Book #6

Finally, finally, finally finished this book.  It was a long, hard one that I wasn't sure I would ever complete.  

Standing in the massive shadow of his famous father, young king Solomon wavers between fear and bravado, wisdom and folly. In the uncertain world of alliances and treachery, Solomon longs for peace and a love that is true and pure--a love that can be his cornerstone.

A shepherdess in the northern city of Shunem, Arielah remembers the first time she laid eyes on Solomon in Jerusalem when she was just seven years old. Since then she has known that it was her destiny to become his bride. When her father, a leader of their tribe, secures a promise from King Solomon to marry Arielah as a treaty bride to help unite the kingdom, it seems her dreams may come true.

But how can this simple shepherdess live as part of Solomon's harem? Can Solomon set aside his distractions to give himself completely to just one woman? Or will he let duty, deception, and the daily routine divide his heart?

Mesu Andrews expertly weaves the words of the Song of Solomon into this touching story of the power of love. Readers will be transported from the glowing fields of Shunem to the gleaming city of Jerusalem as they experience this rich and textured novel from a master storyteller. (picture and description from amazon.com)

Once I finally got about 3/4 of the way through it, I was ready to see what was going to happen, but those first tons of pages were challenging.  The author is very detailed in her writing and researched for years to make sure each detail was completely historical and exact.  I can usually appreciate that, but in this book it seemed to weigh down the story.  Also, I always have a challenge with reading books set in Bible times about stories from the Bible.  Francine Rivers does a pretty good job of it, but I always get uncomfortable ~ feeling as if I'm cheating about making some of these people more down to earth.  I'm sure they probably were, but still. 

So, I'm ready for some fluff after that!

O:)
Melissa

Books, #5

I seriously need a new post title for these.  Alas, to the book!  This one I actually finished earlier in the holidays, but travel and illness has kept me from posting. 

Welcome to Appleseed Creek, the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country, where life is not as serene as it seems.

While her Cleveland friends relocated to Southern California and Italy, 24-year-old computer whiz Chloe Humphrey moves with some uncertainty to Appleseed Creek to direct technology services at a nearby college. Her first acquaintance is Becky, an ex-Amish teenager looking for a new home.

While driving Chloe’s car, Becky collides with a buggy, killing an Amish elder. But what looks like an accident is soon labeled murder when police discover the car’s cut brake line.

Now, Chloe must take on the role of amateur sleuth to discover who the real intended victim was before the murderer makes a second attempt. Becky’s handsome Amish-turned-Mennonite brother, Timothy, a local carpenter, comes in handy along the way. With God’s help, they’ll solve the mystery that’s rocking this small community. (picture and description from Amazon)

This is our Book Club book for January and I THOROUGHLY enjoyed it!  Enough Amish to keep it interesting, enough modern day tied in to make it more real.  It really me realize how the Amish still do function in the world today with us "englishchers" and yet still hold to their beliefs and orders.  Highly recommended!!!

 Now I am working on a book set in Bible times and they are always more challenging, but I think if I can stick with it another chapter or two I'll be hooked...

O:)
Melissa

Books, #4

Wrapped in a cloud of steam, the engine rolled to a stop, the screech of metal against metal filling the frosty air. Snow blew across the railway platform and around Meg’s calfskin walking boots. The weather definitely was not improving.

She ordered tea with milk and sugar, eying the currant buns and sweet mincemeat tarts displayed beneath a bell jar.
Later, perhaps, when her appetite returned. At the moment her stomach was twisted into a knot.

“Anything else for you?” the cashier asked as she handed over the tea, steaming and fragrant.

Meg was surprised to find her fingers trembling when she lifted the cup. “All I want is a safe journey home.”

“On a day like this?” the round-faced woman exclaimed. “None but the Almighty can promise you that, lass.”   (description and picture from Amazon)

Another fun book that was a fairly quick read, although I needed to stay snuggled under the covers to read it, it made me so cold!!!  :)

Funny story about this one.  It was on my list to read (aka, nightstand) but I knew I was going to be very busy the last few days and was trying to best to resist the temptation.  But then my mom called on Monday and told me her Book Club had read it and loved it.  AND, since Liz Curtis Higgs lives in Louisville (where my parents are) she actually came to their little meeting!  Of course, living here in NashVegas we are used to famous people around all the time (ha!) but my mom was in awe of meeting the author, and especially someone as famous as LCHiggs.  So then I had to toss everything aside and get started on it so I could see how awesome it was!  

Hoping to take a reading break, but this week and travelling (or getting snowed in!) looks like prime reading opportunities to me!

0:)
Melissa

Books, #3

You’ve heard it said, “Be careful what you pray for.” But it may also be a good idea to be careful who you ask to pray. Because when folks like Hattie Hopkins talk to God…anything can happen! Stuck in the semi-reclusive life she’s built for herself, Olivia Harmon is still recovering from the tragic loss of her husband and daughter five years before. Though she loves her job at Vermont’s department of tourism, she longs for something more–so she asks her landlady Hattie to pray for a little volunteer work for her to do.

