My Reader Rewards/Marta's Legacy Series

I have mentioned My Reader Rewards Club before, here, but I'm excited to share my newest books from them: Her Mother's Hope and Her Daughter's Dream, given together as MARTA'S LEGACY. 

Francine Rivers is a favorite author of mine, and for 180 points, I got two 500 word hardcover books, enclosed in a lovely cardboard case. It is beautiful, worth $35.99. 

I just finished reading the second book from my mom, like yesterday, and now I have my own set!!

For those of you who don't have a list of books they really want and can't share my ecstasy, imagine finding a big box of your favorite chocolates on your desk, plus flowers and really good coffee. That's how delighted I am.   :) 

So if you like Francine Rivers and also want this set (plus any other books being offered just now), pop in at https://myreaderrewardsclub.com/. 

Liar's Winter

     BOOK REVIEW:   From the moment Lochiel Ogle entered the world, her red-wine birthmark has put her life in jeopardy. Mountain folks call it "the mark of the Devil". And for all the evil that has plagued her nineteen years, Lochiel can't help but agree. If there's one thing she knows, it's that people only wish her harm.
     Beaten and left for dead by her brother, Lochiel is rescued by a stranger. At his hand, she experiences kindness and love instead of fear and hatred, and the lies behind her entire existence are exposed. But just as she begins to trust this saviour, she finds her life in danger again.
     Set in the wild and beautiful Appalachian Mountains of nineteenth-century East Tennessee, Liar's Winter is an unflinching yet inspirational exploration of prejudice, choice, and learning to trust God.
   
     MY REVIEW:    Let me start by explaining the title:  "Liar's winter---the time when the mountain fights with winter and spring not knowin whether to warm the ground or chill a body to the bone."
     This book is the story of Lochiel Ogles, a nineteen-year-old girl living in the Appalachian Mountains. After being abandoned by her volatile brother, she is found by a peddler who takes her to stay with his mother. Here she learns that her entire life has been a lie, and her parents did not rescue her as a baby---they stole her away. As her brother continues to hunt her down, Lochiel has to decided whether to trust the peddler and his mother, and what they've told her.
     One thing I really liked about this book is the lesson that the peddler taught Lochiel----you are who you choose to be. You can choose anger and hatred (like her family and brother) or you can choose love. Lochiel battles the desire to see her brother killed, but this lesson wins in the end.
     Most fiction stories set the plot simply to hide the real story---the love story. This book though, was entirely about Lochiel and finding out who her parents really are. She is married in the epilogue and that is introduced a bit in the last chapter, but not at all a major theme.
     I can't decide if this book has too fast an ending or not. It would have nice to read more about Lochiel after she finds her mother and her brother is gone, but as for the story, it all got wrapped up.
     Cindy Sproles was raised in the Appalachian Mountains and now lives and writes in Tennessee. Her book is written in the "mountain lingo", for example: "I brung you here for two reasons. First, it's hidden away. Safe. Ain't hardly a soul knows this place is here. "  She has written another book in this series, Mercy's Rain, plus several other books. You can find her at cindysproles.com.

   I received a copy of this book from KREGEL PUBLISHERS per their blogger program and was only asked to write an honest review.
   

Daring to Hope

     BOOK REVIEW:   How do you hold on to hope when you don't get the ending you asked for?   When Katie Davis Majors moved to Uganda, accidentally founded a booming organization, and later became a mother through the miracle of adoption, she was determined to deeply weave her life together with the people she desired to serve. But the joy of caring for one person at a time meant investigating her heart fully into the many needs around her and often gave way to sorrow as she walked alongside people in the grip of addiction, desperation, and disease.
     After unexpected tragedy shook her family, for the first time in her life Katie began to wonder, Is God really good? Does He really love us? As she turned to Him with her doubts and shaky faith, God did not remain silent but spoke truths to her heart, drawing her even more deeply into relationship with Him.
     Daring to Hope is an invitation to believe in the God of the impossible---the God who whispers His love to us in the quiet, in the mundane, when our prayers are not answered the way we wanted or the miracle doesn't come. It's about a mother discovering the extraordinary strength it takes just to be ordinary. It's about choosing faith no matter the circumstance and about encountering God's goodness and presence in the least expected places, when life is a far cry from anything we imagined.
     Though your heartaches and dreams may take a different shape, you will find your own questions echoed in these pages. You'll be reminded of the gifts of joy in the midst of sorrow and courage in the face of uncertainty. And you'll hear God's whisper: Your hope in Me will never never leave you disappointed.

