The Teacher's Bride by Kathleen Fuller

The Teacher's Bride by Kathleen Fuller is from the "Amish Brides of Birch Creek series.  In this installment Christian Ropp moves to Birch Creek to accept a teaching assignment as well as escape the family that he grew up.  Ruby Glick has also grown up in a stifling home and choses to visit her brother's family in Birch Creek for an extended period of time.  Christian has grown to appreciate the ordered well planned life and Ruby who always lived life on the edge and never planned in advance was seeking to turn over a new leaf and start living a more ordered life.  Both moved with plans to meet and marry their life partner.  Christian broke out into a cold sweat whenever he even thought of talking to a woman that he was interested and Ruby barged right in which didn't work out well either in the Amish community.  When one time Ruby had again found herself in an uncomfortable situation she developed horrible hiccups and ran outside to escape the embarrassment, Christopher also left to make sure she was ok.  They got to talking and eventually met up to help Christopher figure out how to get to know the woman of his dreams, Martha without breaking into a cold sweat just thinking about it.  Ruby needed to find a job but no one would hire her since she was so chaotic. When Christopher hurt his ankle he suggested that Ruby might be a good substitute if she would follow his lesson plan.  Can Christopher figure out how to find a wife?  Can Ruby learn to plan and reel in her chaotic tendencies and possibly find a love of her own?  Read this great Amish love story to find out the answers.

I liked reading this newest book of Kathleen Fuller.  She brings these characters to life and brings the reader directly into the Amish lifestyle.  She has the reader rooting for the main characters and wanting to read just a few more pages until the book is too quickly finished.  The reader is left anticipating the next installment of the series even though the reader can read any of the books and enjoy them without the rest (they easily stand alone).  I would encourage any girl or woman who loves reading Amish romance to read this one.
I received this book from BookLook for this review.

A Seat by the Hearth by Amy Clipston

A Seat by the Hearth by Amy Clipston is book 3 in the Amish Homestead Series.  In this novel Priscilla Allgyer is returning back home to the Amish community that she grew up in Lancaster.  She has been gone for 8 years and when she left she knew that she was never going to return to the difficult home that she grew up.  Her father had been verbally abusive to her all of her life and she had to escape.  She found however that he was not the only abusive person and walked into another hard life of living with a boyfriend who drank and abused her both physically and mentally.  Now she was returning to the Lancaster community with her 6 year old son.  She knows that she will return to a shunning but it was the only way to protect her son from the wrath of her boyfriend.  When Priscilla returns to her home she is surprised to find Mark Riehl working for her father.  Mark was a real playboy type but Priscilla remains cool to him because she has so much on her plate with taking care of her son and trying to make her father happy.  She finds to her surprise that her son, Ethan, gets along well with her father and soon are fast friends.  Ethan is quickly learning and loving the Amish language and ways of living.  Mark who usually has girls falling all over themselves to date him is interested in why Priscilla won't give him the time of day.  Her father on the other hand wants Priscilla to find a husband as soon as possible so that he is no longer embarrassed by her having a child without benefit of marriage.  One day he catches Priscilla and Mark talking in the barn and forces them to marry.  Will these two who were forced to marry find love?  Or will they forever be forced to live a loveless marriage?

This is a book about some of the abuses that occur when a parent has too much power in the family.  It is also about some of the problems that can occur in the Amish community.  This book also brings out that people outside of the family can help if they are willing.  I enjoyed this book as I do Ms Clipston's other writings.  She is a great prolific writer that is easy to be read by any girl or woman who loves reading Amish love stories as I do.
I received this book from BookLook for this review.

Going Down to the River by Doug Seegers

Going Down to the River by Doug Seegers is an autobiography about Doug Seegers and how he wrote this song and it became a best seller.  Now I loved this book and I loved hearing how Doug found Jesus and lost sight of his goal and Jesus brought him back to the fold and along the way this song he wrote as a homeless songwriter and singer brought comfort to the author and those who heard it sang both on the streets and in concerts--but I gotta be honest I thought well this must be the man who actually wrote Alison Krauss' song, which as every one knows is 'Going Down to the River to Pray'.  Well I was a lot into this really great book before I realized my mistake but I am sure glad I read it.
 
Doug Seegers grew up with his brothers in a musical family.  His mother though never singing professionally was the most talented but gave up her chance at a career to raise the children as best she could with a hard drinking husband who dreamed of becoming a famous singer.  Doug became a hard drinker before becoming a drunk druggie.  He was very talented and many people tried to help him get off the drugs before he finally accepted the help and though he was by then in his sixties. He eventually found fame in Sweden and in the USA as a singer and songwriter as he always wanted to be.  Along the way he married a woman who was the mother of his son and daughter but he rarely saw them after he left his family--just as his father had done to him. 

This story is not a feel sorry for me book.  The author is very self honest with himself as well as the writing.  The author now mostly lives in Sweden and sometimes tours the USA for concerts.  Read this book for the knowledge of how this down on his luck finally came back to Jesus, got off the drugs and became what he was always meant to be-A child of God who sings.
I received this book from Booksneeze for this review.

Jesus Calling for Christmas by Sarah Young

Jesus Calling for Christmas by Sarah Young is a devotional for getting ready for Christmas that has nothing to do with presents (although this devotional would make a nice pre-Christmas present).  This little devotional has 50 days of devotions for the reader.  This book does not dive deep into scripture but rather has one page has a nice poem or story from Jesus to you the reader. Then the next page or two gives short little scriptures.  These little scriptures may be the familiar ones of the newborn but also includes scripture from the Old  and New Testaments which tell of His great love for you the reader.  Using this devotional could be used for the first 10 minutes of your day in Advent but really it can be used any time of the year.  It proclaims that Jesus came to the world to save both you and me but He came for always not just at Christmas.  This is the message that we all need to know.  Jesus is for all the year. 

This devotional has been made with great workmanship.  The pages are thick and glossy.  The padded binding feels nice in your hand.  The beautiful pictures are on every page.  They are of the lovely winter weather that we in the north enjoy at Christmas.  This is an easy to read book that could be read to the family during Advent.  Even the youngest child will enjoy the little short devotions. 
I received this book from BookLook for this review.

An Amish Homecoming by 4 Authors

An Amish Homecoming by 4 Authors, Amy Clipston, Beth Wiseman, Shelley Shepard Gray, and Kathleen Fuller; is a delightful book about 4 different women returning to the place of their birth to resolve past events and carry on with their future.  In Amy Clipston's story, No Place like Home, Eva Dienner returns after living with the family of her husband after his death.  Eva has been living there trying to help her husband's family deal with the tragedy of his untimely death.  Eva finds that Ian who was always her best friend and the man that her parents wanted her to marry has been living on her parents place helping farm and (she feels) taking over her place in the family.  Eva learns to deal with the jealousy and mistrust she feels when she sees that her aging parents leaning on Ian to help in their daily life.  As she sees this she is also remembering how important he has always been to her and she is beginning to be drawn back to the love of her youth. 

