Hey! You made it! This is the last installment in my book reviews for the year. Thanks for haingin’ with me. Here are the previous entries:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Amos Fortune: Free Man by Elizabeth Yates is the true story of an African man who became a slave, freed others, and then he, himself, became free. It begins in Africa at his capture and follows him through his days of slavery. This book was the second one we read for Notgrass History, and it was one that I had never read before. I had read Mountain Born, also by Elizabeth Yates, which I loved very much. I was so happy to hear of another book she had written and, once I finished it, I felt it was worthy of the Newbery Medal. The best part about it was the character of Mr. Amos Fortune. Even though he was ripped from his homeland and family and forced to serve others who spoke a language he could not understand, he believed all things were just as they should be. He learned to read from the Bible, and believed its words. He never felt that he was a victim to his circumstances, he believed God ordained all things. With this knowledge, he labored to be the best tool for God that he could be. I have to wonder, how much better would America be if its citizens believed that God was Sovereign over all, and we are His tools? No more entitlement issues, no more victims of a cruel life; but rather, “He hath done all things well”. (Mark 7:37) I think that would change everything. Ah, well, I can dream. I encourage you to meet Mr. Fortune, visit Africa and Massachusetts in 1725, and live life through the eyes of a slave. You won’t be sorry.

I had only read Jack London in high school, when I read “To Build a Fire” in my literature textbook. I picked up Call of the Wild at a thrift store because of its place as a classic. Once I decided to read it, it didn’t take long. It’s short and exciting. This book reveals the harshness of the world, without the temper of grace, which, after reading about Mr. London’s life, I can see why. He didn’t seem to know the Lord at all. Despite his talent for the written word and his enormous success, he did not know happiness. I liked the book for its entertainment value, but it was a bit of a “downer”, so I do not recommend it if you only like happy endings.

When Comes the Spring by Janette Oke is the sequel When Calls the Heart which I reviewed in Part 5. The first book sort of left me hanging on a few things so I went ahead and read this book. This one wasn’t as exciting as the first, but I enjoyed because I like Mrs. Oke’s writing. It had been years since I had read it, so I had a fun time “seeing” the characters again and enduring the harsh winter (snug under my own covers!) in Canada’s Northwest Territory.

Brady by Jean Fritz is a book I’d like to share with everyone! I love Jean Fritz – she’s another author with whom I am familiar – and this book is one of her best. (Also try The Cabin Faced West.) This was the third book for our history course. Brady is a young man who stumbles upon a secret involving the underground railroad. But it’s much more than a story of slavery: it’s a story of family, of God, of standing for right when you’re in the minority, and of a boy who becomes a man.

Calico Joe by John Grisham is not a legal thriller. It’s about a dying baseball hero and the pitch that he threw that changed lives, and baseball itself. It’s a redemptive story (my husband’s opinion) and it’s a fun, quick read. If you’re a baseball fan, you will love this book! I enjoyed reading about the White River and towns in my home state with which I am familiar. Mr. Grisham cannot, of course, do justice to the beauty of the Natural State, but he came pretty close.

A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck is a book every young person should read. It’s the moving story of a young man, his Shaker family, and the pig farm where he grows up. Like Brady, it is also a boy-becomes-a-man story, only much grittier. But you don’t have to be a country boy (or girl) to relate to Rob in this story, you just have to have a beating heart. Boys will probably like this book better than girls because there are some gory (farm related) details. You don’t want to miss this book.

