If you love Christian worship music, especially Vineyard worship music, you're in for a treat!
TRACK LIST: You can listen to samples of these songs here!
Here's a preview of one of the songs on this album: |
| Talent to Treasure: |
The author, Marcia Washburn, would like you to know that anyone who orders Talent to Treasure by Sept. 21st, 2012 will also receive her free bonus eBook, Teach Your Family to Play the Soprano Recorder. It is written for someone with no musical background. To request the additional bonus eBook, please email Marcia after purchasing Talent to Treasure and let her know that you just purchased Talent to Treasure and would like to obtain the additional bonus book, Teach Your Family to Play the Soprano Recorder. She'll be happy to assist you!
Dan Walsh knew he wanted to become a writer in his high school years, but he became a Christian, married his wife, became a pastor, and then became a father. Twenty-five years later, after retiring from the ministry, he was ready to write. Dan began writing full time in 2010. He now has six novels published with Revell as of September 2012. |
The Reunion Book Review (written by guest reviewer, Kelsi, age 14)
“The Reunion”.
The title of the little book sitting on the kitchen counter gave me plenty to be about which to be skeptical. The moment I saw its name, I could see a totally generic and wonderfully boring plot unravel in my mind: a man and a woman who used to be in a relationship and have been separated for years after a terribly messy breakup meet a long time later and rediscover their love for each other.
Blech. Heart-wrenching painful backstories, unrealistic reunions, and sloppy emotions wrapped up into a not-so-neat package labeled “Romance” are not my cup of tea. I’m not a chick flick girl. I’d rather take The Dark Knight or War Horse over Confessions of a Shopaholic or While You Were Sleeping any day. Not to say that I abhor romance; I just don’t like a movie or book dedicated to the study of that subject.
But, even with my preconceived notions that I would hate The Reunion, I picked it up and turned it over to read the summary on the back. Whoa - I was totally wrong!
And so I eagerly flicked the book cover open and proceeded to ravenously tear through its pages in a couple of hours.
What did I like about it? Well…
Pretty much everything.
This book covers everything from sweet romance to gritty war scenes, shattered families to new friendships. The main focus of the book is on Aaron Miller, a Vietnam vet who has been living in a little old mobile home park, finishing out his life in obscurity. Although he was bestowed a high honor in the military when he came home many years ago, he couldn’t stop drinking, and his wife left him and took their children with him. So now Aaron is something of a handyman, fixing broken decks and walkways and taking down or putting up decorations in the park to match the holidays.
Other main characters are Dave Russo, a journalist interviewing Vietnam vets for a book to honor his father’s memory as well as being given an exceedingly unusual task by a group of well-to-do veterans, and Karen Miller, a real estate agent who has never met her real father.
This book is a beautiful, wonderfully-crafted story of forgiveness, redemption, honor, and family. Dan Walsh, author of The Reunion, carefully reveals little details about the characters through their actions and thoughts, creating a captivating tale you won’t be able to resist. I could barely put this book down once I started it!
If you are interested in military or U.S. history; if you enjoy romance that’s appropriate; if you like reading about humble heroes; if reunions of family and friends are your cup of tea; if you like to read books where there are believable happy endings…
...then this is the book for you.
It's time for a giveaway!
http://danwalshbooks.com/the-reunion-book-giveaway-contest/
| I was born and raised in Kentucky, came to know Christ there at the age of 12, was baptized in our Baptist Church, and spent my childhood roaming through the woods and swimming in the rivers of my books. My earliest memories are of the public library, standing in front of shelves filled with those little biographies of famous historical figures like Daniel Boone and George Washington and Sacajawea. I began scribbling stories at age 7 and thankfully never stopped. My passion then and now is history and all the wonders of past centuries. It was never a desire of mine to be published. I simply love to write for the sheer joy of writing – and that was enough. But as Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Currently I’m living in Washington state with my real-life hero, Randy, and our two sons, Wyatt and Paul. It’s a beautiful, rainy place – perfect for penning stories… | |
Summary of Love's Reckoning
Book Review by Joy In Our Journey
Silas is a strong, handsome, Christian young man who has an extremely strong work ethic and makes himself very useful in the household of the village blacksmith, Liege Lee, his wife, two quite marriageable daughters, and two very young sons, one newly born just the day of his arrival. The tradition of the family is that whoever comes as an apprentice will marry the eldest daughter and also inherit the “estate” of the blacksmith. Silas is not at all enticed by the eldest daughter, Elspeth, though she immediately sets her sights on making him her husband. He is, however, quite attracted to the younger daughter, Eden, and she to him. It is a very difficult situation in a household with many, many secrets and an extremely strict head-of-household, Liege Lee.