In When Love Returns by Beth Wiseman Sarah Zook has started a new life after 6 years of living on her own following the unwed pregnancy and probable rape when she was in her teens.  At the time she had been engage to Abram whom she still loves.  She chose to tell no one of the rape that possibly occurred one night when she had gone out with her English friend and got drugged.  She awakened with her clothing rearranged but simply can't remember what happened that night.  Sarah wants to face the truth but can she hurt Abram that much?  Besides all this she is finding herself falling in love with Abram even though he is so angry about her leaving.

The Courage to Love by Shelley Shepard Gray is about a young widow, Irene, who is staying with her elderly friends in exchange for room and board.  Irene is the biggest reason why the Wengerds can so easily continue living in their home but Marcus their only son doesn't trust Irene and believes that she is trouble and forces her out of their home.  Marcus loves his parents but is rarely around to help so was unaware of their problems with aging in their home by their selves.  As Marcus begins to help his parents more he finds out just how much help that Irene was providing for them and how valuable she is becoming to him.  Will the Irene and Marcus learn of each other's value in time to save Irene's place in the Wengerd's home before she moves out of all of their life?

What Love Built by Kathleen Fuller is about stubborn Carolyn's return home to open a bakery which has been a lifelong dream of her.  Carolyn is living with her brother and his family and will accept no help from anyone in the community.  She doesn't trust the community since the former bishop tried to marry her off to a person she didn't love when she told him that she wanted to run a bakery.  The community had many persons who had trouble with the old bishop but of course Carolyn doesn't know this.  She only knows that she had to leave the community of her youth in order to live as she wanted.  This bishop was now gone and her brother was the new bishop and he asked her to come back and live with his family.  Atlee is visiting his friend in the same community while morning the death of his wife.  Atlee accidently knocks down Carolyn and in order to help her starts being the only person that Carolyn will begrudgingly allow to help to open the bakery.

Each of these stories ends with discussion questions if the reader would like to use them as study guides.  Each of these love stories can stand alone as a 100 page novella of their own as they are not a part of longer series.  This book could be read by any aged person and enjoyed.  I loved this book.

Less Than Perfect by Ann Spangler

Less Than Perfect by Ann Spangler is this author's next book.  And really is there a better author of the people in the Bible?  This author brings to life these people chosen by God and lets the reader see right into their life.  This author does not make them merely a villain nor a saint but rather lets you see the real person flaws and all.  She lets the reader see the reasons for the person's sins.  She lets the reader see why God may have chosen this person to do His work rather than someone that we ourselves may have chosen.  God appears to chose the most unlikely person to do His work.  A poor shepherd boy to lead the country of His chosen people over an obviously strong healthy soldier who was already leading the country?  Pick a prostitute to help lead His people into the promised land?  Surely there was someone else.  And then He chose her to be in His own linage when He would many years later to send His son to this world.  Then there is David, a man after God's own heart--even he had his women problems with emphasis on women not woman.  There is no one who would say that he did not love God but surely someone was there who didn't kill someone just to be able to have his wife!  The stories continue starting with Adam and Eve and their sins continuing through Jezebel, Jonah, and Judas.  She tells their stories then she also gives cultural background for their possible reasons for doing what they did either good or bad in those times.  She lets us know why it is so awful to be a woman alone in those times widow or never married.  She discusses with the reader the importance of having children and most especially a son.  In those times a woman had to have a man to take care of her. 

Read this book in order to more fully understand the people of the Bible.  It may change your opinion of them or maybe not but you will finally understand why they may have made the decision that they did.  Maybe you will understand because you have had to make some of those same decisions or maybe you just never fully understood the dilemma that this person was under in order to live in those times.
I received this book from BookLook for this review.

The Hundred Story Home by Kathy Izard

The Hundred Story Home by Kathy Izard is a book that will inspire you to find your passion and calling for your own life.  This is the story of how Kathy was called by God to do something about housing the homeless in Charlotte.  Kathy was no longer trusting and believing in God the way she did as a child.  Kathy was busy.  She was raising her 4 daughters to be good citizens of this country.  The family was already volunteering at the soup kitchen in their area.  Kathy's mother had mental issues and Kathy needed to help her in order to keep her mother's secret.  Then why did Denver a formerly homeless man from Fort Worth make her consider that she should do more?  Why did Denver's comment during the fundraiser event that she had invited him to speak just after reading his book,  Same Kind of Different as Me make her consider that she could do more.  Something big.  What was Denver's comment?  "Where are the beds?"  She didn't have time to be running around raising money to build a home for the homeless but she could avoid the constant whispering in her ear?  God, whom she had lost faith in, was calling to her to build Moore House.  Oh she didn't know that was what He wanted her to do---Yet or that she would name it that.  She just knew that the homeless needed to safe place to sleep and all of a sudden people were coming to her to either tell her of the need or to give the project money needed to do just that.  One of the homeless, Eugene Coleman was asked to speak at a fundraiser at a high school.  "Can you see me?" Coleman asked.  He waited a moment and then repeated the question, "Can you see me?".  Then he went on to explain that for 20 years of addiction  no one could see him.  No one but God and God had given him a second chance at life.  Then he told the students his story.  These high school students gave $6000 that day to help make Moore House.

This book is chock full of miracles such as that above.  Miracles that show that when God whispers into your ear to do something that you need not fear.  God will provide the means; all that you need provide is the faith that it will happen.  Read this book if you need just that push in your life to do what you are being called to do.  You don't have to be an especially talented person.  You just have to be willing to follow what God is leading you to do.
This book was provided by BookLook for this review. 

Through the Autumn Air by Kelly Irvin

Through the Autumn Air by Kelly Irvin is the third novel from the An Every Amish Season series.  In this as the reader might expect this is the story of Amish persons in the "Autumn" of their life.  Mary Katherine or Mary Kay as her friends call her has just married off the last of her 10 children.  She has finished raising them by herself after the death of her husband 7years ago.  Even though everyone, even her sons, think that she has done a fine job of it now her sons think that they have a better plan for her life than she does.  She would like to continue writing stories and help run a new bookstore with her friend, Dottie, but her sons and the elders of the church all think that she should give up her home and move in with her son and his family and help raise their children.  So far she has been able to avoid it but who knows for how long.  Her good friend Ezekiel needs a new cook for his restaurant that he has run for several years when his wife died.  It has produced a good income for him and his family but his children are also grown. Mary Kay doesn't want to work in a kitchen all day though.  When would she be able to write?  An English man, Burke, broke into her home one night and though she was scared she held a gun on him until she found out that he was just hungry.  She then prepared him a meal and took him to Ezekiel to be his cook.  That started Mary Kay and Ezekiel working on their project of finding help for Burke.  They found that do enjoy working together and Burke they find out is a Chaplain from the military.  They also find another project to work on that of Ezekiel's English young waitress who seems very troubled.

