"Rules of Murder" Review

Drew Farthering is a young English gentleman living in 1930s England with his mother and step-father on a vast country estate. When his step-father’s niece, Madeline Parker, visits from America, Drew is instantly captivated by her. Before Drew and Madeline have much time to spend together, however, a double murder takes place on the property.

Drew has always liked a good mystery, especially those by Father Knox which follow a certain set of rules. Despite the warnings from the police to let them handle it, Drew is determined to do some sleuthing on his own. Enlisting the help of Madeline and his good friend, Nick, the threesome set out to uncover the mystery.

As more and more clues are uncovered, the more dangerous it becomes to be a resident at Farthering Place. And the more this mystery doesn’t follow any rules at all.

This novel intrigued me from the beginning because I thought it would be neat to read my typical type of novel (Christian historical fiction) that was also a mystery. I always like when a bit of suspense is thrown into historical novels, and since this one revolved entirely around the mystery, I thought I would give it a try.

The mystery portion of the book was good, but it did leave a little to be desired. In an English mystery there are always lots and lots of characters to keep up with, and this one was no different. For the most part, I was able to keep them straight, but there were a couple of times when I had to go back and find out, “OK, who was Clarke again?”

The best part of this book was the setting. Drew’s English estate was, of course, the perfect setting for a murder mystery, and the upstairs/downstairs feeling that comes from a novel in this time and place was appropriate. I also liked the banter among Drew and Madeline and Nick. The dialogue was so very English, and it was just fun to read.

While the mystery aspect of the novel was done fairly well, the romance and spiritual parts were very much awkwardly wedged into the story. The main characters themselves even admit that they have only known each other 11 days before they begin talking of love. Even in a historical novel, this was completely unbelievable for me. I have read other novels where the two main characters solve a mystery together or go through some tragic circumstances and, therefore, come to love each other rather quickly. But in those stories, the romance is woven throughout the other plots of suspense and/or tragedy. In Rules of Murder, the romance seemed to progress only during the ‘downtimes’ between when they were trying to solve the murders. It made for an up-and-down feeling throughout that slowed down pace of the entire novel. This was also true for the spiritual portion of the story. It seemed as if it was just tacked on for good measure.

Because the romance and spiritual portions were not fully fleshed out, I felt as if I wasn’t able to know or care about the characters as much as was intended. I wanted them to solve the mystery, and I wanted them to grow in their faith, but I didn’t really care if Drew and Madeline got together or not. Whenever I read a romance novel, I like to root for the main characters, and in this one, I was ambivalent.

Even though the story as a whole was a bit disjointed, it was interesting to just be along for the ride with Drew and his friends. It was kind of fun to discover that some things that I thought I had figured out were actually red herrings. The “rules of murder” piece was cute – it was funny when the mystery just didn’t want to follow the rules – although I was not familiar with Father Knox and his rules and would have liked to have had a list of them in the front of the book.

Rules of Murder is a fairly good murder mystery that takes place in a fantastic setting, and it would have been a lot better if it had just been left at that.

I will give Rules of Murder ... 3 BookWorms.

Rules of Murder
by Julianna Deering
A Drew Farthering Mystery
Bethany House Publishers
Publication date: September 1, 2013






Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"The Invention of Sarah Cummings" Review

Sarah Cummings, parlor maid for the wealthy Banning Family, has aspirations that go beyond her current circumstances. When she stumbles upon the perfect opportunity, Sarah invents the persona of Serena Cuthbert, a young, wealthy socialite. Soon she is swept into the world of Chicago’s elite.

But living two conflicting lives soon starts to take its toll on Sarah. Her work as a maid and with the orphanage where she grew up keeps her busy enough. Now she spends any free time that she has working on making her employer’s cast-off gowns into things suitable for Serena and her privileged life. In addition, as determined as Serena is to get a proposal from the wealthy and influential Bradley Townsend, the more time Sarah spends working with Simon Tewell at the orphanage, the more she comes to respect him and his compassion.

