A Desperate Hope by Elizabeth Camden

Elizabeth Camden once again weaves her skill s researcher and storyteller to bring history to life through the fictional village of Duval Springs. Influenced by the real life towns and villages who were moved and relocated during the building of the Ashokan Reservoir, Camden explores themes such as community, belonging, love, and identity.

Once again I had the chance to learn through fiction (honestly one of my favourite parts of historical fiction). I had never heard of the Ashokan Reservoir or the towns that were moved in its construction. While Camden chose to construct her own fictional town for the purpose of this story, her skill as a storyteller allows Duval Springs/Highpoint to spring up as central characters in their own right. She captures so many small town quirks that naturally evolve in such close knit communities especially in a time that is so intertwined with grief and hope.

The central human story focuses on Alex Duval, mayor of Duval Spring and Eloise Drake.  Alex really stood out as a primary character, perhaps due to Duval Springs presence and Alex functioning as the living, visible "heart" of the town driving it into the future. Eloise was interesting as well, strongly written with two clear paths, I appreciated how she was able to see her own strengths as well as how both romantic options were people she had established knowledge and experience with.

Spiritually, Camden does weave faith into both Eloise and Alex's lives bringing faith up as an important factor on numerous occasions and being  an important factor on life changing decisions for both characters. Well never preachy, the characters faith is certainly not hidden.

A Desperate Hope is filled with hurting hearts, wild dreams, and irrepressible hope as Duval Springs and its inhabitants face their future in a landscape changing for progress.

4 out of 5 stars.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

Wright has done it again. The Curse of Misty Wayfair blends past and present to provide mystery and redemption in an edge of you seat read.

Jaime Jo Wright has quickly become my "must read" in the realm of historical fiction.  Her ability to weave past and present to provide a deep and engaging tale is unmatched. Here, Pleasant Valley, Misty Wayfair, and the Coyle Curse all function as  solid anchors weaving their way into the characters lives. Her ability to compare and contrast her main characters despite the decades helps make them real and relatable.

Honestly I was impressed with both Heidi and Thea's stories. Heidi's stands out for Wright's handling of sensitive matters such as mental illness and special needs. As a mom to two boys with autism, Emma especially stood out in Heidi's story and I appreciated how she was a unique character with strengths and weaknesses not a character of pity (honestly though Wright has some amazing secondary characters this time, Connie and Mrs. Amos  are additional highlights in the novel). I also appreciated how Heidi worked through her anxiety you can see Wright took the time to give her characters depth over stereotype.

Thea's story really emphasized the mystery aspect between the origins of Misty Wayfair's ghost, the Coyle Curse, and Thea's own origins. Wright gives readers plenty to sink their teeth into as the mysteries all come to a dangerous head for Thea.

As usual, Wright adds an additional layer through her characters search for meaning and identity, exploring how faith could function within their  lives. I appreciate how Wright doesn't shy away from her characters having mistakes or hurts in their  past in regards to faith but includes them alongside natural character progression and the eventual flushing out of each characters faith journey.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

Tiny Truths Illustrated Bible By Joanna Rivard and Tim Penner

It's hard to capture an active three year old's attention. However, through a combination of engaging pictures, conversational dialogue, and timeless truth The Tiny Truths Illustrated Bible  had my little one begging for "just one more story" (and another and another).

My kids both give "lotsa thumbs up" to the pictures which they loved! Aside from cute and kid-friendly, they helped maintain interest when my three year old struggles with lingering speech issues. They complement and enrich the story from cover to cover.

The story itself was perfect for our three year old and, I believe, the preschool through kindergarten age really is the perfect focus range for this edition.
This is an age.range we haven't  really found well covered in the past. While we love The Jesus Storybook Bible it's still a little too advanced for our youngest but he's also informed us  he's too big for the ultra simplified infant one. Relying more on paraphrase and a story-telling emphasis, Tiny Truths uses conversational language that is familiar to convey  the stories and truth so familiar to the church.  Even my oldest was drawn in by the way each story was phrased with little questions here and there to encourage thoughtfulness and engagement.

Physically, I appreciated the book's break down. The index is a great addition and I love how the Old to New Testament transition gets it's own page in the text for easier referencing.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Duck Commander Happy, Happy, Happy Stories for Kids Fun and Faith-Filled Stories By Korie Robertson and Chrys Howard

My only exposure to Duck Dynasty comes from Korie Robertson's earlier book Strong and Kind. That said, I like stories, my boys learn well through stories and I was curious where Happy, Happy, Happy Stories for Kids  falls into the ever growing spectrum of spiritual growth/life lessons for kids that is available.

Overall, the format is familiar. Each of the fourteen chapters begins with a relatively short story(the last chapter we read falling around 8 pages) brought to life with every day vernacular and bright engaging images. The story is then reinforced with a page dedicated to a scripture verse, a page of reflective questions, and two pages dedicated  to practical application. The minor format tweak with the practical application section proved a huge success with our boys who loved taping into visual, audio, and hands on learning making for some great engagement and reflection from both kids.

