An Amish Year by Beth Wiseman

An Amish Year by Beth Wiseman is a collection of 4 novellas which each can stand alone.  The first is Rooted in Love which I had never read before but is also written in An Amish Garden .  In this story Rosemary is very much in love with Saul though she doesn't want to be.  Saul has always been loving and kind to her and until she was 16 she had always planned to marry him and he had the same plan.  Rosemary just shortly after her mother died had broken it off and she absolutely refused to tell anyone the reason why even to her friend and confidant Esther.  Saul doesn't know why either but he has steadily kept trying to win her over time after time and year after year.  Rosemary is doing fine keeping up the housework after her mother's passing except for the garden.  When her dad hires Saul to plow and seed the garden however the two of them find themselves being drawn to one another.

Next in the book in the novella, A Love for Irma Rose.  In this story Irma Rose has a plan for her life.  She will marry the right man, who just happens to be Jake Ebersol.  Jake is wise and knew the Ordnung and had memorized much scripture.  Jake was what any Amish girl would want in a man and husband and Jake had finally asked her to go to the singing next Sunday and Irma Rose had quickly said yes.  When Irma Rose glanced up there was Jonas smiling that smile at her that was so unsettling and there was that sweat in the palms of her hands.  Jonas was wild and reckless.  Jonas smoked cigars.  But when she thought about Jonas her stomach had that uncomfortable tingling.  Irma Rose went to the singing with Jake and he kissed her as she had hoped---but nothing--no excitement. Was that it?  As luck would have it right after buying flour a storm came up and when Jonas offered her a ride home she had to take him up on it.  Irma Rose was afraid of storms and when the tree fell right in front of them on the road she was terrified.  Jonas was comforting her but when she looked at him she felt better but still that funny feeling in her stomach and she felt lightheaded.  She almost kissed him but then they pulled away and he laughed and said, " I almost kissed you and someday I am going to marry you".  She went into the house but she was thinking about both of them, Jonas and Jake.  Both of them were so different.  Who would it be?
In Patchwork Perfect, Eli had been widowed for several years now and it was time to start thinking about a new wife and mother for his two children.  In the beginning he couldn't have even thought that he would ever get over the grief but now he had moved to a new community just for the purpose of finding a new wife.  Grace, his daughter had hated the idea but now she had caught the eye of Wayne who was from a good family.  Grace still missed her old girlfriends but it was nice being noticed by Wayne even if he did want to take liberties Grace was not ready for.  Will Eli find a new wife? and more importantly one that he loves and loves his children?  Will Grace take it slow?  Will Grace figure out what love is and how important friends are both girls as well as boys?
When Christmas Comes Again is the final story of the book.  Katherine Zook had lost her husband, Elias, 6 months ago and now she was being followed by that long haired older man with the limp.  He had really never done anything to her but he seemed to be everywhere that she was.  There was something oddly familiar about him too.  He had been around so much that she knew that he drove an old blue car.  Then there was the day that her daughter Linda ran into the house with a gift wrapped box that she said a man had dropped by the house.  When she opened it there was in the box pictures of Elias and a few of her and the children.  As she looked through them  she found a note telling her that he hoped that they brought her happiness and would she meet him on Tuesday at the coffee shop and was signed by James Zook.  Now she knew why the odd elderly man seemed familiar--Elias' father.  James had left the family years before and no one really knew why.  What should she do?

This grouping of novellas are very well written and great to read.  You can just read one and lay the book down for another day as they are not a series and sometimes that is nice.  If you have a whole day to yourself you could read them all back to back.  You will enjoy this book if you enjoy reading Amish fiction.  This book would be appropriate reading for any age girl or woman.
I received this book from BookLook for this review.

A Refuge at Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky

A Refuge at Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky is the next novel set at Highland Hall by this author.  It is the spring of 1915 and war has broken out all over the world especially the world that affects the Ramsey family.  Kate and Dr. Jonathan Foster are planning their next baby as well as raising 8 orphan children.  Kate's sister, Penny, has left Highland Hall to join them in London and help raise the children.  Jon is getting busier and busier in the war effort and Kate is relying on Penny more and more with the household duties as well as childcare.   When Jon brings Alex to the tea that Kate and Penny are helping put on for the soldier Penny wonders if he might be the one.  Penny has just had her heart broken by her last suitor and doesn't think she is ready for a new love but feels herself drawn to the quiet and kind young man.  Alex for his part is a young pilot trying to prove his worth in the army as well as lead the new fight in the sky to defend England and the world from the dangerous new Zeppelins that enemy is using against them in this war.  Kate and Penny decide after the London bombings that they must return home to Highland Hall with their large family in order to be more safe while Jon is gone away to the war.

