Book Review: Brush of an Angel's Wing by Ruth Reid

This is the second book in Ruth Reid's series, Heaven on Earth, of an Amish society.  The first book was fantastic and I couldn't wait to get the chance to read and review her follow-up novel.

Book Description (from BookSneeze.com)

Rachel and Jordan's feelings for each other are hostile at first, but angelic intervention helps the two discover peace . . . and perhaps love.
The youngest and last unmarried of four sisters, Rachel Hartlzer spends most of her time helping with barn chores. Her role abruptly changes when her father hires Jordan Engles, the son he always wanted.
As Jordan takes on brotherly roles around the house, like escorting Rachel to the youth singing, the enmity between the two grows. Besides, Jordan has one foot in the Englisch world and is determined not to get involved with an Amish girl.
Neither realizes that God has sent an angel, Nathaniel, to help mend their hearts. The angel’s intervention helps them find peace and healing in accepting God's will for their lives.

My Thoughts

While I wasn't as entranced by this book as I was with her first in this series, The Promise of an Angel, I think this is a great book.  I tore through this book in no time and was sad that I'd have to wait a long while until her next book.  Brush of an Angel's Wings made me feel good to think that there just might be a guardian angel watching over me and battling Satan's forces for me.  The story of Rachel and Jordan was sweet and had me either in tears or laughing a lot.  I appreciate how Ruth takes her time developing the characters, their feelings, and their back story.  God has a plan for each of our lives and we can't find true happiness until we stop being stubborn.  We need to seek Him and follow the path He has laid out for us, even if it takes us out of our comfort zone or humbles us.  This story also really shows us how good can come from bad situations.  Remember......ALL things work together for the good of those who love Him.

I was provided a copy of this book from BookSneeze.com for my honest review.  All opinions are my own and no compensation was received other than a copy of the book.

Booke Review: Beyond Molasses Creek

Description:

Three lives are bound by a single book . . . and the cleansing waters of Molasses Creek.
Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship--he was once her best friend . . . and also part of the reason she's stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn't through with her yet.

As Ally's wandering spirit wrestles with a deep longing to flee again, a young woman on the other side of the world escapes her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. A mysterious sketchbook leads Sunila Kunari to believe there's more to her story than she's ever been told, and she's determined to follow the truth wherever it leads her.

A deep current intertwines the lives of these three souls, and a destiny of freedom, faith, and friendship awaits them all on the banks of Molasses Creek.

My Thoughts: 
While this book certainly had a Christian theme to it without coming across like a self-help sermon, it certainly left a lot to be desired.  I don't really care for stories that hop around from perspective to perspective, but this book confused me more than other books written that way.  The characters, while well developed, seemed to be a little too two-dimensional, but that could be because of the changing perspectives as well.

Overall an okay read, but not sure if I'd read anything from this author again.

I received a complimentary copy of the book for my honest review; all opinions are my own.

Book Review: Thank you, God, for blessing me by Max Lucado

This is a super cute book for small children.  It's very short, but sweet and little kids would love it and realize God loves them too!  I love the cute little caterpillar and the artwork.  I think that this book may have been better suited to a collection of short read-to-me stories, but all in all, I think it'd be a special gift to a toddler that loves to be read to.


I received a complimentary copy of the book for my honest review; all opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Final Hour by Andrew Klavan

I skimmed through this book and found that while it is part of a larger series, you don't need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one.  The book is written for the young adult/teen age group so it's not as gripping to me as others I have read.  While not firmly based in Christianity, it has undertones of God and Christian themes.  I don't really enjoy books or movies that have a lot of "flash back" moments, but this book at least wasn't overly bothersome to me because it was well written.

I received a complimentary copy of the book for my honest review; all opinions are my own.

Book Review: Pattern of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand

I apologize, I read this book a while back and completely forgot to hit the "post" button when I was done.  This book may have been out for a couple of weeks by now!