Things don’t work out exactly as she had planned, however, and soon Olivia finds herself bursting out of her carefully built cocoon to undertake the nurturing of three rambunctious street children. Even her heart seems out of control, causing her to fall for Zach Springer, the handsome handyman who rode a mudslide right into her sun room. Can a woman so accustomed to self-imposed solitude adjust to a new life, a new love, and the new challenge of Raising Cain…and His Sisters? (picture and description from amazon.com)

Yep, another one down.  To be quite honest, I'm not sure where this book came from, except to say it was on my nightstand, but we all know that can mean anything ....

I'm suspicious it came from one of two places : my mother snuck it in there on her last visit (she's a bibliofile like myself) or it was a donation to the church library.  No matter where it came from, it was a *really* good read, even if a little heavy on details.  I personally LOVE details in a book, but if you are looking for "sticking to the story" then you might want to pass on it. 

I am not putting this in the library at church, but if anyone is interested in reading it, let me know!

O:)
Melissa

Books, #2

Amazingly, I already finished another book.  This one was a quick read, and fit the bill for our monthly Book Club meeting next Tuesday.

Judith Graber has always been the obedient daughter. When her older brother Josh struggled with his love life, she offered wise counsel. When her younger brother Caleb flirted with the idea of leaving their order, she firmly told him he was wrong. Over the years, she’s watched her younger siblings, helped around the house, and worked in her family’s store during her spare time. Judith feels overworked, overlooked, and underappreciated this holiday season. 

But everything changes when her father hires Ben Knox. 

(descrip and pic from amazon.com)

I liked this book for the most part.  The only thing I struggled with was the speech.  Sometimes these modern day Amish, Mennonites, and englischers spoke in normal language, sometimes in german, and sometimes with a southern drawl.  And I kept trying to wrap my mind around reading a book about modern day Amish with the worrd Facebook and laptop in the story!

Books, 1 and counting...

New idea, may not last long....
Roger, who thinks I read too many books anyway, sent me an email the other day about a man who read 125 books one year.  I'm pretty sure I can't beat that (he probably wasn't the COO of his household!), but I was curious to see how many books I read in year.  So I decided to post a bit about the books I read for anyone who may be interested (probably no one) and for me to keep count.

Just finished this one here.  Not the first Christmas book I've read this year, but the first one I'm counting.

Join three of today’s bestselling inspirational fiction authors in a collection of Christmas stories from Victorian-era America that are full of second-chance romances. Jilted by her fiancé, Karla packs away her wedding quilts and her plans for marriage. Widow Jane travels to marry a prosperous man she barely knows in order to give her daughter a better life—then is stranded in a winter storm. Ada, a wealthy ingénue, inadvertently causes grave injury to a poor man she once considered quite a catch. Each must search her heart, change her plans. . .and patch together a tender, unexpected life filled with love. (descrip and pic from amazon.com)

My favorite story was the last one, The Bridal Quilt.  Read for yourself, but basically socialite decides she wants a passion like the one her ex-fiancee has.  He walked away from fortunes when he found himself in a situation rescuing an orphan child from an abuser.  He took her back to the orphanage and realized his real passion was helping the needy children there.  He didn't think his future bride would understand his consuming passion, so he left her.  Not wise, but the way God works it out (even if only in a story!) is amazing and redeeming and ... well, you just have to read it for yourself! 

O:)
Melissa

My Jesus kiss with a flute!!!

My sweet Jesus has done it again!  After a crazy busy spring and summer I will confess I have not been enjoying precious quiet time with Him as much as I should have, in order to survive my crazy busy spring and summer!  So this past week I have made a concentrated effort to start back with my QT, focusing on the verse in Psalms to "restore to my the JOY of Your salvation."  I knew all along He has been here, because He promised not to leave me or forsake me, but I also knew I had to been seeking Him out.  So last week when more busyness and decisions needed to be made, I just really started pouring my heart out to Him and seeking His wisdom.  

One of the things this summer we have been trying to figure out is how to get a cell phone for Rebecca.  Now, that may be a no brainer for some of you, but we really had several variables that went into this.  No need to for all the details, but the money aspect was one of them.  We were trying to find the best deal that would work for us that wasn't going to cost an arm and a leg!  We had finally narrowed it down to two options, but had not made the final decision, because then we start thinking about all the other expenses we knew were coming up this fall.  Not necessarily big ones, but all that little nickel and dime stuff that adds up.  

So back to the flute.  Last week Rebecca had a birthday party and one of her friends was not able to come.  She saw her Sunday afternoon, and gave her her birthday present.  Can you guess what it was?!?  A flute!!!  A real, honest to goodness flute with all the accessories and she just gave it to her!  They hadn't used it in a long time and no one else was going to play it, so they just blessed us with it.  

What does this flute represent?  This flute represents $20 we don't have to pay anymore to rent one.  This flute represents a chunk of what her cell phone bill was going to be.  This flute represents God's provision for us.  This flute represents a sign to me that God is going to take care of us.  This flute represents God taking care of our details.  

And the icing on the cake?  On the case it said it is a "Hallelu Flute".  As in, Hallelujah.