It is hard for us now to imagine a time when airplanes were a new thing in war or otherwise.  We have gotten used to using them for everyday transportation now.  This novel takes the reader back in time to when the world was first torn apart by world wide war.  It is said that life was simpler back then but in many many ways much tougher to live.  Get acquainted with the lives of the Ramsey's family in this book.  I enjoyed meeting the family and learning some of the happenings of World War I.  I think that this novel would be good reading for any woman or older girl.

I received this book from Multnomah Books for this review.

The Elements of Landscape Oil Painting by Suzanne Brooker

The Elements of Landscape Oil Painting by Suzanne Brooker is a book walking through how to translate what you see in nature to what you paint with oils onto canvas.  She shows through pictures and words how to use the differing brushes/knives for painting the different techniques.  She also is not afraid to tell brands to buy for the best techniques as well as how to use up some of the lower quality paint that you may already have on hand.  This may be one of the most valuable information tidbits in the book.  Beginners can spend so much trying to save money when buying a more expensive product that works better would be cheaper.  Thank you for not trying to not hurt manufacturers feelings Ms. Brooker.   We beginners need that much help.  The author walks the reader through techniques for painting sky, terrain, trees and water in order to paint them more lifelike and less one dimensional.  The author has pictures in the book showing a photograph then shows the progress of putting it on canvas.  She also tells how not to try to make it just like the photo but to make it better and states that photos also have their drawbacks that can be improved on in the painting.  She uses her own illustrations but also uses other artist illustrations to show the techniques that she is trying to teach.  The book is absolutely filled with pictures to simplify the teaching of the technique including how to hold the brush in your hand.  This is a book to read from beginning to end however since she builds one chapter onto the former chapter.  It may sound like this is a book for beginners to read from the former chapter but I truly believe that the reader should have taken at least a few face to face classes in order to make this book the most usable and readable if for no other reason to be used to the terminology, tools and products of painters. 
I really liked this book and as a beginner (who has taken a few classes) I could easily read and put to use the techniques. This book is easy to understand without being childlike.  I think that this book would be useful for most beginners and the techniques shown would improve the work of any skilled artist as well.  I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Midwife's Choice by Delia Parr

The Midwife's Choice by Delia Parr is the 2nd installment in the At Home in Trinity series by this author.  In this installment we find Martha living in the confectionary house with the 2 sisters who run it, Ivy and Fern.  She had developed a good working relationship with the doctor in town and both knew what each was best at in the division and care of their patients of the town.  Martha is developing a relationship with the mayor but so far has turned down his marriage proposal since she knows that she could not leave her midwifery practice if she were to marry him.  Then when her runaway daughter comes home it seems life could not be more complete.  That is until her daughter, Victoria, tells her of her plans to return to New York with her boss's wife to continue working at the newspaper.  Victoria has learned a lot since running away with the theater troupe.  She has grown up and seems to have be protected by God of the many evils which could have hurt her and found a nice family with which to live and work for.  Martha had been praying for her protection and it seems that He has provided that and more.  Victoria quickly apologized for leaving and Martha tells her that she has done some soul searching also about Victoria growing up since her husband's and Victoria's father's death.  She agrees to Victoria's return but with many stipulations which Victoria agrees and in a few days she would have returned but for the snowstorm and the beating of one of Martha's patients, Nancy, and needing to protect her.  Some of the town secrets come to light and community pulls together to protect and hide Nancy.

I loved reading this book even though I hadn't read the first installment.  It is not necessary to read it for the understanding of this book though I think I would have enjoyed it more since I would have already been acquainted with the characters of the story.  This book is a Christian love story though the love story just adds interest to the story of Martha's midwifery practice and her interactions with her daughter and the community. I would recommend this book for any age girl or woman reader.
I received this book from Baker Publishing Group for this review.

Happy Cooking by Giada De Laurentiis

Happy Cooking by Giada De Laurentiis is Giada's newest cookbook creation.  It is filled with high quality pictures on high quality paper.  Giada's cookbooks all have a theme and this one is healthy cooking on a day to day basis.  Now this cookbook is not for those looking for cooking on a budget.  Giada is a chef and as such uses good if not great quality foods and equipment and expects that the reader will also be able to afford these items if they wish to cook her recipes from this cookbook.  That being said she also explains the reasoning for instance using one type of olive oil over another.  In one recipe she will note that you should use not just Romano cheese but rather Pecorino Romano cheese.  The seasoned cook of skill will be able to make substitutes that may not be quit the quality but certainly have meals that the family can enjoy and afford.  She has many suggestions to make snacking more nutritious but still enjoyable and fun.  She makes no bones that she does not eat to lose weight but rather for nutrition and enjoyment.  This cookbook makes notations on whenever a recipe is classified as vegan, vegetarian, or gluten free.  This cookbook has many suggestions on seasonings as well as ways to use those vegetables in your garden that you have lost interest in beyond the first weeks of it being in season.  The chapter that I love the most however is the first one which is breakfast meals.  She has many great ideas that I will use again and again.

I liked this cookbook.  It cannot be the only cookbook that you own but luckily I own many and will enjoy this cookbook as an addition to my collection. I received this book for Blogging for Books for this review.

