Tales of Goldstone Wood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Description of 'Heartless' from CBD:
"Princess Una of Parumvir has come of age and will soon be married. She dreams of a handsome and charming prince, but when the first suitor arrives, she finds him stodgy and boring. Prince Aethelbald from the mysterious land of Farthestshore has traveled far to prove his love--and also to bring hushed warnings of danger. A dragon is rumored to be approaching Parumvir. Una, smitten instead with a more dashing prince, refuses Aethelbald's offer--and ignores his warnings. Soon the Dragon King himself is in Parumvir, and Una, in giving her heart away unwisely, finds herself in grave danger. Only those courageous enough to risk everything have a hope of fighting off this advancing evil."

Description of 'Veiled Rose' from CBD:
"Rose Red trusts no one with her secret. She hides in the forest, her face veiled in rags, shunning the company of all save her old father and her nanny goat. Her life is bleak and lonely.

Until she meets a privileged young man sent to spend his summer in the mountains. Leo, a lonely lad, befriends Rose Red, and together they begin hunting for the Mountain Monster which, rumor says, stalks these lands.But the hunt which began as a game holds greater risk than Leo supposes."

Decription of 'Moonblood' from CBD:

"Desperate to regain the trust of his kingdom, Prince Lionheart reluctantly banishes his faithful servant and only friend, Rose Red. Now she is lost in the hidden realm of Arpiar, held captive by her evil goblin father, King Vahe.

Vowing to redeem himself, Lionheart plunges into the mysterious Goldstone Wood, seeking Rose Red. In strange other worlds, Lionheart must face a lyrical yet lethal tiger, a fallen unicorn, and a goblin horde on his quest to rescue the girl he betrayed.

With the Night of Moonblood fast approaching, when King Vahe seeks to wake the Dragon's sleeping children, Lionheart must discover whether or not his heart contains courage before it's too late for Rose Red... and all those he loves."

Decription of 'Starflower' from CBD:

"When a cursed dragon-witch kidnaps the lovely Lady Gleamdren, Eanrin sets boldly forth on a rescue mission... and a race against his rival for Gleamdren's favor. Intent upon his quest, the last thing the immortal Faerie needs is to become mixed up with the troubles of an insignificant mortal.

But when he stumbles upon a maiden trapped in an enchanted sleep, he cannot leave her alone in the dangerous Wood Between. One waking kiss later, Eanrin suddenly finds his story entangled with that of young Starflower. A strange link exists between this mortal girl and the dragon-witch. Will Starflower prove the key to Lady Gleamdren's rescue? Or will the dark power from which she flees destroy both her and her rescuer?"

My Thoughts:

I recently finished Books 1-4 in the "Tales of Goldstone Wood" Series by Anne Elisabeth Stengl.  These books are not my "normal" reading material.  I normally shy away from the fantasy fiction books; however these caught my attention for some reason.  Once I started reading, the books were so strange I kept wanting to toss them out, but at the same time they were so strange I just had to keep reading.  Once I finished the first one I decided I needed to go ahead and read the next one.  The more I read, the more sense they began to make to me.  I describe the books as a mix between Narnia and Lord of the Rings (which is still a far-fetched description). These books include goblins, dragons, queens, and many other fantasy aspects.  If you enjoy fantasy books, then you will likely enjoy these. They are very well-written, just not exactly my style of reading.  I would recommend reading them all in order so that they make more sense.

Love in Disguise by Carol Cox

From CBD's product description:

"When costume-maker Ellie Moore suddenly finds herself out of a job in the middle of a bleak Chicago winter, she uses her knowledge of theatrical disguise to secure a position as an undercover operative with the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Her assignment: find the culprit behind the theft of silver shipped from the mines near Pickford, Arizona.

Disguised as Lavinia Stewart, a middle-aged widow, Ellie begins her investigation. Soon she finds she must also pose as the dazzling young Jessie Monroe, whose vivacious personality encourages people to talk."

