Once Upon a Book

The Bridegrooms

2010-04-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

Vada Allenhouse and her three sisters live with Doc, their father in Cleveland, Ohio in 1898. They are all trying to overcome the tragedy from 17 years earlier when Vada's mother mysteriously disappeared. Vada lost her youth as she took over being mother to her younger sisters. Now that the girls are grown they are each trying to find love and purpose for their lives.

Their whole world changes the day that the Brooklyn Bridegrooms come to play baseball against the Cleveland Spiders. A spectator at the game gets hit on the head by a fly ball. This unconscious young man is brought to Doc and suddenly the girls find themselves surrounded by eligible bachelors - besides the baseball players a young sports writer hangs around to try to get a story. Vada, who works for the Cleveland Orchstra, already has a steady boyfriend but she is tempted to leave the securty of the known for the excitement of the unknown. At the end of the week the other sisters have found love and Vada realizes that she's had love all along.

I enjoyed reading this book. Each chapter was a day in this very special week for the Allenhouse family. I thought the characters were well developed and I came away feeling like I knew them personally. If you enjoy historical fiction/romance then I recommend The Bridegrooms by Allison Pittman to you.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group
You can purchase it from them or at your favorite book store or website.

Need something to read?

2010-02-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading two books that I highly recomend: Beneath A Southern Sky by Deborah Raney, and Yesterday's Promise by Linda Lee Chaikin. Both books have recently been released by WaterBrook Multnomah and you can find them at their website : http://www.waterbrookmultnomah.com/rbrookmultnomah.com/.

Beneath A Southern Sky is a story about Daria, a missionary in South Africa whose husband is reportedly killed in a remote village. Daria returns home to the U.S. to mourn his death and prepare for the birth of their daughter. As she tries move forward with her life she meets Colson Hunter. He falls in love with her and asks her to marry him. Daria feels that God is calling her to return to South Africa but she ignores His voice and marries Colson. Not long after their wedding she receives a telegram that turns her life upside down. You'll have to read the story to find out what the telegram says, and what Daria's response is. I really enjoyed this book.

The story in Yesterday's Promise starts in England in 1898. Rogan Chantry comes from a wealthy family. His uncle Henry left him a map for a deposit of gold in South Africa. Rogan believes that his uncle was murdered for the map, and he travels to Africa to try to find the gold. There he encounters several obstacles: Sir Julien Bley, native tribesmen, and tensions between colonists, missionaries and the tribes. Meanwhile, Ivy - the woman Rogan loves - stays in England and ends up in a confrontation with Henry's killer. I won't tell you how the book ends: Do Ivy and Rogan end up together? Does Rogan find the gold? You'll have to pick up the book and find out for yourself.

You can find these books online at www.WaterBrookmultnomah.com , www.barnesandnoble.com or at www.amazon.com

A New Year's Book You Must Read

2009-12-20T07:54:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a book to read in the new year, a book that will change your life? Check out Mark Batterson's newest book, Primal : A Quest for the lost soul of Christianity . Mark Batterson is an amazing writer. His word pictures are so alive, his thoughts grounded in scripture,his applications so practical. In this book Batterson takes us back to the basics of Christianity and to the roots of his/her own faith. He shares what he believes from scripture is the lost soul of Christianity, and how we need to respond.
I have just begun to read this book. The first two chapters gave me so much to think about that I needed to stop and really ponder these thoughts. After an introduction, Batterson begins his book with a talk on heart transplants, and how the recipients of new hearts say that they receive new desires, cravings and habits with their new heart. Batterson goes on to say that when we accept Christ as our Savior we get a heart transplant - we receive Christ's heart. With that heart should come new desires, cravings and habits. We should feel different, and one of those new feelings should be compassion. Then Batterson asks, Does your heart break for the things that break the heart of God? (p. 17) Is you faith in your heart, or only in your mind?

The second thought that grabbed me was this: In my experience it's much easier to act like a Christian that it is to react like one. Anyone can put on an act. But your reactions reveal what is really in your heart. (p. 22) Batterson had been talking about what it means to love God with all your heart. This thought made me examine how I react to the world around me - and has already begun to change my reactions.