I also appreciated how biblical and moral truths were reinforced through everyday stories with everyday kids. My boys are really enthralled with John Luke's adventures and I can see them being disappointed when we finish the  book in its entirety together. The fact that we don't know much about the Duck Dynasty family hasn't made any difference to their enjoyment as we're reading about kids in relatable situations and learning foundational truths(although I'm pretty sure the 5 year old now wants to build his own tree house which was not the moral of that particular chapter.)

I could see kids in the 5-9 year old range connecting most easily with this material and thanks to the supplementary pages it is a great resource for parents wanting to start conversations with their kids.

4 out of 5 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

With This Pledge by Tamera Alexander

Utterly Captivating!

Tamera Alexander's retelling of the events of the Battle of Franklin and its effects on the residents of Carnton had me completely immersed and rooting for these characters based upon the actual residents and soldiers who participated in the unfolding of Franklin and the final days of the war.

Now, as a Canadian, I only have a basic knowledge of the U.S. civil war which is why I was thrilled to find Alexander has done her research, even using actual correspondence from those in and around Carnton. Her attention to detail, even in regards to battle, surgery, and recovery helped me as a reader with no connection to the events catch glimpses of the turmoil of the time (although fair warning readers who enjoy happy endings don't go researching the characters after Alexander pens the end).

Obviously using actual places, events, and correspondence from the primary characters adds a  level of depth that is natural but I also appreciate how Alexander respects the people while fleshing out the story of Lizzie, Roland, and even Tempy. She respects their flaws, pain, and their quirks which may have been easier to smooth out, instead allowing them to further richen the narrative. The debates between Lizzie and Roland regarding slavery, the questions of moral men, the trauma of the children and helpers all gave further insight into the era.

With This Pledge  was my first foray into Alexander's work but I shall definitely be checking her out again. I highly recommend this book for any fans of historical fiction, romance, civil war era novels.

5 out of 5 stars.

losure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Mark of the Raven by Morgan L.Busse

Based on Mark of the Raven, The Ravenwood Saga has the potential to be my favourite Christian fantasy series in years.

Right from the start, Busse is invested in taking  the time to world build. As a result, the book is filled with rich family and world history, interesting geography, and, of course, the division of the great houses gifts. Busse obviously has put a lot of thought and heart to the creation of her characters home and it brings the story a depth and immersion I've found lacking in other reads in this genre of late.

The concept of the gifts is what lands this novel firmly in its fantasy genre. I really enjoyed the slow reveal of the gifts as well as the way readers are introduced to the concept of a gift that has been twisted or warped from it's original purpose. Between the contrast of the houses of the Light and the houses of the Dark Lady, Busse has set up the possibility of introducing themes of faith and redemption without being overly cliche or preachy. I really appreciate how naturally she works her elements into her plots allowing them to feel natural to the characters, especially with Lady Selene and Lord Damien.

These two really caught my attention (aside from Renata and little Opheliana who I sincerely hope make reappearances in the future).  Both characters were strong enough to hold their own plotlines with notable weakness that made them more interesting as they seek to best  lead their people and honour the gifts they've inherited. While I guessed the eventual outcome of these two meeting, Busse definitely throws a twist into the plot in the  last 75 pages and I was on the edge of my seat for how the ceremony would unfold. 

I'm always leery of reviewing the first in a Christian fantasy as so often a fantasy series needs to viewed as a whole to see how an author will use the history and plots established. However, Mark of the Raven is well worth the risk. Also is it April yet? I need to know what happens next!

4 out of 5 stars.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

NIRV Seek and Explore Bible

With a bright, colourful cover, and colour-coded margins the NIRV Seek and Explore Bible is designed to capture the eye and create interest (not to mention help parents find it again once the bible enters into the  black hole of a child's bedroom).

The entire bible is colour coded making referencing much easier and gives indecisive kids some help deciding where to look (for instance my son's in a blue phase guess where we're reading). I particularly like the study notes with the wayee characters which are informative and age appropriate with great conversation starters and cool facts (I honestly had no idea a sling and stone could move so fast!). As always the maps were a big hit and I was impressed with the balance between fun,child-friendly pictures and accuracy of the map.

I do question the durability of a paperback vs a hardcover for energetic kids. However, paperback does make the pages easier to manipulate and less of a projectile weapon for those loving brotherly moments. I also miss having a topical index because, let's face it, kids are the champs when it comes to asking questions and the list of key stories just wasn't robust enough for what my 5 year old is asking.  In the end, it feels like a good trade off for this age and stage. I'm also pleased with the readability of this translation. The NIRV definitely feels accessible to younger kids who are still struggling to grasp the nuances of English because, let's face it, there's enough in here to wrestle through without language complicating matters.

With all the fun artwork and readability this edition is a great option for pre-readers through to junior high students.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers 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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.