Thursday, March 29, 2018

CELEBRATING A CHRIST-CENTERED EASTER (Children's Edition)

CELEBRATING A CHRIST-CENTERED EASTER (CHILDREN'S EDITION) by Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Ryan Jeppsen. This book is the perfect addition to anyone's Easter library. I have young kids and this made many on the Easter elements obtainable for them. We've done several of the activities and my kids have loved each one. Now when we ask them what we are celebrating during Easter, they respond with more than just the Easter Bunny. I love each activity as well as the pictures and scriptures that go with them. I highly recommend this to everyone who has interaction with children during Easter.

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Discover how the people around Jesus during the week of His Crucifixion and Resurrection can lead your family closer to Christ this Easter season. This children's edition of Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter will guide you through seven meaningful traditions inspired by the people closest to the Savior during His holy week. These simple experiences are not meant to add chores or stress to a reverent holiday season but to offer something different. They will give your family an opportunity to slow down from the candy and egg hunts and instead spend time reflecting on the Savior's ultimate sacrifice and triumphant Resurrection.
This interactive book invites children to get to know various people in Christ's life during those sacred days and to discover the lessons they learned in the encounters with Him. It encourages children to ask what they might have done if they had been there on the days when Jesus was crucified and resurrected. Seven colorful Easter ornaments have been created to accompany the lesson each person teaches. Displaying the ornaments throughout the Easter holiday will remind your children of the lessons they are learning from Christ's magnificent act.


Monday, March 12, 2018

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE by Camron Wright

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE by Camron Wright. Wow. This is an incredible story. I couldn't put it down. I loved Dave Riley from the beginning, maybe because I could relate to him a little bit more than Katie. But as I got to know Katie and see how their lives were going to intertwine, I loved her as well. This is a story of loss, love, frustration, endurance, learning, growing, and so forth. I would highly recommend it to any and everyone, especially those looking for a fantastic book club read. There is a tiny bit of language toward the end, nothing more than you would hear walking down the street.

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Two strangers, opposite coasts, and abridge that silently beckons.
Katie Connelly has lived in San Francisco all her life. Her late father made his career as an ironworker on the Golden Gate Bridge, and the many stories of him trying to save jumpers still haunt her. When she's asked to write a history about the bridge, her research uncovers a secret journal hidden in her father's desk, pages of familiar advice penned by the hand of a stranger. The scribbled words tell of a promise ring and a distant love, clues that Katie hopes may answer her own unresolved sorrow.
Across the country, Dave Riley, a marketing executive in New York, encounters sorrows of his own. As he grasps at straws after tragedy strikes his family, a once whimsical daydream quickly turns into an obsession: he must ride his motorcycle across the Golden Gate Bridge on the Fourth of July.
Does the bridge hold answers for both Katie and Dave? Or will it only add to their heartache? The puzzling words left behind in a long-forgotten journal hold the key to the truth that they will discover on The Other Side of the Bridge.



Thursday, March 8, 2018

ASHES ON THE MOOR by Sarah M Eden

ASHES ON THE MOOR by Sarah M. Eden. I love Sarah's books and this one is no exception. The beauty of hard work and growth Evangeline displayed was so well done. I enjoyed seeing how Dermot and Evangeline's relationship blossomed through serving each other. The fiery tenacity Evangeline showed in working toward her goals is inspiring to anyone who is struggling with life. I couldn't wait to see how everything worked out for both Dermot and Evangeline. I would highly recommend this wonderful, proper romance to anyone who loves first a good romance as well as the growth someone gains from hard work.

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The life of an impoverished schoolteacher is not one Evangeline Blake would have chosen for herself. Torn from her home and her beloved sister and sent to work in the gritty factory town of Smeatley, Evangeline must prove herself to her grandfather, a man who values self-reliance above all else, before he will grant her access to her inheritance. Raised to be a lady of refinement, she hasn't any of the skills necessary to manage on her own nor does she have the first idea how to be a teacher. But failure means never being with her sister again.
Alone and overwhelmed, she turns to the one person in town who seems to know how she feels—Dermot McCormick, an Irish brick mason who is as far from home and as out of place as she is. Despite the difference in their classes and backgrounds, Evangeline and Dermot's tentative friendship deepens and grows. Her determination and compassion slowly earn her the faith and confidence of the skeptical residents of Smeatley, who become like the family she has lost.
But when a secret from her past comes to light, Evangeline faces an impossible choice: seize the opportunity to reclaim her former life and rejoin her sister or fight for the new life she has struggled to build for herself—a life that includes Dermot.
Ashes on the Moor is the inspiring love story of one Victorian woman's courage to fight against all odds, and the man whose quiet strength gives her the confidence to keep trying.


Wednesday, March 7, 2018

WIZARD FOR HIRE by Obert Skye

WIZARD FOR HIRE by Obert Skye. I was really excited to see a new book from this author, and I jumped at the opportunity to review it. This captivating book had me turning the pages well into the night. I loved getting to know Ozzy as well as his robotic bird. Rin is a fantastic character but as the book moves on, he has me wondering who he truly is. I hope Skye does another one to help us know the true nature of Rin better. I would highly recommend this book to anyone of any age who loves a magical adventure.

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What if there was a wizard in your hometown who offered his services to anyone in need? What if you were scared because your scientist parents had been kidnapped and you couldn't tell the police?
What if you stumbled across a classified ad in your local newspaper that read, "Wizard for Hire. Call 555-SPEL"? Would you call?
Fourteen-year-old Ozzy is desperate to find his parents, but he's not so sure about the ad....He's read about wizards in books like Harry Potter, but they couldn't actually exist in the world today, could they?
Enter Labryinth, aka "Rin," who dresses the part. Sort of. His bathrobe and high-top tennis shoes seem unorthodox. At least Rin acts like a wizard, but Ozzy has his doubts. Do real wizards write notes on their shoes and eat breakfast for every meal? Most of all, Ozzy just wants to know if Rin can cast any magic spells.
With the help of a robotic-talking raven invented by Ozzy's father, a kind and curious girl at school who decides to help Ozzy, and, of course, a self-proclaimed wizard who may or may not have a magical wand, Ozzy begins an unforgettable quest that will lead him closer to the answers he seeks about his missing parents.