Buried Secrets

Family secrets could get in the way of a second chance at love

After her husband dies, Rose longs to be near her family—especially her twin sister, Lillian—so she packs up her young son and leaves their life in Ohio to move back to Paradise, Pennsylvania.

Luke Miller is ready to settle down in Paradise. He soon forms a partnership with Rose to help farm her land. He finds that he's enjoying the company of the quiet, modest widow and she may be just the woman he's been waiting for. But is Rose hiding a secret beneath her reserved exterior—one that could keep her from having a future with Luke?

And Rose isn't the only one concealing something. Luke has a secret of his own, and it could threaten their partnership—and their chance at love.

My thoughts: This was a wonderful, multi layered Amish story full of lovely characters. I enjoyed getting to know Rose as she navigates moving near family and learning to survive as a widow. I really enjoyed the element of fun that her son adds to the story with his antics. The romance was sweet as it blossomed. I thought that Barbara did a wonderful job with this story!
I received this story from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.


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Take ten: favorite book names

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1. Atticus Fitch

I'm sure this one will make it onto a lot of lists this time around, since it is such a unique name. And, he was a great character.

2. Daisy Buchannan

By no means my favorite character. I pretty much just like her name.;)

3. Leopold Bloom

I don't even remember this character (I may not of lasted long with this book though), but I like how the name rolls of the tongue.

4. Albus Dumbledore

Another fun one to say! This one actually is a favorite all around character.

5. Lucy Pevensie

Lucy is just such a cute girl's name, and I love how fun Pevensie is to say.

6. Estella Havisham

The name is fun, the character: not so much. (who else grew up with the Illustrated Classics?)

7. Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley

Again, favorite characters with great names.

8. Scarlett O'Hare

Such an awful character, but she has a pretty name!

9. Bellatrix Lestrange

You can see why my husband wants a say with naming our children. lol.

10. Bathsheba Everdene

Not that there aren't neat names in modern literature, but I really love a lot of the combinations from the classics!

Honorary mentions:
Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit
Hermoine Granger from Harry Potter
Daniel Deronda
Fairlight Spencer from Christy
I could go on, but I will stop there!

Parents Rising

How to raise godly children in a godless world
Do you feel like you’re fighting a losing battle? Against the culture, against the busyness, sometimes even against your spouse and kids… Often it seems like everything is against you as a parent, and your everyday life can feel far from joy-filled. But it doesn’t need to be that way. Parents Rising will show you eight cultural trends that parents are up against today and what you can do to claim victory.
This book is about growth not guilt. It’s not a pep talk, or a “try harder” speech. This is real help for real problems that every parent faces. It’s a way to focus your efforts so that they’ll be more effective and you’ll be less exhausted.

My thoughts: This book is excellent! I love that Arlene helps empower parents to take a stand for their children. I was very encouraged by the different topics that are covered in this book and love how she goes over the role of electronics in the upcoming generation. This book has so many wonderful topics, the strategies are: Amusement is not the highest priority, Parents call the shots, Rountine and boundries provide security, the Bible and prayer every day, Marriage takes a front seat, good food served on the table (the importance of family meals), Love spells T-I-M-E, and launching adults, not babying children. While I knew the importance of a lot of these topics, I felt like this book does a wonderful job of digging deeper and showing parents why.
This is an excellent book about intentional parenting.
I received this book from Moody for my honest review.


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The Girl's Guide to Conquering Life

There's a lot a girl needs to know as she grows up and makes her way in the world. Having a reference guide of practical how-to life skills and character traits can empower her to become a confident and capable woman. Coauthors Erica and Jonathan Catherman offer this collection of step-by-step instructions on 100 things girls need to succeed, including how to

- introduce yourself
- change a flat tire
- respectfully break up with a guy
- leave a tip
- apply for a job
- ask for a promotion
- behave during a police stop
- create a personal budget
- calculate square footage
- wash your face
- clear a clogged drain
- iron a shirt
- wear a scarf
- shoot a basketball
- sharpen kitchen knives
- and much more

In fact, if it's in here, it's an important skill or character trait practiced by capable and confident women. With great illustrations and sidebars of advice from world-class experts, this all-in-one reference tool for young women in the making is the perfect gift for birthdays, graduations, or any occasion.