My Thoughts

I enjoyed reading "Love in Disguise" by Carol Cox.  It was a very entertaining book.  I love a good mystery novel, and while this wasn't the most on-the-edge-of-your-seat book, it was very entertaining.  I loved the light humor in the book between the characters and the easy flow of the story.  Carol Cox did a great job writing this book.  The characters were all very unique and seemingly true to the "wild west" that I have always imagined.  The idea that a young girl could successfully pull off a private investigation is a nice change and definitely shows that girls can be strong and successful.  The love story in the book wasn't too "mushy" for me (I hate lovey-dovey books haha).  It was a more subdued love story in which even I was rooting for love to win out in the end!  The ending was a bit too clean for me though, because I didn't see that ending ever happening in real-life, but who knows?  The story would have needed several more chapters for what I'd consider a real-life ending ;)

*I received "Love in Disguise" by Carol Cox in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was received.

Almost Amish by Kathryn Cushman

I recently received "Almost Amish" by Kathryn Cushman from Bethany House Publishing Group to review.  I never thought I would enjoy reading Amish fiction, but the more I read the more I get drawn in!  Apparently I love reading about the "simple" lifestyle.

From CBD's produt description:
"Julie Charlton is at the breaking point. She's overwhelmed and burned out, and in today's unrelenting society, her kids are, too. When her sister-in-law Susan, a Martha Stewart-in-training, lands the chance to participate in a reality TV series promoting simple living, and needs another family to join her, it seems like the perfect opportunity.

The location is an idyllic farm outside an Amish community in Tennessee. Julie, with her two children, joins Susan and her teenage daughter for a summer adventure. Susan needs to succeed in order to become self-sufficient after an ugly divorce, Julie needs to slow down long enough to remember what her priorities are and regain a sense of purpose and meaning. It becomes clear from the start that "living simple" is no simple matter. With the camera watching every move, Susan's drive for perfection feels a lot like what they left behind, while Julie suddenly finds herself needing to stand up for slowing down. With each new challenge, their season of "going Amish" gets more and more complicated, as each woman learns unexpected lessons about herself and her family."

First off, I will say that I absolutely loved this book.  I completely identified with everything Julie was going through.  Having 2 young kids and never having enough time to do everything exactly as I want leaves me exhausted more often than I'd like to admit.  There were many things in this book that actually helped me feel like less of a failure.  This was more of an entertaining "self--help" book than a fictional novel.  Kathryn Cushman is an amazing writer, and I can't wait to read more of her books.  The problems and solutions in this book were very true to real-life problems and solutions even though it has a reality t.v. setting.  If you are having trouble identifying what your true gift is and just need some encouragement, I'd recommend this book.   There were several thought-provoking statements made in this book, and I feel like a better person for having read it....which says a LOT for a fictional novel!!

God Gave Us You

I received "God Gave Us You" by Lisa Tawn Bergren to review from WaterBrook Press through the Blogging for Books program. 

We own a few of the "God Gave Us" book, and we love everyone of them!  These books are great tools to teach your child that God made them special no matter what.  I love our new "God Gave Us You" book because it is small enough to take along with us and read anytime.  The art by Laura J. Bryant is beautiful, as always!  My daughter loves the pictures of the polar bears.  "God Gave Us You" is an easy-to-understand book that teaches kids that are each treasured gifts from the Lord.

I would definitely recommend this book to everyone I know with kids! This would be a great book for new parents!




*I received a copy of "God Gave Us You" in exchange for my review.*

A Good and Perfect Gift

I recently received "A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny" by Amy Julia Becker from Bethany House Publishing.  While I received the book free, the opinions below are my own. 

Summary from CBD.com:

“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 love reading stories about parents who were forever changed (for the positive) by their children.  It amazes me how much we can learn from such tiny beings!  I really enjoyed Amy Julia’s story about her daughter Penny.  Shortly after giving birth to her daughter, the doctors told her that they thought Penny had Down syndrome.  Amy Julia talks openly about her feelings and questions, her concerns and frustrations.  They learn to trust that God will always be there.  While reading this book, there were times where I would wonder how I would feel if I had been faced with this situation or any similar situation.  I think I would have gone through many of the same questions and emotions that Amy Julia Becker talks about in this book.  I especially loved the last paragraph in the book.

“We weren’t a perfect family, and we never would be, at least not by the standards I would have set out for us years earlier. But we were coming closer to our telos, our true perfection, because we were learning what it meant to be human, what it meant to be whole.” 