     MY REVIEW:   I have previously read Katie's book, "Kisses from Katie", though it's been too long to really remember what it was about. I do remember liking it though, which is why I grabbed this book when I saw it.
     I don't remember how the first book was formatted, but I was expecting this one to be rather like an autobiography, telling of her life in Uganda and the friends she had made and her family and so on. But it really wasn't like that. It is a tale of Katie's journey in Christ, of accepting deep disappointments, bearing the death of friends, praying for the seeming impossible and being able to hope.
     In the beginning of the book and through the middle I was a little surprised that Katie didn't mention her husband. It seemed a little odd that she would reference her (many) girls, but not he. Then toward the end he came in. She hadn't mentioned him since at that point they weren't yet married. No longer surprised was I.  :)   Then I was impressed that Katie was running such a functioning home and family on her own. I mean, she had a lovely sounding house, plus a guest house in the back yard, a backyard, garden, and don't forget 13 daughters!!! And she made time and space for ANYONE who needed a place to stay or was sick and needed nursing or whatever. She would have multiple family sleeping on her living room floor at times. It really was both impressive and inspiring.
     One thing I really was impressed by was Katie's response when she felt unloved and forgotten by God: she took bright pink sticky-notes and wrote down blessings EVERY TIME she thought of them. She then stuck them to the wall above her kitchen sink and clung to hope. That was neat!
     I would truly recommend this book, but if you're like me and like to know a little more about the person you're reading about, you should read her first book also. I could be remembering it wrong, but I recall it's being more a detailed story of her life than this one.

    I received a copy of this book from BLOGGING FOR BOOKS per their blogger program, and was only asked to write an honest review. 
   

Spiritual Discipleship

     BOOK REVIEW:   How do you know you're a true disciple?   There are many expressions of the Christian faith, but there's only one definition of a disciple: someone who imitates Christ. What is that person like? 
     This book will show you. From the bestselling author of Spiritual Leadership (over one million copies sold), it examines Jesus' teaching on what it means to follow Him, helping you become the kind of Christian He wants you to be, not the kind devised by man. You'll learn:
       *The biblical profile of a disciple. 
       *The conditions for following Christ.
       *The tests and trials that true disciples endure
         And more......
For new Christians who want to know how they should live, or for long-time Christians who need reminding, Spiritual Discipleship provides clear, biblical, grace-driven guidance.

     MY REVIEW:   I don't read enough of this tone of book to give a detailed comparison, but I found this one to be very good---I'm glad I took the time to read it. It's definitely not one you can read through in an evening, rather, a chapter at a time. There is so much to read, so much to process.
     In the introduction, Sanders says "The word disciple means learner.......a learner or pupil who accepts the teaching of Christ, not only in belief but also in lifestyle". He also states: "In this book I have not dealt with the mechanics of discipleship but rather the standards, the underlying principles that are to be incorporated into the lifestyle of the disciple".  I like an author who is not afraid to support the unpopular truth.
     J. Oswald Sanders has written two other book in this collection: Spiritual Leadership, which is a bestseller and is the most well-known and well-loved of the set; and Spiritual Maturity, which I have read and is also very good.

   I received a copy of this book from MOODY PUBLISHERS per their blogger program, and was only asked to write an honest review. 

