The Mountains We Call Home by Kim Michele Richardson - A Book Review

  

The Mountains We Call Home is Richardson's third book about Book Woman Cussy Lovett and her family. Cussy has an inherited blood disorder called methemoglobinemia which causes her skin to have a blue tint. This means that due to the miscegenation law prohibiting one from marrying a person of another race, a law that both she and her husband have broken, thus losing their freedom. When forced away from home and family, one quickly realizes what thing is most important in life. One also becomes aware of what they will do to protect it and to get it back.

Richardson not only tells a poignant story with wonderful character development, she displays her own love for Kentucky and her own family's heritage there. Richardson honors our state's history not only through her novels, but also by campaigning for a historical marker to honor the contribution of Kentucky's pack horse librarians, leading an initiative to place free little libraries in county courthouses across the commonwealth, and highlighting authors and teachers who positively impacted Kentucky's literacy efforts over the years.

I highly recommend The Mountains We Call Home, and suggest readers also read The Book Woman of Trouble Creek and The Book Woman's Daughter. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Sourcebooks via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed herea re my own. 

Where We Belong by Kim Vogel Sawyer - A Book Review

Where We Belong is an Orphan Train novel, but the two children on whom the story focuses are not truly orphans. When their mom passed away during the younger sister's birth, their father was unable to care for them while trying to hang onto a job during the Great Depression. With their care home closing and an inability to reach their father, the girls were placed on the Orphan Train heading west. Where We Belong is the story of the girls' lives with the lady who adopted them as well as a young boy from the train, the oldest sister's struggle to get back to New York City where their father can find them, and a desperate father's search for his daughters. While the ending is easily predictable, readers will enjoy following the emotional journey of the girls and the people who love them. Vogel has done a wonderful job generating empathy, developing her characters, and painting vivid word pictures of times and places I have never personally seen, but can now readily visualize.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Where We Belong from WaterBrook, an imprint of Penguin Random House Christian Publishing Group, via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Lumber Baron's Wife by Lynn Austin - A Book Review

  

The Lumber Baron's Wife is a dual-timeline story. The common element is the setting: two Craftsman style homes built in the 1870s in a town on the western coast of Michigan. In the 1870s Kate, the young wife of Lumber Baron Henry Abernathy, resided in the larger of the two homes. Kate had been brought up in poverty and was unprepared to be the lady her husband wanted her to be. The smaller home was the residence of her unlikely friend Harriet and her husband, Dr. John Benson. The lives of these two women became tangled together sometimes supporting and helping one another, other times lost in their own sorrows, until Kate's disappearance.

The current day storyline focuses on Ashley Gilbert a new bride who moves to Michigan, giving up her job at a history museum to go where her husband has been hired for his dream job. Fearing they never would find a home they would agree upon, Ashley and David finally come to an agreement, purchasing Dr. and Mrs. Benson's 150 year-old home, with great reservation on David's part. As Ashley seeks employment, she stumbles upon the run-down Abernathy mansion and the volunteers who are striving to restore it. In no time she is hooked, and becomes enthralled with the unsolved mystery of Kate Abernathy's disappearance.

Lynn Austin does a wonderful job developing these three women's characters as well as those of the men in their lives. She skillfully draws compassion from her readers, well except for maybe that one character that elicits a more negative reaction. Themes of allowing God into one's tough times, and seeking His will are well-developed. The dialogue is well-written, and the things left unsaid speak loudly. I highly recommend The Lumber Baron's Wife and am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Bookshop of 99 Doors by Jaime Jo Wright - A Book Review

  

This dual-timeline novel tells the story of Ambrose Fields, a home built not long before the American Revolution, that survived the Civil War, and was now an historic site. Minnie Tipton moved to Ambrose Fields twenty-five years after the Battle of nearby Gettysburg. Minnie had lost her mother at seventeen, and could not understand why her father had uprooted them to move to this estate which was home to a gruesome past and the ghost stories that generated. Triss Billamy moved to Ambrose Fields in current times in an effort to flee her family and their joint livelihoods focused on the supernatural and paranormal. She was on a quest for truth and to know God. Her part in her family's profession had left her frightened and confused. At Ambrose Fields she would be among her favorite things, books, as the manager of the sites's bookshop and having been tasked with cataloging the library as well. When Triss' brother and his crew show up to investigate the paranormal sightings at the estate, Minnie's and Triss' worlds collide.

Jaime Jo Wright has once again successfully guided readers through a spine-tingling tale filled with things that go bump in the night and people who behave in unexpected ways. As things begin to fall in place, she reveals insights into God and how one may come to know Him. There is another prominent theme, but revealing that here would classify as a spoiler. So, I will leave that to my fellow readers to enjoy discovering that for themselves.

