Sunday, June 15, 2014

Father's Day Quiz

Two years ago, I posted some answers about Jonathan that Eoin answered (here), so this year I thought I would re-ask the same questions to all the kids to see what they would say :-)

My daddy is (M) 1, (A) 20, (E) 23 years old.

My daddy works (M) at work - doing computer, (A) at work - playing video games, (E) at work - he does work and helps people.

My daddy loves (M) me, (A) babies, (E) the dog, Flynn

My dad likes to wear (M) a t-shirt, (A) t-shirt, (E) Jeans

My dad us SO strong, he could lift (M) me, (A) a baby, (E) a giant branch

My dad likes to eat (M) fries, (A) piggies (I mean ham), (E) eggs and toast

If my dad had time he would (M) pick out monies, (A) work on the ipad, (E) color with us.

He is smart because (M) he helps Eoin, (E) he is really smart at answering number problems

If I could give my dad anything, it would be (M) a present - a t-shirt, (A) present - pizza, (E) a picture of anything that would make him happy.

Happy Father's Day, Jonathan. We think you are pretty great! 

Monday, June 09, 2014

Book Review: Silenced by Dani Pettrey

Kayden McKenna loves the feel of the strain when she is out rock climbing in the Alaskan wilderness, but that all changes the day she finds a dead climber on her climbing route. Something is not sitting right with Kayden as she helps recover the body. This was not a climbing accident - someone else was involved in this fall.
Kayden teams up with Deputy Jake Westin to help solve the mystery behind this man's death. While they are working together, they also must confront the feelings that they have been dealing with since Jake's past has been revealed. But they need to do it before it's too late, the closer they get to solving the case, the closer they get to something very dark and dangerous!

This is the fourth book in the Alaskan Courage Series. You definitely need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one. I missed the first one but was able to catch up in the second and third, but this would not read well as a stand alone novel and it continues the stories of too many people.
My only issue with this series is that how can so many people from the same family end up the target of some nefarious scheme? It's a little far fetched, however each story is still pretty good. I enjoyed the mystery behind this - it kept me guessing for sure!

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for a free copy of this book to review.

Book Review: A Place in His Heart by Rebecca DeMarino


Mary Langton has a problem. Though she longs to have a marriage based on love, she has been left at the altar and now no one in her village seems to think her good enough for marriage. Her father wants to solve this problem by arranging a marriage with well to do man from London.
Her problems may be solved though, when she runs into the handsome baker, Barnabas Horton. widowed and left with two small boys who desperately need a mother. Though Mary is Anglican and Barnabas a Puritan, her father agrees to the match.
Now all Mary has to do is win a place in Barnabas' heart which is no small task considering he loved his first wife so deeply. When the Puritans seem under attack from the English government, Mary and Barnabas take a leap of faith and move to the New World. Maybe there, away from the memories of the past, Mary will finally find a place in his heart.

The thing I really liked about this book is that I felt like I was able to follow Mary and Barnabas through a long period of their lives. So you weren't left wondering what happens after they marry like in so many stories. I was drawn into their tale and enjoyed watching them grow as a family. It was also set during an interesting  time in history so that added another layer of depth to the story. Quite a few sad parts so keep your tissues on hand, especially if you are like me and your family lives in another country! Definitely made me appreciate all the ways of communication we have today :-)

Thank you to Revell Publishers for a free copy of this book to review.

NOTE: Through June 16th, Rebecca DeMarino is hosting a giveaway with $250 in prizes! Get details here.

Sunday, June 08, 2014

Book Review: A Woman of Fortune by Kellie Coates Gilbert

Claire Massey has it all. Married to a wealthy cattle broker on a large estate, everything she could possible imagine at her fingertips, a picture perfect family...almost.
Everything changes for Claire when her husband is arrested for fraud in front of everyone! She is at risk of losing everything, her homes, clothes, cars, even family. She must rally all the courage and strength she has to keep her family together and remember what is most important in this life.

So I will admit that when I signed up to review this book, I didn't read the description very well. I usually prefer historical novels to modern day. However, this book was pretty good. The main character is older than the characters in the stories I usually read and it provided a different viewpoint. It was also interesting to think about the effects of choices that people like Bernie Madoff made have on their family and the people around them.

Though it probably won't make it to my "read again" pile, it was a good story and I enjoyed reading it.



Thank you to Revell Publishers for a free copy of this book to review.