Eden is a lovely 19-year-old who is prevented from expressing herself verbally in her household—part of the “code of silence” they all seem to adhere to in order to prevent the others from knowing their true thoughts and secrets of the heart. She loves the little children, the garden she faithfully tends, books she finds to read, even doing housework, though she ends up working like a servant for all the family. She has never been allowed to go inside the little church on the hill above their house but longs to know what goes on there. Silas shares readings from his own Bible with her and writes out verses for her to memorize.
Elzpeth, a 21-year-old, is totally immersed in her quest for a man and sets no limits to what she will do to get one. She is also her father’s “right-hand man” in his blacksmith shop and takes care of his books and accounts for him. He trusts her completely and even helps her to begin taking advantage of customers who frequent the shop because they are willing to pay even more for the services of Silas, an expert blacksmith.
Love's Reckoning was hard to put down, as there are so many interesting twists and turns in it, never a dull moment. It actually spans several years, and the ending is as enticing as the beginning.
An excerpt from Love's Reckoning:
Love's Reckoning is available September 2012 at your favorite bookseller - from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
I received one paperback copy of Love's Reckoning in exchange for my honest review of this book. No other compensation was provided.
Our family enjoys eating the new crop of apples each autumn, but one of the foods we most especially enjoy using apples is...Apple Pancakes!
We've made other types of unusual pancakes in the past, like Banana Pancakes, etc., but they haven't ever gone over as well as our favorite Apple Pancakes.
There are two things we do that help make Apple Pancakes so delicious:
First, we wash, peel,and grate an apple, and blend it into the pancake batter recipe of our choice, along with 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon.
Second, we make Apple Pancake Syrup!
Delish!
The other day, I decided to make a quadruple batch of Apple Pancake Syrup so we could freeze three batches of it for other Saturday mornings. I noticed that when I make a single batch of the syrup, it's finished from start to end in under 10 minutes. Not too bad for a fruit syrup! But when making a quadruple batch, it definitely took longer for the syrup to come to a rolling boil. That's okay. I had the time to do that this last Saturday.
Interested in the recipe for Apple Pancakes with Apple Syrup? Here you go:
Apple Pancakes with Apple Syrup
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour (or combination of each)
1-1/2 cups milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup oil
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 peeled, grated apple
Beat egg with hand beater until fluffy; beat in remaining ingredients, except for grated apple, just until smooth. With spatula, fold grated apple into mixed batter. For thinner pancakes, stir in additional 1/2 cup milk. Grease heated griddle if necessary. (To test griddle, sprinkle with a few drops of water. If bubbles skitter around, heat is just about right.)
For each pancake, pour about 3 Tbsp. batter from tip of large spoon or from pitcher onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges. Flip pancakes and cook other sides until golden brown.
Makes eighteen 4-inch pancakes.
Apple Pancake Syrup:
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups apple cider
1/4 cup butter
Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg in 2-qt. or larger saucepot. Add apple cider; stir constantly with wire whisk until syrup begins to boil over medium to medium-high heat. Not too hot! You don't want it to begin sticking and burning.
Boil syrup for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove pot from heat, and stir in butter. Serve over Apple Pancakes. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days; or freeze or can the syrup for future use!
"Only God could tell a story this ludicrous and then claim that it’s true,” says Steven James, who penned Story, which makes the Bible come alive in provocative and poetic ways, encapsulating the mystery and beauty of the Christian story. James, a professional storyteller from East Tennessee, grew up in the church but fell in love with Jesus at age 21 on Easter Sunday at his bosses’ church. |
Julieanne's Thoughts:
I couldn't really tell to what ages this book is geared, but I believe that high schoolers and adults would find it most appealing, although some jr. highers might also like it.
There were some phrases, occasionally, that really made me think. This is quite the philosophical book, one that takes a different glance at many parts of the Bible and places them into different perspectives than a person would typically hear about in Sunday School.
I think this would be a good book to read as a family, together, and discuss the many nuances and points that the author is trying to make. If you are interested in having family discussions about the Bible, Story will give you a great start in that direction.