Why does Mary Kay have to give up her home?  Why does Ezekiel have to continue working in a restaurant that is no longer needed to provide income for his children?  Why can't Mary Kay write her thoughts and stories?  Why don't the men in her church and the sons that she herself raised treat her like a grown woman instead of a child? More importantly can Ezekiel and Mary Kay find love again after so much sadness from losing their spouses?  Read this book to find out how these Amish folks decide to live out these problems.
I received this book from BookLook for this review.

10 Minutes in the Word:Psalms

10 Minutes in the Word:Psalms is a new devotional out by Zondervan.  This devotional is a way of reading through the Psalms in 45 days.  This study takes a mere 10 minutes per day.  Have you every wanted to read through the entire Bible?  And didn't make it?  Have you ever felt that you should read and enjoy the Psalms but you just can't get into it because it isn't a story--its poetry?  Maybe this is just me but when I saw this little tiny book promising that I would enjoy reading the Psalms in just 10 minutes per day I jumped at it.  This book brings to life David's writings.  This book helps the reader to see David as the man.  Helps to see David as a human with difficulties.  David loved God but he made mistakes-really big ones.  David loved God but he was afraid that his enemies would attack and kill him.  David trusted God but sometimes it was hard.  David experienced loneliness just like we do.  David's life was hard sometimes.  And even when David was king and the people did what he said David still made mistakes.

Read this book if you would like to read and know the Psalms.  Read this book so that you will know David and why he was such a favorite of God's.  Why God loved him and wanted only good for him.  Read this book of poetry and learn to enjoy it as you maybe have never before.
I was provided this book for this review from BookLook.

A Daring Adventure by Elizabeth Camden

A Daring Adventure by Elizabeth Camden was such an interesting historical novel.  It is based on the beginnings of the clean water act which was made easier by the chlorination of water which made purifying it cheap enough for cities to be able to supply to all their citizens.  This book takes the reader back to the early 1900s when cholera and typhoid were a quite common cause of death.  Many readers of today believe that the reason that modern people live longer today than the early 1900s was because of antibiotics but the real reason is because of the clean water act.  It is so much easier to keep people well than to cure them of typhoid or cholera.  This novel tells a fictionalized story of Dr. Leal who invented the first chlorine feed system which could cheaply chlorinate water systems of the cities.  Though it is quite common today and we don't really think much about it now, it caused quite a stir in May of 1910 when the courts ordered that it was safe to use. In the four short years from the beginnings of chlorination and 1914 when over half of the cities had adopted the technique the deaths from water contamination plummeted where ever the clean water was available .

But let us go back to 1908 when Dr. Rosalind Werner was working with Dr. Leal on his chlorination technique to bring clean water to the city of Jersey City.  It is a huge secrete because of the talk among the citizens that it will poison their family.  It is difficult to convince the wealthy lawmakers of the area that what is poison in large amounts will purify the water if droplets are used.  Dr. Werner has been asked to speak to a consultant, Nick Drake, who is working against the cause to try to convince him to trade sides.  When the two meet they instantly fall in love even though neither change their mind about which side they are on.  Unbeknownst to Rosalind though Dr. Leal is secretly working to go ahead and chlorinate the water system of Jersey City without telling anyone except those college students working with him on his new system.  Rosalind later finds out about Dr. Leal's work but agrees not to tell anyone including Nick.  Well as any reader can figure out Nick finds out and trouble happens in their relationship and they vow never to see each other again.  How will this story end?  As we know chlorination eventually happens but did Rosalind find love with the opposition namely Nick?  Do they figure out how to live with each others differences?  Read this book to find out.
I received this book from BethanyHouse for this review.

Amish Celebrations by Beth Wiseman

Amish Celebrations by Beth Wiseman is the next book by this writer.  In this book she tells of 4  celebrations in the Amish faith walk.  In the first: The Gift of Sisters she tells the story of Hannah and Rachel sisters and fraternal twins.  They had always been the best of friends also that is until Abraham Stoltzfus had come into town.  Rachel had been very good friends with Gideon every since she was 5 until their moms had tried to through them together and marry them off.  It was offputting but then the first time Rachel saw Abraham it was love at first sight for her but for him as soon as he saw prettier Hannah he immediately fell for her. Hannah and Abraham had been dating for about a month and everything was going good for the two of them but Hannah and Rachel no longer were speaking at least not kindly to each other.  Hannah and Abraham were a planning a date and not the date that they told their parents about but a date to the Beekeeper's cemetery to make out.  When they got there though Abraham immediately became too demanding and wanted more than Hannah was willing to give.  Rachel was on her own date with Gideon when all of a sudden she got that feeling that Hannah was in trouble.  She tried to ignore it but she finally told Gideon that she had to leave and that they needed to go to the Beekeeper's cemetery because Hannah was in trouble.  When they arrived Hannah was running away limping with her torn dress.  Hannah then admitted Abraham had gotten mad when she tried to break up with him and she ran and tripped and twisted her ankle.  What she didn't tell them though was that Abraham ha said that he was going to go after Rachel because she would do what he wanted.  Hannah was then afraid of what he might try to do to Rachel.  What will these 2 do? Will they get back to being best sister friends?  Will Hannah continue to date Abraham to try to save Rachel?  Will Rachel see Gideon for the nice guy that he was and give him a chance?

Rebecca and Noah are very much in love in A New Beginning and they are planning the next step: getting baptized and then planning their wedding.  Noah decides against his better judgment to have another fling on the wild side and go to a party with his friend, Gavin.  Gavin had taken him to a party at the home of his rich girlfriend, Penny.  When they got there Gavin had gotten Noah a friend, McKenna, to stay with him and talk while Gavin and Penny were busy doing other things in another room.  Noah loved the beer at the party and maybe drank too much but not so much as to not notice the skimpy clad girls in their bathing suits especially McKenna who was not only beautiful but also nice to talk to.  So nice in fact that he broke up with his fiancé, Rebecca the next day.  What he didn' know was that McKenna thought she was just being nice, she had a boyfriend of her own that she was interested.  When McKenna told Noah that the next day Noah was so crushed that she hugged him and the boy that she was interested, Paul, who happens to be Rebecca's sister saw them.  This story has a surprise ending and  tells how the couples end up. 