Before long, Sarah is in over her head. When tough times come and the ruse seems to be up, will Sarah choose the life she has invented or the one she has been given?

The Invention of Sarah Cummings is the third book in the Avenue of Dreams series by Olivia Newport.

Sarah Cummings was a character in the previous novel in this series (The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow) who I was not fond of at all. So I was interested to see what she was to be like in this novel that was all about her.

To begin, I was interested in how Sarah ‘invented’ the persona of Serena and how she went about trying to handle everything with that. Although I wasn’t able to completely relate to Sarah’s desire to be a part of Chicago’s elite, I could still understand where she was coming from. I’m sure everyone at some point thinks that if they just had more money or more success or more whatever that they would then be able to be happy. The part of the novel that related to Sarah juggling her two lives was very interesting and entertaining. I was nervous right along with her when she would come close to being found out. I also once again enjoyed the upstairs/downstairs aspect of this novel and those characters, such as Lucy, who would bend the rules when it came to the separation that existed between the two classes.

The romance in this novel, however, was a bit of a puzzle. Part of the story is told from the point of view of Simon Tewell, the orphanage director, but I didn’t fully understand that he was to be the other love interest (along with Bradley Townsend, who was interested in Serena) until I was well into the book. In fact, his interest in Sarah at the beginning of the book felt rather creepy to me. I just didn’t know enough about him, and his interest in Sarah seemed odd and seemed to come out of nowhere.

Politics and financial issues of the early 1890s in Chicago come up several times in this novel as well as the presidential election between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan. While this time period was certainly a turning point for industry and for the economic climate in this country, I wasn’t really as interested in that as a backdrop for this novel as I was for the World’s Fair in the previous novels. I tend to zone out when people start talking about politics and economics, so that part of the novel didn’t really hold my attention. I’m sure, though, that those who are interested in those subjects would find it a nice addition to this story.

This novel is a nice, light story, but it doesn’t go much farther than that. It is extremely light when it comes to the spiritual aspect and any sort of growth in the characters. Any growth that did take place was not related to the characters admitting their need for Christ as their Savior as much as just recognizing that God loves them just the way they are. Yes, God does love us, and Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Sarah did seem to take this first step of faith – recognizing that God loves her – but Christ was not mentioned as having a place at all in this change. It just didn’t seem to go far enough spiritually, and the every aspect of the story felt very rushed at the end.

Even though the spiritual side was lacking, the upstairs/downstairs facet and how Sarah is able to bridge both worlds for a time was still an interesting plot for a novel set in this time and place.

I will give The Invention of Sarah Cummings … 3 BookWorms.

The Invention of Sarah Cummings
by Olivia Newport
Avenue of Dreams #3
Revell Publishers
Publication date: September 15, 2013






Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"The Miner's Lady" Review

When Chantel Panetta discovers that her younger sister, Isabella, has fallen in love with Orlando Calarco, she knows that trouble is in store. The Panettas and the Calarcos are old Italian families who have been enemies for generations. Even though the two families have managed to live in the same mining town for years, Chantel knows that the relationship between Isabella and Orlando will not be met with acceptance.

Chantel reluctantly agrees to help her sister as she and Orlando continue their relationship. What Chantel was not prepared for was Orlando’s older brother, Dante, and the sudden attraction she feels for him.

When tragedy after tragedy occurs at the mine and in the town, will the two families be able to put aside their decades-long feud and seek forgiveness and peace? And if not, what will that mean for the young couples and their hope for love?

Set in 1890 in Ely, Minnesota, The Miner’s Lady is the third book in the Land of Shining Water collection by Tracie Peterson.

I have enjoyed the history and characters that have been portrayed in this latest series by Tracie Peterson. (The Icecutter's Daughter & The Quarryman's Bride being the other two novels in the series). The Minnesota setting is very nice, and it’s really interesting to learn about different industries (ice cutting, quarry work, mining) and varied cultures.