I have not finished the book yet, but I have been changed and challenged by it. I highly recommend Mark Batterson's book Primal: A Quest for the lost soul of Christianity. Make this the first book you read in 2010.

Primal is published by Waterbook Multnomah Press.
You can find this book at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

I would love it if you would leave a comment for me after you read the book. Tell me what point was most life changing for you.

Fun Fall Fiction

2009-11-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

This fall I've been reading three new books published by WaterBrook Multnomah . It's been a lot of fun reading these - you should check them out too!

Leaving Carolina, by Tamara Leigh, is about a woman named Piper.She grew up in South Carolina in a quirky family and moved to California after high school to get away from them. After her uncle goes into the hospital she comes back to her hometown to help him, and finds out that people can change, honesty is really the best policy, and that God causes all things to work for good. She also finds love and acceptance in unexpected places.

I really liked this book!

You can find this book at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421661

The second book is Limelight, by Melody Carlson.This book is about an elderly woman who once was a Hollywood beauty. Claudette is quite a character. At the beginning of the book she is in a nursing home after trying to commit suicide. She has lost her youth, her beauty, her mansion and extravagent lifestyle, her wealth. However, she realizes that she does not want to live the rest of her life her, and fights to be independent.She returns to her hometown to live, and to repair her relationship with her sister. She begins to question the values she had all her life, and learns what real beauty is.

I enjoyed getting to know Claudette, and to read about her journey to find God, and to learn about real beauty. Since I am at a place in life where I am facing the aging process - my body aches more often, it's harder to lose weight, my hair is turning grey, etc. it was good to read about Claudette's struggles and revelations.

You can get to know Claudette too, by checking the book out here: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781400070824

Last but not least, is What Matters Most, also by Melody Carlson. This book is about Maya, a sixteen year old who is trying to decide she should do with her life. She's not happy at high school, and after her mom is released from prison she wants Maya to live with her. Maya turns to music and finds that life gets even more complicated. The book is written in first person, almost as if it's Maya's journal. Maya finds out that God is what matters most. He is the only One who can help her through life, the One she can always count on.

To find out more about this book, look here: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9781601421197

Do you like to read and share books with others? Would you like to participate on a blog tour? For information go to the official WaterBrook Multnomah Blogging for Books site page at http://www.randomhouse.com/waterbrook/bloggingforbooks/.

Happy reading!

A New Book for Christmas

2009-10-12T18:11:00.000-07:00

The Sound of Sleigh Bells
Christmas is just around the corner, and New York Times best-selling author Cindy Woodsmall offers just the right reading treat for the holiday season—the story of a young Amish woman bearing a weight that isn’t hers to carry, a young man who might just be able to help her heal, and a meddling aunt who just wants to see them happy.

I loved reading this book. Condy Woodsmall is a wonderful author. She writes in a way that makes the reader feel a part of the story, as if you live in the same town as the characters. I had a hard time putting this book down - I just had to find out how the story ended. I encourage you to read it too!

This was book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

You can get this book at :
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307446534

God as He Longs for You to See Him

2009-08-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

This book is by Chip Ingram, and I am using it for my Bible study. It is a wonderful book about 7 of the attributes of God. So far I have read about God's goodness and His soverignty. Reading this book, and the Bible passages it references has really helped me to enlarge my view of God and helped me to worship Him more.

Chip Ingram is the founder and teaching pastor for a ministry called Living on the Edge. In this book he encourages readers to discover who God really is so that we can worship the real God, not a false impression of Him. I found the book at the public library, but you can also order it from Living Edge's web site, and at Barnes and Noble's web site.

Holy Roller

2009-07-12T17:54:00.000-07:00

Here is another new book for your summer reading. Holy Roller by Julie Lyons is a true story about how Julie, a journalist, investigated the power of God and the results of prayer and faith in the lives of people in a black pentecostal church in South Dallas.

In this book you will read about people who are desperate for God's help, and how He doesn't forget those who need Him. Julie also shares her journey to find this story and how it transformed her life.

You can find this book and many others at Random House.

Quiet Strength

2009-07-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

While we were on vacation we read the book Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy, former coach of the Indianapolis Colts football team. It is an amazing book that should be read by every person who wants to be successful in life, by every parent and every supervisor/boss. Tony shares the story of his life in a way that's easy to read but so profound. He is open about his successes and failures, about the things he's learned through them, and about how he's applied these lessons in his life.

