Book Review: The Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall

The Harvest of Grace is Cindy Woodsmall’s third book in her “Ada’s House” series. In this book we meet Sylvia Fisher, a young Amish woman whose skills encompass tending and nurturing a dairy herd more than the homemaking skills that her friends excel in. A heartbreaking development sends her away from home, where she finds employment on another farm, becoming a trusted friend of the arthritic Amish farmer and his wife.

But when Aaron Blank, the farmer’s son, returns home after months in rehab, his desire to move his parents into town and an easier life clash with Sylvia’s, and his father’s, determination to bring the dairy farm back from the brink of bankruptcy.

In spite of their opposing goals, Sylvia and Aaron form a bond based on their mutual love of Aaron’s parents and find a way to work together toward a solution for them. But will love give an added blessing to their lives?

Cindy Woodsmall’s intimate knowledge of the stresses that our modern culture places on the Old Order Amish brings an authentic touch to her novels. They are always a pleasure to read!

And Ada’s House fans won’t be disappointed. The Harvest of Grace holds more than Sylvia and Aaron’s story – we’re also treated to the continuing sagas of favorite characters from the earlier books.

I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook/Multnomah Press for my impartial review.

TBR

 TBR? That’s short for “to be read”. As in books. As in a lot of books.

My TBR pile is actually a shelf….

… and a list on my Kindle.

Right around 55 books on my Kindle. 

Part of me rejoices.

Books I can’t wait to read.

Books I know I’ll love, others I hope I’ll love.

Books that will take me to new places and new times –

But a niggling question tickles the back of my mind…

Why this need to collect books?

Because, you know, my TBR shelf is only one of many shelves of books in our house.

Not counting the dozen boxes in the garage waiting for more shelves so they can be unpacked.

And the dozens of books I’ve sold at garage sales and curriculum sales and now grieve for.

Sigh.

But mostly I just wish for more time to read….

Book Review: The Vengeance Squad by Sidney W. Frost

In his book, The Vengeance Squad, Sidney W. Frost takes us on a non-stop journey toward one man’s vengeance.

Chris McCowan is days from his wedding when tragedy strikes. While he and his fiancé, Sarah, are having a quiet lunch, a helicopter crash interrupts. When they investigate, they find themselves in the middle of a possible terrorist attack, with bearded men firing machine guns from the downed helicopter. Sarah, a nurse, goes to the aid of a victim, and is also shot.

From then on Chris’s life goes into a tailspin. He takes the responsibility for Sarah’s death and resolves to find and kill the men responsible, no matter what the cost. Vengeance is his goal.

But the cost is high. Turning his back on God and the church, Chris finds help for his quest from some unlikely sources: an ex-con/ex-marine in a wheelchair, a grandmotherly librarian with unusual connections and a beautiful agent from somewhere, perhaps the FBI. Chris doesn’t care, as long as his computer skills mesh with the talents the other members of the fledgling “Vengeance Squad” provide.

Following clues from unexpected sources, Chris and his new friends are able to put some pieces of the puzzle together. Chris’s faith also comes back together as he grows in his understanding of God’s place in his life.

We’re left with a satisfactory ending and the promise of more “Vengeance Squad” activities to come. I hope we won’t have to wait too long for more “can’t put the book down” adventures from Mr. Frost!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Wonder of Your Love by Beth Wiseman

The newest book in Beth Wiseman’s “The Land of Canaan” series is a winner! It will be available for purchase on October 4, 2011.

Katie Ann and her husband, Ivan, had moved from Lancaster County to the San Luis Valley of Colorado to start a new life, but her life turned upside down when after more than 20 years of marriage he left her for another woman – an Englisch woman. She grieves that he died in a car accident before she could him that he was finally a father, but she delights in the joy that the new baby brings to her life. Katie Ann tells herself she is content. Who wouldn’t be with such a beautiful baby and good friends and neighbors?

Eli Detweiler is poised on the threshold of the next stage of his life. Widowed at a young age, he raised his six children on his own in Ohio. Now, his youngest daughter happily married, he is ready to live for himself and enjoy all the leisure and travel that a semi-retired farmer can fit into his life. What he doesn’t want is to start over, even if it’s with a beautiful widow and her young son.