Amish Chrsitmas at North Star by Cindy Woodsmall, Mindy Starns Clark and Emily Clark, Amanda Flower, and Katie Ganshert

Amish Chrsitmas at North Star by Cindy Woodsmall, Mindy Starns Clark and Emily Clark, Amanda Flower, and Katie Ganshert.  These well known authors have worked together to write this delightful book of 4 stories.  The premise of the story is that Rebekah, the midwife of the Amish community 25 years ago on a snowy night delivered 4 babies and these 4 stories are how they are spending this Christmas as adults.  The children are Elle McAllister, Eden Hochstetler, Savilla Beiler, and Andy Danner.  In the first Elle knows that she is adopted but has no idea that her mother was from the Amish community of North Star.  A local reporter, Chase Wellington, decides to write a story about the 4 births and has set out to find out what happened to all those children born on that snowy night.  He becomes intrigued when he finds that one of the Amish women disappeared from the community after being dismissed and was never heard of after that.  Elle the baby of that mother has had a good life being raised by good parents, knows that her biological mother is out there but has no burning desire to find her, assuming that her mother does not want to be found. Chase convinces her that she should go back to North Star from Iowa where she was raised to find out her family history.
  In the 2nd story, Eden has joined with her non-Amish friend, Gina, to solve a murder mystery.  Eden's good elderly friend, Isaac, was found dead in the stable that he owned in town.  On the surface it looked like an accident where a horse stomped the man to death but Gina's father was the veterinarian and told her that the horse had a puncture wound and the lab results from the autopsy showed that the horse had been injected with amphetamines.  This greatly upset Eden since she was very close to the older man and loved spending time at the stables with him.  So begins the solving of the mystery by the two girls.
In the 3rd story Savilla has broken off her engagement to Kore without much explanation.  Savilla though had what she thought was an excellent reason, she was not going to be able to have children because she had to have a hysterectomy and didn't want Kore to marry her just because he felt sorry for her.  So she broke off the engagement without telling him why.  But when Kore's, grandmother Mammi D. falls and is in critical condition at the local hospital and Kore needs to come back home to help out.  Savilla has gone to check out Mammi D's house and make sure all was as it should be.  Savilla had been working with Mammi D the day before she fell and she needed to finish up and also wanted to check and make sure it hadn't left something out and caused the fall.  She heard a noise while she was there and discovered 3 children hiding outside.  She found out the Mammi D had agreed to watch them while their parents were out of the country to adopt their next sibling.  Savilla and Kore have to learn to get along and start working together to care for the children so that their parents don't have to return before the adoption goes through.
In the 4th story Andy Danner has left North Star 6 months ago because he can't face life there after Nellie left him.  Nellie always had been good with numbers and wanted to continue her education at the university.  She thought that though she could go through with joining the church and marriage to Andy until that day she left classes at the church and tearfully told him that she couldn't do it.  Nellie had gone on to the city and tried classes but found that she really needed the church and loved Andy more than she wanted to be educated.  Nellie returned to North Star and repented and was accepted back into the church and community but Andy couldn't trust her and he left  for Mississippi to join an Amish group working construction.  Sam, Andy's 12 year old brother was devastated as was Nellie.  Nellie wrote to Andy and apologized and said she would wait as long as necessary and went to work in an ice cream parlor in town and sewing for people on the side.  Sam thought of a great idea, he would make all the money necessary to buy Andy's train ticket if he would agree to come home.  Andy thinking it was impossible agreed.  Then Sam went to Nellie and talked to her about Andy and found the Nellie had written to him already but agreed to write another letter to him to apologize again.  All was going good until Andy and Sam's dad had the terrible accident and Sam gave up all his money to help pay the hospital bills. 
How is all this going to turn out for these 4 babies born on the same terrible night?

The Holy Bible International Children's Bible

The Holy Bible International Children's Bible is not a Children's Bible in the traditional sense of the phrase.  It is not merely the stories of the Bible that children would be interested.  It is also not a picture book there are no pictures to speak of in this Bible.  It is not even a paraphrase.  It is an actual translation of the Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek language.  All of that being said it is an easy to read translation.  Most children of about 5th grade reading level would be able to read it straight through and most reading children of any age could read the familiar stories.  It has plenty of maps to engage the reader into knowing where a particular incident took place.  The outside is decorated for girl readers especially those who love the Frozen movie.  It comes with a blue Bible case so that it can be easily transported (and protected) to church or study events. 

I would recommend this Bible for purchase for anyone buying for young girls either for personal study or as a Sunday School promotion gift.  It should be considered  a good first Bible for girls but would be easy Bible reading for adults also. It is a really good translation and I enjoyed reading it.  I really think that calling it a children's translation is going to cut down on sales because it would be a good translation for any adult to read also.  I know that I enjoyed reading this translation.
I received this Bible from BookLook for this review.