Book Review - Same Kind of Different As Me

What an amazing story! I loved this book from the first page to the last (and would love to read an update). For some reason, when I started this book I thought it was fiction. About halfway through I figured out these were real people and I was amazed at how God brought Denver and Ron into each others' lives. It was wonderful to read how two people whose paths would ordinarily never cross became closer than many families.

This book was inspiring on several levels. On a personal level I believe that every Christian who reads this book will be challenged to listen and to act on the call to follow Christ in His work. He won't call everyone to the same place, but He does call each of us to move outside our comfort zone just as He called both Denver and Ron to move outside of theirs. It was wonderful to read a first hand account of how God is working in our world today in miraculous ways. So many of these stories are never told, so it was great to get to read Denver and Ron's story.

This book is very well written and it is so much more than an inspiring story. It's a call to action for every Christian to follow Christ in His work - where He has called us. If you don't read another non-fiction book this year, you should do yourself a favor and read this one.

In the interest of disclosure I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Book Review - Somewhere To Belong

This book by Judith Miller seems to be the first in a new series called Daughters of Amana. The book is set in a Christian colony called Amana - similar to an Amish or Mennonite colony but no particular group is named. This story follows two girls - Berta and Johanna - who are both trying to figure out what direction their lives will take. Berta just moved to Amana while Johanna has lived there her whole life.

The story line of this book caught my attention from the beginning. Watching two young women whose lives to this point had been so different and who were thrown together in a unique environment at a pivotal point in both their lives was very interesting. I enjoyed watching Berta and Johanna mature as they also became good friends. While this book is complete in itself, I can see several other stories waiting to be told. I'm also looking forward to learning more about the citizens of Amana in future books.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, but the views expressed are entirely my own.

Book Review - Sarah's Garden

I thoroughly enjoyed Sarah's Garden by Kelly Long. Perhaps it especially appealed to me because it centered around both simple living and gardening - two of my favorite subjects. The main female character, Sarah King, is a member of the Amish community in Pennsylvania and is an avid gardener. Unfortunately for her, she falls in love with an outsider - the new veterinarian to the community.

As Sarah and Grant, the vet, get to know each other they reach a point where they can no longer deny their love for each other. They seem to be at an impasse since Sarah will not leave her community for the outside world and Grant is not Amish. The resolution of the book is a testimony to allowing God to work in our lives. When He calls us to go in a certain direction He can overcome any obstacles blocking our path. We just have to be faithful to continue to walk in the direction He calls.

This is a very enjoyable book and I look forward to reading more books in this new Patch of Heaven series.

Although I received a copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Book Review - Hand of Fate

I love a good mystery novel, so I looked forward to reading Hand of Fate by Lis Wiehl, although I hadn't read the first book in the series. This book follows the murder of conservative radio personality Jim Fate from the perspectives of three friends, each with her own point of view of the crime.
I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the lives of each of the three main characters - FBI agent Nicole Hedges, television crime reporter Cassidy Shaw, and Federal prosecutor Allison Pierce. The murder and process of solving the crime was good, but the part of the book that caught my attention the most was getting to know the three friends with their ongoing problems. I would be interested to read more books in the series to see how some of the ongoing issues in their lives get resolved.

This mystery takes plenty of twists and turns, and although some may solve the crime before the end of the book, the murderer was a bit of a surprise until several pages before the official reveal. Although this is a Christian novel, the underlying theme of Christianity is not in-your-face. I really liked the way it was incorporated into the book, and I can see how it could become a more major theme in a later book in this series.

I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson publisher.