Katie Ann and Eli’s friendship grows, but they are determined not to let it blossom into a romance, despite what her friends and his children are urging. What follows is a lovely story of friendship and commitment.

Beth Wiseman has written several Amish fiction books, including Seek Me With All Your Heart, the first book in “The Land of Canaan” series. Find her on AmishLiving.com, AmishHearts.com, BethWiseman.com and on Facebook!

Thomas Nelson publishers provided a free copy of this book for my review.

Book Review: Inside Threat by Jason Elam and Steve Yohn

I admit it. I’m addicted to thrillers and suspense. And while I’m not real big on futuristic tales, there’s a compelling draw in the “it could happen tomorrow” type stories.

That’s what Jason Elam and Steve Yohn have given us in their new Riley Covington thriller, “Inside Threat”. Set sometime in the not too distant future, football linebacker and all-American hero Riley Covington thinks his career of fighting terrorists is at an end – until the newest attack puts him and the woman he loves in the crosshairs.

Spanning one week in September, the action of this book is fast paced. Multiple points of view give us a glimpse into the minds of the terrorists, as well as the men and women that make up the team of Special Forces that fight against them. Some scenes are violent and bloody, but serve to give a chilling foreshadowing of the terrorists’ intentions. All in all, “Inside Threat” is an exciting ride and a good weekend read.

“Inside Threat” is the fourth book in the Riley Covington series. I haven’t read the others, but I will certainly pick them up in the near future.

I was provided with a free copy of this book for my review by Tyndale House publishers.

Book Review: Deep Trouble by Mary Connealy

If you’re looking for a fast-paced romantic cowboy story that will have you laughing one moment and tearing up the next, you have to read a Mary Connealy book.

Deep Trouble follows Shannon Dysart’s quest for the treasure her father claims hend in the southwest. She leaves fou her upper-crust St. Louis life in 1881 with some hired guides and the cryptic map left by her father. What follows is an adventure that takes the reader deep into the history of Grand Canyon and Shannon Dysart’s trouble.

If you’ve ever read one of Mary Connealy’s books, you know that so far I’ve only scratched the surface. In Mary’s books, none of the characters are ever what they appear to be at first glance. Shannon’s hired guides should be honorable, her long time society beau should be a helpless greenhorn, and the cowboy who comes to her rescue, Gabe Lasley, should leave her in a safe spot and go back to his own life. But of course, none of that happens.

And just what is the treasure that Shannon’s father found in the depths of this mysterious and beautiful canyon? Shannon and Gabe discover it, and you might also when you read this book.

Mary’s books are perfect reading for any time. My favorite time to read one of her stories, though, is on a weekend. That’s when I have chunks of time available to devote to one of my favorite authors.

Deep Trouble is available in paperback from Barbour Press or as an e-book from Amazon.

I received a copy of this book as a free download from Netgalley for my review.

Book Review: Stealing Jake by Pam Hillman

Pam Hillman’s debut novel, Stealing Jake, is a joy to read! From the very first scene we are caught up in Livy O’Brien’s world – a world where homeless street children are forced into a life of crime in order to survive, and if caught, are “sold” to unscrupulous men who use them for cheap labor in sweat shops. Although Livy has escaped that life by the grace of God, she refuses to leave it behind completely, knowing that she can be the instrument God uses to save others from that miserable existence.

Then she meets Jake Russell, the deputy of the small Illinois town where Livy and her mentor, Mrs. Brooks, have recently moved to start an orphanage. With Livy’s past, her first instinct is to avoid this lawman, but circumstances – and mutual attraction – continue to bring them together.

I thoroughly enjoyed the way Pam introduced and developed her characters. Both Livy and Jake have their demons, and Pam reveals them to the reader in a natural and compelling way. She allows her hero and heroine to face them, and then vanquish them before our eyes.

I am waiting impatiently for Pam’s next book!

I received a copy of this e-book as a free download from Netgalley for my review.