I was so excited to finally get a copy of Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush by Virginia Hamilton! Mitchell showed me how to access Overdrive e-books from our library on my iPad, and my reading life hasn’t been the same! When I was about 15, I read a recommendation for this book in Gladys Hunt’s book, Read for Your Life, which is a book of book recommendations for teenagers (now called Honey for a Teen’s Heart). Her synopsis fascinated me, but unfortunately, I could not find a copy at my library or through inter-library loan. There was no Amazon or the like back then, and certainly no e-books, so I was out of luck. I have yet to find print copy at any library in any place we’ve lived, and yes, I looked! Thanks to e-books on Overdrive, my teen wish has come true! Even though a ghost appears on the first page, it’s blended in with reality in an almost seamless, believable way. There are some very human characters in this book, and there is one or two referenced to female issues that would make it more suitable for older teen girls rather than younger ones. I doubt boys would like it at all. Its message is never give up, even when life doesn’t go the way you think it should; have compassion for others and their struggles; and that even a signature can make a difference in someone’s life. It is somewhat difficult to read because of the African-American dialect, but I thought that added authenticity to the story.

Bound for Oregon by Jean Van Leeuwan is another book we read for history, and another that was new to me. I’m so glad I read it! It’s told by a young girl whose family packs up and moves from Arkansas (yay for the Natural State!) and goes west, all the way to Oregon…well, they try. Will they make it? Follow Mary Ellen and her family and find out. I could relate to the goodbyes Mary Ellen tearfully said, to those last, long embraces of loved ones, as they set off on the trail. The heartache of separation spans the ages; a timeless pain that most of us can understand. The journey is hard, but it’s worth it. This book is based on the journals of a girl who rode the Oregon Trail, which adds to its depth.

Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers is touted by Gladys Hunt in Honey for a Woman’s Heart as being one of Sayers’ best. My take? It was so-so. I liked it, but not as much as I did The Nine Tailors, also by Sayers. I do enjoy Lord Peter Wimsey and if you haven’t made his acquaintance, why not do so? There are many Peter Wimsey novels by Sayers and I think all of them would be worth the time to read. I may read Whose Body? next year. I don’t know…I’ll let ya know!

That, my friends, completes my year in review…up to December 11th anyway. I am in the middle of By His Grace and For His Glory by Tom J. Nettles. It’s a book on the Doctrines of Grace down through the centuries. It’s good, but I admit that it tests my theology knowledge greatly. I’m no seminarian so it’s taking me a while. I plan to review it next year. I am also reading Knowing God by J. I. Packer. It’s excellent, and not nearly as technical as By His Grace and For His Glory. I hope to finish it before December 31st, but, this is a busy month, so we’ll see. We are also reading Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt for history right now. It’s a wonderful book that I read when I was about 13, but boy! I’m enjoying it all over again! I hope to review it soon. I just finished reading Passin’ Through by Louis L’Amour, so look for that review soon, too!

Thanks for joining me for my “year in review” series. Books feed the soul, inspire courage, and knit hearts one to another.

So choose wisely you must, young Padawan. 😉

With love,

I apologize to any reader who receives these posts in your email. My last installment of “My Book Bag: Year in Review” was labeled “Part 5”, and it was actually “Part 4”. We are now in part five…for real.

In case you want to read previous parts, just click below:

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four

Hotel Paradise by Martha Grimes was another book that was recommended by Gladys Hunt in Honey for a Woman’s Heart. It is a mystery narrated by an eleven year old girl. I realize now, as I review the books I’ve read, that I have read several that are told by eleven year old children! That must be my mental age. Anyway, I enjoy mysteries and this was one was good. I found it to be slow moving, but the characters leaped off the page and the story was entertaining so I kept reading. I had never read anything by Martha Grimes before and enjoyed her writing.

The Messenger by Lois Lowry was another book I found at a hotel which has free books. I have read several of Lois Lowry’s books and love her writing. I was under the impression that this book was the sequel to The Giver, but it is actually the third book following The Giver. It had that same “Giver” uniqueness and symbolism and drew me in immediately. If you enjoyed The Giver, you will like this one as well.

Have you ever read Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt? If not, you should definitely give it a try. I have read it more than once and enjoy it each time. I read it aloud to the kids last summer and they all gave it the “thumbs up”. If you have ever wondered what everlasting life on Earth would be like, read this book. It is witty, suspenseful, and thought provoking. And it even made me cry…but that’s probably no surprise.

