a piece of that sandwich.

This book is not preachy at all. It’s classified as Christian fiction and faith is obvious throughout the book. However the message about Africa, AIDS and the orphans take a much bigger precedence. This book really opened up my eyes to the plight of other countries and does make me want to go do something about it one day. I’m not sure right now exactly what that is, but I do know that I want to make a difference. While reading this book, I was reminded of a video I watched at church that stated that even though we don’t realize it, if we live in the US or any western country, we are rich. Rich means being able to have a clean drink of water or have a roof over our heads. This book clearly makes you realize how much we have to be thankful for in our lives. Like one of my friends on Twitter said, I wish this was a book that Oprah would include in her book club as it’s a book that everyone should read because of the powerful message it carries. I challenge you to read it and see if you aren’t affected. VERY HIGHLY recommended.

I’m still not a fantasy fan but this is one series that I have enjoyed thoroughly. This is mainly due to Sharon Hinck’s writing and her ability to suck you into the story even if you are totally unfamiliar with the genre, like myself. The story picks up right where The Restorer’s Son left off it’s a shocker right from the beginning. Two from the other world have now come into our world and the Mitchell family has to figure out a way to get them out. Mishap and mayhem occur as Mark, Susan and Jake do their best to return to Lyric. I would have liked a bit more time seeing how the outsiders fared in our world but it’s not really an issue. When returning to Lyric, the family faces obstacles and consequences they didn’t expect and find themselves amidst another battle that will threaten the lives of all those they have come to love. Lyric is like another Middle Earth or another Narnia. It’s a world that Sharon has completely created. I normally shy away from fantasy because it’s hard for me to grasp different worlds in relationship to our own world. I did have problems with this in the beginning of this series but by the time this book came around, I was totally able to accept the idea of Lyric.

There were some parts that I did feel drag on a bit. This was mainly during the scenes where the characters were waiting for action. It wasn’t boring, just felt like there was a lull in the scene and in the reading. The ending also left me a bit hanging. I understood why it had to happen, yet at the same time I could foresee problems trying to explain the situation. It didn’t seem like an easy way out to end the story yet at the same time I felt like something else could have happened. Either way, I would love to see a return to this series in the future. Sharon has done an excellent job of making non fantasy fans enjoy the fantasy world and stretch both their imagination and reading tastes.

This book is one of few Amish books that I think really gets it. By it, I mean it allows the reader to enter the Amish world, yet does not try to push Amish beliefs on them, does not paint the Amish lifestyle as ideal or makes the world feel as if you’re living in a bubble. I really enjoyed this book for the realistic way the Amish and the English worlds are portrayed.

This book talked a lot about subjects that I have never read in Amish fiction before. The one that stood out the most was the medical issues. This book mentioned a great deal about birth defects and other medical problems that stem from communities that continue to live in close proximity and only marry within that community. This is something I have never read in any other Amish book I have picked up and is a topic that I have always wondered about due to the circumstances of who someone can marry. Therefore kudos to Marta Perry for bringing this up. It may be a sore subject that no one wants to talk about but to deny that it exists because it makes the community look not so ideal is not helping anyone either. Honestly I feel like other authors don’t bring it up because it breaks the bubble of the image that they are trying to portray of making Amish lifestyle appealing.

I thought I was going to have problems with Daniel due to comments he made early in the book but after finding out about his background, I understood him a lot better. His family’s past was unique to the typical Amish storyline and even more so by the way he handled the situation. As for Johnny, I really liked the way his storyline played out. Everyone (for the most part) ends up where they want to be.

Honestly this is one of the most refreshing Amish novels I have ever read. I didn’t feel as if this book was unrealistically portrayed and the outside world is seen in a positive light for once. If the rest of the series continues to be written in the same manner and tackles difficult but necessary subjects, it might possibly rank as one of my favorite Amish books. That being said, if you want a dose of reality with your Amish fiction, pick up this book.

