Saturday, November 12, 2011

An Amish Wedding

An Amish Wedding is a collection of three short stories written by three different authors. A Perfect Secret is written by Kelly Long. A Perfect Match is written by Kathleen Fuller. A Perfect Plan is written by Beth Wiseman. Each story is entertwined as the same characters are found in each story.

In A Perfect Secret the reader is introduced to Rose Bender. She agrees to marry Luke Lantz who has been her best friend most of her life. He is very practical and matter-of-fact. At least Rose thinks he is. As the days progress toward their wedding she begins to wonder is she ever really knew Luke at all.

In A Perfect Match the reader is introduced to Naomi King. She owns her own bakery business, and finds herself agreeing to help her friend and employee Margaret to find a husband. When Zeke Lapp shows up in order to attend a friend's wedding, he finds himself the object of a matchmaking scheme. His ideas differ from theirs as to which girl would be best for him, and Naomi finds herself torn between helping her friend and being true to her own heart.

In A Perfect Plan the reader is introduced to Priscilla King. As she plans for her wedding everything seems to be going wrong. She has always had to have everything planned out and running smoothly. So, when things don't go as planned she begins to wonder if she is in God's will. Is she really supposed to marry Chester Lapp? Her heart says yes, but her circumstances say no.

I really enjoyed reading all three stories. A Perfect Secret had some unexpected surprises that kept me turning the pages. A Perfect Match was predictable, but an enjoyable story nonetheless. A Perfect Plan was a bit unbelievable with all the things that did go wrong. And Priscilla's character was a bit ridiculous, but I did enjoy reading the story anyway. It certainly was not as good as the other three. If you need a quick light read this would be a good book for that. I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers through their Booksneeze blogger program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

A Good and Perfect Gift

From the back of the book: Things don't always go as planned-especially when it comes to our children. When her first baby, Penny, is given a frightening diagnosis, Amy Julia's world comes crashing down. Could she continue to trust God's goodness through what felt like personal tragedy? But challenging surprises often lead to unforeseen joy, and disappointments can turn into blessings. This wise and beautiful book is more than a courageous story of raising a child against the odds-it is a journey through the unexpected ups and downs of life and the discoveries that come along the way.

My review: I am required to write a review of this book, A Good and Perfect Gift, by Amy Julia Becker, but how do you write a review of someones life? The cover will capture your attention and draw you into the first pages of the book which in themselves will keep you reading. She has a writing style that will hold your interest. But what about the content of the book? I certainly can't critique it, but I can say that I appreciate the candidness and transparency that Amy Julia displayed. She opened her heart in the pages of this book. Her struggles, fears, and triumphs are all laid out for everyone to read. She was honest and who can argue against that! This book was also eye opening for me. How do we really view children that have special needs? I know this book will help me to think twice about what I say to the parents of these special children. This is a book that I highly recommend. It will teach you a lot. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Three Cups

Three Cups by Tony Townsley and Mark St. Germain is about a young boy who receives three cups and the start of an allowance for his birthday. Each week his allowance is divided among the three cups marked give, save, and spend. When his cups start filling up, his mom takes him to the bank to open an account and deposit his savings money. He learns to save his spending money until he has enough to buy the item he wants. The giving money is used to help others in need. As the young boy grows, he learns to divide any money he receives into his three cups.

This is a great book that teaches the basics for managing money. Parents will find this to be a wonderful tool as they begin to teach their children about money. The important thing to remember is not how much money your child has, but how he uses his money. It is all about establishing good habits that can last a lifetime. The end of the book also has a parent's guide to help them get started. I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Tommy Nelson Publishers, a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers, through their Booksneeze blogger program, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.