Parenting Questions! Help!

I keep thinking I'm going to get back into the swing of things with So Mommy, but things keep "happening" and it keeps getting pushed to the back!  I'm hoping to start writing my reviews after the kids go to bed so that it will be easier to have them posted for you all!  I have some good ones to share!

We have recently started "homeschool" with my 2 1/2 year old.  Nothing major, just having her sit down with me for about 10 minutes 3 days a week.  We work on various things like drawing shapes, cutting paper, reading - mostly things to help her learn to sit still for longer periods of time.  It's giving me an idea of what homeschooling will really be like with 2 kids!

While I have you reading, I have some questions for you all! I'm in need of advice from you all!

(1) My 2 1/2 year old daughter is potty training.  She rarely has accidents (#1), and has been in big girl panties for awhile now.  Every now and then she has an accident, but no biggie.  However, she still refuses to do #2 in the potty. 
         We've tried:
-Prizes - she has 3 large prizes she gets if she does it and could care less
-Putting her on the potty when we see her going - she stops and won't go at all and ends up constipated
-Apple juice (to make it easier) - she still stops if we site her on the potty
-Putting her potty chair in front of the t.v. to get her distracted while she goes - she gets too distracted

I'm out of ideas!  She asks for a diaper to poop in, so I've resorted to putting a diaper on her and encouraging her to poop (in the diaper) in the bathroom.  I'm hoping I'll eventually be able to get her to poop in the diaper on the toilet, then without the diaper, but who knows if that will work haha.  Any ideas are appreciated!!

(2) My 2 1/2 year old is having nightmares.  She has always been a very good sleeper until recently.  She screams when you mention bedtime - terrified screams, not just crying.  She finally told us that the animals come out when we close the door (sometimes they play soccer on her wall and sometimes it's football). 
-She won't go to sleep with a nightlight or with the door open. 
-She won't let us sleep in her room with her, she just wants us to sit at the end of her bed and sing "Jesus Loves Me" forever. 
-I finally got her to lay with me on the couch and sleep (she goes to sleep in under 5 minutes) and then I go lay her down. 
-We let her watch VeggieTales "Where's God when I'm Scared" and we assure her that her room is safe, but it hasn't seemed to help much. 

Any ideas for getting rid of nightmares?

Lilies in the Moonlight - Book Review

I received "Lilies in the Moonlight" by Allison Pittman as part of Waterbrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books program.  If you like to read and review books, you should check them out!

Publisher's Description (from cbd.com)

He’d lost his zest for life. She was just lost. Will they find the healing and love they long for?

After a roaring night on the town, fun-loving flapper Lilly Margolis, dazed and disoriented, twists her ankle and falls into the backyard of a wealthy family where the effects of the Great War—over for more than half a decade—are still endured. Inside the walls of the Burnside mansion, Cullen Burnside, a disillusioned and disfigured veteran, and his widowed mother, Betty Ruth, who daily slips a little further into dementia, lead a lonely existence … until Lilly. Whimsical, lighthearted, and beautiful, she rejuvenates their sad, disconnected lives and blossoms in the light of their attention.

But Lilly, like Cullen, is hiding from a painful past. And when Cullen insists on returning her to her faraway home, their budding attraction seems destined to die on the vine. The resulting road trip becomes a journey of self-discovery—but what will Cullen and Lilly find at journey’s end?

Author Bio (from cbd.com)

Allison Pittman is the author of Stealing Home, The Bridegrooms, the Crossroads of Grace series, and Saturdays with Stella. A former high school English teacher, she serves as director of the theater arts group at her church. Allison makes her home in Texas with her husband and their three boys. Learn more about the author at http://www.allisonpittman.com/.

 

My Review

I have decided that I'm not really a romantic novel type person.  The book was very well-written and enjoyable, but it just isn't my kind of book.  The plot was a nice change from boy-meets-girl-gets-married.  It definitely had a unique twist on the normal love story novels, which I liked.   The first few chapters kept me reading, but the middle got a little slow for me.  If you like romantic novels, you would probably enjoy this book...I'm just more of a mystery girl!