In the next novella, Priscilla King and Chester Lapp are planning their wedding day in A Perfect Plan but everything seems to be going wrong.  The house that Chester is building for them keeps having problems first the electricity (which they won't even use but they have to put in anyway because of building codes), then the roof which not only had a problem but the supplier had sent them shingles that didn't go together and Chester had not even noticed.  And that doesn't even count the day that Priscilla had arrived at home to find that her little sister Sarah had cut up her wedding dress to make clothes for her doll and right after finding out that she needed to make another wedding dress she found out that the person who was going to make her cake wasn't coming.  Just one thing after another.  Was God trying to tell them not to marry?  Will they marry or will the fates intervene?

The fourth and final novella is a Christmas story, A Christmas Miracle.  Mary and Gabriel King were very much in love when they at a very early age married.  Then the children came one after another until now they had 5 children who were always getting into everything.  Mary felt like she was a failure as a mother and a wife.  How did everyone else do it and she couldn't?  She didn't have a mother who could teach her things about running a house because she had died.  Her mother in law didn't like her children and didn't hardly ever even come visit them though both of her in laws visited Gabriel's sisters in another state all the time.  Rachel their young daughter went to stand in the Santa Claus line to ask for help for her mother.  Of course that brought great embarrassment to her parents but it also brought together coworkers Santa Bruce and Elf Joan into the Amish home to teach Mary how to run a household with their many children.  Will Mary and Gabriel accept the offer of help? 

These little novellas of about one hundred pages each are delightful little treasures that anyone would love to read and each can be read in one sitting.  I think that you will just love them.
I received this book from BookLook for this review.

The Faith of Dolly Parton by Dudley Delffs

 The Faith of Dolly Parton by Dudley Delffs is a book written by an admitted fan who usually writes Christian literature.  This book on Dolly is focused on her Christian faith and is divided into 10 lessons.  This book focuses on how Dolly's faith keeps her grounded as well as willing to take risks in order to advance her career.  The writer explains how her faith keeps her grounded, helps her remember where she came from as well as remember to help those who came from Tennessee who were less fortunate than she was.  It explains how Dolly started right out helping her family just as soon as she started making money--well before she made it rich--and that as soon as she could help out her community and surrounding area she did.  She always credits God for all of her talent and successes.  She always says that there are more talented singers than she but that she was willing to go where God led her to go in her career.  This book also tells of times when Dolly got down and even considered suicide, even how she was going to do it but that God called her back in the form of her little dog to reconsider and then He made life better for her. 

This book also tells where her faith comes from-her family.  She tells of her mama's faith and prayer life.  She tells of her grandfather Rev Jake Owens who was a Pentecostal preacher and how she began her career at the young as of 6 singing during services.  But she also talks of finding a deeper faith at the age of 12 by visiting an old no longer used church building where she would sit and talk to God one to one and found a different more loving God than what she heard in the pastor's fiery sermons. This book introduces us to the loving God that Dolly found and lived with the rest of her life.  Not saying that it was all rosy but always Dolly found that God was there with her.

I enjoyed reading this book and seeing the faith of Dolly both before and after fame.  That fame didn't change her faith and that the faith she found as a child was big enough to carry her into the future and kept her grounded.  This simple faith was big enough for her no matter how her life and material possessions change she stayed the same faithful child of God.
I received this book from BookLook for this review.

Arms of Mercy by Ruth Reid

Arms of Mercy by Ruth Reid is the next Amish love story by Ruth Reid and is a part of the Amish Mercies series.  Catherine Glick has been dating Zach for 5 years which may not seem a long time to the reader but in Amish terms that is time to marry.  Catherine is waiting for her date for the evening to show up at the gathering at the Amish Table which was the restaurant that Catherine worked.  The fact that Zach was late was not unusual--he was always late.  Just as Zach arrived and the prayer is beginning who should walk through the door but her old boyfriend, Elijah.  Elijah had left the area 6 years ago and though he and Catherine had planned to marry he had married another without even telling her.  Then Zach tells Elijah that he can ride home with them and then Zach lets off Catherine first which of course led to an argument which surprisingly ended with Catherine proposing to him.  Catherine could tell that Zach did not want to marry her.  Catherine is embarrassed and so when the chance to help out her cousin in Florida with her bakery happened she decided to go.  Zach then decided that if she didn't go then he would marry her.  Catherine realized that not only did Zach still not want to marry her but just wanted to keep her home but Catherine wasn't all that hurt.  She decided that she needed to go to Florida to get away and clear her mind and think.   It would only be for 4 months and if it was meant to be then she would see then.  Little did she know that Elijah would be concerned about her going all that way by herself and he purchased a ticket to go with her to Florida and stay with his cousin, Toby.  Elijah wanted to talk Catherine into dating him and he had some explaining to do about that so called marriage that he so rashly entered into and spoiled his first chance for a life with Catherine.

Will Catherine and Elijah find their way back into each other's life?  This enchanting novel was such a delight to read.  The novel had so many twists and also the Amish lifestyle set up so many problems for Catherine and Elijah to work through.  Also Zach was in the picture.  He didn't seem to want to marry Catherine but he also didn't want Elijah to be there either.  Was it a jealousy thing or did Zach just have control issues?  Then the bus had a horrible accident.  How does this story end?  You will just have to read it.
I received this book from BookLook for this review.

NKJV Minister's Bible by Thomas Nelson

NKJV Minister's Bible by Thomas Nelson.  This Bible would be a nice working Bible.  It is not the Bible I would use for sermon preparation nor any other talks/ lessons .  This very nice appearing Bible would make a nice presentation as a pastor uses it for speeches, sermons, or other talks or ceremonies.  There is a nice feel to the leather like cover.  There are some resources for preparing for ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, baptisms, and dedications.  There are also some sample plans for the pastor to use when preparing for the above ceremonies including song suggestions.  There are some helps for preparing special sermons.  For sermon preparation I would hope that the pastor would have a different more in-depth Bible. This Bible would be a nice gift for any beginning pastor.  I would think an experienced pastor would already have all of this helps in their library but they would possibly enjoy having such a nice feeling Bible to use during the actual speaking. 

