Chris Cleave hit it out of the ballpark with Little Bee and now, I am again reminded of what a fabulous writer he is with Gold.  When I first started this book, I thought racing bicyclists - hmm, maybe not.  But I was drawn in right away and caught up to the very end of the book.  The book does not bog down with bicycling details, but is very interesting to see the life of a professional Olympic bicyclist.  It follows the story of three Olympic bicyclists - Kate, Jack and Zoe - and how their lives intertwine to tell their stories.  Their lives certainly intertwine - Kate and Zoe train together and race together but also compete together.  Jack and Zoe have a history but Jack and Kate are now married - hmmm - need I say more - the characters are pretty tangled in this one!  A story of 8 year old Sophie and her battle with leukemia - a story of the hopelessness of life for a character that seemingly "has it all" - and a story of devotion and sacrifice of parents.  I loved this book - I could feel for each character and I was riveted to the very end!  (And it's oh-so-timely here in the days of our current Olympics - don't miss it!)

Alice LaPlante's Turn of Mind is a riveting read.  It is the incredibly sad story of Dr. Jennifer White, a 64 year old retired orthopedic surgeon, who is learning to live with dementia.  The story is told from Jennifer's perspective and can be so hard to read at times - how she can not even remember her son or daughter must be a challenge for the whole family - but seeing it all from Jennifer's side is almost worse.  What makes this book even more appealing is the murder storyline.  Jennifer's best friend has recently been murdered and the police suspect her as the murderer.  This book is one that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final pages - I could not believe how it ended - I had no idea and DID NOT see it coming.  It is just gives some great insight into dementia patients and what they live with, and what their families and friends live with - all from an insider's perspective.  I would highly recommend this book - it was a fabulous read!

Are you feeling bored in your spiritual life?  Feel like you've hit a wall and are sliding down?  Brian Hardin tackles this in his book, Passages.  If you feel like your daily Bible readings are not very meaningful - you will love how Hardin tries to challenge you that your daily reading might just change you AND become the highlight of your day.  First he helps you to see that there is a big God that loves you and wants to be part of your life and he shows you how you can find time to spend with God and make a plan to see it happen.  He sets up a reading plan for the next year to get you through the entire Bible chronologically.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book - Hardin makes you think AND laugh - and I value that in a writer!  He is grounded and practical - just what we NEED!  Check out his great book AND his website.

To read what others have to say about Hardin's book - visit this tour schedule.

I am telling everyone I know that they MUST pick up this book - what a wonderful read Carolyn Weber has crafted.  Surprised by Oxford is Carolyn's memoir of her journey to Christ through Oxford.  I loved everything about this book - her writing is fabulous!  She weaves in many references to literature as she teaches literature and her background comes through loud and clear.  What I love about this book is that Weber heads off to Oxford to study - NOT to find God - but her journey is chronicled so well that you, as the reader, can feel her struggle as she strongly makes it clear she DOES NOT need God.  Weber is a pretty strong woman with strong feminist ideas - her journey is fantastic and will resonate with many people that read it.  Her questioning is real and the answers people give her in her journey are thoughts we can all relate to and may have heard ourselves along the way.  I would give this to skeptics, new believers, and people who've been believers for ages - it will challenge and encourage - I loved it!

*I was sent a copy of the book by the publisher for review purposes.

What a great tool - plug in your favorite authors and they will give you more suggestions - hmmm, check it out!!!

Stuart Murphy's I See, I Learn series is SO good for our preschool-aged kids!  These books are packed with topics that our little ones are encountering and he handles the subjects in such tactful ways.  Hillary has a couple of them she has reveiwed on her book blog.
Happy, Healthy Ajay!


*I was sent copies for review purposes.

I am trying to find a book for a friend - she is sure she read it when she was a child.  Here is how she describes it:
The story was about a girl who has an invalid grandmother (or great grandmother) living with her family. The girl doesn't like her grandma because she is old and cranky and does nothing but scold. The little girl ends up finding her grandma's fort (I think it was a soddy underground.) and reads her diary from when the grandma was a child and the girl realizes that they were very similar.
Does that sound at all familiar?

