Book Review - Her Secret Hope by Shelley Shepard Gray

 

Book:  Her Secret Hope

Author:  Shelley Shepard Gray

Publisher:  Revell

   289 pages, paperback.

 

This is my first time reading a book by this author.  "Her Secret Hope" is about a young Amish lady, Lilly, who takes a job working as a maid in an Inn in Florida. She had traveled some distance from home to make a fresh start in life.  It is interesting to read about her work, what goes on behind-the-scenes in an Inn, and what it's like in the commercial kitchen. The characters are all interesting and it is enjoyable to read about daily life.  Lilly meets a nice young man. The friendship is taken slowly and I appreciate how Lilly is cautious about getting too involved too quickly.  

Lilly is a sweet, hardworking girl. She has very supporting friends. It is nice to see good things happen to her.

There is a word of caution that a few readers might want to be aware of.  There is a very brief romantic description in the story, that comes off as too strong, in my opinion.  I would have enjoyed the story much more if this had been greatly toned down or avoided altogether.

* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

 

 

Book Review - The Amish Cook's Baking Book by Lovina Eicher

 

Book:  The Amish Cook's Baking Book

Author:  Lovina Eicher with Kevin Williams

Publisher:   Andrews McMeel Publishing

   200 pages, hardcover.

 

 This wonderful collection includes instructions for baking breads, pies, pastries, cookies, and more. It was written by Lovina, who writes a column, from home, called, "The Amish Cook."  There is an explanation at the beginning which shares that an Amish kitchen does not contain modern appliances, such as food processors, blenders, or bread makers. Yet the kitchen is stocked with pots and pans and hand-operated utensils. 

The photographs of the bread and cookies look incredible. The instructions for each recipe look easy to follow. 

There is a quote from Lovina's mother, Elizabeth, from 1998, at the beginning of the bread section:

"While often sliced and served for supper, fresh bread can be found on the table at any meal of the day. I used to make a lot more bread when all of our children were still living at home - usually about nine loaves a week. I would bake the bread before they came so when they got in the door it was good and warm."

On the back cover of the book, there is a wonderful quote by the author, "Baking is something my mother taught me, much like sewing, ironing, or gardening. Now, as a mother of eight children of my own, I am beginning to teach them how to bake. I have many cherished memories of baking throughout my life."

The description of home life scattered throughout, along with color photographs and recipes make the book a treasure.  It is beautifully done.

 

 

 * Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

 

 

Book Review - The Amish Cook's Anniversary Book by Lovina Eicher

 

Book:  The Amish Cook's Anniversary Book: 20 Years of Food, Family, and Faith

Author:  Lovina Eicher with Kevin Williams

Publisher:  Andrews McMeel Publishing

   290 pages, hardcover.

 

This is an incredible book of history from the pen of an Amish wife and mother.  It includes full color photographs of Amish life, the scenery, the food, and activity of home life. It is charming, and depicts a simple life with a lot of old fashioned hard work.

The author, Lovina, is the daughter of Elizabeth Coblentz, who wrote a newspaper column called, "The Amish Cook." She called them "letters" and shared recipes and letters from home.  She sent these to her editor, Kevin Williams, who has compiled this book.  After her mother passed into Heaven, Lovina continued writing the column. 

This anniversary collection provides a treat as we read about daily life in an Amish home. The book includes the very first column by Elizabeth, from August 1991. Lovina began writing in 2002. The last letter in this book is by Lovina and is written in February of 2010.

The sweet letters are endearing and inspiring. The recipes are wonderful and written in a way that is easy to follow. It is an excellent book.

* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

 

 

Lost and Found Book Review

 

Book:  Lost and Found

Author:  Suzanne Woods Fisher

Publisher:  Revell

   320 pages, paperback.

The conservative Amish community who live in Stoney Ridge and troubled by the liberal ways of the Beachy Amish who seem to be taking over the settlement.  The concerns are that some of the choices of their group allows the use of cell phones and other modern (or worldly) devices.  This is tempting to their young people and there is a concern they would begin losing members.  The bishop considers the idea of moving their entire group to another state. I found this part of the story to be very interesting and a lesson for all of us. 

The story mainly centers around dedicated bird watchers who keep logs of their sightings. We see samples of these logs throughout the book.  The book also discusses the issue of mental illness.

* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

 

 

 

A Royal Christmas

 

Book:  A Royal Christmas

Author:  Melody Carlson

Publisher:  Revell

   176 pages, hardcover.

Adelaide stops working at a coffee shop in order to focus on completing her education. She is working on a law degree and is living on limited means. She soon finds out she is related to royalty and quickly travels to a small European country.  We are treated to the sights and customs of this place.

There is a bit of mystery in the story. There is also a small section of the story which describes a foreign Christmas custom that I did not like and did not want to know about.  The main character didn't seem to like it either!

I enjoyed reading about the shopping for pretty clothes and the description of the palace.  There is a nice friendship Adelaide develops with a gentleman which is interesting. 

Overall it is a well written story.

 

* Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

 

Letters of Comfort - Review

 

Book:  Letters of Comfort (Book 2 of "The Friendship Letters.")

Author:  Wanda E. Brunstetter

Publisher:  Barbour

   320 pages, paperback.

This story deals with depression. It begins with a tragic accident which I found difficult to read. As the characters started to heal from the effects of the accident, it was very depressing. I had to take breaks from reading because it was a bit overwhelming.  However, I wanted to know how the story would turn out so I kept reading.

It was hard for me to believe the characters were Amish because they did not seem to be focused on home life, but on working outside the home, etc. (This was probably a misunderstanding on my part.) The story includes information about a health food store, training horses, dealing with the death of a loved one, and recovering from painful physical injuries. Overall the book is well written. It is wholesome, but sad.  

The book includes some bonus features in the back. There is a recipe for apple muffins, discussion questions, and a letter from the author about dealing with depression. 

 

Disclosure: "I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review."

Second Time Around - Review

 

Book:  Second Time Around

Author:  Melody Carlson

Publisher:  Revell

   304 pages, paperback.

This delightful story is about Mallory, an older woman with two grown children. She is a busy interior decorator with a lovely Victorian house. After her daughter gets married she feels a stronger sense of emptiness in her large home. 

She soon finds out that her grandmother left her some property. It is an old touristy gift shop with an apartment above the store. It is enjoyable to read about her days and getting to know the people in the community. 

The description of how she turns the store into a lovely decorating store is inspiring.  Even though she struggles with trying to get the apartment into livable condition, it is fascinating to learn about all the trouble it takes to get qualified workers to do necessary repairs.  It is nice to read about how she settles into the neighborhood, helping to make it a better place while she develops friendships with her neighbors.

Overall it is a modern story with a wholesome bit of romance.

Bonus: There is a surprise bonus chapter at the end of the story. It is chapter one of  Melody's book, "The Happy Camper." I enjoyed this sample. It made me want a copy of that book too! 

  * Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

 

 

 

 

Life of Andrew Jackson - Review

Book:  Life of Andrew Jackson

Author:  Edited by John S. Jenkins, A.M.

Publisher:  Attic Books - A division of New Leaf Publishing Group.

   395 pages, hardcover

 

The book itself is beautifully bound with a nice cover.  It is a reprint from the 1850 edition. The original title is as follows: "Life and Public Services of Gen. Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States; Including The most important of his state papers, with the Eulogy, delivered at Washington City, June 21, 1845 by Hon. George Bancroft."

It begins in 1767 with a narrative of his early life and the influence of his mother. It goes on to cover his political history, all the way up to his death in 1845.  The end of the book includes a copy of his last will and testament. 

It is worth noting that Andrew was eight years old when the Revolutionary war first broke out. You can learn a great deal of history while reading the details of his life. 

Overall it is well written and an interesting history book.

  * Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *

Say What You Mean - Review

 

Book:  Say What You Mean: Overcoming Social Anxiety So You Can Become a Great Conversationalist

Author:  JoJo Tabares

 
Publisher:  Art of Eloquence

   68 pages, e-book

 JoJo has written a course for those who would like to learn communication skills.  She focuses on people who consider themselves to be shy.  She shares her personal testimony of overcoming shyness and explains that it is simply a lack of communication skills.

The book includes five sections:

 "Introduction to Social Anxiety"

 "Achieving Comfort"

"Achieving Mastery"

"Achieving Excellence"

"For Further Study"

She goes into great detail in each category and gives many helpful suggestions.  Overall this is a good course for those who would like to improve in their ability to communicate well.

 

  * Disclosure - This book was provided for review purposes. *