I will admit that I have not actually read the original version of Jane Eyre. I have however watched several movie versions, including my favorite starring Timothy Dalton as Rochester. Therefore I remember the original storyline even if parts might be a bit fuzzy. This tale is a modern updated version of Jane Eyre. In place of Jane, we have Jillian a 20 year old nanny who has been hired to take care of the daughter of Ethan Remington, a famous movie producer. Jillian is a very humble character who takes delight in her job and her new way of living while at the same time starting to feel affection for her employer. I really liked the scenes that took place in England. I love the castle and enjoyed exploring it with Jillian. I could almost see myself there and would have loved to have spent more time in that setting. The scenes in Virginia were exciting too but that was mainly due to the fact that I live in the same area as the story. It’s always nice to read books that take place in my area and I can identify the places and locations. However, one quick qualm: Jillian and her entourage go out to Tyson’s Corner to go shopping. Where they live though, Tyson’s would be extremely far and out of the way to go, and really wouldn’t be the best place to shop. At the most, it would be an all day event and not the quick trip taken in the book. I liked Jillian’s character. She just came across as very down to earth to me. She’s not meek like Jane’s character was yet she’s not brash or outspoken. She was portrayed very well and I felt her character to be good for the story.

I felt that there were several conflicting issues throughout the book though. I felt that Ethan acted way older than his actual age. The explanation might be because he’s British, but my argument would be that Jude Law is mentioned in this book and is the exact same age as Ethan. Jude is also British but he doesn’t act stuff or old fashioned like Ethan does. I mean the way Ethan would talk sometimes just made me picture a 50 year old man. At the end scene at the hospital, the dialogue between Ethan and Jillian had me cringing because at how dated the conversation sounded. I also did not like John’s character at all. After talking with other members of my book club, we discussed how his character vs. St. John in Jane Eyre acted totally different. John represents the stereotypical, preachy, condescending Christian that I hate reading about. Everything he did just got on my nerves. Also the fact that he wanted to marry his foster sister (warning bells!) but doesn’t love her pretty much goes against everything he’s supposed to believe in. I guess I was just really confused as to why John’s Christianity comes off so strong because the rest of the story is meek and mild compared to him. While Jillian is a Christian, she doesn’t feel the need to preach at everyone she comes in contact with. Therefore John seems to be a bad guy who wants it to be his way or no way at all.

Overall, while I enjoyed the story, I guess I just realize I’m not really a fan of modern adaptations. For this book, it comes from the fact that the characters acknowledge Jane Austen but either Bronte’s story doesn’t appear to exist or the characters just don’t see that their lives are exactly parallel to Jane Eyre. I think the story best stands by itself and not as a modern adaptation. It does make for an interesting read and I look forward to going back and reading Melanie’s previous books.

I want to first start off by saying this is NOT a Christian vampire story. The vampire in this book is NOT a Christian.

I have enjoyed Tracey’s books in the past so I knew that I was going to enjoy the story. I was a bit worried though at how the vampire story was going to come into play. Would the vampires be real vampires or would they be vampire-like characters with addictive tendencies? Would they be Dracula type vampires or Twilight style vampires? Would this be a fantasy world or a realistic setting? There were many questions running through my head when I picked up the book.

After putting down the book, my thought was that Tracey had done an extremely excellent job. The story skillfully blends a story about alcohol addiction and the dependency on the drink and what it does to a person’s life. It shows how the yearning for one last drop can ruin a person’s life forever and cause great damage to the relationships with people they love. Thus this is the same as what it’s like for a vampire and the thirst for blood. Nina’s alcohol addiction parallels Markus’s vampire tendencies and the two tend to circle around each other like vultures. Markus is a real vampire who is out for blood and there’s nothing fake at all about him. The place where the story takes places gives off a creepy feeling. I kept picturing lots of fog everywhere. It’s a good place to set the story in. I was happy with the ending of the story, there is no “vampire conversion” scene thankfully.

