The Sisterhood by Tasha Alexander - A Book Review

  

This dual timeline story is set in 1907 London and AD 60 Britannia. The theme of the book deals with rights for women with the emphasis on suffrage. While I am a fan of dual timeline stories, over 1800 years was a bit too great a gap for me. I was almost half-way through the book before I gleaned the significance of the connection between the two storylines. Honestly, after around one-third of the way through I had begun just skimming the chapters set in AD 60 as I had not developed an interest in that part of the book, and that didn't change even after I understood its role in the book as a whole. The 1907 storyline was quite interesting with a married couple serving as investigators in the murders of two debutantes, reminiscent of Pepper Basham's Freddie and Grace mystery series. I am sure I would have given The Sisterhood a higher rating if I had only based it on this storyline.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Sisterhood from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Let the Biscuits Burn by Abby Kuykendall - A Book Review

  

The themes of this book concerning hospitality being a spiritual gift for some and a spiritual discipline for others, and about the importance of surrendering one's plans, desires, and comfort to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and to lead others into a relationship with Christ should ring true with all Christians. While the author does stress the difference between the concepts of entertaining and hospitality, and does provide a bit of information on practicing hospitality in various settings, she largely focuses on practicing hospitality in one's home. I tend to have a broader view of hospitality, but understand that this is the focus she has chosen to highlight in this book. She goes a long way in trying to make practicing hospitality accessible to all and supports that with a collection of tips at the end of the book. Overall as I read, I felt like the book was targeting an audience of 20 to 40 somethings in middle- to upper-income homes, although some of the suggestions were more broadly applicable.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Let the Biscuits Burn from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shocklee - A Book Review

  

I have read many books set during WWII, but none have been anything like The Women of Oak Ridge. This book has a very original plot. Through its dual timeline in the 1940s and late 1970s, the story of Maebelle Willett slowly and carefully unfolds. We first meet young Maebelle as she answers President Franklin D. Roosevelt's call to serve her country after being approached by a recruiter to work for Clinton Engineer Works, a Tennessee company involved in war work. We meet Maebelle as an older version of herself as her niece comes to spend the summer with her to do research on how living and working in the secret city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee impacted the lives of those who, mostly unknowingly, helped in the making of the first atomic bombs, and therefore in the death and destruction that resulted. The Women of Oak Ridge becomes a story of spies and espionage, a story that reveals how easily lines between right and wrong can become blurred. It also reveals the toll secrets and unforgiveness, even if it is for ourselves, can take on one's life.

Michelle Shocklee's careful research and skillful storytelling is masterfully displayed in The Women of Oak Ridge. Her use of the dual timeline to reveal information that carries the story forward and develops her characters is carried out with great precision, intricately weaving the story together. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Canyon of Deceit by Diann Mills - A Book Review

  

While Canyon of Deceit is filled with danger and intrigue, Diann Mills also weaves in a story of pain, regret, and a struggle with forgiving oneself and moving past the past. Through her two protagonists' efforts to locate a kidnapped eight-year-old daughter of a Russian professor teaching in Houston,Texas, they face the elements and terrain of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, terrorists, and multiple attempts on their lives. But through it all they find forgiveness, faith, and love. This book truly is a wild ride, one that includes helicopter crashes, explosives, lots of waiting, and a tumble down a mountainside. There is a mystery to solve as to who is behind the chaos, and another mystery for us to both accept and appreciate as we begin to see God's using it all for good, no matter what man's intentions had been.

Canyon of Deceit is an entertaining read that is highly engaging. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Dragon's Prophecy by Jonathan Cahn - A Book Review

  

My husband and I listened as the text-to-speech feature on my Kindle read The Dragon's Prophecy to us over several days. We were both amazed at the correlations Jonathan Cahn was able to draw between Scripture, Jewish traditions, the Hebrew language, and the history of Israel to the events of October 7, 2023. The information he provides is easily fact checked and much of the information is not obscure, but is available through mainstream news sources. The brilliance is in how Cahn links the information together, demonstrating the patterns that appear over time as Satan seeks to invert the reality of God and His people. Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NLT) states, “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” So, it is not surprising that Satan's actions repeat themselves. When this is made clear to us concerning recent events, it may allow us to see things through a different lens.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Dragon's Prophecy from Frontline via NetGalley without obligation. The book is very interesting. I am anxious to reread the book, taking notes along the way this time through. All opinions expressed here are my own.

A Sea View Christmas by Julie Klassen - A Book Review

  

A Sea View Christmas is the fourth book in Julie Klassen's On Devonshire Shores, and it is just as lovely as the others. The Summers family relocated to Sidmouth on the Devonshire shores after the death of Mr. Summers. In order to survive the daughters, along with their mother, opened and operate a guest house. Their stories and those of their guests make for delightful reading for fans of early 1800 historical fiction. Sarah Summers, the second eldest sister,has been a steady feature in each book. Now it is her time to shine, although she may be the last to realize it. Family, hospitality, and loving one's neighbor as yourself are consistent themes throughout the series with a touch of romance to help move the story forward.

A Sea View Christmas will delight readers with nostalgic Christmas and New Year games and traditions. Klassen's writing is filled with enough lighthearted fun to balance the weightier parts of the story, just as Sarah must learn to balance responsibility and the enjoyment of life. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.