Sabotaged

I guess,as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Sabotaged by Dani Pettrey is the fifth and final book in the Alaskan Courage series and I hate to say goodbye to the McKenna family. In each of the preceding books, the author has focused on  a member of the McKenna family and they have each been a wonderful story.  This final books finds Reef McKenna returning home to Alaska. Reef came back to help with the Iditarod with search and rescue.  The only problem is he is teamed up with Kirra Jacobs and they share a long history of being at odds with each other.  Kirra's uncle Frank, who is a musher with the Iditarod has disappeared. The two of them track him only to find out his daughter Meg has been kidnapped. Now comes the fun, the cat and mouse game of trying to find Meg with Frank being no help to them. There is a villain that will stop at nothing to get what he wants, and whoever gets in his way will pay. Will Kirra and Reef be able to solve the mystery, find Meg and avert a disaster in Alaska?  Can Kirra and Reef put their past aside and work together to bring Meg home safely?  Pick up book five and find out the answers.

Since I have read all the other books, I gave this five stars even before I read it.  From past experience, I knew the author would "finish strong" and she did.  Can't wait for the start of her new series and hope she can write fast!! Please, do yourself a favor, and read all five in the series..you will be a fan for life.

The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book

I will admit that I do not like to cook-takes too long to cook, too short to eat and too long to clean up!.
With that being said, I will try to find shortcuts to put dinner on the table. I have a pressure cooker that I have used for 35 years.  I say used very lightly. I use it for a few things and tend to use the slow cooker for a lot more.  Why, I don't know.  The pressure cooker is faster and things come out usually better.  When I saw this book up for review.. I grabbed it and have thoroughly enjoyed it.  It has shown me a whole new way to use my pressure cooker.  I have an old style used on the stove and this book shows both stove top and electric machine uses.  The cool thing is...over 500 recipes and lots of photos in the middle of the book.
I never knew I could cook dried beans in the pressure cooker, oh what a time saver that is. The authors have shown me tricks and shortcuts to use. I will be trying the Apple Maple Oatmeal recipe this week which takes only 12 minutes to prepare.  Now, that is how I like to cook!

I will be using my pressure cooker more, thanks to this cookbook, and my slow cooker less. My advice is to get a pressure cooker, don't be afraid of it, and get this cookbook.  You will be in for a treat and a whole new way of cooking..fast, that is.

Thanks to Blogging for Books for this free copy just for my honest opinion.

http://www.randomhouse.com/book/235617/the-great-big-pressure-cooker-book-by-bruce-weinstein-and-mark-scarbrough

The Song

There are author's that have a knack for storytelling and Chris Fabry is a master of the written word. I am a huge fan, having read every one of his books. When I pick up his books, I know I will not be disappointed in what I am about to read.  I have not seen the movie or the trailer, but after finishing this book, I will make sure I see it.

The book is a modern day tale of King Solomon and the wise and unwise decisions that Jed King makes. His famous father made many mistakes that haunt Jed, in both the songs and life that Jed wants to live. Can he ever find his own"song" and a musical career of his own. He has a small singing event at a vineyard where he meets his love-Rose.  That night he sings a song to her and courts her,eventually marrying her. Jed dreams of stardom and this song is his ticket. With fame comes temptation and that temptation is Shelby. She will do anything to sing with him and eventually plays on his weakness to bring him down to her level.  How will Rose and Jed's marriage stand up to this test?. How can God rectify this mess? What are the lessons to be learned by Jed and Rose? Fascinating questions that you will find out reading this book. Loved this line from the end of the story. "God offers us hope when we surrender.  When we give it over to Him. He can take the sin, the struggles, all the pain we have and bring healing to our hearts. To your heart".

Make sure this book is on your reading list. Great story of love, forgiveness and lots of scripture throughout which adds to the storytelling. After reading The Song, make sure you pick up every book Chris Fabry has written-promise you won't be disappointed.

Thanks To Tyndale Publishers for a free copy to review just for my honest opinion.

Wonder

Sometimes you read books that make sense and sometimes you read books that leave you baffled. Wonder by Travis Thrasher falls into that catagory for me.  I have read quite a few books by Travis and have enjoyed his writing, so that is why I picked this book to review.  I did know this was a young adult/teen genre of book when I picked this title. I did find out that this is book two in the series so that could be some of my problem. There was, I thought, enough information in the beginning to sort out some of the characters and some idea of what was happening.

