Tricia Goyer video about latest book, Beside Still Waters

I have read and reviewed this book on this blog, and I highly recommend it.
Jettie

Winner announced

Honeysmom

entry #7 is the winner

of the book

'Save the Date'

by

Jenny B Jones

Thanks for all who entered

and please enter again, when I have

another book to give away.

New Book Giveaway 'Save the Date' by Jenny B. Jones: CLOSED

And the winner is:
Entry #7
Honeysmom!
Contact me with your mailing address,
and I'll get the book out this week.
Thanks to all who entered,
and I'll be hosting another book give away
when one of the publishers sends me an extra book!

 

I recieved 2 copies of this book, with no instructions

as to what I should do with the extra.

So, I've decided to offer it to my blog readers.

It is funny, very entertaining, and you can find my

review here

http://jettiesramblings.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html

*to enter, please leave a comment on this post*

I'll draw for the winner on 3-21-2011

at

6:00pm

and the winner will be announced on this post.

Jettie

BOOK GIVEAWAY Winner named

If you entered the book giveaway, please check the post for the name of the winner.

I will be giving another book away in about 2 weeks, so if you didn't win this one, please check back to enter the next one.

THE PROMISE OF AN ANGEL by Ruth Reid

The Promise of an Angel, by Ruth Reid
A Heaven on Earth Novel
Published by Thomas Nelson Publishing
Release date June 11, 2011

At 19, Judith Fischer loves children, and entertains them with stories  whenever she gets the chance.  She hopes to join the church, marry and have lots of children of her own, hopefully with Levi Plank, a young man in the Amish community where she was raised. 
When her young brother, Samuel, falls from the barn roof, Judith finds a large Englischer man hovering over him, and believes she has seen an angel.   Samuel, severely injured, will never walk again, according to the doctors.  Again, Judith sees and talks to the Angel, Tobias, who tells her he is sent from God, and that Samuel's steps are numbered by God.
When Judith tells about seeing an Angel, the whole community thinks she has lost it, and only Andrew Lapp, Levi's cousin and the Bishop's son, listens to her.   Before long, Judith finds herself with very few friends, and about to be forced to go live with family in Ohio, for continuing to believe that Tobia is an Angel,, after being told not to talk about this subject any more.

 This is Ruth Reid's first published book, and she has done an outstanding job of making the characters believable and come alive.  From the first page to the very end, it is a book that will hold your attention.  I hope that she continues to write more novels in this genre.

I recieved a copy of this book to read and review, no other compensation was given.  I was not required to write a favorable review.

PUJOLS More than the Game by S. Lamb and T. Ellsworth

PUJOLS
More than the Game
by Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth
Published by Thomas Nelson

Albert Pujols and his wife, DeeDee, are amazing people which this book definitely shows.  They display their faith in God in many ways, always witnessing, in the way they live, and act, for Him.

With the statistics Pujols has, he could quit playing baseball right now, and still be in the record books for the rest of time.  He works hard to display his God Given talent, never letting up on practice just because he is tired.

I loved this book, it shows how, even when you are on top, you can be a Nice Guy.
I did think that the statistics were a bit much, but once I got past those, I cruised right through the rest, enjoying every paragraph.

I think anyone who loves sports, especially baseball, or just the St. Louis Cardinals would enjoy this book, and be amazed at the talent this young man has, and what he has accomplished.

I received a copy of this book from BookSneeze, to read and review. No other compensation was given.
I'm not required to give a favorable review.

Book Giveaway closed AND THE WINNER IS

Heather

at the Picket Fence.

Thanks to all who entered.

I'll have another give away in a couple of weeks, so please check back.

Jettie

I recieved a copy of the Life Ready Woman, Thriving in a Do-It-All World, by Shaunti Feldhahn and Robert Lewis, to give to one of my blog readers.

If you would like to enter

please put your first name, or your blog name and your email address in this form

 jettieatpoptartdotcom

in a comment at the bottom of this post.

On Friday, March 4th, I'll draw the winner, and email you for your mailing address.

The Life Ready Woman by Shaunti Feldhahn and Robert Louis

 Do you ever wonder how you can do everything and do it well? Does it seem like it's hard to be a modern woman and still live life from a biblical perspective?   Shaunti Feldhahn and Robert Lewis address the issues that modern woman face; issues that are completely different than those our female ancestors faced. With so many opportunities available to woman today, we can do almost anything we want. But, we need to be sure we are following the plan God has provided each of us. This book  reminds us that you can never really "have it all" - something will suffer. Most women are torn between jobs and family.  The authors are careful to include information for woman at all stages of life from single to widowed and make sure to give examples for these different stages.
 I would recommend this book to every woman, it is a book that should be reread occasionally, to keep it fresh in your mind what Gods plan is for you.