Pattern of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand

If you like a series type of book that can also be read as a stand-alone book, this is a good one.  I didn't realize that there were other books in the Roland March Mystery series until I read some other reviews after reading it.  This is a good fiction book with a spiritual lining.  It takes the typical murder mystery and puts a little background spirituality to it.  I would think that God and Christian values will be more evident in the future books because you can see the main character working through his issues of anger towards God.  I can really relate to the character because I am also in law enforcement and it is very difficult for people in my field to accept and trust God as loving and merciful sometimes.  If you're looking for an interesting murder mystery book without all the language and blood, but with a thread of Christianity woven into it, this would be a good choice.  If you're looking for a obvious Christian fiction book, you may want to head somewhere else.

I did find this book an interesting read and a nice substitution to the typical foul language murder mystery books.

Disclosure: I was provided a copy of this book for review.  All opinions are 100% my own and not influenced in any way by the publisher.

Book Review: A Vision of Lucy

I apologize, I read this book a while back and completely forgot to hit the "post" button when I was done.  This book may have been out for a couple of weeks by now!

A Vision of Lucy  By Margaret Brownley

This books wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but it was a fun read that offered a little spiritual insight into a woman's life.  What I learned from this book is that God is in control and even when two people look like they are completely wrong for each other, God may have a plan for them.  This reminds me of my husband and I....you couldn't get two more different people, but God has created something wonderful out of it.  I also like the theme of the book that even though you may feel unlovable and unworthy, you are ALWAYS worthy in His eyes and He has placed someone on this earth to love you for who you are.

All in all, a good, albeit simple, read.  Would be a nice beach book or a weekend book when you're snowed in.

Disclosure: I was provided a copy of this book for review.  All opinions are 100% my own and not influenced in any way by the publisher.

Book Review: Spiritual Warfare for Women

Spiritual Warfare for Women by Leighann McCoy is a great read for any woman that wants to move forward for the Kingdom of Christ.  Fear, worry, heartache are all things we women deal with on a daily basis.  We try to avoid trials and pain, but sometimes we need to face these things head on to grow spiritually and to move the cause of Christ onward.  Leighann McCoy wrote this book in the midst of several very difficult trials, although when she started, she didn’t know they were coming.  It’s true that when we serve God, Satan sees us as a threat and will work that much harder to bring us down.  It’s during these times that we need to put on our spiritual armor, surround ourselves with prayer partners, and fight the battle head-on.

I was really moved by her book…there were some sections that just flat out smacked me between the eyes and showed me where I was going wrong.  The one area that was most eye opening was having real friends; real relationships with Godly women that can support me through my times of trials and help catch me when I am getting off track.  I have always had a problem in making real friends, and I thank the Lord for bringing this passage in her book out to me so that I can see this is an area I need to work on.

McCoy leads the reader through several areas of our lives that Satan will attack and gives us Biblical principles and real life advice on how to get through them.  The most important points I took from this book were perseverance, holding to the Word of God, prayer, and humility.  We all know bad things happen to good people, but how we react to those situations will greatly influence the direction of our lives and our testimony to others.

I highly recommend any Christian woman to read this book…..it’s a real eye opener that will inspire you to persevere and move onward for Christ!

Disclosure: I was provided a copy of this book for review.  All opinions are 100% my own and not influenced in any way by the publisher.

Book Review: Spring for Susannah

Spring for Susannah
By Catherine Richmond

Another fantastic book from Thomas Nelson Publishing. I have to admit that I had reservations about reading a book about a mail-order bride living in the Dakota Territories in the late 1800’s. I am not much of a history buff and don’t really have interest in reading about life on the western front. However, I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. Susannah is like many of us; she has gone through hard times, lost people she loved, had no means to provide for herself, and blamed God for it all. I thought the mail-order bride aspect was a little strange at first, but the author provided a great amount of explanation and understanding about why relationships had to be formed that way in the rough and primitive territory conditions. Susannah eventually broke out of her shell and was able to see that God wasn’t at fault for her pain. The events of her life led her to the place where God most wanted her to be; Susannah had always had the choice whether to use those circumstances to her benefit or wallow in self-pity. That is a message we all need to hear. Bad things happen to good people, but God’s Word says that He works all things to the good of those who love Him. We need to battle against sinful self-pity and realize that He has a plan through all things and we need to trust Him and follow his leading.

