By the Grace, A Review

cover art from author's page

 

By the Grace written by Sine Peril is the story of Julia Grace, a young lady in 1918 who is a bit different. If she lived in our time, she might have been diagnosed as having Autism, but she lived before the diagnosis existed. Like the pandemic we are living through, Julia deals with masks and germs and cleanliness. There is a paranormal element to the story, which is really well done. There are a few elements that seem too easily accepted towards the end of the story, but without getting into spoilers, I can't share them. 

I received my copy of the book as an advanced reader copy from the author. Opinions are my own.

Children of Bone and Blood, A Review

http://www.tomiadeyemi.com/books

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi is a great fantasy novel with a dystopian story line about a totalitarian patriarchy that is at a tipping point in the life of a set of teens and the kingdom.

Zelie has a chance to bring back an utopian state and strike down the monarchy. She has help along the way, but must survive many dangers to get through the harshness of life on the way to fighting the good fight.

Some of my favorite parts in this book start at the beginning with the training sessions with Mama Agba, the language, the sparing between Zelie and Amari until they begin to trust each other, and Amari's memories of Binta. 

There's a few ways oppression is manifest in this story. There's classism between the have's and the have-not's. Diviners are the lowest class, if that word can be used, can be born into any family, and, appear in the strangest places. Then there's the kosidan class, who are distinguished from the diviners by not having white/grey hair. Then there's the oloyes class, who are distinguished from the kosidan and diviners because they are the nobility and courtesans. Then there's the royals, who are able to command anything and the king has command over everything from life and death for everyone under him within the realm.

I used to think that I understood the all encompassing fear that women live with. But, being white, I don't have that fear all the time anymore. I used to, but healing has removed it from me. But, I am not one who has to fear that my life is in danger all.of.the.time now. Zelie experiences fear all.of.the.time and you experience that in the chapters written from her perspective. I now know that I am not having the same experience of most black and indigenous women of color in fearing their lives every single moment. Now, I will do what I can to lessen that fear.

I think this is a great book and it can change your life if you let it. Ms. Adeyemi wrote it to emphasize the blackness of the characters and reading the book, you cannot miss that everyone, almost, is black. There's a couple, out of the many hundreds of characters shown, who might not be black, but everyone else unabashedly, unashamedly black. You can read this book and be a racist at the beginning, but I don't think you will be the same at the end.

I am reviewing this book from my own library of books I have the privilege of owning. I give it five stars, out of five stars. 

Unhidden, A Review

Dina Given's Unhidden is very engrossing. I loved the twists and turns. I was fully engrossed in the secondary world that Ms. Given created for her readers.

The only thing I didn't like was how the book ended. I wanted the story to continue and go further. Then, again, I like sagas, so there is that.

The story is a mix of who done it with a dash of fantasy and high tech science fiction. Mystery lovers, fantasy lovers, sci fi lovers, and lovers of love will enjoy the story.

I got my copy through the NetGalley readers program, and am giving my own opinion of the book. I gave it five stars for thoroughly allowing me to escape into her world.

Praying the Prayers of the Bible, A Review

In Praying the Prayers of the Bible, James Banks has brought together reflections on various types of prayers with many selections of verses to pray and even some prayer starters of one to two sentences based on even more verses.

The book has a topical index and a listing of the verses that have been used in the book.  I really liked the section of prayers for when you are in pain, as I have migraines frequently.

I gave the book 5 stars because it is really useful and informative. I really liked this prayer helper.

I received my copy of the book through the NetGalley Reviewer Program and am not receiving anything else in exchange for my honest opinion.

Knitting for Peace, A Review

In her book, Knitting for Peace, Betty Christiansen shares charities and history of charitible knitting through the centuries.  There are sections about specific kinds of knitting for peace.  

I especially liked the section on knitting for children and the highlight of Afghans for Afghans.  There's also patterns for various items needed by people and animals the world over.  I liked the sweater patterns for the children and the hats for the children.  