I recieved a copy of this book to read and review.  No other compensation was given, all opinions expressed here are my own

The Bridge of Peace, by Cindy Woodsmall

I'd never had the opportunity to read any of the books by Cindy Woodsmall, so I didn't have any idea on what to expect. I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised to find that she is an excellent writer. Her story flows from one person to another very well, with it all intertwining into a wonderfully beautiful story that leaves you glad you took the time to read it.
This book is 2nd in Ada's House series, and takes up where The Hope of Refuge ends. I see there is also another book coming out this fall and I plan on reading the whole series.

If you enjoy a good book, you won't be disappointed.

I received a copy of this book to read and review, no other compensation was given.  All opinions expressed here are my own.  I was not required to give a favorable review.

The Real Skinny on Losing it, by Michelle McKinney Hammond

True Confessions and Devine Revelations of a former Yo-Yo Dieter
Tyndale House Publishers


I enjoyed the way the author, Michelle McKinney Hammond, made the book interesting, and the way she explained her struggle with weight and why she felt that women have the problem. I did feel that she kept the writing light, and made you feel she was right there with you on the yo-yo diet wagon. Her "Keeping it Real" comments were exceptionally right on target.

 I received a copy of this book from Tyndale to read and review. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

ADVENTURES IN BOOGABOOGA LAND By Richard Milner

Published by Thomas Nelson
There are 3 episodes on this DVD
Approximately 45 minutes total.

The Episodes are: 
                           1.  Squid Sushi loses his Marbles, 'The lost Pearl', Mathew 13:45-46
                           2. Wally the Waiter, 'The Soil and the Seeds'  Matthew 13:24-30
                           3. The Flaming Monkey, 'The Wedding Banquet'  Matthew 22:2-14

I shared the viewing of this dvd with my almost 8 year old granddaughter. 
They are cute stories, and my granddaugher enjoyed them a lot, we sat through the whole thing twice.

I received a copy of this DVD from BookSneeze to watch and review.  No other compensation was given.
The opinions expressed here are my own.

SAVE THE DATE by Jenny B Jones

Thomas Nelson Publishing

Lucy Wiltshire runs a non profit home for girls that have 'aged out' of the child welfare system, but still need help and support.  When her funding is cut, she starts trying to find some way to keep Saving Grace, the home she runs, open.  In steps Alex Sinclair, who is running for congress, and needs to tone down his playboy image.  He makes Lucy an offer, pretend to be his girlfriend, and then his fiance, to help him win the election, and he will give her a donation to keep the house open and a deed to the property.
Lucy isn't your typical southern charm school girl, she's not afraid to get dirty, tell people her opinion, and she doesn't necessarily want to be paraded on the arm of a former football star turned politician.  When her apartment gets flooded, and she is hounded by reporters,  she ends up at the home of a friend of Alex's, Clair Deveraux, former first lady of South Carolina.  Clair is intent on making a 'lady' out of once homeless Lucy.

This book is hilarious, Lucy gets into more 'fixes' than is almost humanly possible.  Alex is always pulling her out of one thing after another. Jenny B. Jones has me laughing loudly with some of these episodes.

I received this book to read and review from BookSneeze.  I received no other compensation, all opinions are my own.

INDIVISIBLE by Kristen Heitzmann

INDIVISIBLE by Kristen Heitzmann
Published by WaterBrook Press

This book is very complex, winding through the lives of all the characters, delving into their phobias and issues. I think anyone who enjoy a good mystery, romance, or a little scare, in their books, will enjoy this book, it held my interest from page one, down to the last paragraph.


Jonah Westfall is the police chief of a small town, where his father had been police chief before him.
He's trying to overcome the memories of a very bad childhood, at the hands of that same father.
And he's also trying to get past the mess he and Tia, the sister of his former fiance, had made of
things, several years ago.
Tia runs her mother's candle shop, and lives in the family home, that the rest of the family abandoned 9 years previous, to go with her sister, Reba, to Arizona.  Tia has never understood her parent's disinterest in her, and her life, treating her as something unwanted.
Piper  rents Tia's extra room, and works for Sarge at the bakery.  She's tired of the vagabond life her family lives, and is looking to put down roots.
Liz is a vet, and has bought the local clinic, which had been closed for awhile.
Miles, an inventor, has many issues, concerning hi size and fear of touching.
These are the main characters in the book, which has several other characters and sub plots. 

This is an author that I'll be reading more of her writing, very soon.

I received a copy of this book from WaterBrook Press to read and review.  No other compensation received.  All opinions expressed here are my own, and I do not give positive reviews to books that I don't enjoy.