Here's the excerpt:
If you are reading this via email or RSS, you may want to click on the title of this blog post to get back to my website so you can sign up for the giveaway.
|
Book Summary:
The protagonist, Vitas, is reunited with his wife and retires to Alexandria, determined to live a quiet domestic life. But he can’t avoid the debts that he owes to the men who saved him, and he becomes a key figure in the plot to rid the empire of Nero. It sweeps him into the “year of the four emperors,” when the Roman Empire is nearly destroyed, and takes him back to Jerusalem as Titus lays siege to the great city. Only then, as the prophecy of Jesus begins to come to fulfillment, does Vitas discover the true mission set before him and the astounding conspiracy behind it.
Here's an excerpt from The Last Temple:
Joy In Our Journey's Review:
No swearing, no passionate love scenes, nothing inappropriate at all here for me to read. I feel very comfortable allowing my junior high and high school-aged daughters reading this book. Keep in mind, though, that nearly any book written at the time of Nero and this phase of the Roman Empire is going to be bloody. Crucifixions and mentions of other types of torture take place, so be aware of that. I felt that the details were described without overly tremendous amounts of blood and gore.
What I enjoyed most about this book is that the authors took great care to show the emotions and actions of the characters without telling me.
Now I need to find books 1 and 2 and begin reading them!
If your book club enjoys discussion guides as you read books together, you will find The Last Temple discussion guide HERE.
Meet the Authors:
![]() Hank Hanegraaff serves as president and chairman of the board of the North Carolina–based Christian Research Institute International. He is also host of the Bible Answer Man radio program, which is broadcast daily across the United States and Canada as well as around the world through the Internet at http://www.equip.org. Widely considered to be one of the world's leading Christian apologists, Hanegraaff is deeply committed to equipping Christians to be so familiar with truth that when counterfeits loom on the horizon, they recognize them instantaneously. | ![]() Sigmund Brouwer Whether writing youth or adult fiction, Sigmund Brouwer is a best-selling author of more than 40 fast-paced novels. Some of his works encourage young reluctant readers into the world of books, and others provide adults with riveting tales. Sigmund's diverse background surfaces in the characters of his books as he inspires kids to get excited about reading. In 1993, he co-founded The Young Writers' Institute with home education expert and author Debra Bell and conducts writing camps and seminars for more than 10,000 children every year. |
And now for the giveaway:
Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation has been provided.
As a mom, I've learned that entering items into the county fair is a great motivator to help children hone their skills and develop interests. One of my daughters loves learning things just for the sake of learning. The other daughter is more of an entrepreneur and has a competitive spirit, so she enjoys entering things into the fair to earn a little bit of money from prize ribbons...and to receive verbal praise from others. This is just how God made them.
Whatever their motivation may be, I have found that when they are practicing baking something or arranging flowers or working on a sewing project, since they know it will be entered into the fair later, they are more dedicated and focused on "getting it right."
Letting our children make choices
Each year, I've allowed my girls to decide what they would like to enter into the fair for exhibits and contests. There have been years where I've encouraged them to do or make something different, but sometimes they end up sticking with their first choice, and that's okay.
Brittany joined a local 4-H cooking club this last fall. Her leader has been a friend of ours for many years. It was a great group of girls, and Brittany practiced cooking many recipes this year at home on her own that she hadn't tried before.
This spring, she decided that she wanted to enter the Tablesetting contest at the county fair. She has loved all things Japanese for a number of years now, so she decided to go through my box of Japanese articles that I was given when I spent ten days touring Japan and staying with host families many years ago when I was a teacher.
Below is the finished product! After the judge "judged" the appearance of the table setting, Brittany and the judge moved the table to a platform for county fair guests to view. This picture was taken after the table was moved, so a few items had jiggled out of place. But at least, you get the point!
Brittany was in the "Junior" category for 4-H Tablesetting, so her menu needed to be a breakfast menu. She chose traditional Japanese breakfast foods for her menu, so this is nothing like what you would see at a typical American's breakfast table!
We needed to purchase a few things for her table. Obviously, any prize money she would win from her ribbons for this contest will not compensate for any expenses we put into the tablesetting itself. But that's okay. Brittany learned a lot about how to arrange a table, and I even learned a thing or two from the experience! I didn't know that the area in which one person's tablesetting pieces are placed is called a "cover," and I didn't know that the length and width of the "cover" is supposed to be within certain guidelines. We learned a lot as we read about how to properly set a table.