Somehow I missed reading The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein until this past summer, even though I know it’s a popular book. I found it while searching for books to read to Matthew for our library’s summer reading program. I read it two times. The first time was to all the kids, because they were curious about it, and the second time was to Matthew, and Terry happened to be in the room. Both times ended with all of us in tears. Terry asked me not to read it again because it was so sad. So, if you haven’t read it before, consider yourself warned!

A Journey in Grace by Richard P. Belcher is a Christian theological novel. It’s about – now, don’t hate me – the dreaded word, “Calvinism”. If you’re interested in knowing what it is, but do not have the time to study theology for hours or do a decade-long Bible study (as I have had to do) then this book will give you brief, and interesting, theological insight. I read the ebook because the book is now out of print, but some copies are available used.  After I got it, I found out that for a short time Mr. Belcher, the author, taught my husband’s dad and his pastor Greek lessons. So, my father-in-law has met Mr. Belcher! Anyway, the story is about Ira Pointer, a Bible college student who gets an opportunity to pastor a small congregation nearby. The first question the pulpit committee asks him is, “Young man, are you a Calvinist?” Mr. Pointer faced a problem: he had no idea what Calvinism was! We get to tag along as Ira asks various theology professors and preachers, “What is Calvinism?” The answers, and reactions, are quite similar to my husband’s and my own experience. This novel covers everything about Calvinism in a couple hundred pages, so it’s not at all exhaustive, but again, it’s a good overview. The plot isn’t bad either. Mr. Belcher has written other novels in his “Theological Journey Series”, but I have not read them. As with most books I read, I do not endorse every view expressed in his book, but overall, it was an accurate representation of the Doctrines of Grace.

Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt is a book I’ve been meaning to read for a long time. I had seen it listed on the Newbery Medal list, read the synopsis, and meant to get it, but life got in the way. I had read Across Five Aprils, also by Ms. Hunt, and was curious about this one. Well, I happened to be in the youth section last summer and ran smack dab into this little gem on the shelf. I immediately snatched it up and read it. It is a touching story about a young girl who is dealing with the death of her mother, the moving away of her older sister, and her first love. I think it would appeal more to girls than boys because of its topics.

When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke was the first Christian fiction novel I ever read. I was about fourteen years old and absolutely fell in love with Elizabeth, Wynn, Nimmie, and life in the Northwest Territory of Canada! Lauren’s great-grandmother recently gave her lots of Janette Oke books. When I saw this one in the box, I couldn’t resist re-reading it for old time’s sake. I have read several of Mrs. Oke’s books over the years, but there’s something special about this one. I have always preferred Janette Oke’s writing style over any other Christian novelist. If you have never read this one, you should give it a try.

Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat was recommended by Jim Trelease in the The Read Aloud Handbook (another book you should read!). This book is short and hilarious. However, even my older children teared up at the end of it, which was a surprise since we had laughed our sides out all the way through. Kids everywhere will love meeting the Mowat family, and their owls, in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Have you ever read Ella Enchanted? Well, that’s a Newbery Medal book that you will love! Gail Carson Levine also wrote Writing Magic. She gives excellent writing advice for kids (or *ahem* adults) from how to plan a story, to how to publish it, and everything in between! Rough drafts can be a nightmare, and I liked how she tells the reader (or, writer) to think of the first draft as though your telling the story to yourself, don’t worry about keeping others interested, just get the story down. She offers a character checklist to help create intriguing characters for your story. Her list includes the normal things like, name, sex, age, and but also other things like”something in his pocket.” It was very cute. She tells students to go ahead and change up great stories, like fairy tales, without fear of being unoriginal. (She also explains plagiarism for young writers.) Everything in this book for a fifth grader, so it was right on my level! This book would be excellent for your homeschool, or for anyone who cares about the craft of writing.