Book Review: The Seraph Seal

The Seraph Seal

By Leonard Sweet, Lori Wagner

I was really intrigued by the overview of this book: end-times meets Bible prophecy in a futuristic time with a life and death scavenger hunt to find the answer that saves the faithful remnant of humanity.  Now, as long as you don’t take this book as “the Gospel”, you’ll really like it.  No, it doesn’t correlate with the Bible exactly, but it does take pieces of Revelation and graft it together with ancient astronomy and church history.  I generally do not like books that hop around in time or place a lot, and this book did A LOT of hopping….all over the globe!  I had to read it slower than I would any other book because of the constant change of location, people, and story line.  However, it quickly became apparent to me that this hopping was necessary in order to keep the chronological order of the story and to give the reader insight into the events happening all over the world.

I really enjoyed this book and the characters.  The way the author kept the suspense and gave clues to the reader to solve the puzzle on their own wasn’t at all clumsy or aggravating; on the contrary, it was enjoyable and exciting.  I was confused by the ending regarding Paul’s life, but it sounds like the author may have kept an open door for a spin-off book.   All in all, a great fictional read.  Just remember, it’s fiction…..don’t get wrapped up in the liberties the author took with Christian theology.

book Review: The Promises of an Angel by Ruth Reid

The Promises of an Angel by Ruth Reid was the best book I have read in quite some time.  I had never heard of this author before I read this book and was skeptical about what I would find.  If you like Karen Kingsbury, you’ll love Ruth Reid.  I hope that The Promises of an Angel will be a part of a larger series, because I can’t wait to devour another one of these books.

Her characters were German Baptists (Amish) who lead the old-style life without electricity or cars.  Even with their deeply grounded faith and strict living, there are those who stray from the flock and rebel against what they’ve been taught.  This story is a real look at faith, forgiveness, and standing up for God regardless of the pressures surrounding you.  The main character, Judith, is an example of all of us.  She trusts God and His Word, but questions why things happen the way they do.  She is unsure of her faith at times, and struggles with envy and resentment.  It is through these struggles that she finds her true path of happiness.  God wanted her to completely give up herself, her desires, and her ideas of the way her life should work out before He would give her the desires of her heart.  That’s so true, isn’t it?  We need to give up our preconceptions, our will, and our desires and submit it all to God before He can give us true joy, peace, and happiness.  Only through total submission can we find our God-given path.

Book Review: The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews isn’t at all what I expected.  I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that this book is a blend between religious, fiction, and history (with a little comedy sprinkled in here and there).  I had read another book by this author and it was a serious look at the term “slave” as it relates to the Bible and our lives in Christ.  I guess I half expected this to be a non-fiction book like the other. 

The Final Summit is so interesting in its concept.  It takes real people from history that have made great accomplishments and placed them in a summit with a modern day man who has been chosen to lead this summit of individuals God has chosen over time.  You meet people like Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln and Andrews combines historical fact from their lives with an interesting twist into this fictional summit in heaven.  I really like the concept that Andrews has used….so unlike any other books out there right now.

This book is also a great starting point to realizing where we are as humans in God’s plan and how far we are falling from His will.  There are certain truths God has set out in His Word and certain expectations for His people.  Realizing that we are falling short of these expectations is the first step in the journey that leads us back in the right path; however, we need to find the answer to the one question that will help us as a human race return to His will.

I’d highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a lighter side of Christian reading (along with a few laughs).

Slave by John MacArthur

Slave by John MacArthur is a wonderful book that reminds us that our Christian liberty, purchased by Jesus, is not a license for us to live however we want.  Being a Christian means that we are no longer a slave to sin, but have been purchased by the blood of Christ and now live as a slave to Him.  The one glowing error in my opinion in the way MacArthur interprets the Bible is that he believes salvation is predetermined; that is, we are either predestined for heaven or for hell.  I find no proof of this in the Bible, but I do understand that this is a long-standing debate in theology.