For this table setting, we needed to purchase two white napkins, a stand for the menu, Japanese white tea cups, miso soup spoons, black lacquered miso bowls, a tall white stem of cherry blossoms (silk flowers), a vase ($1 from Dollar store), and a wooden Kokeshi doll. We'll use the white fabric napkins each year that she participates, and if she uses a Japanese theme again in the future, you can bet that some of these items will show up again! (We'll also use some of these items in our kitchen during the year!)
Next, she had fifteen minutes to set up and arrange her table. She's ready to go! She measured the sides of the tablecloth with a ruler to make sure that each side was evenly placed on the table. She wiped each dish and serving piece with a clean towel to remove smudges. She worked hard to keep her back facing away from the judges, so that they could clearly see her work. When she finished, she checked her time on the watch that she wore. If I remember correctly, she still had about a minute left when she finished. Great job, Brittany!
Now that her table setting was finished, it was time to sit down and chat with the judge. This particular judge regularly helps judge the State Fair competition, so she really knows what she is doing.
Brittany found her to be serious and yet kind. She had many helpful suggestions for Brittany, which we appreciated. One of the confusing aspects of this Japanese breakfast table setting is that it was difficult for us to figure out ahead of time how the chopsticks and other serving pieces should be arranged on the table. The competitors are given a packet that explains how to properly set the table, but it doesn't take into account foreign place settings. After researching on the internet, Brittany decided to place her chopsticks like you see in the photos above and below. I encouraged her to place them in a more traditional manner, as they would be placed in Japan, but she chose to place them where silverware would be placed.
The judge felt that Brittany should have placed the chopsticks in a more traditional manner, but her concept of this was very different from what we researched and viewed about Japanese tablesettings. The method in which the judge was explaining how to place the chopsticks was more like what a person would do in Thailand and China, not Japan.
If Brittany chooses to do a Japanese-themed table setting next year, we'll do more research into how to properly set a Japanese table.
Brittany was nervous as she started setting up her table, but she ended with a smile. She listened carefully to the judge's words, and took them to heart. Brittany ended up receiving a blue ribbon and a Reserve Champion ribbon for this particular contest. Way to go, Brittany!
Brittany, Part 2: The Mini-Meal Competition
The competitor, or team of two, has two hours to set up all of the equipment, supplies, and ingredients to make two recipes; prepare the foods; set a table for the judge; present the food to the judge; present samples to the audience; and clean up the kitchen. Whew! You can see the judge sitting outside the kitchen, viewing Brittany through the window. This was challenging for Brittany, to have the judge right there watching her, but she endured.
While the Mini-Meal competition was new to Brittany, it wasn't new to me. My twin sister and I competed in the Mini-Meal competition a number of times in our jr. high and high school years. It was always a great experience!
Brittany decided to continue the Japanese theme for the Mini-Meal competition. She selected two Japanese foods to prepare: okonomiyaki (Japanese veggie/meat "pancake"), and chicken yakisoba (chicken and noodle dish).
She had a lot to do to prepare for the contest. She observed YouTube videos to see how these foods were made, and to obtain recipes for them. We needed to purchase some of the ingredients in an Asian market about three hours away from our home. Thankfully, we drove past this city earlier in the summer when we were out of town.
Next, Brittany needed to practice the recipes. They were both time-consuming because they required lots of chopping of vegetables and meats. However, they were delicious, so we really enjoyed having her practice on us!
Brittany painstakingly wrote out a step-by-step set of directions for herself so she would stay on track. She also figured out the cost of each recipe as a whole, and as an individual serving. In addition, she studied 4-H's required nutrition guides, using the food pyramid, and MyPlate, even though our own family chooses not to follow the USDA's nutrition suggestions.
She also made a large poster that contained both recipes, one of the requirements for the contest. She filled out paperwork for the judge and brought it with her.
Here's what we learned from this experience:
1. Select foods that aren't so time-consuming to prepare.
2. Select recipes that aren't so expensive to prepare.
3. Have the child pack her boxes of supplies and foods so she is confident that everything is packed and brought to the county fair. (I packed her boxes this time because it was late at night and she needed to get some rest.)
How did it go? Well, Brittany had trouble finding a few items she needed at the beginning of the contest, so her nerves got the best of her for the first 30 minutes or so. However, she pulled herself together and was able to prepare her foods and finish well. I'm so proud of her participation in the Mini-Meal contest. There were only two other competitors this year. It is not an easy contest!
