Monday, June 29, 2015

The Tank Man's Son by Mark Bouman

 "The Tank Man's Son" by Mark Bouman is a powerful book on the authors horrific childhood and how God used it for good.  This is the first book I have read in my life that had a warning about foul language from a Christian Publisher. This may make some stop and not read it but I know that if we are going to tell our story about life before Christ sometimes we have to use that language when showing what others have done and said to you otherwise I consider it a partial lie and you need to be truthful on how things were.  The author's childhood at points did seem like a kids dream (tanks, war games, and free outdoor play) but overall it was a child's nightmare growing up with an extremely abusive neo-nazi dad.   The physical abusive that the author went thru just broke my heart reading it but I did not stop reading as I could barely put the book down as I wanted to know how God was going to use this for His glory.  The author could have wrote the book in way that would tear his dad to shreds with words. But he didn't he wrote the facts in a way that showed his pain but also how every child does looks up to their father at some point even if its for a small amount of time.  He really showed us in words the confusion that went into his mind as a child and even that of his siblings.  Also his telling of his mom just made me respect her so much for her strength of what she had to endure and her finally saying enough.  But God used all of the nastiness for His glory.  Not only did the author come to know Jesus but he and his wife were able to be missionaries during one of  Cambodia's darkest times in history.  The violence and war life he got from his dad helped him during Cambodia's civil war.  But not only that we also read about the redemption and forgiveness of father and son.  It is a very powerful story and I plan on keeping this book to re-read or to give to someone who God leads me to that needs to read the story of this man.  I highly recommend this book please read it, we need to see how God can take the horrible things in our past and turn them to good for His glory.

I was given this book from Tyndale Publishers and was not required to give a positive review.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Until the Harvest by Sarah Loudin Thomas


"Until The Harvest" by Sarah Loudin Thomas is about Henry Phillips, Mayfair Hoffman and Margaret Hoffman and they their lives work together after the death of Henry's father.  After the unexpected death of Henry's father, Henry gets involved with the wrong crowd, while Margaret takes care of Henry's grandmother with her sister Mayfair who people think of as a healer. One note is that this book takes part in the mid 70 which you do have to keep in mind for part of the story.  Parts of this book I enjoyed like the characters of Henry, Charlie and Margaret.  But the side portion of Mayfair I just did not enjoy at all for most of the book at least to me her character was almost treated like God as being able to heal some people. Near the end faith in Christ is mention but almost like an after thought.  Mayfair was given more credit that I would have liked.  This book was one I just don't know where I stand with it, if I liked it or hated it.  One moment I could not put it down then another moment I did not want to finish it but I did and I still don't know if I like it or not.  So I will have to leave my recommendation on this book on the table.  In other words I will let you decide if you should read it or not.

I was given this book from Bethany House Publishers and was not required to give a positive review.

Monday, June 22, 2015

In Our Backyard by Nita Belles

"In Our Backyard" by Nita Belles is a book about human trafficking in America not sex trafficking but all kinds of human trafficking.  This was a very powerful book, it did not just give you details on human trafficking but also how to help people.  I liked how the author wrote about people being trafficked not just sex but in work area also.  Also she brings up that a lot of traffickers were victims themselves.  Also she brings up that this can happen to anyone in any area or background.  Us in small town areas we have a tendency to think oh it can't happen, but its actually more common to have victims come from small areas as they are more trusting.  It drives me nuts when people say oh human trafficking only happens in small areas and to kids in troubled families.  So not true, victims are from every type of family and community.  This author really points that out and I hope it opens the eyes of many people.  A lot of this book I already knew but it still informed me on things that I did not know.  I highly recommend this book for everyone to read.

I was given this book Baker Books and was not required to give a honest review.

Five Brides by Eva Marie Everson


"Five Brides" by Eva Marie Everson is about 5 women roommates who become the closest of friends to the point of deciding to buy one high end wedding gown to share even though none of them is engaged to be married.  I know for me to purposely choose to read and review a romance is odd.  But this one sounded very different than the typical Christian romance novels and it was. It starts with the one of the ladies Granddaughter getting ready to be married in the dress (the original story takes place in the 50's).  Then it goes into the telling of how the met and into the bulk of the story.  Each of the ladies (Evelyn, Betty, Joan, Magda, and Inga) are very different in personality and backgrounds except Magda and Ingo who are sisters.  The difference in the ladies adds so much to the story.  It did not go the typical route I was expecting it to go which was very nice.  The book wasn't so much about each women's trip to love but more about the women growing and getting to know each other and themselves better.  I enjoyed each of the women's stories but I think I enjoyed Betty's and Evelyn's were my favorite well Joan's at the end I really go into.  I felt bad and happy for each of the ladies.  I would love and hate to see this book turned into a movie as it would make a beautiful story but modern Hollywood would make it into a sex story which it wasn't at all.  This author has a way to take a story that could be the typical love story and turn it into a more developed story than just love.  I highly recommend this book even if you are not a big fan of romance novels which I am not a fan of.

I was given this book from Tyndale Publishers and was not required to give a positive review.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Desperate Measures by Sandra Orchard


"Desperate Measures" by Sandra Orchard is the third book in the Port Aster Secrets series it revolves around the heroine Kate Adams who has been looking for miracle plant that torn apart her family.  You can read this book not in order of the series which is what I did.  I did enjoy the story to a point.  I am just not a big romance person even if its mixed with mystery. Also I thought at points in the story there were too many characters to keep track of at times.  Also I just could not get into the story with the "miracle" plant.  I just could not connect with a story involving a plant.  Maybe its cause plants are just not my thing.  It was a good mystery overall, some things I figured out but others parts I was not able to figure out.  I will still recommend this book as it was a good mystery novel if you can get into it.

I was given this book from Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group and was not required to give a positive review.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

"I'm Happy For You Sort of...Not Really" by Kay Wills Wyma


"I'm Happy For You Sort of...Not Really" by Kay Wills Wyma is about finding contentment in our world of comparison.  I really wanted to really like this book a lot but it turned out to be an ok book.   I was warn out just reading how often the author and her friends compared themselves to others.  Yes we all compare ourselves to someone at sometime but the amount she writes about is just overwhelming.   I am mean yes I do compare myself to others at times but then I try to remember we don't see their whole life. Plus God made us with our likes and strengths different no one is going to be the same. Also to me when people are focused on comparing to others they have a tendency to also look down on others that a very different from them which is the attitude I usually get.  The point that really got me was when she was upset that a medical professional called one of her children not normal and that upset her.  Ok maybe that just bugged me cause all my life I have been a not normal person in society's eyes and don't think its a bad thing.  Yes she does come to the realization that we are all not normal but it just kinda bothered me that at first she thought that was a bad thing.  There were some encouraging parts to help you find contentment but not enough for me to warrant keeping the book to refer to when I need to.  This is one of those books that I am just not sure if I want to recommend it or not.  So I will leave it up to you to decide if you should read it or not.

I was given this book from Blogging For Books and was not required to give a positive review.

Update

For my few readers sorry I haven't been here to write.  My oldest graduated High School at the beginning of the month.  Then my youngest got sick so its been a busy last couple of weeks.  Also I hit a reading slump but I am coming out of it so please bare with me while I get back into the swing of things.

Thoughts on my hubby

27 years ago was the summer before my senior year in high school and I went for a walk that would change my life forever.  I just wanted to ...