Review: Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson

Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson is a historical fiction story about young Civil War widows and their quest for something to call their own. In St. Louis during 1872 several of these young widows were lured to a meeting promising free land in Nebraska.  With no other prospects besides relying on unwilling family or marrying men they did not love, sixteen widows boarded a train headed for Plum, Nebraska.  Along the the journey towards their new lives they begin to realize their escort had less than honorable intentions. He had promised the single men of Plum (and surrounding cities) that he was bringing them brides. When the truth was made public at a stop along the way to their final destination, many of the women decided to claim their free land and farm on their own.

The story follows their trials and triumphs in creating a life for themselves.  It's a story about community and waiting on the Lord. I loved it because the women did not succomb to the fate their escort planned.  They learned the meaning of patience and trust...character traits we all need.  It's a story of victory and you'll learn a little history along the way too!

This book was provided for free for review by Bethany House Publishing and can be bought on their website.

Review: She Walks In Beauty by Siri Mitchell

Siri Mitchell's lastest novel, She Walks In Beauty, is set during New York City's Gilded Age in 1891. It's a time in history where marriage was more of a business deal than act of love.  Clara Carter is a 17 year old girl who is more interested in her education than becoming a debutant, but it seems her Aunt has a different plan.  When Clara learns that she is to debut a year early to save the family honor, she knows she has no other choice.  Clara becomes the star of the social season and is in competition with her best friend for the De Vries heir. She longs for true love and not one based on making better social connections. However, she is not sure whether she is worth that kind of luxury.

When I began reading this book I wasn't sure if I would enjoy a historical fiction novel, but in the end I have found a new genre to love. Siri Mitchell does a great job of weaving the love of God through the story of a young woman who has very little choice about her future.  Mitchell also incorporated contemporary artists, poets and authors into her novel, and that gave a depth to what was going on in the Gilded Age.  I got so lost in the story that I didn't put it down until it was finished, and even then I wish the story did not end.

This book was provided for free for review by Bethany House Publishers and can be purchased on their website.

Book Review: Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate

When it comes to Christian fiction I am usually pretty wary of what I might find between the covers. Mainly because most Christian fiction books are romance novels set in another time period 200 years, or earlier, in the past.  So, what made me pick this book for review? Why did I give Christian fiction another chance?

1. Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate is set in modern day.
2. While there is some romance to the plot, it is not the all consuming topic.
3. I like try things again because, you "can't judge a book by it's cover!" har har ;)

I read it, and I liked it, but I didn't LOVE it. I think the reason I didn't love it is based on the expectation I had of the plot.

{Possible SPOILER ALERT!}

Let me back up a bit and start with what I did like about this book...

• Lisa Wingate is actually a good writer!  I also liked how she dealt with some real issues in the content. The main character, Kai, came from a not so great home life, and Wingate clearly showed the affect it had on Kai's life and her inability/unwillingness to truly connect with people. 
• There was romance, but she wrote in such a way that did not stir emotions or fantasies or unrealistic ideals. Unfortunately, most Christian romance novels I have read are almost as bad as the secular romance novels. You know what I mean...a harlequin romance just minus the explicit scenes.  
• The story had a good moral about taking care of those in need.

Alright, now on to the items where I felt a bit let down...

• While the characters in the book clearly went to church, and were religious, I didn't get anything about their relationship with Jesus.
• Kai questions her beliefs through the memories of her little brother, but at the end of the book there was not a resolution about where she stood about her faith.
• I would have liked more of the story to focus on her love interest, Kemp.

So, on the scale of  Bad, Eh, Good, and Excellent...I give it a "Good".

This book was provided for free by Bethany House Publishing for review and it can be purchased at any online book retailer. :)

Hear No Evil by Matthew Paul Turner + a GIVEAWAY!

If there's something you don't know about me it's that I LOVE to read blogs. One of my current favorites to read is Matthew Paul Turner's JesusNeedsNewPR because of his sense of humor about Christian culture. A few months ago he put out an invitation on his blog to participate in a blog book tour for his soon to be released book Hear No Evil. So, I jumped at the opportunity to read and review his book before it's release on February 16, 2010.

From his beginnings in a fundamentalist church that preached the "evil" of most music, including Amy Grant and Sandi Patty, to his college years at a Christian university and the beginning of his career, Matthew Paul Turner's book Hear No Evil is a collection of laugh out loud funny essays about how music has impacted his life. Turner is such a visual writer that I had a "Wonder Years" experience with him becoming the narrator to what I would see as I read. While his essays could be misinterpreted as bashing the church he grew up in, I think he ultimately points out how not all aspects of Christian culture are necessarily biblical. It's easy to see that Turner's intent is to point people to the freedom of having a relationship with Jesus instead of being bound by man made rules alone.

Now it's time for the free stuff! Thanks to the generosity of fine people at WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Company I get to give away a copy of Hear No Evil!

So here's how this will go down:

For your first entry, just leave a comment about anything! For additional entries: • Follow @alisonlhunt on Twitter • Follow my blog • Tweet about this giveaway • Blog about this giveaway Please leave one comment for each method of entry. Each comment is an entry. This giveaway will close at Noon PST on Thursday, February 18, 2010. Winners will be announced on Friday, February 19, 2010. Please make sure I have a way to contact you incase you win!

Don't worry, if you don't win you can always purchase this book and others by Matthew Paul Turner at RandomHouse.com. {which I HIGHLY recommend}

Happy Reading!

***Disclaimer: This book was provided for review and giveaway by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Review // How to Reach Your Full Potential for God by Charles Stanley

How to Reach Your Full Potential for God by Charles Stanley aims to guide Christians into a process of self examination about whether they are living the life God planned for them to live, and encourages Christians to live abundantly while aligning their life with the purposes of God.

When I read the description of Charles Stanley's How to Reach Your Full Potential for God, I was really excited.  Doesn't everyone want to reach their full potential? I know I do, and I was open for any help to make sure I don't miss the mark.  Unfortunately, I was disappointed. Stanley has a lot of great biblical points in his book, but overall any revelation I would have received seemed to get lost among the hundreds of questions he asks the reader. It got to a point where I felt hammered by self-examination questions.  The purpose of the book did not match the delivery and after reading it I felt overwhelmed by having to achieve every one of Stanley's 7 steps in order to reach my full potential. I guess I was hoping this book would not be another "do these 10 things and you will arrive"...I was wrong.

Stanley is a great man of God and a great preacher, but not all preachers should necessarily be writers.

To purchase this book or learn more about it please visit www.thomasnelson.com.


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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com  book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.