The judge had fabulous tips and pointers for Brittany. Most of these I've mentioned to Brittany in the past, but cooking and food safety skills take time to develop. The judge complimented her and told her that she sees Brittany doing great things in the future as a cook! Brittany was beaming by the time she finished chatting with the judge. I'm thrilled that even though Brittany was very nervous and almost overwhelmed at the beginning, she endured and came out with a smile! She won a blue ribbon for her participation in the Mini-Meal contest.
Kelsi's participation in our county fair:
Yeah, I know that's most people's #1 most hated thing to do - to get up and speak in front of others - but Kelsi thrives on public speaking.
So, I let her work on this for the summer instead of focusing on other learning projects.
She entered all three categories that she was allowed to enter for 4-H Public Speaking:
1. Illustrated Talk: Kelsi gave a 20-minute speech using PowerPoint about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the need for a Parental Rights amendment for the U.S. Constitution.
2. Public Speaking: Kelsi gave a 10-minute speech on the positive character qualities of Batman and why she admires this superhero.
3. Impromptu: Kelsi was handed a topic on which to speak for 3-5 minutes. She forgot to keep track with her stopwatch/wristwatch, so she accidentally spoke for over 7 minutes. Oops! I guess she has the opposite problem of most people who are attempting to give an impromptu speech!
What did we learn from Kelsi's participation in the fair?
1. She spent so much time researching, reading, and learning about her topics that she allowed herself almost no time for social interaction with her friends. While she was doing something positive and educational, social time with friends is also important. Next summer, we will work on including a lot more time with friends and possibly less time working on speeches.
2. This is Kelsi's gift! She loves public speaking, and God has gifted her.
Kelsi earned blue ribbons on all three speeches, as well as two reserve champion ribbons. She also earned the overall grand champion ribbon for the entire speech category. I loved listening to her speeches, and I can't wait to see how the Lord will use this in her life in the days to come!
Helping the girls to prepare for the county fair, even though they do most of work themselves, is exhausting to me. I am always so thankful when it is over! Yet each year, they continue to participate because they learn so much from what they enter and exhibit. I'm very thankful for our county's commitment to 4-H and encouraging teens and youth to participate in the county fair each year.
I've learned a lot as a parent, when it comes to entering the county fair contests:
1. For baked goods, no matter how much better the item will taste if it is a little bit underbaked (think gooey chocolate chip cookies), the judge will mark it down. Make certain the baked good completely fulfills the requirements of being 100% cooked thoroughly. Even though your family and friends prefer it otherwise. Trust me on this one!
2. For food exhibits, select less common recipes that will often have fewer entries. For example, if you enter chocolate chip cookies or peanut butter cookies or brownies, there will usually be a lot of entries, especially in the open class/non-4-H competitions. Make a nutty cookie, or something with oatmeal or coconut. Place it in a different category that isn't so common.
3. Keep in mind that each year's judge will have different preferences. While the judge's dislike for coconut shouldn't influence her judging of baked goods containing coconut, it probably will. That's just how things go sometimes. If you find that the judge hates chocolate, you may find your baked item containing chocolate may not do as well. There's no way to determine ahead of time how this will all come into play, so just make what you enjoy making, and have fun entering it regardless of the outcome!
4. Allow children to make decisions on what they would like to enter at the county fair. If they love building with Legos, they can enter a Lego work that they've designed. Photography, sewing, hand crafts, collections, sketching, painting, cake decorating, baking - the sky is the limit!
5. Keep in mind that even though this will probably be a stressful few weeks in preparation and actual participation at the county fair, it will be well worth it. Your children will learn so much! They will grow from this experience! It's definitely worth it for both the children and the parent!
What kinds of things have your children entered in your local county fair? What have you, as a family, learned from this experience?
I played the piano and clarinet for many years; one of my daughters plays violin while the other plays piano.
This summer, I read an excellent book written by Marcia Washburn, called Talent to Treasure: Building a Profitable Music Teaching Business. I don't often read non-fiction books due to lack of time, but Marcia's book was perfect for my family's stage of life right now!
Marcia Washburn has written a top-notch book that teaches teens and adults how to build a profitable music teaching business. Keep on reading to learn about the new giveaway I'm having here at Joy In Our Journey.com for a copy of this book! (If you are reading this via RSS or an email feed, you'll want to click on the title to come back to my website so you may enter the giveaway!)