Now as for the actual Bible I loved it.  I love this version and plan to use it often in daily reading.  It is not a study Bible and should not be purchased as such.  There is 3 nice ribbons for marking your place as you do reading either in church or daily home reading.  The binding looks like it will last a long time and it is a nice small size but yet the lettering is easy to read.  The paper is thin and that is what makes it a small easy to carry Bible and after a few readings they don't stick together too bad.  I would buy it for a gift for a part time pastor, new pastor, or lay speaker.  I enjoy reading this version.  It flows nicely but is written in easy to read English.
I received this Bible for this review from BookLook.

The Road Home by Beverly Lewis

The Road Home by Beverly Lewis is the newest novel by this fantastic writer.  In this Amish love story Lena is the oldest of 10 children and as long as she has been alive she has never left Centreville, Michigan.  She loves it here, she loves living with her family and helping care for the littler children and she loves her fiancé, Hans, whom she plans to marry soon.  She is especially close with her littlest sibling, Chris, whom she has just gotten off to school since her father had taken her mother to the school where she taught as a substitute that day.  When 2 police showed up at the door she knew that something bad had happened but that didn't prepare her for the devastation of learning that both her parents had died in an accident.  That was bad enough but to find out that the farm had to be sold and the children were to be split up into different families was the worse part.  They couldn't even grieve together for long as the children were divided as best the bishop could do since he thought that Lena was too young at 18 to care for all of them and be responsible for the farm.  The bishop could find homes for the rest of the children and some of them even were able to live together but there was nowhere for Lena except for her aunt and uncle, Mimi and Harley, but they lived in Pennsylvania so far away and unable to see her family clear until Christmas.  How would Chris get along without her?  Luckily he was able to live with his grandparents who lived right next to them but he was so distraught to be loosing first his parents and know the sister who had practically raised him.  But there was nothing to do about it and soon Lena was sent to Pennsylvania.  Mimi and Harley were wonderfully nice to her and she was able to earn some money sewing in Mimi little shop.  How would she be able to get through all of this and not see any of her brothers and sisters until Christmas?

I loved this book as I love all of Mrs. Lewis' books.  She doesn't make her characters too good to be believed but she also doesn't downgrade the Amish in favor of another religion.  She faithfully tells the story of the great faith of Lena even though so much bad has happened to her.  Lena never gives up and eventually even when an opportunity to come home happens she choses to stay and help Mimi because she is in a crisis of her own.  Lena always relies on trust in God to get her through the day and back to home.
I received this book from BethanyHouse for this review.

An Amish Heirloom by Clipston, Wiseman, Fuller and Irvin

An Amish Heirloom by Clipston, Wiseman, Fuller and Irvin is four stories in one novel.  Imagine getting 4 for the price of just 1 novel.  The first one, A Legacy of Love is from the Amish Homestead series by Amy Clipston.  This story continues the story of the King and Dienner families and their association with volunteer fire department.  Leon finds himself yearning for a family of his own.  He also finds himself looking more often at his old flame, Susie Bontrager, who just happens to be planning her upcoming wedding to Josh.  They had broken up but remained "just friends".  Susie seems to possibly be more than just interested in Leon as more than just a carpenter who can repair the old rocking chairs for her new home.  She is beginning to wonder if it is too close to her wedding to call it off because she is afraid that she is not truly in love with her fiancé.

In the next story, The Cedar Chest by Beth Wiseman, Emma Fisher and her daughter Catherine are working in the basement looking for items for the church auction.  Emma knows that Catherine is bothered by something but she just won't talk about it.  While looking for items to sell Emma becomes sidetracked by on old cedar chest belonging to her great-great grandmother with a key broken off in the lock.  Catherine and Emma set to finally breaking the lock to see inside and find what old treasures have lain hidden in the chest for so many years.  They find the usual family heirlooms and a stack of old letters tied with a blue ribbon along with a wedding band (Amish don't wear rings). Finally after much discussion Catherine convinces Emma to allow the reading of the letters and so they are mentally transported back to her great great grandparent's courtship time.  As they read these letters Catherine is reminded what she needs to do for her own happiness and her husband's happiness in their marriage.

The next story, The Treasured Book by Kathleen Fuller continues the story of Shane Broyles.  She had lived a short time among the Amish as he refurbished a farm house and then sold it.  He found himself drawn to the lifestyle of the Amish and now was considering joining them as a member.  Shane finds himself also drawn to Lucy who is Amish but he knows that she is not the main reason he wants to become Amish.  He had become friends with Lucy when her dad and she  had helped him with the farm restoration and future sale.  Lucy is drawn to him but she knows that she has found him to be off limits since he is not Amish but also engaged to Jordan.  This story continues their story and the reader learns how they decide their situation. 

The last story is The Midwife's Dream by Kelly Irvin.  Iris Beachy is the community lay midwife.  She has delivered many of the children in her area but none so interesting as the teenaged unmarried and pregnant couple that she stumbles on while returning home from a delivery.  The couple are accepted into the Beachy home for their delivery on their way to Texas.  The next day Iris is shocked to find that the parents have left in the middle of the night leaving their baby with a little bag of baby clothes and formula.  Iris doesn't know what to do.  Her father went to meet with Freeman the community's bishop to decide what to do about the baby.  But Iris knew what she wanted to do--she wanted to keep her and raise her as her own.  Would they allow it?  Would the parents come back for the baby as they promised in the letter the mother left with the baby?

Read these little stories for simple well written Amish stories.  I am sure that you will love them as I do. This book was provided by BookLook for this review.

I Can Only Imagine by Bard Millard (children's edition)

I Can Only Imagine by Bard Millard (children's edition) is a wonderful retelling of the song of the same title.  This book goes through the song sometimes with different words for children.  The story line lets the imagination of a child explore what they think heaven would be like.  Where would they live?  Would it be in a big house with big rooms?  Where would they play? What would they play like and would there be playground equipment?  Would they have chores at their house?  What would food be like in Heaven?  Would they have pets in heaven?  What about music in heaven?  Would they sing? And would God sing along?  What would it be like to be able to talk to God and ask questions?    What would it be like to live right along side of God?  What is God like?

This book doesn't really answer the questions just allows the child to think about what they think that heaven would be like.  Their questions are not so different than what a grown person would ask are they not?  What would Heaven be like?  What would we all like to ask God?  When we get to heaven there is so much to ask and all eternity to ask it in.  This book has beautiful pictures for the nonreader to enjoy as well as the delightful story to read.  Get this book and give it to any child for birthday or even for baby showers.  What a wonderful book for any child to listen to an adult to read them. 
I received this book from BookLook for this review.

