"One Dominion" Book Review

I love being Canadian. It's a great country and I'm well aware that half the world would give just about anything to trade places with me - to be able to own my citizenship and health card.  We can boast vast forests and clean water, Plus, this is where my family is.

Happy 150th Birthday Canada!

When asked to review "One Dominion", I happily replied yes.  (Maybe it's the former homeschool teacher in me but I also wanted my kids to read it.)  When it arrived, I was surprised. What a boring cover.  (pictured above)  

"Oh," I disappointingly thought. "It looks so cheap. This book isn't going to be good at all." Yes, I am guilty of judging every book by its cover.  Plus it isn't hardcover. A memorial/historical book of this dimension ought to be hardcover.  When my son came home, he said, "Wow, this is an expensive looking book to get in the mail."  When I informed him that I was doing a review on it, he said, 

"Ooooh. I thought it came free in the mail like from a business or something. Then it looks really cheap."  Ha!  I was right.  If it had been a hardcover, I can see it sitting on the table in a dental waiting room.  Sorry, but I really hate the cover.

I was even more perplexed once I cracked it open.  "One Dominion" is filled with beautiful photographs!  What???  (Ironically, my husband just now as I'm typing said, "Would you recommend that book?  I thought it came free in the mail.")  Oh dear.  

Each page is more beautiful than the one before and I enjoyed reading about the Christian influence that helped shaped this great nation. "One Dominion" starts at the beginning of Canadian history and goes through the ages highlighting the accomplishments of men and women who had one goal in mind - to glorify God through the betterment of the world around them.  

Even though I taught my kids some Canadian history, I still learned a number of interesting facts from "One Dominion" such as why we are a dominion instead of a republic or kingdom.  I'm not going to give it away but it's in chapter 3.

Do yourself a favor, don't be put off by the cover of this charming book. The inside doesn't match.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"Invitation" Book Review

Have you ever watched "The Twilight Zone"?  If you have, and if you liked it, you'll like "Invitation".  It was like no other book I've read before but I still can't quite decided if I enjoyed it.

"Invitation" is 4 mini-books in one. Almost like scripts for episodes of a running TV show instead of one long plot.  All 4 contain the same main characters and builds on the one before but had separate plot lines.  Each mini-book is authored by one of 4 authors and is written from a different character's point of view and had that character as the focal point.

Admittedly the for the first while, I felt confused - couldn't keep the characters straight.  And each time a story came to an end, I was left feeling unsatisfied - much like "The Twilight Zone" used to leave its viewers. Soooo, was it aliens or a dream or their imagination???  The answer is never really given.

I'm a simple gal. I like things that make sense and I like all the ends to be tied up by the final page. Because of this, by the last mini-book, since I knew I likely wasn't going to get plot satisfaction, the compulsion to dive in was greatly lessened.

"Invitation" wasn't the worst book I've ever read but Peretti and Hunt are two of my favorite authors so I was expecting a fantastic book. From this book, I would say they do better on their own - with license to use as many pages as necessary to tell the whole story.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"The Captain's Daughter" Book Review

Oh my daughter was walking around on cloud nine after reading "The Captain's Daughter".

"Mom, it's so romantic." (breathless sigh)

 Oh to be young again.

"The Captain's Daughter" is a sweet and charming tale of a woman who is trying to make a go of it after having to run away from a horrid boss.  Every chapter or so I thought, "Oh dear, here comes the really distressing part of the plot." only to have it never turn out too poorly for our heroine. Sure it might seem all too convenient and out of touch with reality but I for one was glad. It's nice to read stories without a lot of distress. Goodness! If I want distress, I'll watch the news.

I liked how the author subtly showed how easy it is to find yourself in compromising circumstances. It's not always what you do but what it looks like you're doing. Often I've tried to instruct my children about living a life that can't be misconstrued no matter how someone views it so it's nice to have a fictional book back me up.

I have nothing critical to say against this book. Although I should warn that forced prostitution, sex, kidnapping etc are discussed in a very muted manner. I certainly didn't feel as though my 14 year old daughter shouldn't read it though.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"The Farthest Shore" Book Review

It was so cute. My daughter, 14, grabbed this book out of my hand and went running to find a corner when she saw the author's name. She loves everything Elizabeth Camden writes. In her mind, "To The Farthest Shores" completely lived up to her expectations.  The next day she returned it and said, "Mom, didn't you love it!"  To which I could only reply, "When would I have read it? You stole it as soon as it arrived."  Funny gal.

Shortly thereafter, my life got ridiculously busy which meant no time for reading. But like clockwork,  every couple of days, she would say, "Have you finished it yet? Wasn't it amazing?"  And each time I had to inform her that I hadn't even started it yet, her face became a mixture of shock and unbelief.  How in the world was I choosing to do anything over reading a book by Ms. Camden?