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare was the first book we read for our new history course, Notgrass History. This is yet another book I’d read before and enjoyed all over again. I know that winning the Newbery Medal doesn’t mean I’ll love the book, but it’s a good indication that I will. This one fits the rule. I enjoyed reading about Matt, his family, his struggles, and the struggles of the Native American. Attean was a character that I both hated and loved. I found it to be a thought provoking story. It led to several good discussions about this part of American history, which, since we were reading this as part of our history study, was a very good thing.

To the Golden Shore by Courtney Anderson is, by far, the best book I’ve read this year. You can read my detailed review of it HERE.

Thanks for reading! See you soon for part six – only nine more books to go. Please leave me a comment about your favorite books!

With love,

My husband says I should include more reviews in each post, even if the posts are longer than normal. So, here you go. To read previous posts, go here:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

I purchased The Story of the World Volume 2: The Middle Ages by Susan Wise Bauer at our homeschool group’s used book sale. I wasn’t interested in using this for our history curriculum (I looked into it years ago and decided it didn’t fit our family), so I paid the $2 just to read about this period of history, which I am not very familiar. I found it very interesting! I like the way the book covers entire world happenings during a historical period. It goes country by country, or continent by continent, discussing the major world events and people. It’s written for elementary students so it was a fast, easy read for me. You might check it out for your family’s homeschool, or just for the love of history.

I read The Heaven Tree by Edith Pargeter (pen name, Ellis Peters) after reading a description of it in Gladys Hunts’ book, Honey for a Woman’s Heart (a book of book recommendations for Christian women). Its plot fascinated me. My copy was actually part of a trilogy, which has the three books in one volume. I’ve only had time to read one, but it was excellent. It takes place in the middle ages, which as I mentioned above, I didn’t know much about. You will love meeting Harry, Adam, Gilleis and the evil Ralph Isambard. I am planning to finish the trilogy next year. Ms. Pargeter believed it to be her best writing and I can see why!

Life of Washington, by Anna C. Reed, was a gift to my husband which I commandeered and read before he. I enjoy biographies very much and couldn’t resist this one, especially now that I have visited Mt. Vernon, Washington’s home. This book was written in 1850 by the niece of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. She heard many stories of Washington from the men who knew him. It is a wonderful book which gives a good overview of Washington’s life and character, without the boring minutia.

We picked up The Litigators by John Grisham at a hotel that offered free books. I do like some of Mr. Grisham’s books, but this wasn’t one of my favorites. The protagonists are grimy, ambulance-chasing lawyers, which didn’t really endear me to them as the heroes. Still, the plot is interesting and I wanted to know how it would end, so I stayed with it. Mr. Grisham is good at keeping you guessing!

A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter was a birthday gift from my friend, Ava. I had it on my Goodreads “To Read” list and she surprised me by sending it to me! It is a classic, so I’m sure many of my friends have read it, but in case you haven’t, let me recommend it! It has intriguing characters, a mystery, and lots of information about – of all things! – moths! I’m not an insect lover, but I really did enjoy reading about the various moths and butterflies which are found in the Limberlost, which are a focal point for the main character, Elnora. If you haven’t visited the Limberlost swamp before, you should go very soon!

The Perilous Road by William O. Steele is about a young boy named Chris Brabson, whose brother goes to fight on the “wrong” side of the Civil War. It reveals the struggle many families of that time faced when “brother was against brother”.  It might be more interesting to boys than girls since the main character is a boy, but any child (or adult) will like it, especially if you love history.

I have heard about Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers for many moons. I finally secured a copy and read it. I must say that it certainly is different from the average Christian romance novel. It is a re-telling of the book of Hosea, hence the main character’s name, Michael Hosea. I didn’t really get into the story until the middle. By the end I was completely drawn into the lives of  Michael Hosea and his harlot wife, Angel. If you enjoy Christian fiction, and are bored with the norm, try this one.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger didn’t grab me immediately. Just when I decided, “This is dull. Forget it,” something happens that changes everything. I followed it to the very end and found it to be a touching story. It wasn’t as riveting as I’d heard, but it was worth the time. If you like family stories, you might like this one.