I am very grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Bookshop of 99 Doors from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.  

Witness Protection by Robert Whitlow - A Book Review

 

 

Witness Protection may be a slow-paced suspense story that does not contain a great deal of action scenes with high speed chases and guns blazing, but there is indeed action. The action actually occurs in the supernatural realm of spiritual warfare. The main warrior is an elderly, arthritic aunt backed up by her prayer partner. Their attention to the soft voice of the Holy Spirit, their discernment of the needs of others, and their obedience in prayer drives the outcome of the story and is a great model for readers.

While the story contains realistic dialogue, it is driven by the author's description of what is occurring. Whitlow's writing gives readers adequate time to consider the message, the themes, and the plot direction. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Witness Protection from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins - Some Thoughts

  

While Sunrise on the Reaping may be Haymitch Abernathy's story, I was more enthralled with his girlfriend Lenore Dove's story. Much like her ancestor Lucy Gray, Lenore Dove is an independent thinker who loves nature, music, and literature. Both young ladies have a tendency to speak, or sing, their opinion of those in charge of the government and society. Haymitch is Lenore's true love. He is smarter and braver than he knows. He also becomes more abused and tormented that he could ever have imagined. 

Sunrise on the Reaping is an intense story. In my opinion, the violence in this book seems a tad more excessive that in the previous Hunger Games books. Emotions run high before, during, and after the games for both characters and readers. I look forward to seeing the soon-to-be released movie version, and to discovering which I prefer most, the book or the movie. 

Hemlock and Homicide by Bruce Hammack - A Brief Comment

 

I got an e-copy of Hemlock and Homicide when it was offered for free on Amazon. It is a cozy mystery that my husband and I enjoyed listening to for several days over breakfast. We were unaware that it was the thirteenth book in a series until after we had finished listening to it, but we had no difficulty following the story. The author provided enough background information to fill in the gaps for us. Hammack is adept at writing dialogue, and the humor found in the interaction between his characters in enjoyable. We will likely listen to other books in this series. 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins - A Brief Comment

  

I preferred books 1-3 of this series over this fourth installment, although it was interesting to see what made Coriolanus Snow into the man he became. I did enjoy the characters Lucy Gray and her young cousin Maude Ivory. While Lucy Gray did have a strong will to survive, it appeared she also had a sweet nature, as did Maude Ivory. Lucy Gray's characters is what caused me to prefer the movie over the book. Hearing her haunting voice singing her ballads was far superior to just reading the lyrics. 

I am grateful to our oldest granddaughter for recommending this series. 

The Lie You Don't Know You Believe by Jennie Allen - A Book Review

  

Author Jennie Allen pours herself out onto the pages of The Lie You Don't Know You Believe, being open and vulnerable in order to help others who struggle with believing Satan's lie about themselves as she once did. To some degree, that is probably the majority of us at one time or another in our lives. Allen points out that the subtleness of the lie does nothing to lesson its impact on us or the ripples sent out to others. Through the use of lots of Scripture, sage advice from counselors, and personal experience, she gives hope for breaking that impact as well as the ripple effect.

The Lie You Don't Know You Believe is a book everyone should have the opportunity to read. As the title implies, you may not be aware of the lie you are believing. Even if you are, you might be accepting it as truth, or feeling there is no way out from under its influence. Allen offers hope in this well-written, thoughtful book.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this eye-opening book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Frankenstein Or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley - A Few Comments

  

I read Frankenstein at the urging of our grandson. It was more engrossing that I had anticipated, and was was worth the hours dedicated to reading it. The themes of the book are easily translated in the light of modern concerns. The theme that highlights the dangers of scientific and technical advancement without ethical constraints is as important today as it was in 1818 when Mary Shelley wrote the book. The significant impact of isolation and loneliness, whether by choice or circumstance, most definitely speaks to today's society that has been isolated by an epidemic and through some forms of modern technology. Prejudice and the withholding of empathy and compassion based on physical appearance or any external attributes has weighed mightily on our society, and societies at large, for centuries. Classics, like Frankenstein, may open up a platform for discussing these themes without enticing the type of banter characterizing interactions on social media.

I am grateful to have been encouraged to read this book by our grandson and will look forward to future recommendations. 