Thankfully life calmed down and I finally got to crack the pages.

"To The Farthest Shores" is a sweet romantic tale of a couple who both have to overcome mistakes in their past as well as learn to communicate in the present. The characters are lovable. The 'harrowing moments' are not upsetting at all making this a good bedtime read.

My only criticism was that sometimes it felt like the main couple were fighting the same fight over and over. While I know this is often true in life and was the author's way of showing that they hadn't come any further to resolving past issues, it made it feel ever so slightly cyclical.  However, to say it like that makes it sound boring. It wasn't at all a boring book.  I found myself caring about the characters and felt satisfied with the ending.  It was a tidy ending but not so tidy as to be unbelievable.

If you have young teen daughters, they will love this book. (if my daughter's reaction was any indication)  I too enjoyed it. It's always nice to be able to confidently place a book in my daughter's hand knowing there won't be any smut or profanity. Thank you Ms. Camden for that!

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"Recruits" Book Review

This was a doozy! Author Thomas Locke (aka Davis Bunn) created a fast paced sci-fi fantasy novel that's had me hooked. It's the story of twin brothers who find they have powers they didn't know they possessed. And with those powers comes the realization that the universe is much more populated than previously thought.

I think part of what makes this book so intriguing is that we all have an unspoken desire for more. It's like our inner self knows we were meant for greatness. So to read a story of young men who have their greatness realized feels like a book written about ourselves except it hasn't happened yet in our own lives.

The plot moved along as a great pace and the dialogue was concise, not cyclical (always a bonus). I still didn't quite feel like I knew the characters intimately by the end of the book but knew them well enough to form an opinion about whether they were friend or foe.  And for the most part, I could make a clear mental picture of the scene unfolding based on what was written. The final battle was a little hard to visualize but not impossible.

The only downside to "Recruits" (which isn't really a downside) was that it was a couple of teens saving the universe.  And that is so often the story. Cops and military can't get the job done so let's hand everything over to two teens with no life experience.  Please don't take this 'downside' too strongly though. After all, these particular teens had unusual powers. And as we all know from Marvel and DC Comics, that changes everything.  :)

I highly recommend "Recruits". It was enjoyable. A couple of times I had to put it down because I was just starting to get scared and I don't like to read anything scary at bedtime.  Having said that though, this isn't a scary book. It just has a couple of intense moments.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"Words of Grace" Book Review

I love the concept of this book!  A devotional with an adult coloring page for day. Brilliant. When I was a child, I loved to color but I have yet to get on the adult coloring bandwagon solely because I think I would find it stressful. The perfectionist in me wouldn't be able to handle it. However, those who like it, LOVE it and this little book would make a perfect gift for them.

"Words of Grace" is a 30 day devotional. Each day has one page of reading and then one page to color. Here's a shot of day 7.

I love how the illustrator, Dee Arrand, incorporated a verse into each coloring page. The idea is that you meditate on the verse and the encouragement you just read while you color. The readings are to encourage you and remind you of how much God loves you. They aren't heavy. No Greek or theological debating here. If that's your cup of tea then this book isn't for you. But if you are intent on simply enjoying your Savior's presence with pencil crayon in hand, then I can think of no better book than "Words of Grace" by Jacqui Grace.  It is sure to delight many.  My sister's birthday is tomorrow. She loves adult coloring and God. (Not in that order) I'm excited to give her this book.


"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"Justice Delayed" Book Review

Patricia Bradley I applaud you. "Justice Delayed" was fantastic. Like most people, I'm addicted to my phone. I'd rather scroll through Facebook than watch a movie but this mystery novel managed to get me to put my phone down and leave it down. That, my friend, is a mini miracle.

Okay, maybe I'm being dramatic but it find a mystery novel that has a nice blend of romance and intrigue is lovely. Throw in action sans gratuitous violence, and you've got yourself a winner. Admittedly, I kind of saw the ending coming but there was still enough of an "Aha!" moment that I was satisfied.

My one tiny complaint about the book (complaint is too strong a word) is that the men around the main character, a woman, always feel the need to come to her rescue and to treat her like a child. Granted, our heroine does dive head first into danger repeatedly but it made the book feel a little too much like so many romance novels where the knight in shining armor comes to the rescue of the helpless fair maiden.  Can they not ever be equal partners?  Oh well, I like fairy tales. And again, to call it a complaint is too strong a word.

"Justice Delayed" is a faith based novel but the author did a great job of weaving it in so that it didn't come off sounding like you were reading a sermon. Just a touch here and a dab there.  I happily gave this novel to my teen daughter to read because I know it will entertain her and there's nothing that was too mature or possibly disturbing. Plus, the small mentions of God brought out the message that He is good - even when life is bad.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."