Some friends were discussing The Old Man and the Sea after church one Sunday and I realized all of a sudden that I’d never read anything by Ernest Hemingway! Well, that did it! I decided to read it. I enjoyed it. It was a good intro to Hemingway and made me want to read others of his books. It’s a fast read with vivid characters.

Oklahoma: Enchantment of America by Allen Carpenter is a book about the Sooner State that I read aloud to my children. (It’s out of print, so no cover photo is available.) A friend at church had purchased it at the library book sale and loaned it to us. I had been wanting to do an overview of state history with the kids and this book was a nice way of doing it. I made up quizzes, added some printable maps and pictures for the little ones and made my own state history course. My only complaint about the book is its age, which is why it is now out of print. Our state capitol is no longer domeless, as the book says. And there was no mention of the Oklahoma City bombing since that hadn’t happened yet. The information on other topics such as the land, famous people, the founding of our state, and state monuments was accurate. We enjoyed reading it and seeing the lovely photos of Oklahoma.

I’ll be sharing part five soon, thanks for reading! (Don’t forget to leave me your book recommendations!)

I am continuing my series on the books I’ve read this year. I try to be very careful in my book selections. I often read a few pages of a book, only to see that it is not what I want to spend time reading. With homeschooling, homemaking, church work, and about seven-thousand other things that I must do, I have little time for reading. The books I choose must meet a high standard, my own special “book standard”. Overall, I am pleased with the year’s selections. Maybe you’ll find something in these posts that you will enjoy as well?

Previous entries:
Part One
Part Two

I’m sure you have heard of (and probably read), Pollyanna, by Eleanor H. Porter. I had read it, too, many years ago. This time I enjoyed it with my children as a read-aloud selection. The book has some differences from the Disney movie, which we have seen many times. It’s easy to confuse cinema with the print, and in my opinion, Walt Disney did not outdo the original story. If you have not made the acquaintance of the indomitable Pollyanna Whittier, I urge you to do so. This book has it all: love, laughter, suspense, and in the end, it touches your heart.

Dicey’s Song by Cynthia Voigt was one of those stories that called to me from the library shelf, asking me to read it. (I know that sounds weird. But, hey, I’m weird.) I had wanted to read it for a long time, but I was afraid it would be too sad a story, therefore, I put it off. It is also a Newbery Medal winner and I want to read every book on that list. Anyway, I decided to live dangerously and throw caution to the wind! I checked it out last winter and made a vow to read it. It’s the story of the orphaned Tillerman children who move in with their grandmother. It chronicles their adjustment to each other and their various struggles, mostly financial ones. I kept expecting something terrible to happen to one of these sweet children, but thankfully, it didn’t. It is a touching story, but not at all heart-wrenching as I had feared. It was rather blunt, which surprised me. It definitely has a somber mood. I liked it, but didn’t love it.

Inferno by Dan Brown was the first book of its kind that I have read. It is a fast-paced “world event” type story, which I usually don’t read. A friend at church passed a copy around and I was glad to get a turn to read it. It’s about a Harvard professor who must decipher a puzzle which revolves around Dante’s famous work, The Divine Comedy. I’m afraid to say too much about it for fear of ruining the book in case others want to read it. I liked it, but not enough to to read other works by Mr. Brown. It was nice to read it simply because it was a new genre for me.

I really enjoyed this theological work by Dr. A. W. Pink. I highly recommend it. I wrote a detailed review of this book, which you can read HERE.

I found a copy of Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson at our local Goodwill. I had wanted to read it myself, but after one page I decided that we all should enjoy this book as a read aloud. Oh my soul! You will hoot with laughter at the antics of Hank and his pals! I am looking forward to reading other books in this hilarious series. Read it to a child you love, today! If you haven’t got a child, then borrow someone else’s. Or read it to your friend or husband! It’s too funny to read alone. But, if you must, you must. You won’t be sorry.