God Made the World

     This book is a "cuddly cloth" book for kids. The front cover is crinkly, there is a loop at the top left corner to keep ahold of, and the book closes with a mild velcro clasp. There are six pages plus the front and back, each with a round picture of some kind of creation, i.e. woods, oceans, etc. Accompanying each picture is a sentence: "God made the ........" The very last page contains a small mirror, to include "you" in creation. It is a clear, yet mildly wavy mirror.
     This book is definately a book for a very small child, though an older one may enjoy it as well. It is washable, but not intended to be bleached, dry cleaned, tumble dryed, or used for teething.
     This is a neat book, the cloth being easier for small children and lacking the corners boasted by normal books.  

  I received a copy of this book from KREGEL PUBLISHERS per their blogger program, and was only asked to write an honest review. 

These Healing Hills

     BOOK REVIEW:   Francine Howard has her life all mapped out---until the man she loves announces his plan to bring home an English bride from war-torn Europe in 1945. Devastated, Francine seeks a fresh start in the Appalachian Mountains, training to be a nurse midwife for the Frontier Nursing Service. 

     Deeply affected by the horrors he witnessed at war, Ben Locke has never thought further ahead than making it home to Kentucky. His future shrouded in as much mist as his beloved mountains, he's at a loss when it comes to envisioning what's next for his life. 

     When Francine's and Ben's paths intersect, it's immediately clear that they are from different worlds and value different things. But love has a way of healing old wounds. . . .and revealing tantalizing new possibilities. 

     MY REVIEW:   I liked this book. Francine is jumping right into mountain life, complete with skeptical neighbors, winding mountain trails, and heavy snows. But she has a heart for people and comes to love the mountain. Her nursing partner keeps telling her not to become attached to anyone, but Francine can't help it. 

     Right from her arrival, Francine is befriended by a friendly young lad who invites her into his family. (And of course, it is Ben's brother.......go figure). She also befriends the old herb woman, avoiding the medical clashing her nursing partner uses. 

     While the story has that love interest in it, it doesn't seem to domineer like some books. The book is definitely about Francine's nursing. And the love interest aspect is more from gathering the courage to acknowledge it, which cuts down on a lot of the "loveyness" of the book. 

     Ann H. Gabhart has written several books. I have only read one other of hers, Angel Sister, which happens to be the first in Ann's THE ROSEY CORNER SERIES, but it was too long ago to remember the story well.  Other of her books are The Outsider, first of THE SHAKER BOOKS; Scent of Lilacs, first of THE HEART OF HOLLYHILL SERIES; Murder at the Courthouse, first of THE HIDDEN SPRINGS MYSTERIES; and more. Her website is annhgabhart.com. 

    I received a copy of this book from REVELL per their blogger program and was only asked to write an honest review. 

An Asian Harvest

     BOOK REVIEW:   Leaving home and his native New Zealand aged 16, Paul Hattaway found himself in Australia, homeless, hungry, and lonely, sleeping on the roof of a public bathroom. "A waste of energy" was his high school principal's assessment.
     After a fellow factory worker helped him to find faith, he quickly became convinced that God was calling him to China and in 1988 Paul arrived in Hong Kong with nothing more than a backpack, a single contact, and $50. He began to work as a Bible courier, carrying hundreds at a time across the Chinese border under the noses of the guards.
     Today Paul Hattaway leads Asia Harvest, the ministry he founded, which supports thousands of indigenous missionaries (meaning natives) and has supplied over 10 million Bibles to China and millions more to Christians throughout Asia.
     An Asian Harvest is his astonishing story.


     MY REVIEW:   I read The Heavenly Man last year, and while I enjoyed it, I never got around to seeing what else Paul wrote. As it happens, he has written several, some of which are: Operation China, From Head-Hunters to Church-Planters, and China's Christian Martyrs. You can find the rest of his books, as well as information on Asia Harvest at asiaharvest.org.
     Autobiographies don't often interest me. This one, however, is greatly an exception---it did not take long for me to read it, and I enjoyed every page. The only fault I can find with it, is when you are done, it is hard to find another book to match it. ;)
     Paul's life was one he lived entirely for God. I was amazed at his story, how his faith held him through, and the battles he faced. The most striking one to me was his battle to marry his wife, Joy. A fellow missionary with an amazing reputation and seriously double life went so far as to slander Paul and Joy to keep them from marrying, and even after they did he was not put off.
     I absolutely love reading books like this that leave one feeling they were there, know that much more about it, and were touched in some unknown way. I would hugely recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

   I received a copy of this book from KREGEL PUBLISHERS per their blogger program and was only asked to write an honest review. 