A Maine company, Peace Fleece, was highlighted as they produce yarn that is a combination of fibers from Russia and the United States.  They also shared their basic socks pattern.  I made these socks a while ago out of Peace Fleece wool and unfortunately found out the result of using machines to wash and dry 100% wool.  My young niece received thick boot socks/slippers that Christmas. :)

I received my copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.  I always provide a valid review of the book in question.  For the eversion of this book, which is what I was reviewing, I gave it 5 stars.

Unstoppable, A Review

Unstoppable: The Incredible Power of Faith in Action by Nick Vujicic is the story of his faith, the faith of his family, and the faith of people who listen to him give a talk.  Nick was born with no limbs.  Doctors recommended that his parents euthanize him to prevent suffering, but they believed God allowed things to happen for a reason, even if it was hard to understand at the moment.  So, he lived, and grew, and became a man.  A man God could use, even without arms and legs, maybe even more so than had he had them.

This is an easy read that kept my interest easily, therefore, I gave it five stars.  I received my copy from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest opinion of the book.

Wolverine's Daughter .. High Fantasy HiJinks!!

This was a fast, compelling read.  Kelyn faces hardship and grows through some sacrifices, including the death of her mother and the fining of her long lost father, who'd left before she was born.  I read this through in one sitting, only getting up for food and a few other small breaks.  I even stayed up the whole night through.  It was a glorious read.  The scenery descriptions were awesome, as were the characterizations and the plot was continually building towards the climax.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book I received through the Early Reviewers program for LibraryThing.  I gave the book 4/5 stars and would recommend it to anyone who likes high fantasy with barbarians, witches and quests for destiny!  :)

The Girl Who Almost Died of Love .. Don't Judge It By Its Cover

I didn't expect this to be as boring as it was.  I tried to like it.  I really did, but I just couldn't.  I read through the first two chapters faithfully, then skimmed the rest of the book.  Nothing was satisfying in the characters, their actions, or the drama(?) of the story.  I'm sorry to have requested the book.  The cover is great, but as they say, "You can't judge a book by it's cover."  I received my copy of this book as a part of the Early Reviewers program for LibraryThing and am giving my honest opinion.  I gave it 0.5 stars.

100 Christian Quotes by 10 Great Christians, A Review

100 Christian Quotes by 10 Great Christians from Pastor Duke Taber was a joy to read.  There are gems from some of Christianity's favorite saints and others from virtually unknown persons, but all are good thought provokers.  The book is just a listing of the collected quotes.  There is no commentary on the quotes and very little biographical information on the authors.  Here are a few of the quotes I loved and highlighted in my version of the book.

"The real test of a saint is not one's willingness to preach the gospel, but one's willingness to do something like washing the disciples' feet -- that is, being willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God."  ~ Oswald Chambers

"To excuse what can really produce good excuses is not Christian charity; it is only fairness. To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable in you." ~ C.S. (Clive Staples) Lewis

"If you board the wrong train, it's no use running along the corridor in the other direction." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Destruction of the embryo in the mother's womb is a violation of the right to live which God has bestowed upon the 'nascent life'.  To raise the question whether we are here concerned already with a human being or not is merely to confuse the issue.  The simple fact is that God certainly intended to create a human being and that this nascent being has been deliberately deprived of his life.  And that is nothing but murder." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer  This one has helped to solidify my views on abortion.

"Secular music belongs to the devil? Does it? Well, if it did I would plunder him for it, for he has no right to a single note of the whole seven.  Every note, and every strain, and every harmony is divine, and belongs to us." ~ General William Booth

"I notice that those who don't believe in uniting with a church or organization.  I notice ya'll use electric lights -- that's organized! If it wasn't, you'd be electrocuted." ~ Aimee Semple McPherson

"Remember something, God never permitted a difficulty to come into our life without also giving us the ability to handle it.  God has provided us with every faculty.  He has given us the power that we need for living victoriously.  It is a fact that everyone of us down deep has what it takes to sucessfully meet whatever life brings." ~ Kathryn Kuhlman

These are just a few of the great quotes in this book.  I gave the book a 4/5 stars.