If there’s any problems I had with the book, it’s the switching in narration without warning. The story goes from Nina’s first person past recollections like a diary, then switches to third person telling the current story and then goes to Hunt’s first person recollections. The problem lies in that it’s never told that it’s Hunt’s talking in first person, it abruptly changed and it took me a while to figure out who was doing the talking. Plus while, Nina’s first person is written in italicized font, there’s no change in Hunt’s and looks like it’s part of the regular story. It was just confusing to read at times.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Vampires have never been a part of Christian fiction before. Mostly likely past authors had no idea how to use them or felt them to be so evil, that they didn’t want them in their stories. This book does nothing to make a vampire seem good or Christian like so really it’s just a story about good vs. evil. There’s just more story in between to make a statement. I feel like both fans of Twilight and other vampire lit would enjoy this book as well as fans of Christian fiction. It is NOT a light read however. It’s quite intense so I don’t know if I would immediately pass this one right off to teens without reading it first. HIGHLY recommended.

One would think that after a while all Amish stories start to blend together. While that may be the case, the trick is to write a good and unique story to make it stand apart. I think that’s what Beth Wiseman has done with her books, because so far I’ve really enjoyed all of them. Sadie is unique because not only is she a widow, she rents out her cottage (that has electricity!) to an Englisch single man, and she’s writing letters to another Amish guy in another state. That’s quite a bit of excitement for people who are supposed to be living simple lives.

I really thought it was interesting to bring a topic like autism into the Amish world and see how they would react to it. Sadie doesn’t really know what exactly is going on (I guess no one in the Amish gets it?) but she does her best to try to comfort Tyler whenever he starts getting antsy. The Bible verse speaking is a bit freaky but it adds to the story very well. To be honest, from the brief interaction we had with her and the way Kade described her, I was not a fan of Tyler’s mother and actually quite glad as to what happened to her. I know that sounds terribly sadistic but the way she handled the situation was done very poorly and she should have thought of the consequences better.

I did feel that this book did go into the over dramatic side at times with everything that happened in the book. Also the ending was a bit predictable, as I knew exactly what Kade was going to do as soon as I started reading. I think for once it would be interesting to have one spouse remain Amish and the other to stay non-Amish but I guess that would make things too difficult. Overall though, I did like the book. I enjoy this author’s style of writing as it is comforting and she does a good job of bringing the characters to life. I’ll be looking forward to when the fourth book in the series comes out next year.

This book pretty much is the downfall of Taylor. It’s been foreshadowed since the day we met her in the first book. Seriously, this girl is totally uninhibited and just out to have a good time. However she goes for the extreme in whatever she does and doesn’t seem to care about the consequences. I really could not stand her condescending attitude towards DJ just because she doesn’t want to drink or anything else Taylor does. It had nothing to do with DJ being a Christian, she just knew that it wasn’t healthy and it was dangerous. Yet Taylor keeps acting like she’s the cool one and DJ is a freak for not joining her. Therefore DJ feels that she has to be always on the watch for Taylor and can’t enjoy everything because she’s like the baby sitter. The whole story just builds up until the ending when Taylor finally realizes that she has a problem.

While I enjoyed this book, at the same time there’s also a bit of a fantasy with the situation. Maybe it’s just me, but there would have been no way, I would have been allowed to go to Las Veags at that age, let alone be on my own while there. It just seemed very unrealistic for a bunch of 16 year old girls to be on their own around in that city and no one really questioning them. Also DJ’s grandmother is REALLY getting on my nerves. Seriously, throughout the entire series all she cares about is looks and making the right connections instead of being concerned about the girls’ safety. I cannot wait until she gets a reality check.

Overall though, I have enjoyed this series and this one seems to be the edgiest one of all. I think it really speaks to teens and shows what they go through. Also I really like the cover, I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen fishnets on a Christian fiction book! I would recommend this book and the rest of the series for older teens.