When Justice Comes by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker - A Book Review

   

This last novel in Coble and Acker's Tupelo Grove series is a satisfying wrap up to the many mysteries and secrets that were revealed along the way. A cameo appearance from the protagonist from Coble's Sanctuary series was a nice addition to the story. When Justice Comes reveals generational curses based on the values and morals, or lack thereof, passed down from one generation to the next. It also demonstrates how those curses can be broken through the choice to become a believer in Christ, to abide in Him, and to allow the Holy Spirit to lead one in living in a way that seeks justice and righteousness. The story also demonstrates the power of forgiveness and making amends. While bringing forth such important themes, Coble and Acker also provide an intense suspense tale that is filled with a series of crimes and betrayals, risks and rescues, love and hope.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of When Justice Comes from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

  

Not reviewing this book, just posting it in order for it to be included in my yearly book total. Very grateful for the book  recommendation from our oldest granddaughter. 

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

  

Not reviewing this book, just posting it in order for it to be included in my yearly book total. Very grateful for the book  recommendation from our oldest granddaughter. 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - A Brief Comment

  

I am just making a brief comment in order to log the first three books of this series into my completed books for the year. Since this book has received 4.7 stars on Amazon with 103,950 reviews, posting another review does not seem necessary. We had enjoyed the movies at our oldest granddaughter's recommendation. Afterwards she suggested that I also read the books. I am glad that she did. As I  thoroughly enjoyed all three books. 

Raging Waters by Dana Mentink - A Book Review

  

Wilderness survival specialist Gideon Landry's life had been changed by multiple choices made by his best friend, Aaron Bardine. Aaron's life choices and especially his death, had also greatly altered his sister, Mackenzie's life, turning her into a vengeful person that Gideon hardly recognized. Now, thrown together in a life-threatening situation, trying to escape nature's elements and enemies they had inherited from Aaron, survival is their main goal.

Adventure is the key word for Raging Waters. Gideon, Mackenzie, and Mentink's readers barely catch their breath after one harrowing adventure before another begins. Mentink engages every sense; readers will feel wet, cold, hungry, totally exhausted, and filled with both fear and determination. This fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat story is an intense read I highly recommend. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Raging Waters from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Last to Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn - A Book Review

  

How fun to return to Gossamer Falls and the Quinn family! This final installment of the series is filled with emotions as the dam holding them back finally breaks between Mo and Bronwyn. Readers have waited a long time for their story, and it was worth the wait. It was nice to see Blackburn give a nod to Sabrina Fleming-Campbell from her Dive Team Investigations series. A series, like this Gossamer Falls series, that is intense and filled with action.

While Last to Fall would make a fine stand-alone read, I highly recommend reading the Gossamer Falls series in order so that the reader can fully enjoy the story and understand the nuances. Blackburn creates fantastic plots with lovable characters as well as characters who need a whole lot of grace. The settings of her books are never random, and always play a part in the story. Her books are romantic suspense at its best. Fans of Lynette Eason, Robin Patchen, and Irene Hannon will quickly become fans of Lynn H. Blackburn as well.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Last to Fall from Revell via NetGally without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Edge of Truth by Janice Cantore - A Book Review

  

Janice Cantore is a convincing author of police suspense fiction, likely due to having served on the Long Beach, California police force for twenty-two years. In Edge of Truth, Officer Laine Jenson, also of the Long Beach force, experiences a failure in how the system functions, the loss of a loved one to violence, being targeted by organized crime, and a chance at romance. Saying the story is like a roller coaster may sound cliché, but phrases become clichés for a reason. Very few times while reading have I repeatedly felt like the solution was apparent only to discover how wrong I was. Nothing remains the way it seems. This story has many moving parts.

I highly recommend Edge of Truth, and am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Tyndale House Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Deadly Currents by Elizabeth Goddard - A Book Review

  

When I began reading Deadly Currents, I just couldn't get into it. It wasn't bad, I just didn't connect, but then, around the halfway point, something happened. Everything began to fall in place. The characters became someone I could care about. The mystery became intriguing, and I couldn't put the book down. If my to-be-read pile wasn't growing at such an alarming rate, I would reread Deadly Currents right away with a new lens for the first half of the book.

Cressida's story of being betrayed by her mother, dealing with the death of her father, and trying to rescue her writing career and honor her father by completing the book he was writing at the time of his death becomes quite complicated while researching the final chapter of her father's book. Suddenly she is under attack and is becoming aware that her father's death might not have been an accident. She has no idea whom she can trust. Her story includes a ghost ship, pirates, murder, and just a touch of romance. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Deadly Currents from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Hidden Agenda by Lisa Harris - A Book Review Update

  

When I logged into Amazon to post a review on Hidden Agenda, I was surprised to discover I had already reviewed it eleven years earlier. My review still stands. It is a great read. 

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Whiteout by Lynette Eason and Dani Pettrey - A Book Review

   

Whiteout is made up of two romantic suspense novellas: Buried in Shadows by Dani Pettrey and Snowbound Secrets by Lynette Eason. Both settings are at a ski resort impacted by an avalanche, cutting the protagonists off from outside help.