Anyone, Anyone!?!?!

Thanks for the help - I am really struggling with this one!

What a fun review!  Thank you, Hillary!  I totally agree - this is such a fun book to share with your little ones!

Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do


*I was sent a copy by the publisher for review purposes.

Hillary has another great book review for us!!

Monkey Colors


*I was sent a copy by the publisher for review purposes.

Thank you, Hillary, for another superb book review!!
Out on the Prairie


*I was sent a copy by the publisher for review purposes.

Kim Cash Tate really hit the nail on the head in her latest novel, Hope Springs.  In a simple and yet clear way, she shows that change is NEVER easy - and I think many can relate to that - but change in the church can often be even more challenging.  I appreciate the way she tackles this topic and delicately points out just exactly how hard the politics of church can be.   I love the characters in her novel - they are well-developed and you are drawn into the storyline almost immediately. 

Here is what the publisher says about the book:

In a small community where everyone is holding tight to something, the biggest challenge may be learning to let go. Hope Springs, North Carolina, is the epitome of small town life-a place filled with quiet streets, a place where there's not a lot of change. Until three women suddenly find themselves planted there for a season. Janelle hasn't gone back to Hope Springs for family reunions since losing her husband. But when she arrives for Christmas and learns that her grandmother is gravely ill, she decides to extend the stay. It isn't long before she runs into her first love, and feelings that have been dormant for more than a decade are reawakened. Becca is finally on the trajectory she's longed for. Having been in the ministry trenches for years, she's been recruited as the newest speaker of a large Christian women's conference. But her husband feels called to become the pastor of his late father's church in Hope Springs. And Stephanie has the ideal life-married to a doctor in St. Louis with absolutely nothing she has to do. When her cousin Janelle volunteers to stay in Hope Springs and care for their grandmother, she feels strangely compelled to do the same. It's a decision that will forever change her. As these women come together, they soon recognize that healing is needed in their hearts, their families, and their churches. God's plan for them in Hope Springs-is bigger than they ever imagined. Thomas Nelson 2012.

And about the author:

Kim Cash Tate is the author of Cherished, Faithful, Heavenly Places, and the memoir More Christian than African American. A former practicing attorney, she is also the founder of Colored in Christ Ministries. She and Her husband have two children. Connect with Kim: Twitter @KimCashTate and Facebook.

Do not miss this wonderful novel - it would be a super summer beach read!

*I was sent a copy by the publisher for review purposes.

Over a Steaming Cup of Tea has another fun blog post for us!

Presidential Pets


*I was sent a copy for review purposes by the publisher.

Hillary has another informative blog post:
Eight Days Gone

*I was sent a copy for review purposes by the publisher.

I have another super review for you from Over A Steaming Cup of Tea...
Can you Tell A Cricket from a Grasshopper?


*I was sent these books by the publisher for review purposes.

If you are looking for a quick summer read - I've got one for you!!  Shannon Dittemore's Angel Eyes is wonderful!  It is YA fiction and does not preach - but truly challenges you spiritually as you read!  Some of the quotes in the book were such great wisdom that I had to copy them down - they share truths but not so overtly that it turns readers off.  It is an intriguing story of Brielle and her finding her way back after a devastating life event as she was just setting out on her own.  When she returns home to take some time to heal, she meets Jake - but Jake is ANYTHING but normal and she sees in him many things that just do not add up.  When she finds out that Jake and his friend are sent to help her - the ride really begins.  I thoroughly enjoyed this and can't wait for the sequel!
What the publisher says about the book:

• A Brand New Nook Color
• A copy of Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore

0 Comments on Angel Eyes as of 6/26/2012 6:55:00 PM

I have loved Dave and Neta Jackson's work for YEARS!!  I enjoyed them as a young reader - I have enjoyed them with  my children and now am enjoying new ones as an adult!  Lucy Come Home is their latest novel.  As usual, their books have a lot of intrigue - tying history with mystery and exciting adventures!  My boys have enjoyed their work right along with our girls - I love that  - their books appeal to all genders and many ages. 