I Can Only Imagine byBart Millard

I Can Only Imagine byBart Millard.  Oh my gosh I just cannot believe that Bart invited me into his life so completely and honestly.  Bart Millard just in case you don't know is the lead singer of Mercy Me.  His childhood was terrible.  His dad beat him. His mom left him at a very young age.  But this is what Bart did to escape that cruel life-- he went to school and church.  He took every opportunity to escape his home and be in church and do whatever that church had to offer.  His dad was a great athlete in his day and Bart tried to be like him but when his ankles were crushed in a football accident Bart found his gift.  God had given him a voice to sing songs up to heaven.  "I Can Only Imagine" is Bart's gift to his father after his death.  The movie evidently doesn't show it (I have never seen the movie) but Bart's dad was a good guy who after suffering a head injury became an awful guy then when he was given a death sentence of cancer Bart's dad turned to God and once again became a good guy.  Bart learned to love and appreciate his dad during this time.  This song which Bart wrote in 10 minutes is Bart's gift to his dad using the comment that his grandma made while leaving the gravesite.  Bart gave this gift to Amy Grant to sing so that it would become a great song but Amy in her love for Bart gave it back to him knowing that this song was his song and that this song would put Mercy Me at the top of the charts.

I would recommend this book for reading to anyone whether or not they have heard the song or not, though I cannot imagine not having heard this song.  This song topped the charts for Christian Music and then managed to crossover into many other venues of songs.  This book shows the courage that it takes to be Bart both as a child victim of horrible abuse as well as the hardworking man who wanted to sing songs up to heaven and make it in singing and then finally making his marriage be the success that it is today.  This book is a great Christian read, a great Bart Millard/Mercy Me read, a great social justice read.  I can't imagine anyone not reading this book and enjoying it even though I cried so much that my sinuses are surely cleared forever.
I received this book from BookLook for this review.   

The Heart's Appeal by Jennifer Delamere

The Heart's Appeal by Jennifer Delamere is the second in the London Beginnings series.  Ms Delamere has already drawn the reader into late 19th century London with her first book The Captain's Daughter which introduces the reader to the Bernay daughters.  This second book brings to the forefront the eldest daughter, Julia.  Julia wants so much to be accepted into the first medical school to open its doors to women.  She was raised in the orphanage just as her sisters had been but in the beginning she had a benefactress who had been paying her was through school but that had recently stopped.  Luckily she had saved back a little and could complete this session.  The next step was to pass the entrance exam and get into medical school.  She planned to trust her finances to God in prayer.  While on her way to attend a lecture she was in a train accident.  She was not badly injured but unfortunately Michael Stephenson was hurt badly and luckily from her nursing background she knew just what to do in order to save his life until his family could get him to the hospital.  After Michael, a rising barrister, was back to his sister's home to finish healing Julia decided to pay him a visit to make sure he was doing well.  Michael was still in a lot of pain but agreed to meet the penniless Julia in his sister's fine home.  Michael was thankful and Julia managed to convince him to tutor her in Latin to help her pass her test as a way to pay her back.  Julia knows that in order to achieve her goals of becoming a doctor and then going into the mission field in Africa she must not marry.  If she would marry, her husband would have the say so of what she could and could not do.     Michael already had plans to marry Laura, a woman that he didn't love but had money and respect of the those in the circles that Michael and his sister wanted to be back in.  While he and his sister were young his father had lost all standing in society.  Michael was on his way to being a well respected lawyer in a well respected firm.  His boss was close to being a judge leaving an opening for Michael to step into his shoes.  As Michael tutors Julia they begin to grow fond of each other.  What will happen?  Will Michael declare his love for Julia and take a chance on loosing out on the foothold he had managed to attain in society?  Will Julia give up on her dream to become a doctor in the mission field?

I loved this book.  It has an accurate background in the law and medical field of what could and couldn't take place in society.  It also opens the readers eyes to what it means to be truly poor--not just the inability to have the latest fashions but to be truly hungry.  It shows how the rich still cannot be accepted into proper society because it wasn't old enough money therefore shutting the door to certain careers.  To be well thought of required more than just money but also must be above reproach in every aspect of their life--as in the mentally ill could not be well thought of.  I would recommend this book for reading for anyone interested in historical romance novels.
I received this book from BethanyHouse for this review.

Words from the Heart by Kathleen Fuller

Words from the Heart by Kathleen Fuller is the next installment of the Amish Letters series by this author.  Ivy Yoder and Noah Schlabach have both been hurt in love.  Never are very excited to start  a new love match.  Cevilla Schlabach, Noah's aging and never married aunt needs help sorting through her dead step-mothers belongings.  Noah is an auctioneer and Ivy is her close neighbor.  Cevilla hires Ivy to help Noah sort in her attic.  It is slow going as they go through boxes filled with crocheted items but when they find an occasional box of clocks or watches or jewelry their interest peaks.  Ivy and Noah enjoy each other's company but both insist that they are just friends even though Ivy finds herself drawn toward Noah's good looks and kindness.  She knows that Noah is serious about the friendship thing.  Then they find the love letters from the 1950's from a CJ to Bunny written while CJ is fighting in Korea in a war.  They begin reading these letters aloud to each other and yearn to solve the mystery of just who these star crossed lovers are.  They know that Cevilla's step-mother is English (not Amish) but who is this Bunny and why does Cevilla have all these letters?

I loved reading this book and enjoy reading everything this author writes.  It is easy for the reader to get involved is the character's life.  It is more interesting if you have read the first 2 books of the series but just so that you know the main character's friends but not necessary since this book centers on Ivy and Noah.  Read this book if you love Amish love stories, if you love Christian love stories or if you just want to read a good story.
I received this book from BookLook for this review.

The Rescue by Jim Cymbalta

The Rescue by Jim Cymbalta is a little book of 7 personal stories of 7 different people sharing their story of Jesus stepping in and turning their life from one of despair to one of hope.  These people all were at the end of their rope.  Lawrence had made is as a college athletic star and flight instructor but he was already into that downward spiral.  To the world it appeared he had it all, all that money could buy that is.  But on his back he carried that knowledge that no one had loved him for just being him--including his mother and father.  No matter how much he achieved there was no one in the stands cheering for him just for being him.  There was no one who loved him until he discovered that Jesus was there all along.  Jesus was there when a homeless Lawrence lay beneath the window on a dirty mattress listening to the pastor talk on someone else's TV telling Lawrence that Jesus loved him and not only that but He had died for him.  That night Lawrence went from the unloved often beaten little boy to an important person who was loved by Jesus.  And that is just the first story read this little book clear through until you get to the little girl who grew up raped over and over by her uncle and later after a childhood of feeling unloved finally found the love of Jesus.  Jesus who could wipe away the tears and understand what little Toni was feeling when at 15 years old she birthed her first baby-- 9 pound little Ruben.  Jesus helped her see that she was worth the love of her husband and her 3 children and clean up her act and become the wife and mother that only Jesus and her loving husband believed her to be.