UNTO THE HILLS by Billy Graham

UNTO THE HILLS
A Daily Devotional
by
Billy Graham
Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers

This is an updated version of the book reissued on the 25th anniversary of the original.  There is a devotional
devoted to each day of the year, with a Bible verse at the top and a short prayer at the end of each.  I think this is the best way to understand some of the Bible, for those of us who need to delve more deeply into the word of God, but don't take the time to read daily.  I am really enjoying the devotionals, and his Preface, he says he never picks up the book without thinking of his late wife, Ruth, and knows that soon, they will be reunited, but until then, he is dedicating the book to her memory.


I have a very hefty respect for Dr. Graham, so when I got a chance to review this book, I jumped at it.  I seldom reread a book, but this one will stay by my chair, as it seems to touch on many subjects, I can read it and understand his explainations in just a few minutes time.  And with the verse at the top of the page, if you want to go more in depth, you have a location to start reading.

I received a copy of this book from BookSneeze to read and review.  I recieved no other compensation for my review.  All opinions expressed here are my own.

COMING BACK STRONGER by Drew Brees with Chris Fabry

A Memoir
Coming back Stronger
Unleashing the hidden power of Adversity
By Drew Brees with Chris Fabry
Forward by Mark Brunell

First off, let me say, I'm not a big football fan, and I don't watch too many professional sports. I've never been enamored with the glamour and hype that seems to draw a lot of people to read or make heros out of athletes.  So you probably ask why I signed up to read and review this book. I didn't intend to, and passed it by a couple of times, but I kept coming back, and it was still available.  I think it was meant to be, that I read it.
Drew Brees really pretty much tells how it was, from high school and college sports, to being drafted into professional football.  It can be, and many times is, a hard life, no matter what the pay.  How injuries and bad seasons can effect even the most dedicated player.  How he had to work to recover from a bad shoulder seperation, and what it was like, the year after Katrina hit New Orleans, for the people there, the team with a new coach, and never having won a championship.  And then you fast forward to the 2009-10 season, when they managed to pull out a Super Bowl Victory, losing his mother just before that season started.

So you say you aren't a sports fan?  Read this book, you may not be a sports fan when you finish it, but you will have a lot of respect for a Quarterback named Drew Brees

I recieved a copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers to read and review.  I recieved no other compensation for this review.  All opinions expressed here are my own, whether favorable or unfavorable.

AN AMISH LOVE by Wiseman/Fuller/Long

Published by Thomas Nelson Publishing

This is 3 Novellas written by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, and Kelly Long
All three stories are stand alone, but they all happen in the town of Paradise.



Marriage of the Heart by Kelly Long
Abigail Kaufman was raised by her father, after her mother's death.  She felt unloved, and was looking for a way out of the Amish community.  Joseph Lambert was looking to come back tot he Amish ways, after living  the Englisch way for a few years.  Suddenly, they find themselves married, without ever really knowing each other.  And, to Abigail's dismay, instead of leaving the Amish life, Joseph wants to embrace it...Will they grow together, or be pushed farther apart?

What the Heart Sees by Kathleen Fuller
Ellie Chupp lost her sight in the accident that took her friend, Caroline's, life.  Caroline's fiance, Christopher Miller, leaves the community, and is gone for 5 years. Ellie's fiance had left her shortly after he discovered she would be blind the rest of her life.  Christopher returns, finds his sister is marrying the boy who had been driving the car, the day of the accident.  He wants her to break the engagement, because of his loss.  Will he succeed, or will he discover the truth of that day 5 years ago?

Healing Hearts by Beth Wiseman
After their children were all grown, Naaman Lapp walked away from his wife, Levina, and was gone for almost a year.  He returns, and Levina is unsure of his intentions, even when he says he is home to stay.
Then word comes that a sheriff from Ohio, where Naaman had been living at his cousins, has shown up in the community of Paradise, and is looking for Naaman.   What has Naaman done during the time he was gone, to have the law looking for him?

All three of these stories are really well written, and enjoyable.  I think that anyone who likes Amish writing will be happy with it.  It gives you a chance to check the different writing styles of these three authors.  I have a favorite, but I'm not saying which, as everyone should draw their own conclusions.

I received a free copy of this book to read and review from Thomas Nelson Publishing.  I received no other compensation.  All opinions expressed here are my own.

A RUSH OF WINGS By Kristen Heitzmann

Bethany House Publishers

Noelle St Claire, the daughter of a prominent lawyer, is on the run, but she isn't sure who or what she is running from, she only knows she has to hide.  She places a cryptic call to her father, and, paying cash for tickets, ends up in Juniper Falls, a tourist town in the Rocky Mountains.  When she can find no place to rent,  the man at the general store recommends she check with Rick Spencer, who owns a couple of cabins a little further up the road. 
Morgan, Rick's brother, is very attracted to Noelle, but she only offers him a small part of her friendship. 
Rick, who owns the ranch, trains and raises horses, and Noelle wants to help him train a particular horse, Destiny.   When fall arrives, and everyone leaves for the winter, Rick tells her that she can no longer stay there, it wouldn't look right. 

