Take Ten

This week, the topic over at the Broke and Bookish is Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Beyond the Ashes

Where better to rebuild and face one s fears than in 1906 San Francisco, a city rising from the ashes? Ruby Marshall, a young widow, is certain she ll discover new purpose assisting her brother Robert with his cancer research, but she doesn t anticipate finding new love. Dr. Gerald Larkspur dreams of filling his empty home with family, but he d always hoped it would be a wife and children. In the aftermath of the great earthquake, the rooms are overflowing with extended family and friends left homeless by the disaster. When Robert s widowed sister arrives, the close quarters seem close indeed. Ruby and Gerald's fledgling romance is put at risk when Gerald develops symptoms of the very disease they re striving to cure. Together they must ask is it worth a second chance at love when time might be short?

My thoughts: I have enjoyed a couple of Karen Barnett's other stories, including the first book in The Golden Gate Chronicles. I like that this book catches readers up to date on what happened to the characters of the first story, while introducing some new ones and being from a different point of view.
I think the author does a fabulous job of bringing her characters to life, along with their time in history. It was interesting to read about the research that went into x rays and fighting cancer in the early 1900's. I also found it interesting to read more about the San Fransisco earthquake and the way people recovered from it.
Whether you are a history buff or not, this is a lovely story that will be enjoyed by old fans and new readers alike.
I received this book from Lit Fuse in exchange for my honest review.

Your Sacred Yes

Popular Author & Speaker Equips Women to Live Focused and Free
Women today are stretched thin, worn weary, and tired of living hurried lives. And nothing drains us more than signing up for things God never asked us to do, even if they are well-intentioned. Yet, all too often that's exactly where we lose our way.
In "Your Sacred Yes," Susie Larson shares personal stories and biblical insights to help you:
- Learn how--and when--to say "no" without guilt or shame
- Say "yes" to "life-giving," not life-draining, activities
- Find joy and abundance, fulfillment and freedom, each day
When we can't, or won't, say "no," we become captive to our commitments instead of free to respond to God's invitations. Here is your chance to say no to others' obligations and yes to the One who will rejuvenate your weary soul. Will you say "yes"?

My thoughts: It is so easy to get caught up in wanting to help with all the ministries that are available at one's church. To over extend oneself and turn jobs that used to bring you joy into just another commitment that drains your time and energy. This book is for those of you who can't say no when asked to help. I appreciated the stories and honesty that the author used to get her point across. I know I have a hard time with peer pressure, so the chapter on it especially helped me.
This book is a wonderful resource!
I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Give Yourself a Break

Many people are used to showing compassion to others. What many of us have trouble with is showing that same compassion to ourselves. Too often we say things to ourselves that we would never say to a friend. All this negative self-talk can have a devastating effect on our lives.
Licensed marriage and family therapist Kim Fredrickson wants readers to stop beating themselves up. Grounding her advice in the Bible, she offers practical steps and specific exercises to reprogram our thought lives. She helps us learn to show ourselves the kind of grace and understanding we offer to others--and to change our relationships, our outlook on life, and our view of ourselves in the process

My thoughts: I see a real need for this book, since I know a lot of us are our own worst critics. This book is a wonderful resource for one to help see how counterproductive it is to be so harsh on oneself. While the whole book is excellent, I found that I got the most out of the chapter that deals with how we interact with our children (and how our parents and others interacted with us when we were children) helping or stunting them. I also appreciated how the author addresses using ones gifts when we are more compassionate with ourselves.
This is an excellent resource for a personal or church library!
I received this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

The Innocent

Carlyn Kearney has spent two lonely years not knowing whether to mourn or to hope after she receives word from the Union Army that her husband is missing. The war ends without further word. Now penniless, in debt, and forced from her home, Carlyn seeks refuge at the Shaker village of Harmony Hill, only to discover that they will not allow her to keep her beloved dog, an animal that has been her faithful companion since her husband went off to war. Sheriff Mitchell Brodie has pity on the lovely young woman and agrees to take the dog. Carlyn is just settling into life as a sister in the Shaker village when she receives a devastating letter confirming her worst fears. As she wrestles with whether to commit herself fully to the Shaker life, mysterious deaths begin to occur, and Carlyn comes under suspicion. Can Sheriff Mitchell help her expose the true culprit

My thoughts: I have heard about the Shakers and some of their different ideas, so this book was caught my eye when it came up for review. Ann H. Gabhart does a fabulous job of bringing the plight of Carlyn to life, being a widow after the Civil War who has no one to turn to, so she decides to take refuge in the local Shaker community. The story develops nicely, and I like that the historical aspect of the story isn't dry or dull. Fans of Gabhart should be thrilled with this new story!
I received this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

7 Family Ministry Essentials

With decades of ministry experience, Michelle Anthony and Megan Marshman capture the guiding essentials of life-changing family ministry. These seven essentials for children and student leaders emphasize:

1. Empowering families to take spiritual leadership in the home
2. Forming lifetime faith that transcends childhood beliefs
3. Teaching Scripture as the ultimate authority of truth
4. Understanding the role of the Holy Spirit to teach and transform
5. Engaging every generation in the gospel of God’s redemptive story
6. Making God central in every biblical narrative and daily living
7. Participating in community with like-minded ministry leaders

7 Family Ministry Essentials will energize and equip you with the practical steps, inspirational stories, and biblical foundation you need as you lead those in your ministry.

My thoughts: I have been putting a lot of thought lately into how to raise my children to have a faith of their own, since a lot of young people leave the church when they are old enough to make their own choice about what to do on Sunday mornings. This book came along at the perfect time for me! I appreciate the authors thoughts on empowering parents to take spiritual leadership of their own and chapter 2 was just what I needed to read. This article (which is mentioned in part) is an amazing companion to the book!
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

Twenty Dinners

A photographer (who happens to be an ex-restaurant cook) and an indie rock star (who happens to be an avid home cook) show you how to slow down your life by cooking beautiful, straightforward, but sophisticated, food for--and with--friends.
When he's on tour with his band, Grizzly Bear, what Chris Taylor misses most about home is the kitchen and the company. With his friend Ithai Schori, he cooks dinner parties for four to forty, using skills Chris learned from his mom and Ithai picked up working at high-end restaurants. Their food is full of smart techniques that make everything taste just a little better than you thought possible--like toasting nuts in browned butter or charring apples for a complex applesauce--but their style is laid-back and unhurried. This is about cooking not just for, but with, your friends, and so the authors enlisted their favorite pastry chef, mixologist, sommelier, and baristas to write detailed material on wine, desserts, stocking a home bar, mixing drinks, and buying and brewing fantastic coffee. Through more than 100 seasonally arranged recipes and gorgeous, evocative photographs of their gatherings you fall into their world, where you and your friends have all day to put food on the table, and where there's always time for another cocktail in a mason jar before dinner.

My thoughts: This is such a fun cookbook for entertaining! I love a lot of their ideas on menus (though, I'm not into drinks containing alcohol, so I didn't really care for their beverage ideas), since there is a fun collection of diverse dishes. My favorite is probably the recipe for Lillie's Sticky Toffee Pudding (a favorite dessert of mine!), though I also quite enjoy their recipes for vegetables, since I usually lack creativity in that area.
Over all, this cook book is a fun addition to my kitchen! I look forward to planning parties with the recipes included!
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.