An Inconvenient Beauty

     BOOK REVIEW:   Griffith, Duke of Riverton, likes order, logic, and control, so he naturally applies this rational approach to his search for a bride. While he's certain Miss Frederica St. Claire is the perfect wife for him, she is strangely elusive, and he can't seem to stop running into her stunningly beautiful cousin, Miss Isabella Breckenridge.
     Isabella should be enjoying her society debut, but with her family in difficult circumstances, she has no choice but to agree to a bargain that puts her at odds with all her romantic hopes---as well as her conscience. And the more she comes to know Griffith, the more she regrets the unpleasant obligation that prevents her from any dream of a future with him.
      As Griffith's and Isabella's long-held expectations are shaken to the core, can they set aside their pride and fear long enough to claim a happily-ever-after?

     MY REVIEW:   This book is the fourth and last (I think) in Kristi Ann Hunter's HAWTHORNE HOUSE series. The other books are A Noble Masquerade, An Elegant Facade, and An Uncommon Courtship. There is also an e-book novella prequel, A Lady of Esteem, about one of their friends. Set in the Regency period, this series is about a young Duke and his three siblings---one book to each. This last one is about the Duke himself.
     This book is not as good as the first two, and I can't decide if it is better than the third one or not. It was a bit disappointing, I think because Griffith's character in the background of the other books is superior to that of his character in the spot-light of this book. The third book had the same problem, though I didn't realize it at first and attributed my disappointment to having over-anticipated it.
     I read the second book of the series first, which is the best, and from there on it went a little down hill. It is an interesting series, but lacks depth and inspiration. So if you are looking for a light story, by all means read the series. But if you want to be glad you spent the time on the book, I would suggest Francine Rivers, Cathy Gohlke, or Davis Bunn, to name a few. It's very sad, because I really wanted to love this series.
     On the positive side---as in the previous books, Kristi has knit a tight, supportive, and loyal family that is rare to see and even to read about.
   
    I received a copy of this book from BETHANY HOUSE PUBLISHERS per their blogger program, and was only asked to write an honest review. 

Fearless Parenting

     BOOK REVIEW:   We long to bring up our children as good Christians and good citizens, but it's an uphill battle. In a culture of rampant narcissism and moral anarchy, righteous living isn't easy and isn't popular. If we want to see our children grow up with their faith intact, we cannot afford to simply react, making it up as we go along. We must approach parenting with intentionality and consistency. In this hopeful book, world-renowned researcher George Barna and nationally respected counselor Jimmy Meyers offer a plan of action to raise healthy, godly children in our morally bankrupt culture.

     MY REVIEW:   For starters, I am not a parent, so my opinions are going to be from a non-parent perspective. So if I start sounding all why-can't-people-get-this it is because I have never had to parent and therefore have no idea how hard it is.
     Anyways, I really couldn't tell you why I picked up this book except that I wanted to see what people today call "fearless parenting". I was impressed! George and Jimmy have done a wonderful job of working together to get their point across. Parenting is not supposed to be easy---it's hard work and you can't let your kids rule you. Rather, they are your kids, so you are in control of them. This can seem harsh, but really, it's not. Kids need to learn how to be responsible, listen to authority, and live a mature and profitable life. How can they do this if all we as parents do is baby them and give in to them and let them have everything they want?
     On a different note....... Each chapter begins with an example of a counseling session (anonymous) which sets the tone of the chapter. I liked that. It gave reality to the topic being discussed. And each lesson ends with a few ways of carrying out that particular parental action.
     So if you are seeing a need for a change in your parenting technique but have no idea how to go forward, you should try this book.

      I received a copy of this book from BAKER BOOKS per their blogger program,  and was only asked to write an honest review.