Picture of the Week! (November 28, 2015)- Yellow Rose

 

I’m not sure if this is going to be a long winter or not, but I want to make sure I have some flowers to look at.

The Aleppo Code by Terry Brennan (Book Review!)

The Brotherhood Conspiracy

by Terry Brennan

(received in exchange for an honest review)

 

Genre- Fiction / Christian / Suspense

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2013

Number of pages- 384

Age Group- Adult (Mainly for Men)

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $15.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4389-3

In this third book, everything is coming to a close.  Tom Bohannon, his wife, and their friends are hunting for the final key so they can save the world from destruction.  They are being chased by members of the Prophet's Guard at every turn, whether they are in Israel or the ruins of Babylon.

Will the discovery of an ancient scriptural text help them solve the mystery?  Will they be able to stay ahead of the Prophet's Guard?  Or will they be harmed in the turmoil which is the Middle East?

About the Author-

Terry Brennan currently lives in the New York City area with his wife and family.  He has had a twenty-two year career in journalism and currently serves as chief administrative officer for Care for the Homeless.

My thoughts-

I thought there was a lot of great suspense and excitement in this book.

I have not read the first book in the series, but I read the second one, The Brotherhood Conspiracy.  While I suggest that you read the other books in the series first, you can still enjoy this one.  Brennan adds enough of the backstory, that you will know what is happening. 

There is a large cast of characters, but there is a large list of characters at the beginning of the book.  It listed each character and who they were.  I would have appreciated notes on whether each of the characters were in this book.  I was confused sometimes, when the characters were mentioned in the book.  There were also two handy maps.  They really helped me know how far apart the areas mentioned were.

There is a really good Author's Note at the end of the book.  It tells what is true in the story and what is not.  I liked learning about Sir General Charles Warren, the Bowery Mission, and the Demotic language.  There are website addresses mentioned, so you can learn more.

I think this is a good book.  I would recommend it to men and women alike.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received The Aleppo, by Terry Brennan, for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Picture of the Week! (November 20, 2015)- Flowers

I decided to post this photo of flowers, because I needed something cheery to see.  We’re supposed to get 8 inches of snow tonight.  It won’t stick around for long, but I’ll make sure to take pictures to share with all of you.

Ishtar’s Odyssey: A Family Story for Advent by Arnold Ytreeide (Book Review!)

Ishtar’s Odyssey: A Family Story for Advent

by Arnold Ytreeide

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Religion / Holidays / Christmas & Advent

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2015

Number of pages- 176

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $15.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4393-0

Ishtar’s Odyssey is a book that was specifically written to be read during the days of Advent.  In this book, Ishtar, a ten-year-old, who happens to be the son of a Persian wise man, sees a star, which wasn’t there before.  He is able to go with his father on a caravan ride across the desert to follow the star.  There are many dangers, and Ishtar needs to learn how to listen and follow instructions.  Along the way he becomes friends with Jotham, Bartholomew, and Tabitha.

This book has suggestions of different Persian foods to try, pronunciation guide, and ideas on how to make this a family tradition.  Each day your family will:

• light the candle.
• read the story.
• discuss the section talking about God and how it related to the story.

About the Author-

Arnold Ytreeide currently lives in Idaho with his wife.  He has written three other Advent stories: Jotham’s Journey, Bartholomew’s Passage, and Tabitha’s Travels.  He is the founder of Storyteller Productions.

My thoughts-

I thought this was an excellent book to use during Advent.

I liked how each day ended as a cliffhanger.  It will make everyone more excited for the next day.  I can imagine my children wanting to read more and looking forward to the next day.

I like the extra sections of the book.  I think a connection to food is important and an excellent way to relate to others.  I liked the lists, one containing Persian food and the other similar foods for us to try.  The pronunciation guide was very helpful.  There were some words I had not heard before.  Ytreeide also mention his own family’s traditions, which helped me decide what I wanted to do with mine. 