Holy Land Moments, A Review

In their book, The One Year Holy Land Moments Devotional, Rabbi Yeschel Eckstein and Christian theologian Dr. Tremper Longman III provide a 52 week devotional that includes both Judaic and Christian thought on various passages from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and the New Testament.  The daily passages reflect on the Jewish view of the faith and history present in each part of the Bible, while also offering Christian interpretations of the same passages, in a comparison manner meant to build up both perspectives rather than tear them apart.  At the end of each week there is space for reflection and questions to answer to aid in that reflection.  Having the reflection at the end of the week gives a Jewish feel to the progress of the book as the Jewish Sabbath starts at sundown on Friday and ends at sundown on Saturday, whereas the Christian Sabbath takes place solely on Sunday, and both Sabbaths are days of reflection for our relationship with God, however we know him to be.

I liked the format of the weeks, the give and take between the perspectives, and the chance for reflection each week.  The questions were very useful for me.  There is nothing I did not like about this book.

I gave the book 5/5 stars for the reasons enumerated above.  I received my copy of this book from Tyndale for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Power of Healing Prayer, A Review

In his book, The Power of Healing Prayer: Overcoming Emotional and Psychological Blocks, Father Richard McAlear, O.M.I., provides a Christ centered, scriptural, and holistic approach to the ministry of healing that every church and parish can initiate and develop into an ongoing charism for Christ.  

I learned about Inner Healing in Chapter Five, Getting Free of Guilt in Chapter Eight, Healing Hidden Hurts in Chapter 13, more about the Mystery of Suffering in Chapter 16, and the Prayer of Faith in Chapter 17.  These are just a few topics that were particularly important to me.  If you have read a bit of my profile, you know that I have migraines a lot and have gone through a ton of changes in the last through years.  I have a lot of misplaced guilt around that which I'm working through to get to a place of healing and I will be incorporating more prayer into the process along with the other exercises I'm doing.

I will be referring to this book again and again.  It has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf.  Thanks goes to the Catholic Company for providing the book for free in exchange for an honest opinion.  I was going to give the book a 4/5  only because some of the teachings are hard for me to put into practice in my life right now.  But, that is about me and not the book, so I gave the book 5/5 stars for readability, challenging precepts, and for Father McAlear's warm writing voice.

Harvest of Rubies, A Novel, A Review

Tessa Afshar wrote Harvest of Rubies, A Novel in 2012.  This new book tells one of the oldest stories, that of a tossed together couple afraid to trust each other and hiding their own hurts behind their idols, whether scrolls and parchments or power and social status.  Sarah, cousin to the Biblical Nehemiah, is nominated to be the queen's head scribe.  Darius must marry a suitable Jewish woman, well they would say girl.  The two are a match made in Heaven, they just don't realize it yet.

What I liked was that there was an intense amount of inner dialogue on Sarah's part as she was the narrator.  This meant that unfortunately others, including Darius, come off as flat and simple.  Unfortunately, this second characteristic made the book more of a slog than usual for me.

I gave the book 3/5 stars since the story is neat, Sarah is fully developed, but others just aren't developed enough.

I received my copy of this book through the Moody Book Review Program for free in exchange for an honest review.

52 Ways to Live a Kick-Ass Life, A Review

Andrea Owen brings us a great book, quick to read, but deep and takes a long time to soak in the lessons.  There's the usual get out of your comfort zone and get over your ex chapters.  Then there's the strange ones, the ones that make you pause and wonder if you really can do them, like telling 5 people your secret dream,  or ditching your drama addiction?  Can that really be done?  If so, how?  Read chapter 24 to find out!

Other topics are more serious but still as important.  Chapter 20, You can't "Feel Fat" or Chapter 33, Move out of victimhood.  I know I battle with those among other health and body issues.  What about you?

I think my favorite topic is Chapter 34, You are always worthy of love.  We are all there, every day and every moment.  I hope you have a lovely day.  

I received my copy of this book for free through the NetGalley Professional Reader program.  My review is my own opinion as always.

Pope Francis and Rabbi Skorka On Heaven and Earth, A Review

Despite viewing the Old Testament/Torah from different places, both men met to talk about various topics and shared their views on God, the Devil, Death, Euthanasia, Women, Same-Sex Marriage, Poverty and the Holocaust among other Twenty-First Century Topics.