This book should be on everyone's must read book.  It will make you so feel so good to know that God is on your side through all your troubles and if you just pray He will listen.  Even if you can't say the words He will hear you and love you.  He is that light shining into your dark interior. 
I received this book from Handlebar for this review. 

Eating From the Ground Up by Alana Chernila

Eating From the Ground Up by Alana Chernila is basically a vegetable cookbook not necessarily for vegetarians.  That may not sound like the makings for a wonderful cookbook but it is.  This is a cookbook for the person wanting to know what to do with all those wonderful vegetable that they suddenly have access to either from their own garden, from the farmer's market or just the family grocery store.  In the spring there is so much to chose from but how do you cook it?  Is it good?  How hard is it to cook?  This book answers all those questions and more.  This cookbook tells some of the simple ways to cook a vegetable, such as did you know that the best way to eat a beet is to roast it in the oven?  Did you know how to cook a beet at all?  Did you know that beets come any other way than from a can?  How about butternut squash? Do you know how delicious that it is?  Do you know how to cook it?  If you have too many how to store it?  How does the taste differ from a summer squash?  What can you do with the leftovers?  Do you have the guts to deep fry your own vegetables?  Do you know how much better it is to eat your own vegetables than that frozen bag of already breaded okra?  Did you know that you can eat the flowers of some of the vegetables and they are delicious? 

We all want to eat more healthy.  We all want to eat more vegetables.  We just don't know how to do it.  This cookbook takes all that insecurity and trades it in for knowledge.  This book could be enjoyably read just for the information but I think that the best thing about this cookbook is it gives the reader simple vegetable recipes for cooking simple healthy meals that don't take all day or much planning.  When you have made this cookbook's vegetable recipe you will know what the vegetable tastes like and you will love it.  I enjoyed the reading of this cookbook and wish that those who think they don't like vegetables would use it to learn to correctly cook (and not overcook) vegetables and I think that they too would love them and eat them.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Woman's Study Bilble-Thomas Nelson

The Woman's Study Bilble-Thomas Nelson- NIV translation.
This Bible meets all of my needs unless I am wanting to research something and want multiple versions.  This Bible uses the NIV translation and that is a fine translation for most scripture reading that I want to do.  In addition this Bible tells many of the cultural norms of the times especially as they pertain to women.  This edition tells many of the punishments meted out to women and sometimes to men if they concern that particular scripture.  All of this explanation is included close to the actual text so you don't have to find it in the back or look it up in a separate concordance.  Each book of the Bible is begun with the telling of who the original audience and setting for the book was, what the purpose was and literary characteristics were, the overall theme of the book and an outline of the book.  most of the books also tell who the author is and the dating of the writing of the book.  Throughout the books there are telling of the plans of God in the making of the law and reasoning of God's working with His people even though they were not following His plans.  There are graphs and lists which help the reader to keep track of the happenings as she reads along.  In the back of the Bible is the usual Index and Concordance and an extremely small map section but as I previously mentioned much of this is contained close to the reading so I didn't really use it much.  One of the things I enjoyed the most was there were family organizations or family trees contained close to the readings of each.  Sometimes as the reader is reading it is difficult to keep families straight and this is very helpful to me--especially when I want to backtrack in my reading from New Testament and find out how that connection is made in the Old Testament or how the families connect to Jesus. 

This Bible as I stated earlier easily meets my needs but I did want to mention that it may not meet the needs of more liberal readers.  There is mentioned in the separate readings about for instance marriage being one man and one woman.  This is a conservative Bible with conservative concordance and extra readings so this version may not be for those readers.  This Bible easily meets my needs and I am currently using it for my Read Through the Bible.
This was provided for me from BookLook for this review.

Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors

Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Majors is this authors next book of life in Uganda.  This author headed to Uganda as a 19 year old for a short term mission trip.  I have not read any of Katie's other books but judging from this one they must be good.  Katie tells of her organization, Amazima Ministries, which she founded to care for vulnerable children and families.  Now when Katie says she cares for these people  she really means it.  She personally cares for them even if it means having a doctor teach her how to care for burns that are from the ankle to the knee and to the bone and no one thinks that the person will survive.  She took that burn victim into her home and also fed him and provided housing and taught him the Word and read to him from the Bible.  She cared for women with Aids as they died and then found foster parents for their children when theie mother died.  This is a woman who lives the Word she does not just preach it.  She has 13 adopted daughters and has fostered many more.  Katie tells of taking time to find and fall in love with her husband, Benji in this book.  She has lived in Uganda for over 10 years and now considers it home.  In fact in this book she tells of taking a child to the United States for needed surgery and returned to Uganda while awaiting his healing with her American family.  That child then returned to Uganda and she welcomed him back home.

Katie is an amazing women but in all her work she gives all praise to God.  She tells in this book how to have faith in God when His answer is not what you prayed for.  She tells of her great faith in the Almighty and from reading the book the reader is aware that this is not just words---she lives and believes this.  I think that this book would be a great book for any believer who is old enough to read and understand.  Katie is an amazing woman.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Beneath the Summer Sun by Kelly Irvin

Beneath the Summer Sun by Kelly Irvin is the 2nd in the An Every Amish Season series.  In this novel Jennie Troyer has been a widow for 4 years and is no closer to trusting herself in picking a man to be her life partner nor her children's new father.  In her first marriage she thought she was so in love with the best man ever when she married Atlee and Atlee had yelled at her and told her she was clumsy or stupid and sometimes that was worse than when he physically abused her or made her sleep in the barn.  Sometimes she could figure out what made him mad but many times it seemed that he just flew off the handle and she never could figure out why.  When he died in an accident she felt guilty that she was relieved but that didn't make her sorry that he was gone.  In the Amish faith when a person makes a vow to be married it is for life and there is no way out unless God releases you.  The Amish believe that if your spouse dies that if possible the widow should quickly remarry and "get on with life".  Her best friend Bess was getting ready to marry her first husband's best friend and was quite happy about it but Jennie was no closer to remarriage than the day that Atlee died. 

In her community were 2 men who thought differently, Nathan, a Mennonite man and Leo Graber an Amish man who had caught her eye before she married Atlee but now seemed to have renewed interest in Jennie.  Atlee had been kind and loving before they married but by 6 months was already mistreating her, so how did she know that Nathan or Leo wouldn't do the same thing?  She now had 7 children to think of not just herself.   Could Jennie ever learn to trust God and man again?  Both of the men interested in her seemed to have problems that they needed to overcome in the trust game also. How could she work on trusting herself and help them learn to trust also?  If she did learn to trust these men how could she choose between them?  Read this book to find out if Jennie ever learns to live the life that God intended her to have.