I learned a lot about the Persian culture while reading this book and I am looking forward sharing it with my family during this year’s Advent.  I recommend this book to you and your family.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received Ishtar’s Odyssey, by Arnold Ytreeide, for free from Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Picture of the Week! (November 14, 2015)- Fall Leaves

We have some trees near our house that usually never turn.  Typically it freezes, then rains leaves.  This is the pile from 2014.  This year the leaves slightly turned, then fell off.

A Cup of Dust by Susie Finkbeiner (Book Review)

A Cup of Dust: A Novel of the Dust Bowl

by Susie Finkbeiner

(received in exchange for an honest review)

Genre- Fiction / Christian / Historical

Published by- Kregel Publications

Copyrighted- 2015

Number of pages- 318

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $14.99, ISBN 978-0-8254-4388-6

In 1934, in Red River, Oklahoma, ten-year-old Pearl is experiencing what it is like to live during the Dust Bowl.    Pearl doesn’t understand what is happening during this time, but she does know that her family helps many people during this crisis, and her family loves her.

There are a lot of transient people around Red River at this time.  Eddie is one of those people.  He scares Pearl and begins to disrupt her family.  What is she to do?  What is her family going to do?

About the Author-

Susie Finkbeiner is currently from Michigan.  She is a blogger, stay-at-home mom, author, and speaker.

My thoughts-

I liked the cover.  There is a very light rainbow that speaks towards God’s promise in the storm of the dust bowl and life, which Pearl and her town desperately need.

Susie Finkbeiner did an excellent job with the description of the town and era.  She talked about the amount of dust, hobos, tent revivals, people moving west, and more.  She also showed all of the tension, poverty, and psychological problems that happened in the town.

I know Pastor Ezra Anderson and his wife, Mad Mabel, were secondary characters, but I would have liked to know a bit more about her.  She had such an interesting name, that I was intrigued.

Even though the main character is a ten-year-old girl, this is a book for adults only.  There are far too many adult themes, like prostitution and murder.

I liked the discussion questions.  I appreciated the afterword.  I now want to read The Grapes of Wrath and learn more about the Dust Bowl. 

I homeschool my children, so this book has given me ideas for resources for my children.  I might use this book when they are seniors in high school.

I recommend this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received A Cup of Dust, by Susie Finkbeiner, for free from Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

52 Original Wisdom Stories by Penelope Wilcock (Book Review!)

 

52 Original Wisdom Stories

Short lively pieces for the Christian year

By Penelope Wilcock

(received in exchange for an honest review)

 

Genre- Nonfiction / Christian

Published by- Monarch Books

Copyrighted- 2015

Number of pages- 256

Age Group- Adult

Description of book- paperback, listed price- $19.99, ISBN: 978-0-85721-602-1

52 Original Wisdom Stories is 52 short stories about a married couple, Sid and Rosie.  In this book we learn about their faith, hopes, and perspectives about God.

Each of these stories can be used on its own.  Topics included are:

• marriage.
• education.
• the beginning.
• death. 

About the Author-

Penelope Wilcock currently lives in England with her family.  She is a writer and is a former Methodist minister.  Her blog is Kindred of the Quiet Way.

My Thoughts-

I thought this book was inspiring.  I plan on keeping it on my bedside table, so I can read it weekly.

I liked that it was based on a married couple, Sid and Rosie.  Their stories and beliefs made it a lot more personal.  I thought they had interesting views, because Sid was Catholic and but was now Quaker, and Rosie went to many different churches of different beliefs.  It was Sid’s Catholic beliefs that were the strongest. 

My favorite week was 29, because it was about abiding joy.  I have been trying to declutter my life.  I have noticed more joy, since my house and life are cleaner.

I do not follow the church’s year, so it would have been helpful for me to know what week of the year it was.  I was able to guess for a lot of it, because the stories would hint at the right time of year.

I think this is a book that many people will enjoy.  I recommend it.

Disclosure of Material Connection- I received 52 Original Wisdom Stories, by Penelope Wilcock, for free from the Kregel Publications’ Blog Tour.  All links were current when posted.  I was not required to write a positive review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Picture of the Week! (November 5, 2015)- Spring Flowers

For all the thunder I hear tonight, it is going to be a long time until I see these flowers again.