Buried in Shadows had me engrossed from the first page. Waking up to the possibility of an intruder in one's home is many women's worst nightmare. Knowing it may signal the return of one's stalker compounds the terror. The story continues with many more hooks to hold readers captive: a lost love, adrenaline pumping adventure, an avalanche, dangerous wild animals, an abandoned lodge with secret passages, and a killer on the loose. The only thing missing from this story is more of it. When the ending abruptly arrives, the readers just aren't ready to let the characters go.

Snowbound Secrets begins with three friends who had lost touch after high school and joining the military unexpectedly finding themselves all back at a ski resort they had enjoyed together in their youth. Stranded with other guests following an avalanche, Dr. Maya Sullivan is unable to put any distance between herself and the unknown person who seems intent on killing her. This story also holds readers' attention immediately and consistently with its second chance on love trope, secrets revealed, murder attempted, and old tunnels discovered. This story has a bit more real estate in the book and comes to a satisfying ending.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Whiteout from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary on John - A Brief Comment

 

This is the seventh book in the Living Insights New Testament Commentary that I have read. I continue to be amazed at Dr. Swindoll's ability to deepen the understanding of long-familiar passages through his knowledge of Hebrew and Greek as well as the culture of the times. I highly recommend this book and series.   

The Bird of Bedford Manor by Michelle Griep - A Book Review

 

Set in 1820 Bedfordshire, England, The Bird of Bedford Manor is a Regency era, Gothic, romantic suspense tale. Henry Russell is struggling to fill his father's shoes as head of the manor and in his business affairs. Being very hard on himself as he works to prove himself to his father, things are complicated by an unknown someone who is seeking to frighten, and maybe harm, his sister. Seeing to her protection and solving the mystery of her tormentor's identity, Henry feels God is providing a helper in his efforts in the form of Juliet finch, a poacher who was apprehended on his property, and one possessing skills he requires.

Michelle Griep once again rewards her readers for patiently waiting for her next novel. Her passion for this time and place, and for exposing the darkness to light, is on full display in The Bird of Bedford Manor. Obvious evil will be exposed and brought out into the open, and the darkness of one's soul will be expelled. I highly recommend this book and am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Caregiver at Wounded Knee by Debby Lee - A Book Review

  

The Caregiver at Wounded Knee follows Rose Rushing Water, a member of the Lakota tribe who had been educated in Boston to be a nurse. While in Boston, Rose's experiences included the pains of prejudice against her people as well as the joys of learning nursing, discovering new authors, and making a best friend. Rose was ready to liver her dream of returning home to her brothers and serving the Indians and settlers residing there. She also was excited to reconnect with her language and traditions, something that was far more difficult than she had ever anticipated. The story of Rose's life leads to her presence at the Wounded Knee Creek on the day of the infamous massacre.

The theme of understanding how an all-powerful and loving God allows people to do horrible things to one another, sometimes in the name of Christianity, and that of justice unrealized are at the center of The Caregiver at Wounded Knee and are well-developed. There is a particular analogy the author uses that goes a long way in explaining why we should not give up on God when people do terrible things.

For the most part, I truly enjoyed this novel. There were a few places where the dialogue or the descriptive prose seemed to be that of a less mature writer, but that certainly wasn't a consistent feature. I enjoyed the story and may seek out others based on this time period in the American West. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Caregiver at Wounded Knee from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Christmas in the Crosshairs Presented by Lynette Eason - A Brief Comment

  

Christmas in the Crosshairs is a collection of three novellas by three different authors that did Lynette Eason's Elite Guardian characters proud. It would be difficult to select a favorite from the three as they all were highly engaging, God-honoring, well-written stories with natural, easy-flowing dialogue. The final story did a great job of tying the stories together in its final pages.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Christmas in the Crosshairs through an Advent book giveaway. While the stories are set in the Christmas season,they would be a great read any time of year. 

Fatal Exchange by Lisa Harris - A Book Review

  

After being gifted and reading the first book in Lisa Harris' Southern Crimes series, I was able to access book two via the Libby app. Emily's story was as intriguing as was her sister Avery's. Unlike Avery, their father, and their brother, Emily is not in law enforcement; rather, she is a high school history teacher. Until the day one of her students pulled a handgun out and held her class hostage, Emily had been able to avoid the dangers her family members so often faced.

Harris skillfully intertwines a slow-burn romance into Emily's situation. Mason, her late brother's former partner, and her sister's lead suspect in that case, becomes the hostage negotiator throwing he and Emily together in an intensely emotional situation as they both care very much for the young man they had both mentored who is very uncharacteristically holding his class at gunpoint.

While this is an older series, I highly recommend it and am looking forward to reading book number three.