This is the story of 15 year old Cindy - she lives in Michigan and lives a hard life - she works hard and becomes enamored with a traveling carnival fellow.  He adds a whole new side to her life and that excites her.  But their future becomes quite  twisted as they flee for their lives together.  I love Lucy, the old lady that the two meet up with, she is a gem and leads Cindy on finding all new meaning to her life. 

Here is what the publisher says:
Lucy Come Home
Dave and Neta Jackson
Fifteen-year-old Cindy worked long days beside her migrant worker family in Michigan's sugar beet fields in the early 1940s -- the "war years" -- until she met a dashing young man from a traveling carnival, bringing some joy and fun into her hard-scrabble life. But a tragic twist of fate -- and a dead field boss-- sent the two young people on the run, leaving behind family and everything she'd ever known. Lucy Tucker, the crotchety old bag lady from the popular Yada Yada House of Hope series, is a veteran of Chicago streets and not about to give up her independence, even as she approaches her 80th birthday. Until, that is, a young displaced woman with her gentle aging mother and a dog named Dandy seem to need her -- unsettling the secretive Lucy, who doesn't let anyone get too close. But just when it seems her past is catching up with her to bring her in out of the cold... Lucy disappears again. How these two tales intersect and intertwine between past and present gradually shines light into the dark corners of Lucy's murky past. But... why won't Lucy come home?

Dave and Neta Jackson are award-winning authors living in the Chicago area where their parallel novels from the Yada Yada House of Hope and Harry Bentley series are set. As a husband/wife writing team, Dave and Neta Jackson are enthusiastic about books, kids, walking with God, gospel music, and each other! Together they are the authors or coauthors of over 100 books. Visit http://www.daveneta.com for more info.

If you would like to read others' reviews on this blog tour - visit HERE.  This is a great new book - if you want a book that will make you think AND provide some suspense and mystery - this one will do it!!  And when you read it - let me know what you think!


*I was provided a review copy by the publisher.

Hillary has another wonderful review of a brand new book that was sent our way - go see what she has to say!!
The House that George Built




*I was sent a review copy by the publisher for review purposes.

I do not think I have ever read a Natalie Babbitt book that I did not like - and her latest, The Moon Over High Street, is no exception!  I loved everything about this book - at first I was copying quotes like crazy - there were just hints of wisdom all over in this junior fiction novel.  So I gave up copying all of my inspiring quotes and just sat back and read.  It was wonderful - it is the touching story of Joe, a young teen boy, with almost no family left to raise him.  His Grandma and Aunt take over the responsibility and Joe thrives under their care.  But when a stranger, Mr. Boulderwall, offers to take him under his wing and raise him and give him an opulent lifestyle, Joe must make an important decision.  I thought the story was brilliant and one our young readers will enjoy but SO WILL ADULTS - there is just so much to love about this touching tale!


*I was sent a copy by the publisher for review purposes.

"No one can tell you who you are. It doesn't matter who your parents are or where you come from; you're the only one who gets to decide who you're going to be. Few people can demonstrate that better than Julie Ziglar Norman. The daughter of one of America's most well-known and loved motivators, Julie found God where most of us do: somewhere in between the lofty ideal we're told about and the big mess we often make of our lives."
~ Dave Ramsey, New York Times bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio host

And if that isn't enough to get you intrigued - then pick up a copy and read Julie Ziglar Norman's Growing Up Ziglar.  Julie has not lived an easy life - so what she says comes from the heart.  I was touched by her story - it was real and encouraging.  She is honest and admits where she made some wrong turns, but she is also honest that God has never let her down and that's where her true source of life comes from.