My thoughts: This book is an excellent book, especially geared towards tweens and teens, to help take the guess work out of learning some very useful skills. I wish I had a book like this one when I was younger! I love that it has a variety of topics, from dating to living debt free, laundry to health. This would make a great gift for a young lady!
I received this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

Buy a copy here:

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The Road to Magnolia Glen

1792, Natchez Trace, MS
Bitter since his eldest brother abandoned their family in Ireland, Quinn O’Shea travels to Natchez, Mississippi, ready to shuck the weight of his duty and set off on an adventure of his own. It’s time Connor, as head of the family, took responsibility for their younger siblings. While aboard ship, a run-in with three Irish sisters lands Quinn in the role of reluctant savior. Though it may delay his plans, he cannot abandon the Young sisters, especially the tenacious yet kind Kiera.

Upon arriving in the colonies, Kiera Young prepares to meet her intended and begin her new life. But she soon discovers the marriage her brother-in-law arranged was never meant to be, and a far more sinister deal was negotiated for her and her sisters.

Quinn offers to escort his charges safely to Breeze Hill Plantation and his brother’s care, fully intending to seek his freedom elsewhere. But the longer he remains, the greater his feelings toward Kiera grow and the more he comes to realize true freedom might be found in sacrifice.

Includes discussion questions.

My thoughts: I loved returning to Natchez Trace with this excellent historical novel and finding out what happened to Connor's family after he settled in America. I didn't know a lot about that area of the United States, so I looked up some pictures, which really helped me visualize the scenes. This series has solid characters with an interesting story set on a plantation in the late 1700's. I really liked that there was more going on than just the main characters, that it has solid secondary characters and more than just one story going on. It's a period in history that I haven't read as much about. The series also takes on some hard topics, like slavery, indentured servants, and the scummy side of seaside towns, but it is handled well. I look forward to reading more of Pam's stories!
I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.


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Top ten books I read and hated but am glad I read

I went through a period in high school were I read a ton of classics, most of which I look back and think "But why?". lol.
If you would like to learn more about the book (though I am not sure why, since it's on this list!), click the image of the book. This post contains affiliate links.

1. War and Peace


2. Crime and Punishment


3. Tess of the D'Urbervilles


4. Sylvia's Lovers

While I really enjoyed Elizabeth Gaskell's other books, this one was annoying.

5. Jude the Obscure

Another depressing book. I do like some Thomas Hardy's other stories.

6. The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel

While I didn't hate this one, I was disappointed that many of the sequels didn't live up to the first one.

7. Rupert of Hentzau

I didn't realize there was three in the series, but after the Prisoner of Zenda, this one was just kind of depressing. Not at all what I was hoping for!

8. The Thief

Over all, I enjoyed the story, but I really did not care for the style it was written in.

9. Great Expectations


10. Lord of the Flies

Listen Up

Everyone loves a good story, and children are no exception. Who better to tell those stories than Jesus? Listen Up, by bestselling author Marty Machowski, delves into some of Jesus’s best-known stories in a two-part discipleship resource fashioned to help children explore the parables of Jesus and learn the biblical truths they convey.
Listen Up offers two separate discipleship tools. The first product, a twelve-week curriculum and companion music album is designed to help children understand the gospel and the kingdom of God through Bible reading, discussion questions, object lessons, puppet skits, and art activities. Included in this curriculum is the Sovereign Grace Listen Up music CD, which reinforces the themes of the lessons in a catchy, easy-to-learn format. This curriculum includes three learning levels—preschool and kindergarten (ages 4–6), elementary (ages 6–9), and middle school (ages 10–12).
Also available in this series is the companion family devotional, Listen Up: Ten-Minute Family Devotions on the Parables, which will further reinforce the surprising truths of Jesus’s parables and explore how they are relevant and meaningful today. This family devotional can function as either a stand-alone resource for families or serve as reinforcement to the curriculum content learned at church. The ten-minute lessons for each week include Bible passages, short commentaries on the meaning of the verses, as well as discussion questions. “Fun facts” are also included to break up more serious teachings, and each lesson closes with a prayer suggestion. Through the stories that Jesus himself used, parents have a unique opportunity to help their children “listen up” to the good news of the Kingdom of God.

My thoughts: We are trying to do a better job at getting family devotions in around breakfast time, since otherwise the day gets away from us as everyone goes off in their own directions. I love that this book made devotions so easy! My children are both rather young, but this book works for everyone in the family, since it has interactive questions, prop ideas, and fun facts. I highly recommend trying this family devotional out!
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.


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