The book is great though, aside from that one flaw I have to overlook.  It’s difficult for humans to hear the word “slave” and bring about a positive connotation.  We don’t want to think of ourselves as slaves, but as people who are free and just choose to follow Christ.  However, the Bible clearly states that we were bought with a price and that we are not our own.  This book reminds us of that fact and really delves into what a “slave” meant in the times in which the Bible was written.  It is important, MacArthur notes, for us to understand the context to be able to fully understand the meaning.

All in all, a good book….one any Christian should read.

Book Review: A Time to Dance

A Time to Dance by Karen Kingsbury


Karen Kingsbury is a well-known Christian fiction and children’s book author. Her Baxter family series were incredibly popular and it seems these books in the Women of Faith series will be just as wonderful. A Time to Dance takes the reader on an emotional journey of a husband and wife who are trying to reclaim their once vibrant and certain love for eachother.

Karen Kingsbury is my all-time favorite author. Her books, although fictional, give insight into troubles that many of us face during our lives and provide scriptural truths on how to deal with them. This book was definitely an emotional roller coaster the entire way through. I went from laughing to crying and ended with a certain peace in my heart that if you listen to Him, He will lead you down the right path. Don’t read this book unless you are prepared to stay up all night because you can’t put the book down. You’ll also need some tissues!

Book Review: The Treasure of God's Word

The Treasure of God's Word: Celebrating 400 Years of the King James Bible by Jack Countryman


This book is bound in what feels like leather and has gold edged pages to give it a more collectible feel than just another book to read. I consider this book to be a devotional or quick scripture reference. There are 45 distinct topics that are covered and provide the entire referenced scripture verse. Some of the topics range from God’s grace to humility.

I enjoyed the short opening which gave the history of how the King James Version came into existence; it was very enlightening and provided historical reference that I had not found in any other book I have read. The content of the book was well organized and provided the entire verse instead of just a portion and a reference back to the original verse in the Bible. I really don’t think that other than the opening few pages with the historical references, that this book seemed any different than other devotions or topical books of its kind. I wasn’t much of a fan of the “old” look and feel of the book; it seems strangely out of place when compared to other reference or devotional books. The pages are nice and well suited to a devotional gift book, however.

Book Review: The Grace of God

The Grace of God by Andy Stanley


The Grace of God is a book that seeks to explain the hard issues people have with understanding grace. Stanley explains how the God of the Old Testament is not any different than the God of the New Testament, but that our perception is that God is different because of the way He uses His grace. Stanley also points out God’s grace in various Bible stories that we don’t often look at in the light of grace.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it changed my outlook on life. The main message I got out of the book is that grace is not fair, it is not deserved, and there is nothing we can do (or not do) to obtain grace (or lose it). Grace is God’s gift and He can dispense it as He sees fit. When you look at grace in this light, you realize that sometimes bad people get a break or forgiveness when we think they don’t deserve it…maybe that’s God’s grace. Who are we to judge what is fair for God to do and what is not…HE IS GOD, WE ARE NOT.

Book Review: Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado


Outlive Your Life gives the reader assurance that their life matters and that although no one person can do everything needed in our world, every person can do something that will make a difference in someone’s life. Max Lucado urges his readers to realize that it is their Christian duty to help others in need, just as Christ did in his 33 years here on earth.

I have never been a fan of Max Lucado, although I have no specific reason why, so I was not sure what to expect in this book. I was worried that the book would water down our Christian obligation to living a godly life and be helpful to others. I was pleasantly surprised when I got into the book because it’s just the opposite of what I expected. Lucado presents Biblical proof of our obligation to others in need and gives real-life advice on how we can all accomplish this goal. We all tend to forget that we are not called to change the world, but to give out the gospel and live in His image. We may not all be called to the missions field in Africa, but we can all pray for those in need or provide love to those around us. This book gives us practical suggestions of things we can do to make a difference in this book.