The plot centers around evil in Appleton, Illinois and two unsolved deaths that have the town on edge and wondering who did it  and what happened.  Brandon Jeffrey is a senior in high school: playing soccer,trying to survive a wicked home life, trying to avoid bullies on the football team, an evil ex-girlfriend and falling in love with Marvel.  The only problem is, Marvel believes she will die as a sacrifice for others. There are other teenage things that play into this storyline: drugs, parties, and more bullying of students. There was some suspense, but hoped for more throughout the story.   I started reading with an open mind and trying hard to keep reading and wondering where things were going and how all the storyline would  tie together.  Sadly, for me, that never happened. I did make it to the end and was shocked as to how Travis ended it. It just ended, period. Turning the page, I so expected more, but nothing.  I guess there will be a sequel, but the back of the book states-the suspenseful sequel to Marvelous, book one. There are so many loose ends that need to be tied up so be aware when reading this book.

Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for sending me this book to review free just for my honest opinion.

The Patmos Deception

The storyline centers around prized artifacts that are disappearing. Nick and Carey are childhood friends that team up together to find and prevent the artifacts from being stolen and put into the wrong hands. I figured with the title that the artifacts had to deal with the apostle John's writing, but never felt this was addressed within the storyline.  The third character, Dimitri, runs a family fishing boat but is also involved in some unethical dealings which added another level of mystery.

This book was very hard for me to stick with. I kept waiting for some suspense to keep me interested and found it very hard to pick up and keep reading.  I was tempted to skip to the end to get the book finished, but kept at it. I learned a lot of Greeces' culture, sites and problems with the country they are experiencing. The character development was ok, but I felt the author was more interested in what the country looked like that developing the plot. The ending was another problem with me. I was left with the plot and characters up in the air.  Must be another story, because this one never ended. It will be hard for me to read another one just to see how this really ends.

I don't like to give negative reviews, so this one took me a while to put my thoughts together and write this review.  Thanks go to Bethany House Publishers for this free book just for my honest opinion.

Where Treetops Glisten

Christmas stories are so much fun to read and this one was truly a special read to me.  Not only is this a novella written by three authors but one of the authors, Cara Putman, lives in my home town. Lafayette Indiana is the setting for these stories that take place during World War II. It is not very often when I can read a book that depicts places I know and live by. That is why it was so much fun for me to read along with learning about what Christmas was like during the Second World War.

The three authors have done a masterful job weaving three family stories highlighting a different family member with each tale.  Cara Putman's White Christmas tells of Abigail Turner who is a college student and works in a candy store.  This candy store makes amazing candy canes which was interesting to me since I have made some in the upstairs candy parlor a few years ago. Abigail is not looking for romance but there is a romance blooming with Jackson. She has already lost a beau to the war, so will she be able to find romance again?
The second story by Sarah Sundin is I'll be home for Christmas chronicles Abigail's brother Pete.  Pete is a fighter pilot home on furlough. He meets up with an old childhood friend Grace, whom he bullied as a child, along with her precious child Linnie. With a past between them, can Pete make up for the hurt he caused Grace and can Grace trust him to be part of her life.
The third story by Tricia Goyer is Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.  That story tells of Meridith Turner or Merry to her friends.  She is on the front lines in the Netherlands as a nurse.  She has been betrayed by a man she loved earlier and  is struggling being able to trust any man again.  Her heart is broken but will God  show her how to love again.

These are just snippets of the storyline which I hope make you want to read this novella.  It contains danger, excitement, love, forgiveness, faith, healing and the tragedy of war.  Loved how the authors used Christmas songs from that period, 1941-1944 to connect the stories. Pick this book up , find a comfy chair , a hot drink and enjoy being transported to a simpler time and be thankful this Christmas season for great books to read and treasure.

Thanks to Waterbrook for sending me this book free just for my honest opinion.
 http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/SneakPeek_WhereTreetopsGlisten.pdf
 http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/author-spotlight.php?authorid=75413

Turning Points with God

I have a devotional addiction!.  When I had the opportunity to review Dr. Jeremiah's newest devotional, I was thrilled and could not wait till it arrived. I was definitely not disappointed when it came, an absolutely beautiful leather book.  I love Dr. Jeremiah's writing, his radio show and this is the icing on the cake.
Since it is a daily devotional you can start on the date you receive it and go from there.  Each days devotional has a scripture verse to tie in with what the devotional is about and ending with a statement from well know people applicable to the days reading.  Here is a great example of one of the days I just read on obedience.
As I obey God's Word where I stand today, it will give direction for the next move I should make.  In other words, there is no need o see a quarter mile down life's path if I am not going to obey and take the one step God has made clear from where I stand.  If you are seeking direction for your life, obey what God has shown you today.  Do that one day at a time and, looking back, you'll realize the entire way has been illuminated.  Obedience is not a matter of seeing the whole path, only the next step.  Obedience increases seeing.
 This book is a great way to seek God and His word on a daily basis.
Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for this free book just for my honest opinion.