Divine Appointments by Charlene Ann Baumbich

I have been trying to determine how to write this review. I cannot say I hated this book nor can I say I loved it. It was... okay. I did like the characters and even enjoyed the main storyline.  I can relate a bit with Josie, who is in her late 40s and dealing with hot flashes and sleepless nights. She is a driven determined woman who is at the top of her game and yet, she comes to realize something is missing. I do love that the "missing" isn't a man or marriage (both great things!). It is more about looking at your life and determining if you are who you want to be.. and if you like who you are and what you do.  It is about loosening up and letting life unfold naturally and enjoying the ride.

Lyle learns the same lesson, but for him it is not a new thought.. but the return to where he started.. to what he wanted. He was living the life and got swept up into a corporate world of profits and bottom lines where people are just numbers.  He is thrust out of that world and give the opportunity to return to his true love.

There were 2 elements of this book that I did not care for and found to be very distracting to me.  One was a novel within the novel. I have no problem with that concept, but this novel was written by a character who had a lot of anger to vent and did so in a very unique manner. At first it was a bit cute, but over time it got to be too much for me and really seemed to serve no purpose.

I also did not care for the Snowglobe. There is an odd mystical effect it has on Josie at times that seemed a bit too odd for me and again, did not really serve a purpose. The author did tie in the globe nicely in the book, but I believe the story would have worked as well, if not better, without it.

In no way would I say this is a book not worth reading, it just wasn't a page turner for me.

A free copy of this book was presented to me by Waterbrook Press for review.

Sixteen Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson

I was wandering through a local used book store a month or so ago and saw this cover...

I just could not resist. I knew that this book would be one right up my alley and it was! Such a great read! Spring 1871 .... a group of war widows head west to claim a homestead and create a life of their on after the one they planned took a turn.  Along the way friendships are forged... secrets are shared... hurts healed... and lives reborn.  

Plum Grove, Nebraska has no idea what is about to hit when these 16 women step off the train.  16 women who provide an array of ages, background, skills, personalities, temperaments. and varying levels of Faith.  It seems a daunting task to tell the stories of all these women in one book, but Whitson does just that and does it very well. In no way does the reader feel slighted in not knowing enough about one lady or the other. The only negative I can find is the desire to know what happens next!  But then that is not unusual for me when the characters are full and the story rings true.

And the Winner Is....

Annie Payne!

Thanks for all the comments. I look forward to future Give-A-Ways.

Annie, I will contact you via email for your mailing address.

Barb

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul

I confess I had never heard of this book or this writer until I signed up with Blogging for Books. The cover caught my eye and since I was headed into my Christmas readathon it seemed to be the perfect book to review. How right I was!

Co-workers Cora Crowder and Simon Derrick barely know the other exists, but then a chance encounter at a strange vintage book store changes all that.  Warner, Werner and Wizbotterdad's is far from a normal bookstore and books are not all that they deal in. Each year the booksellers host an enchanting Christmas ball in hopes of creating life long matches between couples they have brought together. Cora and Simon have NO idea what is in store for them... and neither do the booksellers, as they find Cora and Simon to be a challenge to say the least!

So will the 2 opposites find that they do indeed attract? Will they be able to set aside their differences and focus on their shared faith and the chemistry they have bubbling? Or will this match made on Sage Street be the booksellers first flop?

A totally delightful read! I gobbled it up in 2 sittings.... it is definitely one of those books you don't want to put down.

And now I am giving it away!  This is my first book giveaway... a grand way to start 2011.

Here is what you need to do to enter....

Leave a comment for this blog entry. Include your name and email address (write your email like this to prevent spammers:  name (at) whatever (dot) com

AND share 1 Christmas book that you have read and love. I am always looking for Christmas books for my annual Christmas readathon!

I will taken entries until midnight (CST) Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011.  Then on Wednesday, I will "pull" a name from the bunch and see who wins this wonderful book!

The Promise by Robert J. Morgan

I have quickly become a fan of Mr. Morgan's writing.  In The Promise, he focuses on a very familiar verse... Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (NIV) What a powerful promise!


In the first half of the book, Morgan takes this verse apart bit by bit. That might sound silly to some, after all the verse makes total sense. But there is so much more here than meets the eye. I was wowed from the start when he was able to get a chapters worth of wonderful insight from 2 simple words.. "We know".... 


The second half of the book looks at other scripture that echoes the promise of Romans 8:28. I love seeing God repeat the same thing in more than one part of the Bible. Especially when the same promise is found in the Old and New Testament.  It drives home how important this is to the Father.


So why learn about Romans 8:28... isn't knowing the verse enough? Well, maybe it is. But Morgan challenges the reader to do more than know it. He wants us to LIVE it.. to pray and act and love and serve and everything else according to the truth found in this verse. And in The Promise, he not only teaches us many of the treasures hidden in this Word, but he also shares ways to walk it out.


Excellent book!  Mine is marked up and will be referred back to often, I am sure.

Homespun Christmas by Renee DeMarco, Birdie L. Etchinson, Colleen L. Reece & Janelle Burnham Schneider

Four Novellas that center around the same small town.

Hope, Washington was founded a century ago by pastor Fergus McKay who came to the small logging village full of hope.  Over the years that hope has died and so has the logging industry as environmental group seek more protected lands for endangered species.  As the town seeks new direction, a small boy reminds them of their heritage and sparks a fire to fight to keep Hope alive.

Hope for the Holidays by Colleen L. Reece -- Sarah McKay, Hope's pharmacist, is determined to revive the town and keep it going so her son, Mike, can grow up there. Ben Macklin, the sheriff, loves Hope too and wants to see it thriving again. Can their drive and desire be the catalyst to get others involved? And will their time together spark a romance that has been lying dormant since High school?

More Than Tinsel by Janelle Burnham Schneider -- Susanna grew up in Hope and ran from their as soon as she was able. She wanted more out of life than a small town with their judgemental ways and tongues. Now she is back caring for a dear friend and finding that her perception of Hope might have been off. Will she find happiness and romance where she least expected it... in Hope?

The Last Christmas by Birdie L. Etchinson -- Walt and Dee have been married a lifetime... well, 25 years... and they are tired. Tired of the routine and each other. They have grown apart and apart is where Dee plans to stay.  Walt decides they need to get away... one last chance to rekindle what they once have. And when he sees an ad for Hope's Homespun Christmas, he knows that is just the place! An old fashioned Christmas removed from the hustle and bustle. Dee is not keen on the idea, but agrees to go.. mainly to prove that their marriage cannot be revived. What she doesn't realize is love and God are waiting in Hope.

Winter Sabbatical by Renee DeMarco -- Brinn Colston is coming into her own as a reporter ... just waiting for that big break... and she knows it is coming. To her surprise, she is not sent to Chicago to cover the big story, but to some small town in Washington state to write about their Homespun Christmas. Determined to do her job and get back to civilization soon, Brinn heads off. Once in Hope she finds there is more to her assignment than she was told ... it will not be short termed.  Over time she grows to love the citizens of Hope and determines to help them fight for their town. But can she keep her heart in check in the process?

A Season of Forgiveness by Brenda Coulter

Victoria and Sam are as different as can be. Victoria likes order and calm.. Sam's goes looking for risks and adventure. In normal circumstances they would probably not even look in each others direction. Circumstances, however, are not normal. Victoria is in danger and Sam, a stranger, swoops in to save her. Try as they might to avoid each other, they can't. They know something is there, but can Sam curb his dangerous lifestyle and can Tori learn to relax and trust God?

A wonderful Christmas read from Love Inspired!