I liked reading this book and think that any woman would also enjoy it unless the issue of domestic violence hits too close to home.  This book centers on both domestic violence as well as learning to trust after living with the violence.
I received this book from BookLook Bloggers for this review.

Lullaby Road by James Anderson

Lullaby Road by James Anderson is the 2nd in the Ben Jones series.  Ben Jones is a truck driver delivering in the winter desert land of Utah.  Ben is getting ready to take another delivery out to his faithful though not always trustworthy hardy customers who lived a hard scrapple desert life in Rockmuse.  Ben who lives in Price is a man of few words and so are his customers.  As Ben is filling up his truck with diesel, Cecil who runs the tire shop informs him that Pedro had left him something and that it was important that he get it.  Ben almost left  for his run to Rockmuse but curiosity won out and he found a small child out in the cold snowy day protected only by a few scant clothes and a big dog.  Ben couldn't leave the child there-he would die and went back to take him back to Cecil or Pedro but conveniently no one was in the tire shop.  Ben had no choice but to take the kid with him--it was either that or let him freeze in the snowstorm.  Ben then looks up to see his teenage friend Ginny slam the door on her ancient car and then reach in to grab her baby, Belle out of the car still strapped in her infant seat.  A short discussion passed on the reasons why he couldn't take Belle with him so that Ginny that could go to take 2 tests and then on to her job at Walmart.  Ginny won and soon Ben is headed out into the desert in his truck with his possibly illegal alien child who turned out to be a girl, her over protectant dog  and Ginny's baby girl.  This begins Ben's adventure out on this snowy day delivering to Rockmuse's hodgepodge of criminals and ne'r-do-wells mostly hiding in this town. 

This book is peppered with satirical jokes and an occasional curse word.  If you are bothered by that don't read it but if you want to read a book which is back and forth funny and sad read this one. If you want to read about the western desert read this book.  You will easily learn the people of the desert and appreciate them for their tenacity.   I had not read the first Ben Jones book but it is not needed to understand this novel.  I enjoyed it and read it easily in just a few days. 
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Crooked Path by Irma Joubert

The Crooked Path by Irma Joubert is this authors next novel.  I loved reading Ms Joubert's  Child of the River and also enjoyed reading this book.  This novel is not a part of a series though it has some of the major characters in Child of the River as minor characters in this one.  This novel begins as World War II starts to unfold.  Italian, Marco has fallen in love with Rachel who is Jewish and though Marco is not Jewish but rather Catholic he choses to help hide Rachel and her family in a mountain cave and live with them to keep them safe and also when they need food he sneaks down the mountain to find it for them and himself.  Eventually they are found and taken to a concentration camp where all but Marco dies of starvation and he is very emaciated and a constant cough.  After the war Marco gets back to his home and his parents and brother help him restore his health both mentally and physically.  Marco's health is so bad that his mother must find a way to heal his stomach in order for Marco to eat without constantly vomiting.  In addition Marco must find a way to heal his lungs which were weakened in the concentration camp.  Marco finally gets over the pneumonia but the cough continues.  His brother Antonio moves to South Africa and convinces Marco that the climate is much better for him there  since it is warm all the time there.

Lettie has followed in her father's footsteps and become a physician.  Marco is sent to her by Antonio to try to heal Marco's lungs.  Lettie has been having difficulty getting patients since African's didn't accept females as physicians. In fact Marco was Lettie's only male patient other than children.  Lettie cures Marco's pneumonia using the new antibiotic, penicillin but his lungs are forever damaged and every winter he gets pneumonia even with the warm weather.  Marco and Lettie fall in love but that does not end the trials that the two must face in their life. 

I recommend this book for any who love reading of WWII, who love reading of living in South Africa, who love reading Christian love stories or just historic novels.  This book is well written and Irma Joubert is a wonderful author.  I look forward to reading any novels that she writes.

When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner

When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner is a wonderful children's book for any child who is a little bit different from all the rest of the children---oh yeah that is every child.  Every child created by God is unique and this book tells that story.  It tells the story of  that great love God had for each child as He created them.  It tells of the joy that God has when He created this special child.  This little book tells the child just how important they are in the world and how there never has been a child like them nor will there ever be another child just like them.  The book tells the story of how God knew them before they were born and was an important part of God's story in the world.  This book tells how God gave them special talents so that they could do important work in the world that only they could do in that special way. 

I love the way that this story tells the child how important that they are and how important they are to God.  It tells the story that they each are different and that is part of their specialness.  It would be a great baby shower gift as well as any birthday gift.  It is wonderfully illustrated.  It tells of how God thought about it before He made this great creation of this child.  It will teach the child to look for their specialness and use it in a way that will improve the world around them.  I would never hesitate to buy this book for a child so that they would be aware of just how important they were to God and the world as well as their family.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

A Place at Our Table by Amy Clipston

A Place at Our Table by Amy Clipston is the first book in the Amish Homestead series.  In this Amish love story Kayla and James meet at Kayla's family's burning barn.  James is an Amish fire fighter volunteer.  Kayla's little brother Nathan is 14 and wants to start volunteering with the firefighters group but Kayla is against it since she is grieving the loss of her firefighter brother, Simeon, in a fire.  Nathan is grieving that loss also but feels closer to his brother when he is around a fire trying to help.  Unbeknownst to James he starts to tell Nathan how to train as a firefighter greatly angering Kayla. 

Nathan is very busy working the family farm as well as volunteering at the local fire department.  Nathan says he has no time for dating but this extremely mad and beautiful Kayla has him interested.  Kayla Dienner's brother died a year ago at the same time that her fiancé dumped her and so not only distrusts the firefighter, James, but distrusts all men---but Jamie's good looks do hold her interest longer than she would like.  Then James who had been putting off fixing that railing guarding the basement steps hears the tones go off for his address and recognizing the description of his mother knows that his mother is gravely injured even before he sees her.  His mother has died all because of him and his sister will never forgive him nor will he.

This novel introduces that reader to the Riehl and Dienner families and walks us through how these 2 families cope with death and tragedy within the Amish faith.  This books tells how their must forgive everyone who wrongs them both comfort as well as challenges them as they go through life.  Read this book if your love Amish love stories, read this book if you just love love stories.  This is well written as all of Amy Clipston books are and this one is the beginning of a new series which is always more enjoyable when you start at the beginning reading them.  Usually her books are stand alone novels and this one is no different but still leaves the reader anxious to read the next installment.
I received this book from Booklook for this review.