I purchased You’ve Got a Book in You by Elizabeth Sims from Amazon with a birthday gift card. It is a new book on writing from Writer’s Digest. I am always reading about writing in order to make my blog more interesting. (Is it working? Never mind.) Ms. Sims offers many helpful tips in this book such as finding the just the right tools (favorite pens, paper, etc.). She shares a way to write anywhere by entering “garret mode” in your mind. She advises that in the planning stage of writing, one should start anywhere and keep the story going by saying to yourself, “Yes, and then…” For example: A young boy hits a baseball in an abandoned house (Yes, and then…) He decides to go against his heart-pounding fear that the house is haunted and go inside to get the ball. (Yes! And then…) He steps up the dilapidated wooden staircase to the porch, places his hand on the brass knob of the front door… (Yes! And then?) And so forth. I thought it was a good idea, because I really hate planning stories. My only gripe about this book is that there is a lot of profanity. I never even worried about that since I own so many of the Writer’s Digest books which have no such issues. Because I spent money on it, and because she shared some good ideas, I slogged through the cursing.  Sometimes you just have spit out the bones and take the good from a book. This one has some bones, but a lot of meat, too.

Have you read any great books this year? Please leave me a recommendation! I’m compiling next year’s list now. Thank you!

Thank you for being here! I am currently writing about what I’ve read in 2015 in a series of posts.

In case you missed it:

Part One

On my anniversary, my husband and I were iced in and couldn’t go to OKC as we had planned. Instead, we went to the library and visited a used bookstore, which is a story in and of itself. Suffice it to say, we’ll never go back. I did, however, find a copy of this book, Shane, by Jack Schaefer. My dad enjoyed watching the movie when I was growing up, but I never really stayed with it. I only saw the very end where the boy yells, “SHANE!” into the distance as the cowboy rides away. I do like Western novels though, and Shane did not disappoint. I think the book is better than the movie, since I did want to finish the book. Shaefer does an excellent job of showing Shane’s character, and his father’s, without having to tell us a thing. It’s one of those stories that makes you wish that real life could be the way it is on the printed page.

Terry read The Heavenly Man by Paul Hattaway when a friend gave him a copy about five years ago. However, he gave the book away to a friend before I had a chance to read it! I was happy to get my own copy in January. It is another missionary biography, but I must admit, parts of this story seemed almost too incredible to believe! Brother Yun, a Chinese Christian, receives a Bible in a miraculous way. He is born again and strives to learn the ways of our Lord. In doing so, he is imprisoned and tortured, but then, he sees many miracles: his wounds heal instantly, prison doors open of their own accord and he walks out, guards are blinded to his presence, and more. Some of the miracles seem too much, as though exaggerated for the telling. But who am I to say? God is able, and perhaps He did these things. Read it and decide for yourself.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle is Lauren’s favorite book! She recommended it with the words, “I’ve read it many times.” I have to say that after reading the back cover, I didn’t think I would like it. I learned the truth of the age-old maxim, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”! I really loved the characters in this story, and it has a great ending. What more could you ask for in a book? I’m glad I read it.

Our church library had The Postcard by Beverly Lewis and the plot piqued my interest. I have enjoyed Amish novels in the past, and had high hopes for this one. A young Amish woman loses her husband, son and unborn baby in a wagon accident. The trauma from the event blinds her, which I’d never heard of before. She the must raise her daughter with the help of her parents. Her parents try to convince (nag and pester) her to see a “pow-wow” doctor, practicing black magic. I didn’t know the Amish held any such beliefs and found it odd. Like many of Mrs. Lewis’s books, they never do wrap up, leaving room for a sequel. It took me a while to finish it because it was boring. I don’t care enough about any of the characters to see what happens next. I’ve read other books by Mrs. Lewis that I enjoyed greatly, but this wasn’t one of them.