For 381 gripping pages, you learn, as Noelle discovers, the reason for her fear and her weird dreams.  Will she learn the full reason, and be able to move forward with her life?

I read a lot of books, and I know a great book when I read it, this book is a great book. at least 5 stars...
I recieved a free copy of this book to read and review from Bethany House, I received no other compensation for my review.  I am not required to give a favorable review, and all opinions expressed here are my own.

UNDER THE OVERPASS by Mike Yankoski

Under the Overpass, a journey of Faith on the streets of America
Foreword by Fancis Chan
This is the Updated and Expanded edition.

Multnomah Books

Have you ever wondered how it would be to be homeless in America?  To wander the streets, trying to live day to day?  To find safe places to rest your head, when you are exhausted, and need to sleep? 

In 2003, Mike Yankoski got the idea to see how life was on the streets, and finally convinced his parents, and a few others that he was serious about finding out.  Sam Purvis accompanied him on this 5 month trek into what some would call the underbelly of humanity. They took no money, just a couple of guitars, a couple of sleeping bags purchased from thrift stores and a backpack each.   They lived in 6 different cities in the 5 months they were homeless.  They ate, slept, and lived just as the other homeless people did, even resorting to eating other peoples left food, and sometimes out of trash cans.  They panhandled, playing their guitars for whatever people would give, to survive.  They played Christian music, and talked to the other homeless about Christ.  They visited many churches, and sometimes the 'welcome' they received wasn't exactly what they expected.  Even to being asked to leave by several.

I'd say this book tells it pretty much how it really is for the homeless.  Mike did leave out the profanity but he stated that it was to save our eyes, not that it wasn't abundant.

This book got me to thinking, why do we think we need more and more and more 'stuff'?  Is it really necessary to accumulate all these possessions?  Do they really make us happy?  To me the answer was an unequivocal No, they are like a saddle on our back. 

The most compelling sentence in the whole book, for me,  "We are responsible to help others toward hope in Jesus' name.  But we are not responsible for their choices."
A 5 Star book all the way.

BESIDE STILL WATERS by Tricia Goyer

This book is scheduled for release about April 1, 2011
Published by B&H Publishing Group, Nashville TN

Marianna Sommer is 18, her birth date is the same date as the death of 2 of her sisters, when their buggy was hit by an 18 wheeler.  Raised Amish, she's always known about her sisters deaths and feels as if she doesn't quite replace them, so she has been a dutiful, and industrious daughter her whole life.  She  plans to join the church in the fall, and hopefully marry Aaron Zook.
Her older brother, Levi, has left the Amish life, and works and lives in a community nearby, to the shame of his family.  When a younger brother mentions that he will go live with Levi, when he reaches the age of Rumschpringe, Abe, their father starts talking of moving to Montana, with the family. 
Marianna at first plans to stay in Indiana, but when her father tells her that her mother is expecting another child, and will need her, she agrees to go with them, for 6 months, to help until the baby is born.  They pack their belongings, including the quilt that she plans to give Aaron, when it is finished, and board a train to Montana. 
The Amish community is quite small, and things are very different for Marianna, and the whole family.  She meets Ben on their arrival, who is not Amish, so she tries to keep him at arms length.  Before long, she decides to finish her quilt, and sell it to get the money to go back to Indiana, before she becomes to attracted to Ben. 

This is a very good book, not like most Amish stories, that I have read.  I liked that it tests the boundaries and asks why things are the way they are.   Tricia Goyer has done an excellent job of writing, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good story.

A Time to Embrace by Karen Kingsbury

A Time to Embrace
Timeless Love Series
by Karen Kingsbury
Thomas Nelson Publishers

After almost divorcing just a few months earlier, John Reynolds, coach of the Marion High School football team, and his wife, Abby, are again madly in love, and as happy as they have ever been in their marriage.  Then rumors begin surfacing of Coach Reynolds' knowledge of some of the football team racing on the streets, and drinking.  Soon he wonders if he will even finish out the year, and if he does, he plans on resigning, and doing something else with his life.

Have you ever read a book, and felt you 'knew' the characters?  This is the way I feel about John and Abby Reynolds, their daughter, Nicole, and her new husband, Matt.  And really, every character in this book. I laughed and cried right along with them. When I chose this book, I had an opportunity to  to review Karen Kingsburys A Time to Dance, which is the book before this one in the series. I will soon be reading that book, too, as soon as I can purchase a copy.

I received a copy of this book from Booksneeze, to read and review.  No other compensation was given.  The opinions expressed here are my own.