Book Review ~ The Winnowing Season

Thank you WATERBROOK  for providing me a review copy of this book.  My opinions are my own. 

The Winnowing Season by Cindy Woodsmall is a the second in the Amish Vines and Orchards series.  I read this book without having read the first in the series and had no problem following along, although I'm sure that the 1st would have given me a lot of background on the characters. 

This story starts with a group of Amish moving to Maine to create a new settlement.  There are all the complexities involved with starting a place from scratch, but on top of that there is a lot of different relationships between the characters that are making the move.  They basically all come from two families and are going to combine together and create a new orchard.  The woman of one family is dating one of the men in the other, but their relationship is challenged from the first moment of the move.  He disappears on the night they are moving and shows up later with little explanation.  Each of the small plot lines were interesting in the book, and it did all move in and out of the major plot of the new orchard.  I like books that do that efficiently. 

I did enjoy the book, but I really dislike books that end in a mess with no resolution.  This one has very little in the way of resolution.  I completely understand that the idea would be that you would continue on and read the next book in the series, but in this case, the next book doesn't come out for a long time! 

Go ahead, check it out, I don't think you'll be sad you did, but if you want resolution, you may one to wait til book 3 comes out. 

Book Review - The Icecutter's Daughter

It is no secret, I am a Tracie Peterson fan. I like everything I have ever read by her,and this was no different. She always has strong female leads, and I am drawn to that. I think I view myself in much the same way that Merrill did in this book.

Like most Peterson novels, this is a love story. Merrill Krause is the only woman in a house full of men, but she doesn't mind. She loves her Dad and brothers and enjoys being around to help out, she also enjoys the freedom it gives her in working with their horses. Out at their farm no one minds when she slips on a pair of trousers to do a little bit of the dirty work. But, will the day come when a man can see through her sea of brothers and notice there is a woman there as well? Will she be able to marry and have a family of her own?

You will have to read to find out. If you want a sneak peak of the first chapter check it out here. Once you've read that and fallen in love, you'll need to order your own here.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a review copy. My opinions are my own.

One Glorious Ambition (book review)

This book is a fictionalized account of the life of Dorthea Dix. That I think is what I didn't like about this book. I enjoy biographies and I enjoy historical fiction, but this was an interesting mix. The author had to follow Dorthea's life with little room for deviation, and just got to fill in details about conversations and such with what might have happened in her everyday life. That means that classic story telling and story movement can't be used, and Dorthea Dix's life was often sad, it made for a story that dragged in many points. This fictionalized version of her life also means that if you are reading for detail you may not be able to tell what the author added, and what is know for sure. If you are a Dorthea Dix fan or you want to know more about how she changed how we treat mental patients, you may enjoy this book,  otherwise I'm not sure I would recommend it. 

I received a copy of this book to review, my opinions are my own. 

30 days to clean - bathrooms

Yesterday I accomplished what I set out to do, but didn't get the pictures up. My phone and my blogging program don't like to cooperate with each other all of the time :). Need to make it to the computer to post pics, and yesterday it didn't happen. Today the bathrooms did get cleaned.  Everything got wiped down and trash got emptied. I still need to wipe down both bathtubs, but it shouldn't take long. Good luck on your continued clean :). Check out moneysavingmom.com for more clean stories.

30 day house cleaning challenge - surface clean living room and kitchen

Today I'm joining in on the 30 day challenge @ Moneysavingmom.com  This house will be spring cleaned :). Today I didn't even think to start with before pics, but suffice it to say the house needs to be picked up. We adopted a dog this week and I had forgotten how quickly dog hair can accumulate. Plan for today's challenge is simple. Unload and reload dishwasher, pickup and vacuum main living areas. I think I can handle that :). I've already vacuumed. I'll go back and finish the pick up and the kitchen. I'll try to get on the computer tonight and post the pictures when done :). Thanks for the kick in the pants Crystal.

Booking it ~ March 2013

I love participating in Booking It.  It is a good reminder to read, and keep reading.  As an added bonus it gives me some way to keep track of what I've been reading.

I read Clouds by Robin Jones Gunn.  I love sweet romance stories, and this one was great.  You can read the rest of the review here. 

If you haven't read any of Dani Pettrey's novels yet, you should.  She is a great new author and I have enjoyed both of her books - 3 and 4 are due out soon.  Shattered is the one I read this month, it is adventure, mystery and romance all in one.  Besides all of that it uses the Alaska beauty as it's backdrop.  Check it out.  More on Shattered here. 

I keep an eye on all of the freebie sights and download books for the kindle when I can find them.  This month I read Sea Captain's Promise and I enjoyed it.  It wasn't the best book that I had ever read, but I did enjoy the story of redemption.  One man stood firm in his faith and held to his convictions and the life of another man was changed because of it.  It is another romance, but it is very different in style from the other two I read this month.

I also read a book to preview for a 16 year old boy.  I read The Lightening Theif by Rick Riordian.  I loved it.  I have some qualms, I do not ever want the One True God to be ignored or slighted in any way.  These mythical gods are NOT real, as a work of fiction this is great.  Riordian is a great writer and some of your young guys may really enjoy this story. It's a story of hope, adventure and friendship as well as the journey to adulthood.  I do not propose that it is appropriate for 12 year olds to "galavant" across the country on quests, but as a story, I did like it. 

Unveiled - This is the story of Tamar.  Francine Rivers took the biblical story and fleshed it out so that those of us with imaginations that are less bold could see what it may have been like for her.  It was well written and well done.

Unashamed - The story of Rahab.  Again this biblical story is given a new perspective.  It was great to read what it may have been like for both sides at the battle of Jericho.  I never thought about what it may have been like in that time. 

I hope you have had a great month and got a chance to read some great books.  Come back and share it at Life as Mom's Booking it!

Shattered!

I love reading books for Bethany House. They have consistently sent me books that I enjoy and that I have felt good about passing on to others. Shattered was no different. I loved it from the first moment I picked it up.
If you read Dani Pettrey's first book, Submerged, then you have already been introduced to the characters in the book, but even if you haven't, I think you'll enjoy it. Shattered is Landon and Piper's story, but more than that it is the story of a sister's trust and faithfulness, and a story of redemption.
This story has suspense, love, action, and consequence. From the moment I picked it up I was enthralled with it. In the moments that you aren't actively following the murder investigation, then you are following the love story. Mrs Pettrey, you have knocked this one out of the park. Thank you.
Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a copy to review.