The Sinners' Garden by William Sirls

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the small Lake Erie township of Benning, someone is at work cultivating a supernatural garden …

Andy Kemp’s young life has been as ravaged as his scarred face. Disfigured by an abusive father, the teenager hides behind his books and an impenetrable wall of cynicism and anger.

As Andy’s mother struggles to reconnect with him, his Uncle Rip returns transformed from a stint in prison and wants to be a mentor to the reclusive boy, doing everything he can to help end Andy’s pain. When Andy begins hearing strange music through his iPod and making near-prophetic announcements, Rip is convinced that what Andy is hearing is the voice of God.

Elsewhere, police officer Heather Gerisch responds to a late-night breaking and entering in one of the poorest homes in town. She soon realizes that the masked prowler has left thousands of dollars in gift cards from a local grocery store.

As the bizarre break-ins continue and Heather pursues the elusive “Summer Santa,” Andy and Rip discover an enormous and well-kept garden of wildflowers that seems to have grown overnight at an abandoned steel mill.

Soon, they realize who the gardener is, and a spree of miracles transfigures this small town from a place of hopelessness into a place of healing and beauty.

MY THOUGHTS: 

WOW! I could just leave it at that and tell you to rush out and buy this book! This story is an amazing spiritual journey that leads us where we never could imagine. There are so many levels in the development of this book, that I had a very hard time putting it down. The characters are incredible in their depth and creativity.

I loved the "Summer Santa" story and couldn't wait to see who it was.  The author did a marvelous job at weaving the characters history into the story.  Learning about the authors own life story made the book that much more real to me. You can learn more about the author at http://www.williamsirls.com

This is a longer book, but once I started it was a fast read and kept me on my toes throughout.

You do not want to miss out on this exciting story of faith, love and forgiveness. I found myself laughing and crying till the very end.

You can find the book on Amazon.com

Disclosure: I received a print copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. My reviews are my own opinion and may differ from others

A Road Unknown by Barbara Cameron

  

BOOK SUMMARY:

Elizabeth is at a crossroad. She’s been given the chance to experience life outside of her community, away from the responsibility to care for her eight younger siblings, but Elizabeth Bontrager can’t decide which road to take. Goshen has its charms and pressures, but Paradise, Pennsylvania, sounds . . . well, like paradise. And it’s also home to her Englisch friend, Paula. Decision made. Elizabeth is Paradise bound.

But will the small town live up to its name? When Elizabeth meets Paula’s friend, Bruce, she quickly learns he wants more than a friendship. And the same might be true of Saul Miller, her new boss at the country story that sells Amish products to the Englisch community. As the two compete for her attention, Elizabeth is surprised to realize she misses her family and becomes even more uncertain about where she belongs. She has a choice to make: return home or embrace this new life and possibly a new love?

MY THOUGHTS:

This is Book 1 in the Amish Roads Series.  I encourage everyone to read it now! It is such a refreshing and heartwarming story of love, forgiveness and family. I love how Elizabeth's character grows in  her personal journey and how she comes to term with her choices and ability to move forward. Her character is very easy to relate to because everyone has choices they have to work through and be able to feel confident in them. 

Watching the relationship between Elizabeth and Paula grow despite their obvious differences was a testimony of how God can bring people in our lives at just the right moment. Paula helps Elizabeth start her new life, and is an encouragement to her.

Struggles come to the relationship with Saul and Elizabeth, but by working together and trusting each other we find an amazing story develop.

You can find the book for yourself on amazon.com. 

Learn more about the author here http://barbaracameron.com/

Disclosure: I received a print copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own and may differ from others.

Related by Chance, Family by Choice by Deb DeArmond

Book Summary (from AMAZON)

The caricatures are everywhere, the jokes are inexhaustible, and the stereotypes fill the screens. From Marie Barone (Everyone Loves Raymond) to Viola Fields (Monster-in-Law) to Internet sites and social media pages like ihatemyinlaws.com and a Facebook page for ihatemymotherinlaw there is no shortage of examples of the caustic relationships that can develop between the two women in a man’s life.

