Seasons of Tomorrow Book Review

Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Seasons of Tomorrow is the fourth and final book in the Amish Vines and Orchard Series by Cindy Woodsmall. The story of Rhoda, Samuel and their loved ones/friends continues as they work to build their orchard in Maine.

Books in a series drive me a little crazy because I forget so much of what happens in one book before the next one comes out. I found myself getting frustrated while reading Seasons of Tomorrow by Cindy Woodsmall because I spent so much of the book trying to figure out what she was referring to when bringing up events from past books. I think the author could have provided a bit more detail when referencing events from previous books in the series because I felt very lost at times. But then, I can be a bit forgetful.

Other than the lack of detail, I did enjoy the book quite a bit. I loved seeing the development of old and new relationships throughout the book, and felt the ending was a wonderful way to wrap up the series. I read the last page and felt a sense of closure, as opposed to previous books in the series where I was left hanging.

Overall, I thought this was a great read. It is well-written and has an enjoyable story line. I love that Woodsmall's books are clean and wholesome, while entertaining.

Echoes of Mercy Book Review

Disclosure: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

I love reading historical novels. I usually find them intriguing and love learning new things about events that happened in the past. Echoes of Mercy by Kim Vogel Sawyer was one of those books. This is a book set in the early 1900’s and the main character Caroline Lang is working to help end child labor. I have not read a lot about the child labor movement and found the book fascinating as it opened ideas and events to me that I had no idea about before.

Some other thoughts I’ve had about this book:

“Christmas in Apple Ridge” Review

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for this review from Blogging for Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

You all know by now that I am a fan of Amish fiction, and Cindy Woodsmall is one of my favorite authors for this genre. Christmas in Apple Ridge is a collection of three novellas: The Sound of Sleigh Bells, The Christmas Singing and (new!) The Dawn of Christmas. When my book arrived, I was a little overwhelmed at how thick this book is and thought I would get bored by the end.

"The First Christmas Night" review & giveaway (ends 12/2/13)

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in hopes of a review on my blog. All opinions expressed are my own.

 I love having special books to pull out during the holidays to help reinforce in my children the reason we celebrate. "The First Christmas Night" by Keith Christopher and illustrated by Christine Kornacki is a perfect book to add to your bookshelf this holiday season!

“For Every Season” Book Review

Disclosure: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I am falling more and more in love with Amish fiction books! I love that the characters live such different lives from what I am familiar with, yet they are so easy to relate to, especially in the books written by Cindy Woodsmall.

For Every Season is the third book in the Amish Vines and Orchards series and it continues  with the story of Rhoda Byler, who is trying to learn to work in an apple orchard with the King brothers, while establishing a new Amish community in Maine. The romance, the emotion, the drama, all combine to make this book one I couldn’t put down until I was done. (You can read the first chapter here.)

I had read the first book, A Season for Tending, and loved it. It wasn’t until I got the book For Every Season that I knew there had been a second book already published. There are some series that you might get away with skipping a book or two without being utterly lost, but I don’t think this is one of those series. I made sure to read the second book, The Winnowing Season, before even opening this book and I’m glad I did.

I appreciated how this book taught me more about Amish culture and beliefs, while allowing the characters to grow and develop in ways I hadn’t thought possible in the traditional Amish sense. I really enjoyed the development that all the characters went through in this book and can’t wait to read the fourth book which comes out in 2014 (Though I will say it drives me nuts how the endings are so abrupt and unresolved!)!

“Unstoppable” Book Review

Nick Vujicic has overcome incredible odds to become the man he is today. Now, he is saying that it is not despite his disabilities, but because of his disabilities. Nick was born without arms or legs but has been able to use his differences to inspire people all over the world. He has done it through his organization, through motivational speeches, through his first book Life Without Limits, and now through his second book…

A Season for Tending Review

There’s something about Amish fiction that intrigues me. I love learning about a culture that is so different from my own, and the Amish way of life is fascinating. In the book A Season for Tending Cindy Woodsmall lives up to her name as an Amish fiction writer.

“God Gave Us You” Book Review

I am quickly becoming a fan of Lisa Tawn Bergren’s writing style after reading her books God Gave Us Love and God Gave Us You.

God Gave Us You is the conversation between a young bear and her Mama, where Mama bear expresses her love to her Little Cub as she recounts how Little Cub joined their family. Mama tells Little Cub about her pregnancy and the joy she felt when Little Cub was born.

This is a perfect book to give to a new mother because it so perfectly captures the feelings and experiences of a new parent, and the love they feel for their child. I love how Bergren emphasized the role that God plays in bringing our families together without being overly pushy about her beliefs.

While I do love this book, honestly, it is hard for me to read right now. It came in the mail shortly after my miscarriage and the feelings are just a little too tender still. As soon as it arrived, my boys insisted on me reading it to them. My husband was shocked that I made it through the book without crying, but it helped to think of my boys and how they came to our family.

More than anything, my experiences with this book taught me how different books can apply perfectly to different people’s situations and even with books we need to be sensitive to what others around us are going through.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

“God Gave Us Love” Book Review

Of all the books I have reviewed on this blog I think that God Gave Us Love by Lisa Tawn is my favorite. I love the message of the book especially! A book that teaches my children what love is and where it came from is well worth the read. Trust me, we have read this book several times and my boys and I love it just as much each time we read it, if not more.

The pictures and story are adorable and keep my kids actively engaged in the book from beginning to end. I remember sitting on my grandpa’s knee, learning life lessons; reaping of his wisdom and experience. I think the author of God Gave Us Love chose the perfect setting to write this book in-a grandfather imparting of his wisdom to his grandchild. It just seems to perfect.

If you’re looking to help your home library grow, this cute little board book would be a perfect addition. You can also choose from a few other God Gave Us… books by Lisa Tawn to teach your children through.

I received this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion of it from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Decision Points Book Review

I have always had respect for George W Bush-specifically his character. Whether he did a good job politically is beyond any sort of discussion I want to have on this blog, but as a person, I think Bush is a good man.

That being said, my interest was piqued when given the chance to read his book Decision Points. In the first few chapters, I gained a greater understanding of George W Bush’s background and why he is the man he is today.

“The Sitting Swing” Book Review

In The Sitting Swing by Irene Watson, she begins by checking herself into a self-help center. Irene is adamant that there is nothing wrong with her, but she was there to learn why all her friends raved about that center.As she begins to reflect on her life through promptings of the program, she begins to reveal her very dark, depressing past.

This woman who has grown to have a family of her own and work as a psychologist of sorts was raised in a home with a never-present father and a controlling mother. As a child, Irene faced all kinds of abuse from physical to verbal to sexual, which makes The Sitting Swing one of the most difficult books I have ever read.