Both view God in a similar way, though the Jewish prohibition of not referring to God by his name is handled by using G-d for when Rabbi Skorka refers to Our Heavenly Father throughout the book.  There are differences in whether we believe in the Messiah having arrived or not, yet.  But, on the whole there are far more similarities than dissimilarities.  This was borne out in a variety of other topics, none more so than the topic of Same Sex Marriage.

Both men view same-sex marriage in similar manners.  While both are respectful of all their fellow humans, both men do not believe that being made homosexual from birth grants a person to the right of marriage.  Both men also agree that adoptions should only be to families with both a mom and dad, one each.

This is to be expected coming from leaders of their respective religions, though I would have wished for more than just recognition that the humans involved deserve respect.   I am a Mainer.  We have legally recognized same sex marriage here.  Many of my friends have gone through getting married even if they'd had a commitment ceremony previously, just for the legal protections.  It is not fair that their religions do not recognize their unions with the same connection as the rest of the world.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review

Ashes to Ashes, The Scribing of Ishitar, A Review

This is a delicious novel of the coming of age of a god and an elven prince.   There are vampires, demons, angels, doxies, elves, and humans, along with gods and shape shifters, as well as other kinds of beings in this novel.  All living together in dramatic, enigmatic, and loving ways, depending, of course, on the folks involved.  There is a good amount of m2f and m2m action, some f2f is intimated, but as physical sex is fluid in this world for some folks, that's about as exciting as a jar of pixies. ;)

I found the story exciting and humorous.  I didn't want to put it down to go about the rest of my day and rushed through my chores to get back to reading this story.  If you like stories with great characters, lively action, and good romance, that occurs in the levels of Heavens and Hells, then grab this book as quick as you can and don't let it burn you while reading!  :)

However, if you like books where characters are staidly human only, and the missionary position in China is the only position, which isn't even actually referred directly, then please avoid this book and leave it for the more adventurous souls in the reading world.

I gave this book a 5/5 stars for fully involving me in the secondary world and for making me cry when its heroes got hurt and laugh when they had fun.

I got this book through the LibraryThing Member Giveaway Program.

Community Wins: 21 Thoughts on Building a Thriving Online Tribe, A Review

I just finished Bryan Allain's ebook, Community Wins: 21 Thoughts on Building a Thriving Online Tribe, and if you like thought provoking questions along with action items for the thoughts, then this is a book for you.  I got it because I'm interested in blogging better, connecting with you my readers, and creating a community of folks who can chat about various topics.

This book has great questions to prompt your own growth, and words of wisdom on how to avoid some pitfalls.  My favorite question was, "where do you want to be in three years?"  This kind of question has always made me squeamish in the past, as my life was too chaotic to give an answer I felt confident in.  Now, however, I am confident in saying, that I'd like to be at peace with my disability, helping others get through the trials of learning a new normal after debilitating illness, and possibly, though I am rather shy, publicly speaking about meningitis fall out and the importance of early testing, vaccination, and aftercare.  So, that's where I'm going in the future, and I hope you can come along for the fantastic ride.  Some words of wisdom that Allain shared was to give yourself deadlines.

Deadlines help you to avoid the I can do this tomorrow trap and the perfectionism trap. Both of those traps hinder me a lot!  I have been caught by the tomorrow trap since August, well, September on some paperwork I need to write and send off by February at the very latest.  I need to give myself an earlier deadline than the end of the year, my current deadline, if I'm to break free of this hamstrung trap.  So, I promise that I will finish the paperwork by Monday, December 16, 2013.  Today is Wednesday, December 11, so that gives me the weekend and a few days to make it so, as my favorite Star Trek captain used to say.

As for a rating for this book, I gave it a 4/5 stars.  It's a great book, wonderful even, but like the author wrote, perfectionism is a trap, and so I would feel like I was entrapping Allain by giving his book a 5/5 stars.

Please enjoy this book and share your favorite questions, comments, and bits of the book in the comments section.  Thank you for reading!  Jen

Chivalry, A Review

Zach Hunter wrote Chivalry to remind his generation that we are called to live a chivalrous life with others and ourselves, whether male or female, straight or homosexual, black or white, or something in between.  He used little stories to introduce each of ten principles from the code of honor by which the knights of old used to live.  He believes that his generation will be known as a generation of action, especially in the realm of social justice.