In The Miner’s Lady, the families are Italian, and it was really fun to experience the culture and ways of life of Italian-American families in the 1890s. The descriptions of the food alone were enough to endear me to this book. I craved Italian food the entire time I was reading the book! I also enjoyed how Chantel and her mother spent their time making lace, or tatting. My grandmother used to do this, and it truly is a dying art.

The long-standing feud between the families in this novel sets up a Romeo and Juliet situation for the two young couples. This was a good plot set-up, and it was done very well. It was the focus of the novel, but it wasn’t so all-consuming that you felt as if you were reading Romeo and Juliet again.

I liked the main characters in this novel – Chantel, Dante, Isabella, and Orlando – but I can’t say that one of them really stood out in my mind as my favorite. Probably my favorite character in this novel was Dante’s grandmother. She was loving towards everyone, and her faith and heartfelt prayer helped to pull both families through some very tough times.

And there were indeed some tough times in this book. The families fighting, accidents at the mine, and troubles in the town all lent to disaster and heartbreak for the characters. Not all of this tragedy was without hope or without an ultimate faith in God, but sometimes that hope was a bit long in coming or was only hastily portrayed at the end. The ending of this book was very exciting and had me turning pages quickly, but it also seemed a bit rushed and not quite completely satisfying. This is a book in which I was really, really wanting an epilogue.

In this novel, you basically get two romances in one. Even though the relationship between Isabella and Orlando was established before the book began, their romance is still a focal point since it is their forbidden relationship that gets everything started in the first place. Their love for each other is strong, and it is heartwarming to see how they stick up for each other in the face of their families’ ire. As for Chantel and Dante’s relationship, it had a very interesting beginning. The only reason they even noticed each other was because they were trying to keep their brother/sister from having a relationship with their family’s enemy. It was so funny that they were attracted to each other but kept trying to convince themselves that they were not. Once their relationship progressed, however, I thought they fell in love too quickly. I didn’t really get the feeling that they spent much quality time together before they were declaring their love. I did like how Chantel and Dante shared a faith in Christ and how that was central to their relationship.

Another thing that didn’t quite fit to me was Marco’s storyline. Marco was one of Chantel’s brothers who also worked at the iron mine with the Panetta and Calarco men. His story seemed a bit out of place, especially with part of the book being told from his point of view. His story was interesting, but it didn’t seem to have anything to do with the overall plot except maybe to show the bad things (drinking, prostitution, violence) that existed during this time period in mining towns.

Overall, however, the themes of forgiveness and peace do shine through in this novel as does the necessity of having faith in Christ. It was also interesting to read about the cultures of Italian-American families during the early years of industry in the United States.


I will give The Miner’s Lady … 3 ½ BookWorms.

The Miner's Lady
by Tracie Peterson
Land of Shining Water #3
Bethany House Publishers
Publication date: September 1, 2013




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"On Distant Shores" Blog Tour

Caught between the war raging around them and the battles within, two souls long for peace--and a love that remains true.

 

 

Lt. Georgiana Taylor has everything she could want. A boyfriend back home, a loving family, and a challenging job as a flight nurse. But in July 1943, Georgie's cozy life gets more complicated when she meets pharmacist Sgt. John Hutchinson.

 

Hutch resents the lack of respect he gets as a noncommissioned serviceman and hates how the war keeps him from his fiancée. While Georgie and Hutch share a love of the starry night skies over Sicily, their lives back home are falling apart. Can they weather the hurt and betrayal? Or will the pressures of war destroy the fragile connection they've made?

With her signature attention to detail and her talent for bringing characters together, Sarah Sundin weaves an exciting tale of emotion, action, and romance that will leave you wanting more.

 

Available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

 For more information visit http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/on-distant-shores/336130

 

My Take:

I really enjoyed the first book in this series – With Every Letter – so I was looking forward to this next offering from an author Sarah Sundin.

The story starts off a little bit earlier than when the previous novel ended, which was a neat twist that I didn’t expect. It was nice to sort of rewind a bit and catch up with some of the characters from the first book and to get more of a running start into Georgie’s story.