Deb DeArmond and her three daughters-in-law have conducted their own exhaustive research into the status of the women-in-law relationship. Their research, which incorporated online surveys, interviews, and discussions, included asking about the faith factor in the relationships they studied. Of the respondents, nearly 90 percent claimed they were Christians, and 79 percent said their faith was foundational and guided their actions and decisions. As discouraging as it may be, the numbers of those they surveyed who reported that their women-in-law relationships were “bad” were nearly identical to those in a survey conducted by a popular secular website that recorded no statistics on faith.

Beyond the statistics and their analysis, Deb brings to this book more than thirty years working with adults to improve communications and deal constructively with conflict. Aside from her research and her professional expertise, perhaps the most important asset Deb brings to this work is her own relationship with her three daughters-in-law that is so obviously and unusually positive that she—and they—are often asked to explain the secret of the relationships they share.

This practical and unapologetically scriptural book covers issues of personal perceptions, strained communication, the roles of sons and fathers in the relationship’s success, how to begin these relationships on the right foot, and the necessity of trust and love. Deb’s one motivating objective is to help womenin- law move from women who are simply related to strong and confident members of a truly spiritual family.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. When I first saw I could review this, I was excited. I know from personal experience how miserable a bad Mother/Daugher in Law relationship can be. My MIL has always been difficult and has on many occasions tried to get in between me and my husband. 

I have a son, and I know that's not the type of relationship I want with my future daughter in law.

I think this is a book that needs to be read multiple times to catch everything it has to offer. I love the assessments at the end of chapters. You can't just read this book and forget it, you really have to dig deep and assess where you are and what you want out of it. 

There are action steps which allow discussion and thought provoking realizations. I think every mom should read this book, especially mom's of boys because there is something different about that when it comes to marriage and letting go. 

So much wisdom in learning how to change the stereotypes of this relationship and turn it into something amazing. 

I encourage you to check this book out and let others know about it also. You can find it HERE.

Disclosure: I received a print copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own and may differ from others.

A Marriage in Middlebury

Book Summary (from AMAZON)

Charlotte Rose Hill has been serving up country delicacies, uniquely blended teas, and matchmaking advice for her quirky but beloved customers for more than 10 years. But for her, marriage seems like an elusive butterfly, always out of reach. At 18, Charlotte fell in love with a young man, Sam Wilder, but his family convinced her to walk away from their relationship. She did, and
then became engaged to another man, who later died before they were married. Now, more than a decade later, Charlotte finds that she still has feelings for her first love. Initially thrilled to learn that Sam has come home to Middlebury, Texas, Charlotte is devastated to learn that he’s brought someone with him: his fiancée. But all is not lost when the townsfolk decide to get
involved. Will Charlotte and Sam find their way back to each other?

My Thoughts:

What I enjoyed about this book were the characters and the way there was a history involved. It's like getting a second chance to make a different choice. I'm sure everyone has been in a situation they wish they could get a do-over for. I was excited to see where Charlotte and Sam's relationship would go. Nothing was easy and there were many obstacles to overcome, but the dynamics throughout the storyline were great and made me want to keep reading. I couldn't wait to find out if they would end up together or if life had just moved on too much to go back. 
the relationship between Sam and his Father is not a unique relationship, but had a fresh approach to it and drew me in. I recommend this book and look forward to many other of Anita Higman's books!


Disclosure: I received a print copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own and may differ from others.

Andi Unexpected by Amanda Flower

Book Summary (from Amazon)

Twelve-year-old Andora 'Andi' Boggs and her fourteen-year-old sister Bethany move to rural Ohio to live with their eccentric twenty-something aunt after the sudden death of their parents. While dealing with her grief, Andi discovers proof of another Andora Boggs in the family tree whose existence was hidden in a Depression-era trunk in the attic. With help from her new friend and neighbor, Colin Carter, Andi is determined to find out who this first Andora was and what happened to her.

My Thoughts: 

This is a great teen mystery book! It's a quick and fun read with some great characters. It's interesting to watch the relationship of the sisters and how they are dealing with the lost of their parents. I love the different dynamics shown with all the characters. It's a touch of family relationships, with a mystery to solve mixed in. This book is part of a new series which I'm sure will become a hit among teens! You can find out more about this book, and others, on the authors website

This would make a great Christmas gift!

Disclosure: I received a print copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I received this book as a reviewer for www.booksneeze.com. My reviews are always honest and my own opinions.