The Lemon Jelly Cake by Madeline Babcock Smith is a sweet (pun intended) story told by an eleven year old girl growing up near Springfield, Illinois, at the turn of the century. I heard about it through a friend on Goodreads. I got a copy for free as a member of paperbackswap.com. It is an interesting tale woven around people, not events. Things do happen to keep you wanting to read, but it’s because you are drawn into the lives of Dr. Frank Bradford, his wife, Kate, and of course, their daughter, Helene, who is telling the story, as well as members of their small town. There is a reference to an adult situation, but because we are seeing it through the eyes of a young, innocent girl, it is not described. There is nothing astounding in the book, but it’s a fun, relaxing read. If you enjoy stepping back in time and tasting a bit of Americana, then you’ll enjoy The Lemon Jelly Cake.

Thanks for reading about what I read.

Stay tuned for part three!

Each year I enter the Reading Challenge hosted by Goodreads.com. I try to set a reachable reading goal (hoping to exceed it, but not fall short of it) and I enter every book I read on the site to keep track. I fully intended to post a review of each book here as I completed them, but either I had other things to say or I simply forgot to do it. I decided that I would do a “reading roundup” now that we have come to the end of another year.  I’ll be posting a few at a time to keep from writing the world’s longest blog post. 😉

Here’s what I’ve had in my book bag this year:

The first book I read this year was a gift from my wonderful friend, Ava. You can visit her at her blog, 21st Century Keeper at Home. 41: A Portrait of my Father is the biography of George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, written by his oldest son, George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States. As a lover of history, and biographies, I was very interested in reading this book. It was written in the comfortable style that you would expect from Bush 43. Most of the book was information I have read or heard before (I have read Barbara’s memoir, as well as Laura Bush’s autobiography), but there were a few personal glimpses into Bush 41, who has always struck me as a reserved person, that made it worth the read. I expected the book to drip with love and admiration seeing as how Bush 43 openly respects his dad, but on the contrary, it was factual without being boring, tender without being “gushing”, and quite interesting. It isn’t a lengthy book, which for me, added to the appeal.  As I came to the last page, I felt that the time spent with the Bush family was time well spent.

Christian author Dan Walsh recommended A Heartbeat Away, by Dr. Harry Kraus in a blog post. It was on my “to read” list for ages, but I had trouble securing a copy. I finally was able to borrow it from the library’s e-book system and read it. It was interesting, but not near the page-turner that Mr. Walsh implied. It’s the tale of a controlling, ill-tempered female heart surgeon who must undergo a heart transplant herself. After her operation, she begins to have visions of a murder that she did not witness, and of course, she must solve it. I can’t even recall the ending now, but I do remember thinking that the plot seemed far-fetched. I only read it because I’m a crazy, finish-what-you-start kind of person. A book has to be really terrible – vulgar or something – to cause me to stop in the middle. If you like medical stories, then this is the book for you.

I heard Darlene Rose’s testimony on CD about ten years ago. When I discovered there was a book, I was eager to read it. It took me a while to get my hands on a copy, but thanks to a gift card from a friend last Christmas, I was finally able to read Evidence Not Seen, by missionary wife, Darlene Deibler Rose. It’s the amazing story of how God provided for a missionary couple in Papua New Guinea during World War II. Mrs. Rose and her husband were POW’s and suffered greatly at the hand of their captors. In fact, her first husband died without her ever having the chance to whisper a final “I love you” to him. She doesn’t tell her story with a pitiful, woe-is-me attitude, but rather, with a victorious and hopeful spirit!

The book included some things that were not in the audio testimony, and vice versa. If you have a way to both read and listen to her story, you will be blessed. I walked away from this book more determined than ever to stand for Christ and trust in Him alone to meet my needs. I wish I could say that I achieved that this year, but I cannot. However, I can no longer complain about my circumstances without being convicted by the Holy Spirit and reminded that I know nothing of suffering. God did a great work for Mrs. Rose, and He can do it today, too! What a mighty God we serve!

This concludes part one. Please stay tuned for part two!