As with the first book in the series, On Distant Shores was very well-written and had a seamless flow to it. You can tell that the author definitely does her research – about WWII as well as the pharmacy/medical details. Being a chemistry/biology nerd myself, I really liked the pharmacy aspect of the book. I felt so sorry for Hutch that he wasn’t able to be a commissioned officer even though he had a degree and practiced a medical profession such as pharmacy. This made for a unique storyline within the background of the war.

I also liked the growth that the two main characters experienced throughout the book, especially Georgie. It was so interesting to see how she discovered that everyone else in her life was making her decisions for her and how staying in her safe little comfortable world was hindering her relationship with God and her relationships with others. I thought the characters in this novel were just so relatable and believable. Their conversations were realistic, as were their emotions and doubts and fears. As I said, Hutch and Georgie both experienced significant growth in their faith throughout the novel which was encouraging and thought-provoking. And although the romance between the two was a bit predictable, I was still rooting for them.

Even though I did enjoy the various plotlines in this novel, it was much more heart-wrenching than the first one in the series. I actually had to put it down a couple of times and come back to it later. The part that was the most emotional, however, was a necessary plot point in the book, and it was handled well. It just took me a while to get through it.

With her characteristic writing style and attention to historical details, Sarah Sundin has another winner in her Wings of the Nightingale series with On Distant Shores, and I look forward to reading Kay’s story in the next one.

I will give On Distant Shores … 4 BookWorms.

 

 

 

 

 

On Distant Shores
by Sarah Sundin
Wings of the Nightingale #2
Revell Publishers
Publication date: August 1, 2013





Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

 

 

"The Secret Keeper" Review

From the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of The Distant Hours, The Forgotten Garden, and The House at Riverton, a spellbinding novel of family secrets, murder, and enduring love.

About the Book: During a picnic at her family’s farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson witnesses a shocking crime, a crime that challenges everything she knows about her adored mother, Dorothy.

Now, fifty years later, Laurel and her sisters are meeting at the farm to celebrate Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday. Realizing that this is her last chance to discover the truth about that long-ago day, Laurel searches for answers that can only be found in Dorothy’s past.

Clue by clue, she traces a secret history of three strangers from vastly different worlds thrown together in war-torn London—Dorothy, Vivien, and Jimmy—whose lives are forever after entwined.

A gripping story of deception and passion, The Secret Keeper will keep you enthralled to the last page.



My Take:

Wow. Just – wow.

I have only read one other book by Kate Morton, The Forgotten Garden, and it was fantastic. But I would daresay that this one was even better.

The Secret Keeper starts off very well by getting your attention right away. The author also has a way of helping you to get to know the characters easily, which makes the overall flow of the novel seamless and engrossing. Also true to the author’s style, this novel is told from the viewpoint of several different people and jumps back and forth from the past to the present day. As I said, though, the flow of the novel is seamless, and I was never confused as to who was telling the story or what time period it was.

Part of this novel takes place in London during World War Two. Admittedly, this is not my favorite historical time period for fiction, but for this book, the setting was perfect. I was totally engrossed in the part of the story that revolved around the war and the devastation that it had on London.

It is hard to talk about much of the plot of this book without totally ruining all of the twists and turns that this novel takes. Although I did eventually figure out the main plot twist, I had no idea how it was going to take place. So even though the ending was not a complete surprise, I was still interested in how everything was going to tie together.

The only thing that keeps me from giving this book a 5-BookWorm rating is the fact that it is just so long. There was a point about a third or so of the way through the book that I was thinking, “just get on with it,” and the characters were starting to get on my nerves. Once things kind of came back together, though, it picked up again, and the remainder of the novel was excellent.

This was my book club’s selection for July, and everyone really enjoyed it.


I will give The Secret Keeper … 4 ½ (or even 4 ¾!) BookWorms!

 




The Secret Keeper
by Kate Morton
Atria Books
Publication date: October 16, 2012






Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Atria Books through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"Into the Whirlwind" Review

As owner of the 57th Illinois Watch Company, Mollie Knox loves nothing more than running the business that her father left to her. She enjoys her orderly life, and she adores the fact that she is able to help her father’s fellow Civil War veterans have employment and a better life.

Zack Kazmarek is a lawyer for one of the best department stores in Chicago, and he is accustomed to making his own way. For years he has been handling the business dealings of the store, including the contracts for the elaborate pocket watches that are created by Mollie Knox and her staff. And each time she comes to his office, he admires her more and more.

But every citizen in Chicago sees their normal lives go up in smoke in the wake of the Great Chicago Fire. Mollie and Zack – along with Mollie’s lawyer and friend, Frank, and a lost child, Sophie – battle their way through the swarming streets of Chicago to escape the raging inferno.

In the days following the devastating fire, the city of Chicago has a chance to rebuild bigger and better than it ever was before. Will Zack and Mollie be able to say the same about their own lives?

The premise of this novel was really intriguing to me, and I was looking forward to reading it purely for the historical aspect alone. However as I read this book, I just couldn’t make up my mind what I felt about it. I liked the historical details, and the book really got off to an exciting start. But for reasons that I can’t completely put my finger on, I didn’t like it as much as I did previous novels by this author.

I think what made me feel this way the most was how much I didn’t really like the main female character Mollie. I really didn’t appreciate how she treated Sophie. Yes, Sophie was spoiled and not pleasant to be around. She definitely needed to be taken to task about her behavior, but she was still a child, and a possible orphan at that. At one point Mollie says to herself that “the prospect of raising her (Sophie) was as appealing as hauling a millstone around her neck for the next ten years.” It was those kinds of thoughts towards a poor orphan child and the way that she treated Zack that did not endear me to Mollie. She seemed to have no compassion at all. She only cared about her perfect, ordered life, and she was stubborn to the point of being childish. Mollie did feel some affection and honor towards the wounded Civil War veterans in her employ, which kept her from coming across as completely devoid of emotion. All of this would have been acceptable if she had experienced growth in some way over the course of the novel, but she did not.

I liked Zack more than I liked Mollie in this book, but he also seemed to be a contradiction. He was portrayed as this strong, resourceful, pulled-himself-up-by-his-bootstraps kind of guy, but when it came to Mollie, he was a coward in every sense of the word. I mean, he pined for her from afar for three years? To me that just didn’t fit with the rest of his character. Aside from that, Zack was the most interesting of the characters.

As for the spiritual aspect, it wasn’t very deep at all. It seemed to just be thrown in here and there without much meaning or relation to the characters’ everyday lives. The characters in this book had every opportunity for deep spiritual growth considering all that they went through, but I just didn’t feel it.

The best part of this novel was definitely its historical setting. The city of Chicago came alive almost as an additional character in the book. The description of the fire was very well done, especially the parts immediately following the fire when the people rallied to rebuild their glorious city. I also enjoyed the watch-making portions of the novel.

This novel almost seems to go in a reverse form from a typical book. With the fire taking place at the beginning, it seemed as if that was the climax, and then the rest of the book was all the rest of the details of rebuilding and then the love triangle with Mollie, Zack, and Richard. I didn’t necessarily have a problem with this unique way of telling the story, but it did make the middle portion of the book drag a bit.

Overall I thought the historical information and details in this book were outstanding, but the fiction story around the history left a little bit to be desired.

I will give Into the Whirlwind … 3 BookWorms.

 






Into the Whirlwind
by Elizabeth Camden
Bethany House Publishers
Publication date: August 1, 2013






Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"Slow Moon Rising" Review

In Slow Moon Rising, we return to idyllic Cedar Key – the place of peace and rest for generations of the Claybourne family. Anise, Kimberly, Jayme-Leigh, Heather, and Ami – each woman experiences her share of heartbreak.

When family secrets come to light, everyone in the Claybourne family must decide which path to take – one that will lead to destruction or one that will lead to reconciliation.

Slow Moon Rising is the final chapter of the Cedar Key series by Eva Marie Everson.

From the very beginning, this novel kind of got off on the wrong foot with me. Anise’s attraction to older men was something that I could not relate to at all, and I actually found it kind of disturbing. When Anise first meets Ross, she is 38, and he is 60. Those ages are fairly close to the ages of my father and me. So, I was pretty uncomfortable with this relationship from the beginning, and I found it hard to shake even as I kept reading the book.

This novel is told from the points of view of several main characters. I didn’t think I was going to like this at first, but it actually made me more interested in the story than I think I would have been if it had been told in a different way. Sometimes these changes in scene were a bit abrupt, but overall it was a pretty good way to tell the story of this family. I liked having the different perspectives of the family members.

It was interesting that this novel went back in time to before the beginning of the first Cedar Key book, it then kind of retold the stories in the first two books again, and then it ended many years later. It was a prequel, middle, and sequel all in one, which was very unique. The individual plots didn’t always interest me, but it was nice to have all of the family members’ stories come together and be wrapped up in this novel. I liked returning to Cedar Key to once again experience that setting and its characters.

This entire novel revolves around the Claybourne family and their lives over many years. The members of this family face many things such as divorce, cancer, infertility, losing loved ones, alcoholism, past affairs – the list goes on. While I am not so naïve as to think that these things don’t happen in the real world or even in my own family, the way in which the Cedar Key series portrays these situations just felt too soap opera-y for me. There didn’t seem to be enough balance between these things that happen in life versus our strength to face them through Christ.

I also thought the ending to this novel was way too drawn out and depressing. The final event that took place was real and difficult and very hard to read. I appreciate when authors don’t go too far away from reality, but I primarily read for enjoyment and for entertainment. It is not enjoyable for me to read a book revolving around such hardships in the life of this family without a really good sense of hope and spiritual growth throughout. This novel touched on that hope here and there (with an out-of-nowhere, one-time, deep spiritual discussion towards the end), but the overall feeling was just dismal.

Slow Moon Rising was well-written in the way that it wrapped up all of the storylines from the Cedar Key series, but it lacked the hope and grace that I have come to expect from Christian fiction.

I will give Slow Moon Rising … 2 BookWorms.

Slow Moon Rising
by Eva Marie Everson
Book 3 in the Cedar Key series
Revell Publishers
Publication date: June 1, 2013




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Bible Savvy Series Review

New from Moody Publishers:

The Bible Savvy Series

If someone approached you and said:

 "The Bible is such a daunting book, written in ancient times and addressed to vastly different cultures. Is it really possible to draw relevant insight from it for our lives today?"

Would you know how to respond?
     Accurately? Succinctly? Truthfully?

Jim Nicodem can help.

Made up of four individual volumes (Epic, Foundation, Context, and Walk), Bible Savvy is a foundational resource for those wanting to better understand the Bible.

From the whole storyline of the Bible to personal application and how to live it, this set of four accessible books is an ideal resource for small groups, Sunday school classes, youth groups, and individuals seeking to increase their breadth of knowledge about God's word.


Epic: The Storyline of the Bible unveils the single theme that ties all the various parts of scripture together: redemption.

Foundation: The Trustworthiness of the Bible explains that the Bible is God's book, not merely man made, and why it can be wholly trusted.

Context: How to Understand the Bible shows readers how to read the different parts of the Bible as they were meant to be read and how they fit together.

Walk: How to Apply the Bible helps readers put their greater understanding of the text into practice and how to draw real-life applications from it.


 http://www.biblesavvy.com/


About the Author: JIM NICODEM has been the senior pastor of Christ Community Church since its start in 1984. Beginning with a group of six families, the church has grown to over five thousand people at four campuses. A significant focus on reaching spiritual seekers has resulted in scores of new believers being baptized each year.

Born and raised in the Midwest, Jim did his schooling in Biblical studies (BA/Wheaton College; MDiv, DMin/Trinity Evangelical Divinity School). In keeping with Christ Community Church's mission to make passionate disciples of Jesus Christ, Jim loves to mentor others in prayer and the study of God's Word. With that goal in mind, he has authored Prayer Coach: For All Who Want to Get Off the Bench and Onto the Praying Field (2008) and the four-book Bible Savvy series (2013).

Jim and his wife, Sue, have been married for more than thirty years and have three grown children. Jim enjoys biking, hiking and kayaking for recreation. He loves to hang out in Chicago, where he can watch the Cubs play (no better park than Wrigley) or listen to the world-class Symphony Orchestra. The local Starbucks also sees a lot of Jim, accompanied by books (mostly biographies) or friends.



My Take:
 My husband will be doing the review for these books!

I teach a class at my church called Overview of the Bible, and this series of books would fit in perfectly.  Jim Nicodem writes this series of books very plainly so that anyone can pick them up and understand what is being said.  However, at the same time, he doesn't insult the reader.  I felt like I was in a conversation with Jim rather than reading a book.

New Christians, or people wanting to know more about Christianity, will learn a lot about how the Bible is put together and get a better grasp of what is in it.  Those who have been Christians longer will be able to gain a better understanding of concepts they know (or think they know).

I recommend these books to everyone wanting to grow closer to God by getting better at reading the Bible.

I give these books 4.5 out of 5 bookworms.

The Bible Savvy Series
by Jim Nicodem
Moody Publishers
Publication date: March 15, 2013



 
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Moody Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"Prairie Song" Review

After months and even years of planning and preparing, the Boones Lick Company from St. Charles, Missouri, is ready to set out on the trail to the West.

Anna Goben is eager to go with the Company on the trail. Even though it will be hard to leave some of her beloved friends from the quilting circle, Anna is convinced that her mother and grandfather will benefit from new scenery, new people, and a new life away from the ever-present cloud of grief that has surrounded her family since her brother’s death in the Civil War.

Caleb Reger, a trail hand with the Company, desires to run away from a cloud of grief as well. His closely-guarded secrets from the war have him running from his family and from the God he promised to serve. The last thing he needs is for a stubborn and independent – and beautiful – woman like Anna Goben to get in the way.

With Caleb running from his past and Anna doing everything she can to help her family, the two seem unlikely to ever let their hearts turn to thoughts of love. But life on the trail may just change their minds.

Prairie Song is the first in a series by Mona Hodgson that follows a group of travelers as they venture west into a new land. Through it all, will the hope they have in God and His grace lead them to the Promised Land?

I have read a lot of books about the Oregon/California Trail in my day. I really enjoy them – that’s why I keep reading them – and I always go into a series like this wondering what type of angle the author will take and what new things about life on the trail to the West I will learn.

This Trail novel didn’t really give me too much new information historically, even though it was well-written as far as the history and time period goes. What it really brought up more than the history of life on the trail was a depth of spiritual growth in the characters that I have found to be typical of this author.

So, instead of focusing entirely on trail life, Prairie Song focuses on the characters – and there are a lot of them! I would be lost if I hadn’t read the previous series of novellas that led up to it, the Quilted Heart novellas.

The stories of Garrett Cowlishaw and Caroline Milburn from the third novella in that series were also continued here in this novel. This ‘two stories in one’ of Anna/Caleb & Garrett/Caroline sometimes got to be a bit much, but I understand why this was done. Novels about life on the trail during this time period (1860s) can get a bit monotonous, so having four main characters kept things a little more interesting.
What I liked most about the characters was how they read the Bible and experienced tremendous growth throughout the novel. I especially related to Caleb’s experience of not feeling forgiven by God. He knew in his head and heart that he had been forgiven, but he didn’t always have the faith to believe it and live it. Anna also had some growing to do before she could give her heart to Caleb. She had been allowing her past experiences to rule her future instead of trusting in God to do so. It was so interesting to me how Anna kept trying to change her mother, who was an alcoholic, rather than trusting in God to change her mother as He saw fit. That part of the plot was unique and lent itself to some spiritual issues coming to the surface that I might not otherwise have thought about.