I highly recommend this book!

Twinkle

2009-06-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

Would you like to know how to share your faith? Here's a great book about that - it's called twinkle by Elisa Morgan. This book is an easy read, but it's filled with ideas that each of us can do to share our faith.

What kind of light are you? Are you a spotlight- you shine the light on others more than yourself? Maybe you are a flashlight - you click on in emergencies. Or are you a candle- able to light up a room but vulnerable to things that can snuff you out. You might be a neon light, a sunlamp, a lighthouse, or a pilot light. A firefly, a floodlight, a nightlight, or a lantern. Twinkle urges you to think about your light, to accept your light and not try to be something you're not, and then to let your light shine in your own unique way, the way God designed you.

Don't hide your light under a bushel - twinkle!

Sisterchicks Series

2009-06-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend I am flying to Guatemala for a week's vacation, and the Sisterchicks are going with me. Robin Jones Gunn is the author of this wonderful series. I wrote about the newest addition on my blog, Nana's Notes and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

The Sisterchicks books are all about friendship, and the lessons the women in the books learn as they go on an adventure. Each book has a different destination and a different pair of women, but the common threads are the the value of friendship, the sense of adventure the women have, and the faith they have in God. Robin Jones Gunn has such a gift for weaving humor, truth and faith into her stories.

Looking for a good summer book, check out the Sisterchicks. Hmmm- I wonder if Robin could write a Sisterchicks story about Guatemala. Maybe I should make some notes while I'm there.......

I love books!

2009-06-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

Books to the ceiling,

Books to the sky,

My pile of books is a mile high.

How I love them!

How I need them!

I'll have a long beard by the time I read them.
Arnold Lobel

I do have piles of books - children's books, romances, how-to books, inspirational books, and more. There books in my bedroom, my craft room, in our family room at home and everywhere at the cabin. I should also mention the cookbooks in my kitchen! A book always travels with me - so that if I ever have to wait I don't wait alone. A book keeps me company. I don't think I'll ever get them all read- and I hope I don't grow a beard while I'm reading :)

Arnold Lobel has written alot of great children's books. Check out his stories about Frog and Toad. These two friends have many adventures together. They're excellent books for the beginning reader. Add them to your piles!

Wear the old coat and buy the new book.

2009-06-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

I found this quote, and it fits me. I love to buy books. Barnes and Noble is a dangerous store - I don't dare go near unless I have money in my pocket. Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com are listed in my favorites on my computer. I am drawn to the book section of every store I go into,including the antique stores my husband and I visit. My daughter buys shoes. I buy books. I prefer hard cover books, but often buy paperbacks because of the price.
This love affair began early in life. My mom was a children's librarian so we always had books to read. She often read to me, and always gave me books for gifts. For example, I have the complete set of Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, given to me one at a time by my mom. And I continue the tradition. I often buy books as gifts.

When I read I am transported to a different place. Books take my mind away from the things I should be doing. They educate, entertain, and inspire me. Some books help me to relax. Others give me instructions on how to do things, and some give inspiration for future projects. Some help to explain the world around me, and often they open up whole new worlds.

So, to begin chapter one of this new blog I will share my most recent purchase.

Once upon a time...

I bought Sarah Susanka's new book, not so big remodeling.
My husband and I have been a follower of Sarah since we began the remodeling/addition project at our cabin. Her ideas about home design really made sense to us. Basically, she believes that bigger is not better. It isn't the size of the house that makes it a home, but it's the details - the way spaces are designed, connected, decorated and used- that make a home better. We have tried to incorporate some of her ideas into our cabin, and we love the results. Most of her previous books, however, dealt with new construction so I was really excited to see this newest book - it's about what you can do with your existing house to make it a home - a wonderful, comfortable place to live.
If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be reading books on home design I would have called you crazy. But that's the great thing about books - there is always one waiting to open up a new world to you.
A coat covers you for a season, and then goes out of style. But a book - a book can take you places, teach you things, make you laugh or cry, keep you on the edge of your seat, expand your vocabulary, be a companion and a friend. A book never goes out of style.
What are you reading? Enjoy!
Wear the old coat and buy a new book.