Here is what the publisher says:
Julie Ziglar Norman often says her dad is the king of 'doing life right' and she is the poster child for 'doing life wrong.' For over a quarter of a century she lived every day with regret, shame, guilt, and depression. But she was the daughter of the motivator's motivator, Zig Ziglar, and knew that she needed to be positive. So she gathered up all her negative self-talk and squashed it deep down inside where it couldn't ruin the bright and practiced smile she presented to the world. 'People might assume Zig Ziglar's daughter would automatically grow up to have a positive attitude,' Julie says. 'For a large portion of my life, I was just positive I was miserable!' Her powerful and heartwarming story will move readers to laughter and tears. Mostly it will renew their faith in God's power to redeem all the wrong choices and bring them full circle to hope and healing. Julie urges readers not to settle for okay when God has true joy waiting for them. She shares tools to equip them to make the changes needed to find true freedom in every area of life.

Julie Ziglar Norman is the daughter of Zig Ziglar and for 20 years has been his personal editor. With a background in sales and business management, Julie has become a dynamic international motivational speaker. She lives in Texas with her husband, Jim, and continues the Ziglar legacy of encouragement.

I would encourage you to take a minute and read through this inspiring book - it's a quick read and it will challenge you!  Also don't miss Julie's website meant to encourage women - ZiglarWomen.


*I was sent a copy for review purposes by the publisher.

Emma Donoghue has written Room, a haunting fiction tale that is like nothing I have ever read.  It is the story of Jack, a five year old boy, that is being kept in an 11 x 11 foot room with his mother - against their wills.  Their captor has created this tiny room for them and just gives them weekly rations of food and necessary clothes, etc.  Wow - does this ever make you think - not only how you would survive - how they DID survive - but it broaches questions like "What would you be like when you did get out?"  or "What is ok to survive?"  I thought the book was very readable - I could hardly put it down and that's saying something since we were even on vacation!  I thought the characters were strong - you honestly feel sometimes like you are right inside Jack's little 5-year-old mind.  And yet you feel so strongly for his mom as well - she is all Jack has and she does the best she can with her limited resources.  It is quite a psychological read - I would highly recommend it!

The cover is what caught me on this one - Charlotte Rogan's The Lifeboat is Rogan's debut fiction.  I had read fabulous reviews and although I thought it was good - it did not ever "catch" me.  HOWEVER, I did keep reading until I conquered it!  And I am glad I did - the story is quite different from anything I've read - 40 some people on a lifeboat after their ocean liner has an explosion in the summer of 1914.  It is quite a study in psychology and personalities - very intriguing.  You see personalities and conflicts explode on this small lifeboat - as well as the overall goodness of man.  It culminates with the trial that Grace Winter has to go through after they are rescued as she is charged with murder.  Again - an interesting twist on a very different storyline!  I just felt it got a little long - although I enjoyed seeing the characters develop, it just didn't do enough to keep me glued to the pages.  I would love to hear what others thought though - so if you've read it - leave a comment - maybe I can be convinced otherwise!!

I asked my resident guest blogger, Hillary, if she would be willing to read a couple of Sylvan Dell books for me and blog about them - fortunately we agree - you can't get much better than Sylvan Dell!! :)
Here is her review!

Previous to this, I had not read anything by William Landay.  But I picked up his latest book, Defending Jacob, and I do believe my jaw is STILL wide open - even finishing a week ago!  This book was not my typical read - I tend to not go to trial/lawyer stuff - it usually gets too deep into law for me.  But this one was a riveting read - kept me going right from the start!  It is the story of Jacob, a 14 year old boy, charged with murder of a school mate - BUT Jacob is also the son of Andy Barber, the assistant district attorney for more than 20 years.  There are twists all throughout this novel - and you really get involved as you can relate to the narrator, Andy, as he battles the doubt, fear, and worries that any parent would encounter going through a court case like this.  I truly enjoyed this novel - it was tough but real.  What leaves my jaw sagging is the ending - NO SPOILERS HERE - but if you read it - please leave a comment - I mean really, that's the end!?!?!?  I demand a sequel!!!

Pick it up - it is well worth the read!  It is a murder/thriller that is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat!