Lumiere by Jacqueline E. Garlick

Eyelet's world changed the night of the Great Illumination.

Not only did she lose one of the two people she could trust not to betray her but, following the great flash, her world was plunged into a seemingly eternal twilight.

Now, years later, Eyelet's world changed again as her mother is sentenced to die for a crime of which she is innocent while Eyelet finds herself convicted for the crime of being her daughter. On the run with dangers inside and out, will Eyelet find the safety she seeks?

Actually I'm not sure on that last one because - Trilogy alert! On a side note, am I the only one who finds discovering recently published trilogies bittersweet? Sweet as you get the joy of devouring a book without spoilers and bitter because answers are in yet to be found books 2 and 3 (okay, okay I may be a bit impatient).

Lumiere  is book 1 of 3 in The Illumination Paradox series, written by Jacqueline E. Garlick. Focusing on the characters of Eyelet and Urlick the mysterious man Eyelet meets while escaping from the upper class Brethren.

What I liked:

I found myself increasingly drawn to Garlick's characters - especially as the supporting cast allowed readers access to different facets of Eyelet and Urlick.

Urlick's initially offsetting manner was tempered by Iris who quickly became a personal favourite once she revealed her surprisingly feisty and loyal personality where as C.L and Pan helped soften Eyelet and give her depth where it was needed. Actually, upon reflection I think Pan was a brilliant addition to the cast and I'm excited to see how she plays into the next two books (since I hate spoilers and Pan has a doozy that's all I'll say).

The world was also fascinating in its potential. The ranked society has always proven a fabulous playground for my imagination and the contrast between the Brethren, the Gears and the follies not to mention the secretive Limpidious. Garlick did a great job setting up the later two areas to be potentially important plot points that I would love to see revealed.

I think that's one thing I appreciated the most in this book. Garlick has hinted and wonderfully teased out clues for which features will be important later in the series. Where some trilogies I've read feel barely connected, Lumiere feels almost sadly incomplete at times as characters and mysterious are (hopefully) temporarily discarded until the characters catch up to wear the reader's knowledge has allowed them to go.

Things I didn't like:

I was sad not to see more of Sebastian. He seemed like a great little character and had a lot of potential as an ally for Eyelet in an area where she has few. I would easily revise Sebastian to a plus if he reappears later :)

My only other question with the book was the turned. Now, admittedly Lumiere does not allow us to go beyond the characters understanding of the vapours. However, the criminally while the criminals were a suitably creepy foe and the Brigsman were a natural foe from the Brethren. The Turned just didn't hit me in the same way. They seemed almost too fantastical for their preferred method of dealing with their prey.

In the end, I found Lumiere to be a solid introduction to Garlick's world and will be interested to see how this story unfolds

4 out of 5 stars

I received this book from NetGallery in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Lord for Everything by P.J. Lyons

It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is only a month away.

Thanksgiving is one of those weird little holidays for us that is usually pretty laid back and ends up looking a lot like our regular extended family dinners.However, the central theme of thankfulness is one I certainly appreciate as well as the opportunity to help ingrain a spirit of thankfulness in my kids.

I'm grateful that Zondervan has a wide selection of books on thankfulness that tie in beautifully to this upcoming season and their newest offering from P.J Lyons and Tim Warnes is no exception.

Thank You Lord for Everything follows a young bear throughout his day - from waking up in the morning, to having breakfast, and going out to play with his friends.

I really enjoyed Lyons style in writing this book (and the more I become re-introduced to children's literature the more I'm convinced that good kid's book have their own styles, rhythms, and compositions to separate the good from the bad.) Every page, no matter what topic is being discussed though always presented with a fun rhyme and rhythm, ends with the phrase "Thank you Lord for everything",  The repetition is brilliant for helping little ones remember and definitely fits in with my son's developmental level (we're repeating all sorts of things these days).

The sentences are short - fitting in with an average toddler's attention span and because readers get to follow our main bear throughout his day the story also helps to emphasize just what it means to be thankful in everything.

The illustrations by Warnes are warm and compliment the story  beautifully, giving life and movement to the story. I especially enjoy how the colours are bright and cheerful without being "in your face" as the wrong bedtime story in our house can liven up a certain toddler rather than help him prepare for bed.

Overall I'd give this story 4.5/5 stars.


 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Thankful by Eileen Spinellii

One of the issues I spent many hours mulling over when I first became a mom was how to teach the intangibles, things like kindness, respect, patience, and thankfulness. While I recognized the value of making these life long lessons I was at a loss how to intentionally guide when language was a factor (all of my volunteer experience was with extremely chatty pre-teens - what an awesome age).
Now that our son is of an age where he is interacting more with others I'm so grateful for books which explore and illustrates concepts that we're trying to encourage in his everyday like thankfulness and this is where the beauty of Spinelli's book comes in.

Thankful by Eileen Spinelli takes a classic illustration style and walks readers through both mundane and whimsical situations that show people who are happy and a reason for that thankfulness.
The book itself is an easy read with each page holding a short statement centering on a scenario on thankfulness.
While the book doesn't explicitly teach thankfulness I love how each page can be used to tie thankfulness into real life and/or launch a discussion regarding the role of thankfulness in everyday life making it a potentially great learning tool depending on a child's learning strengths.

As far as book construction and illustration goes Thankful has the same quality I've come to expect from Zondervan. A sturdy, hardcover book Thankful offers illustrations that remind me of the classic books I would read at my Grandmother's house growing up adding a nostalgic factor that broadens this books appeal across generations.





4 out of 5 stars


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Goodnight Ark

Instilling a love a reading can be difficult when your family consists of very active little boys. Although we've worked hard to incorporate reading from day one - some days our oldest is content to cuddle and have story time while others he'd prefer to spin around, run, jump, and climb until he crashes in some way.

This is why I'm in love with Goodnight Ark by Laura Sassi and Jane Chapman.
This book has verbal movement and imagery as vibrant as my boys while still being a fun read for my husband and I if our son decides that all three bedtime stories should consist of the same book.

Goodnight Ark follows the story of Noah and his ark full of animals at bedtime. As the storm rages on outside, the animals slowly become frightened and, two by two, make their way to Noah's bed for safety but just how many animals can fit into one little bed?

Sassi has included a lot of verbal tricks and quirks to help keep kids interested while giving parents something fun to read out loud. With pages full of rhymes, alliteration, and active sounds to recite there is plenty to entice kids to keep paying attention. Chapman manages to support the narrative beautifully with colourful and engaging pictures, which was a pleasant surprise given the story was set at night (dark) and in the ark (lots of browns).
The humour Sassi throws into Goodnight Ark adds to its undeniable charm while the ending is sufficiently sweet to help usher my own kids into their nighttime routine.


This is truly a book the whole family can enjoy (my husband even stopped what he was doing to finish listening to the story.) and would make a perfect birthday or Christmas gift (yep, I went there).

5 out of 5 stars


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Say & Pray Bible by Diane Stortz

Finding books for our family is proving to be a bit more of a challenge than I counted on. With a 2 year old who wants to turn the pages himself (and shreds anything that looks shredded, goodbye pop-up books) and a 5 week old who we hope will eventually share the library books needs to be quality in content and construction.This is why we're quickly becoming fans of Diane Stortz in our home and her newest offering we've found the Say & Pray Bible.

I was excited to have the chance to review another book by Diane Stortz as her Words to Dream On has become a welcome addition to our shelves.

Before I start on this book I have to comment on Sarah Ward's illustrations! Our whole family (we're assuming the lack of crying equals agreement from our youngest) love Sarah's work in the Say &Pray Bible. The contrast on colours makes pointing and naming the pictures a breeze compared to many kid's books which seem content to jam as many images and colours onto a page as possible. Our two year old stayed engaged as we flipped through the pages delighted that Mommy named each item once instead of our usual three tries and we're out approach to figure out what he's pointing too. The pictures struck me as familiar and comforting, honestly they just make me smile with their classic feel.

The book itself has also proven to be a winner with our family. It's easy-to-read pages make it simple to pick up and read a short story when we're under the clock but the variety of stories also make the Say & Pray Bible a suitable longer read when time allows.

The labelled pictures are by far a favourite feature in Stortz's latest offering as our son has a speech delay. Since we spend our days naming and labeling everything anyway, it's an awesome addition to have a book with half the work already accomplished for us. Simple one word labels work at his level and, given his interest, we're hoping he may even pick up some words as we flip through the pages over the next weeks and months.

The content itself is geared towards it's target toddler audience with shortened stories and verses for little minds to pay attention to and (hopefully) retain.
Each story, displayed on two pages, also contains a quick prayer to help familiarize toddlers with the importance of prayer at anytime (because let's face it in most houses story time is anytime the toddler plops a book in your lap). Finally, the print is nice and large to help when reading over a new baby's head or even for helping toddlers point at words and sound them out when learning to read becomes a reality.

Overall, I'm grateful for the material Diane Stortz has added to our family library. I know her books will stand the test of my boys while providing them with fun and educational books.

5 out of 5 stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Refining Fire

Tracie Peterson has long been recognized as a leader in Christian historical fiction. Often featuring memorable female leads, Peterson weaves life int these characters while providing readers landmarks of events, places, or advancements to help anchor her stories,


Refining Fire is no different in this vein, featuring many memorable characters while centering on Militine, Thane, Abrianna, and Wade in Seattle of 1889.

Militine and Thane both have painful pasts that are, in their minds, best left behind them, not only for the bad memories but also for the potential cost to their newly rebuilding lives.
For Militine, this involves hiding out at the Madison Bridal School. For Thane, through his work as a volunteer firefighter. Neither are overly concerned with the Christian life and God their friends continually propose through word or deed.

I really enjoy Militine. I like the wounded character and by now it should come as no surprise the Militine was an instant draw in this book. Her backstory, slowly unfolded was fascinating to guess at although it's abrupt reveal did feel a little anticlimactic. Thane rounded out a wonderful pairing as Peterson captured a great dynamic. The counsellor in me cringed slightly as, in real life, this pairing and the speed with which they progressed could spell disaster but for a fictional account I was willing to simply read and enjoy without getting overly critical.

Wade and Abrianna provided an interest counterpoint to Militine and Thane's intensity. Wade's longsuffering at Abrianna's ideas and lack of awareness provided a lightness to the narrative (although at the same time couldn't be faulted Abrianna's lack of awareness did become an aggravation at times). I appreciated that the Christian models in Refining Fire weren't perfect: Wade struggled with his future, Abrianna with her . . . let's call it intensity, and the Aunt's also had their own little quirks to help them feel less archtype and more human.

Even the climactic adventure, though somewhat expected given Abrianna and Militine's friendship, provided an exciting finish that kept me emotionally invested (an element I often find missing in this genre) as I worried with Militine over her friends safety.

I would definitely pick up other books in the Brides of Seattle series and heartily recommend this to other fans of the genre.


I received this book from Bethany House Publishing in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Women Are Scary

Women are Scary is supposed to get your attention, make you question, make you laugh but like most  of the relationships it's describing, at the core is something necessary that has a lot of heart.

I had intended to write this review before our second little arrived, instead I ended up remembering it's pages as we spent our week in the NICU waiting for our little one to gain enough strength to come home.

Women are Scary is a truth many moms can face with the so-called "mommy wars" and the general insecurities that can accompany gaining responsibility for the life of a helpless human being.
Since welcome our oldest two years ago I've found myself battling PPD alongside the general trying to unravel just how one does make friends with other mommies. I long ago admitted I am an introvert and while I can make small talk, insecurities about social interactions along with an inability to shut up about my passions (sci-fi, adoption, counselling issues and the church) tend to make friendships a hard won achievement.

Melanie Dale's book is brilliant in it's simplicity.
I'm guessing many moms reading this will probably not be overwhelmed by new knowledge (unless teething is currently underway at home in which case most information could be considered overwhelming). Most of this book is reiterating information most of us already know but we've forgotten or simply have decided it no longer applies now that we've moved into adulthood.

For me, the strength of Melanie's book is her presentation.
Here is a book about friendship that feels like sitting down with a friend over coffee (or tea if you'rea dreaded tea drinker like myself ;) ).
I recognize that not all readers will resonate with her humour, sci-fi references, etc. . . but it's just like in real life - some people are never meant to be more than first base acquaintances and that's okay (don't worry sports don't factor too heavily into this book, even I was able to follow all the references).
In today's social media driven culture, it is refreshing to hear someone stop and point out that not everyone is going to be invited into every area of one another's life - and that's okay! Between her three bases of relationship to her chapter on saying goodbye, these practical tips and insights read as a breath of fresh air to a society that feels driven to add their brother's best friend from third grade onto various social networks.

After reading Melanie's book I had the chance to put some of her advice into practice in the unique setting of the NICU. While not an obvious first choice for striking up a conversation there was a captive audience of moms in the same boat we were in - having a child needing help - who weren't able to go anywhere else. So I did as Melanie suggested - I started with a hello. Here's the amazing thing. I don't think I found life long friends but we did talk, for a few days we shared life, and in the end the other moms weren't so scary after all.

I would recommend this book for all practical, down to earth moms who are lonely and looking for some perspective.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”