Verbania Treasure - Book Review

Recently I have been reading children's/young adult books. I think it is a combination of homeschool mom guilt -- I need to read the books on my shelves, you know the ones that I bought because they are classics or on the list of books that your homeschooler should read and now I am reading them. The other reason is I enjoy those books. They are easy to read, adds another book to my list of books. I also learn from the reading those books.

I had the opportunity to read Verbania Treasure by Anne Phillips. Verbania Treasure is a story set in the Italian Lakes region. It is the story of five cousins and their grandmother who spend four weeks overseas following a treasure hunt. I loved reading the story and admit to looking various places online to see where the children were exploring. I loved the different characters, the way they work together. I admire Grandma Sybil for taking five children on an adventure. I also admire her for putting aside her own desires and buying chocolate in Switzerland. It made me feel bad for my children as I took them to Switzerland and didn't buy them any chocolate. There were times that you felt like you were right there with the children as they explored. There were times that you just didn't know what to do with George but even times when you felt sorry for him. This is a great book to give a bit of an understanding of Italy.

I think I decided where I want to go for holiday next year. I might need to take our Ambrose with us for the adventure.

Verbania Treasure is available on Kindle. Get it for yourself or a child.

Ms. Phillips has written another book, The Lizard Garden. This book has the same children and tells of adventures in the Netherlands. The Lizard Garden takes place prior to Verbania Treasure. There are references to story but these can be stand alone books.

I recommend both of these books for yourself or your children.

I was given a copy of Verbania Treasure to review. The comments are my own.

Check out Anne's blog with a bit of the behind the scenes including photos.

Beth

Ante Up - Book Review

One of my goals for 2016 was to expand my reading, reading classics, varied authors and books. I was am using the Tim Challies reading challenge as a guide. I am also keeping a list of the books that I have read this year. I have begun to read classics, books I can't believe I have never read, new authors, and new topics.

Sometimes I just want to read something that is easy to read. For me that is Christian fiction from one of my favourite authors, Chautona Havig. I recently had the opportunity to be part of the launch team and preview Chautona Havig's new book, Ante Up the fourth in The Aggie's Inheritance Series.

It does help a bit if you have read the other books in the series as it introduces you to Aggie and her family of nieces and nephews as they become a family and through changes in life.

When we meet Aggie in Ready or Not, she is young and ready to for whatever is coming her way. Then the unexpected happens and she is becomes the guardian of her nieces and nephews. Aggie survives with the help of friends and through lots of hymns.

Life has changed for Aggie now married with a son and another child on the way. There have been other challenges in their lives as well. The Aggie that I knew is struggling things are not easy even to the point that she is no long singing.

This book shows us a new side of Aggie. Life is not easy and she is struggling in how she responds to life. She is pregnant which you can tell from the cover. I don't want to give you more details and ruin a good read.

Ante Up is now available. If you order by 7 July there is a free gift, Tune My Heart, a devotional based on hymns.

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Chautona Havig in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to share a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.

Beth

Praying for the People of Asia

As I pray for the people of Asia, often certain pictures come to my mind. I think of the lady at the vegetable stand from years ago. I didn't speak much Chinese but we managed to communicate and I regularly bought my vegetables from her. I picture of some of my students in the various classes that I taught during my time there. I picture of co-workers, vendors, people that worked in the factories. I think of students that we knew living in the US or UK now returned home.  I picture people we met when we traveled to Asia.

This lady is one of those that often comes to my mind.

I don't know much about her other than she is from the Bai people group (Bai means white) and she worked in the market. I pray for her -- pray that she will come to know God who will make her heart white as snow.

Pictures and stories help me to pray for people. Many of those come from my own experiences and travel but there are many places that I have not been. I found Asia: Its People and Its History a wonderful resource giving you a mental image as you pray.

We can't go to all those places but we can pray. One of my favorite quotes is from J.O. Fraser, "I am feeling more and more that it is, after all, just the prayers of God’s people that call down blessing upon the work, whether they are directly engaged in it or not." Prayer is one thing that we can do here.

Order your copy now before the release at a reduced price.

Listen to a bit of the author's heart as Bonnie Rose shares why she wrote this book.

"Several years ago, God began to turn my heart's attention to the stories of the persecuted Church. I had always had a heart for the persecuted in China, but I never grasped how widespread the persecution of Christians was until much later. I started reading about men and women who lived in Laos and Burma, India and Pakistan, and many other places. They were suffering terribly for their faith in Christ. This wasn't the stories of the heroes of the faith of yesterday that I had grown up hearing about, or what I had thought were isolated stories from one nation. These were stories of families--including children--who were suffering right at that very moment for their faith.

Reading their stories gave me a burden and broke my heart. I had to do something, but I didn't know what. Writing and sharing about their stories gave me a way to process what I was reading and feeling and a way to hopefully encourage others to become involved and share their stories as well."

This book has been one that I am enjoying personally as well as my children. I love hearing my children pray as they learn more about the People of Asia.

Beth

Book Review - You can be Everything God Wants you to be

This is a gift book format taken from Max Lucado's book, Cure for the Common Life. It has the features that you think of when you think of a gift book -- small in size, some illustrations, and easy to read. The book was an easy read but was challenging at different parts. This book challenges the read to explore how God has created them and to be the person that God has created them to be. "You cannot be anything you want to be. But you can be everything God wants you to be." (page 39) Max Lucado also quickly reviews how God used Paul and his drive for spreading the gospel.

"You are the only you God made." Yes, this is a good reminder to help take any the commonness of life. "You need to be you." In the context of the book, that make sense but that is one of those lines that you do not want to take out of context.

The book ends with a short list of Bible characters and the items that they had and how God use those small items. That is a good reminder to all of us that God will use what we have when we give those talents and tools over to God.

Again this was an easy book to read. Thomas Nelson suggests that it would be a "perfect gift for the graduate" and I would agree. It does help to give some thoughts for guiding and planning how you are going to life your life.

One thing that I did not like in the book was the use of multiple translations of the Bible. There were probably eight to ten different translations used. To me when authors do that it makes me feel as though they are searching for verses and words to fit with what they want to say instead of looking at what the Bible says and writing that.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.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 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review - Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill

Christian Encounters Series

By John Perry

I selected this book to give myself some understanding of Winston Churchill. I did not feel that I really knew much about him. It is a small book with just 192 pages. I found the book easy to read at the beginning but then it seemed to drag. It seemed that there were details of his life missing and places that you had to try to fill in what was happening. I do feel that I have a bit more of an understanding of who Winston Churchill was but with only 192 pages and a man such as Churchill there is so much that is missing.

The author did a good job to condense Churchill’s life and at the same time give you some of his character. You see the things that helped to make him the leader that he was. He is driven and that is seen in how he worked and worked to improve his speech. He educated himself through reading.

One other characteristic that stuck with me after reading this book was his extravagance. While everyone else is on rations he was continuing to live life the same. It even told of how towards the end of his life he spent more in 2 days on cigars then his private nurse made in a week.

This book is part of the series from Thomas Nelson called Christian Encounters, which causes one to think that these are Christians. The book at various times spoke of Winston’s religious beliefs but it does not appear that he truly was a Christian so marketing this book as part of Christian Encounters seems wrong. Overall, I would say this was a good book and I would be tempted to read some of the other books in the series.

This book was provided by Thomas Nelson for review.