Chilvary is not "being nice" or polite or something along those lines.  It is doing the right things because they need to be done and you are there to do them.  To paraphrase Zach's thoughts, chivalry is about the internal change from self centered to open our lives to the loving guidance of our amazing, awe inspiring God.  This internal change shows itself in our behavior that is much more long lasting and higher than anything we can do on our own without God.

This book was important to me because I am trying to live the best life I can.  With the migraines and disability I have, I am focusing more on what I can do, which is things like how I approach others and God.  I cannot control the pain or the migraines or any of that stuff.  I can only do my best, which does vary day by day.  That's all we can all do.

This book would be important for you to read because it will help you think about things beyond your own circumstances in a way that may spur you to action or at least to a new way of interacting with others.  It can also open your mind to new ways of thinking about life and the things beyond this world.  So, check it out and see what you think about it.

Comments would be awesome!  I love to know what others think about books we've both read and how we are the same and different.

I gave this book 4/5 stars because it made me think differently and that was a good thing.

I received my copy of this book from the publisher, Tyndale, through the NetGalley review program for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

North of Hope, A Review

In North of Hope: A Daughter's Arctic Journey, Shannon Huffman Polson writes about the aftermath of losing her father and stepmother in a grizzly attack on a secluded river in Alaska's Northern Slope.  Polson embarks on the same journey her dad and his wife were taking when they lost their lives.  With her are her brother and his friend, it is not safe to travel the arctic alone, even in summer.

I was drawn to this story because I loved living in Alaska as a preteen many moons ago.  I was transported back to the land of my dreams in this memoir, and I was not dissatisfied with the journey.

Part of the journey through grief Polson took, mimics my own journey through grief.  I've already shared her description of being glomped by grief and getting up but still having grief as a walking companion in an earlier post and my response to same passage.  Seeing Polson's growth through grief has helped me to understand that it is okay to feel how I feel about the hard things in life.

I really liked the descriptions of the natural world, as savage creature and flowing river and serene sunlight.  I learned more about Alaska ecology and how interconnected life is on the Northern Slope.  I got to revisit a favorite state.

I gave the book 5/5 stars for being such a good read, for soul, mind, and health.

I received my copy of the book from the BookSneeze review program on behalf of Zondervan, the publisher, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Declutter Your Life, A Review from My Own Library

In her book, Declutter Your Life, Michelle Stewart shares advice on reducing clutter and stress to increase enjoyment of life and your ability to accomplish more. Stewart does an really good job with this task. She defines clutter and how it is different from dirt, hoarding, and collections.

I especially liked the chapter on the psychology of clutter. I have a bachelor degree in psychology, and like when books touch on the psychological impacts of various behaviors. All behaviors are communication, and clutter is a form of communication. You just need to figure out what it is saying for you. Then, how to fill that need in a different way that is less stressful for yourself and your housemates.

I would have liked more on the psychology of clutter, but Stewart chose to write more about the what and how than the why of clutter. That is her choice. I did not give it five stars because there was only one chapter on the psychology of clutter. I can think of at least two, possibly three.

I gave the book 4/5 stars because I really liked it.

This is a book from my own library.

The Annotated Hobbit, A Review From My Own Library

In this book, J R R Tolkien's The Hobbit is expanded with commentary, notes, poetry, and other interesting articles of Tolkien's by Douglas A. Anderson. This changes the size of the book from a regular paperback to a regular text book size. The additional information is awesome to know and sheds new light on the original text.

I especially liked the poetry that can only be found in this book, the Bimble Town poems. My favorite was "Glip" who is a scavenger foreshadow of Gollum in a way. I think his name comes from the sound of water dripping in a wet cave, drip, glip, drip.

I found myself reading the annotations purely for their own sake. They could have formed a whole other book and I think I would be happy. Did you know that Tolkien got the dwarves names and Gandalf's name from a list of dwarf names in a Norse poem? I didn't know Gandalf had been a dwarf in a prior life!

I gave the book 5/5 stars as it was so awesome!!