Book Review - Courting Miss Amsel

I usually enjoy historical fiction, and this book is no exception. Courting Miss Amsel by Kim Vogel Sawyer deals with the topic of women's suffrage in addition to the requisite romance.

Edythe Amsel is the new teacher in Walnut Hill, Nebraska. Her teaching methods are at first considered outlandish and inappropriate by many of the town's citizens, but as the school year progresses and the children are excited about going to school at least a few of the parents are beginning to reconsider their initial opinions. This changes when Miss Amsel wants to take her older students to hear Miss Susan Anthony speak about women's suffrage.

Kim Vogel Sawyer's writing style is engaging and this story draws the reader in to the town of Walnut Hill. However, I wasn't as caught up in this story as in her last story, In Every Heartbeat. The only real antagonist in this book is public opinion against changing techniques in teaching and women's suffrage, although one of Miss Amsel's students does provide a challenge as well. This does provide enough motivation to move the story along, but just barely. Overall, the story is interesting but is not a nail-biter by any stretch. Just a good summer read.

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

Book Review - Larkspur Cove

This is the second book I've read by author Lisa Wingate, and I have thoroughly enjoyed both of them. My only regret is that I didn't save this book to read on vacation, because it is a perfect book to enjoy while relaxing at the beach or in the mountains! The setting of this book is Moses Lake, a lake community where everything moves at a slower pace. Maybe that's why I wanted to read this book on vacation - because every time I picked it up I could feel myself relaxing as I returned to this wonderful little community.

I enjoyed following Andrea and Mart as they learned more about each other and as they became more involved in the life of a little girl who suddenly appeared at Moses Lake. The book held my attention all the way through and the ending was especially exciting. I hope Lisa Wingate plans to write more books about the people of Moses Lake. It is definitely a community worth visiting again!

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

Book Review - On This Day In Christian History

The book On This Day In Christian History is a fascinating compilation of stories of Christ followers through the centuries. Each story is a short, one-page synopsis of a well-known or not-so-well-known person from Christian history. In general the stories are fascinating. I've learned a bit about several names from Christian history and many of the stories are intriguing enough to follow up and learn more about. The stories are short enough to read quickly each day and are very interesting. At the bottom of each page is a short scripture which applies directly to the story that day. I like this feature since it allows you to use this book as a devotional with a scripture to meditate on throughout the day. Because each day's reading only takes one page the stories are by necessity abbreviated. Many of the people highlighted in this book lived fascinating lives and this book can easily serve as a catalyst to cause readers to learn more about those people. I also like the topical index located in the back of the book. If you want to find a story on a particular topic (for example pride or perseverance) the index is very useful.

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