As far as the romances, the one between Garrett and Caroline progressed as I guessed it would – without too much fanfare. With Anna and Caleb, I was a little more interested in their relationship. There was a hint of the Big Misunderstanding plot device, but luckily it came from stubbornness on the part of one of the characters as opposed to a comedy of errors such as misplaced notes or some other such foolishness.

While there were some heartbreaking moments for these characters, they never were without hope, which kept the overall feel of the book from being depressing. Not everything that happens to these characters is completely wrapped up in this title, which is to be expected from a series.

I can’t necessarily say that this Oregon/California Trail book sets itself apart too much from other ones that I have read other than the spiritual depth that was portrayed, but it was still a good novel, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

I will give Prairie Song ... 3 ½ BookWorms.

Prairie Song
by Mona Hodgson
"Hearts Seeking Home" Book #1
WaterBrook Press
Publication date: August 6, 2013

Find out more info about this book here.
Author's website: http://monahodgson.com/




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WaterBrook Press. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"Stealing the Preacher" Review

About the Book: On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can't believe it when he's forced off the train by an outlaw and presented to the man's daughter as the preacher she requested for her birthday. He's determined to escape--which would be much easier if he could stop thinking about Joanna Robbins and her unexpected request.

For months, Joanna had prayed for a minister. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. But just when it seems her prayers have been answered, it turns out the parson is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett he ended up right where he was supposed to be?

With her signature blend of humor, history, and lively western romance, two-time RITA Award finalist and bestselling author Karen Witemeyer delivers a Texas love story sure to steal your heart.


My Take:

When I discovered that there was to be a sequel to Short-Straw Bride, I was interested, but I wasn’t so sure. I really enjoyed two of Karen Witemeyer’s other novels – A Tailor-Made Bride and To Win Her Heart – but Short-Straw Bride actually was one that I didn’t like as much.

Fortunately, Stealing the Preacher seemed to get back to what I love about Ms. Witemeyer’s writing. It actually really reminded me more of To Win Her Heart, which is my favorite of her novels so far.

After what I thought was a pretty ridiculous, albeit exciting, set-up to the plot in the beginning of the novel, this book settled down and really got to what I like about Christian historical fiction. The characters were relatable, and the Christians in the novel turned to the Bible for comfort and peace and for direction in their lives. Other characters experienced significant spiritual growth, and there was an overall feeling of hope even in dark times.

I was also moved by the compassion with which Joanna and Crockett approached others in their lives. They were so passionate about reaching others for Christ, and I loved how they lived out their testimonies with actions as well as words.

The romance between Crockett and Joanna was bordering on love-at-first sight, which I sometimes find a bit unbelievable. I will say that even though I was initially hesitant about this tactic, Joanna and Crockett did seem to be made for each other! I loved how Crockett thought Joanna was beautiful even if she didn’t think so herself.

This story definitely had the potential to be one-dimensional, since most of it takes place on the ranch or at the church, but there were enough subplots in the story to keep it interesting. The main plot was somewhat predictable, but I was so invested in the characters that I wanted to see how they would get to the ending that I knew was coming. This is actually the kind of book that I like the best. I like happy endings, and this one totally blew me away. The forgiveness and redemption that took place in the lives of the characters was phenomenal. It perfectly portrayed how a person can be completely changed through the salvation that comes from Christ alone.

As in To Win Her Heart, I was a little bit sad to leave these characters. I was so overjoyed at the ending that I just wanted to keep reading about them! I would love to revisit the Archer brothers in future books (maybe a book for Neill?)!


I will give Stealing the Preacher … 4 BookWorms.

Stealing the Preacher
by Karen Witemeyer
Follow-up to Short-Straw Bride (but can be read as a standalone novel)
Bethany House Publishers
Publication date: June 1, 2013




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this is accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."