Marcia Washburn, BA, MME, is a seasoned piano teacher, writing with authority about a subject she knows intimately and loves passionately— connecting people with music. She has operated a successful piano studio in NE Colorado for over forty years. In demand as a speaker at conferences and events across the nation, Marcia also writes columns for two magazines and has published several books and ebooks. You may learn more about Marcia's projects at www.MarciaWashburn.com. | |
Brittany, age 12, was asked to teach beginning piano lessons to the little violinist's sister, because her piano teacher doesn't teach piano during the summer.
Marcia's book, Talent to Treasure, arrived at our home just in time! The 141-page guide was easy to read and is very practical, unlike so many "how to" books these days. I read it quickly and gave my girls a few pointers as they began teaching lessons. While they aren't technically developing a music studio in our home and starting a business right away, they will both continue to teach beginning violin and beginning piano during this school year. They have enjoyed teaching music lessons very much - and they have learned a lot.
If you, one of your children, or someone you know is musical, and they may consider teaching music lessons in the future, I highly recommend that you consider reading Talent to Treasure. It's very much worth the purchase price. It will help the new music teacher start off her business right, without having to learn so many things by trial and error.
Here are some of the topics addressed in Talent to Treasure:
• How to recruit and retain students
• How much to charge for lessons (& how to be sure you get paid!)
• How to select a “balanced diet” of music for your students
• How and what to teach in the first lesson
• How to teach using learning styles—how to be a people teacher first!
• Great practicing tips—& strategies for dealing with students who don’t!
• How to deal with memorization, performance jitters, & more
• Reaching & teaching special needs students—from challenged to gifted
What we thought was helpful:
During the school year, I plan on having my girls read the various chapters in this book and discuss them with me, so they can see long-term reasons for developing a music studio or music business in specific ways. I think this book will benefit our family for years to come!
Talent to Treasure targets those who want to share their love of music with
others. It addresses the whys and hows of building a home business that blesses others without negatively impacting the family. It is proving to be a valuable resource for rookie and veteran teachers alike.
Now, for the giveaway:
If you'd like to go ahead and order a copy of this book for yourself, Marcia is offering a special price right now through August 31st, 2012. Talent to Treasure normally sells for $19.99 plus $4 for shipping/handling, but she is offering this very useful book for $15.99 (+$4 S/H) price, ending August 31st. If the winner has already ordered a book from Marcia this month, she will refund your purchase price and S/H, so the winner will have nothing to lose!
Seriously, if you or your children play musical instruments and are building toward the advanced level of the instrument, I do highly recommend purchasing Talent to Treasure. I don't say that for every book I review here on Joy In Our Journey, but this is a very practical, useful book that will benefit anyone who will ever teach music lessons to another student, whether it is a full-fledged music teaching business, or a person only has a couple of students.
Lorena McCourtney has published forty novels. Two of her novels, Invisible and On the Run, have received Daphne du Maurier Awards of Excellence. Two of her earlier novels, Forgotten and Whirlpool, were RITA finalists. She and her husband Jim live in southern Oregon. |
You'll find a book excerpt and a book club guide
toward the bottom of this book review!
Book Summary:
All she wanted was a paycheck. What she got was a murder.
Cate Kinkaid's life is . . . well, frankly, it's floundering. Her social life, her career, her haircut--they're all a mess. Unemployed, she jumps at the chance to work for her PI uncle, even though she has no experience and no instincts. After all, she is just dabbling in the world of private investigating until she can find a "real" job.
All she has to do for her first assignment is determine that a particular woman lives at a particular address. Simple, right? But when she reaches the dark Victorian house, she runs into a hungry horde of gray-haired mystery readers and a dead body. This routine PI job is turning out to be anything but simple. Is Cate in over her head?
Julieanne's Review:
I had an extremely busy week with the girls and their exhibits and contests at our local county fair, and then we had over 30 people at our home to visit some out-of-country guests on Sunday afternoon. Needless to say, by the time Monday morning rolled around, I was exhausted. I hadn't planned on reading Dying to Read in one day, but I was not feeling well most of the day and needed to sit down and rest.
At first, I wasn't really excited about Dying to Read. It wasn't boring, but it was a mystery, and I don't read a lot of mysteries. As well, this book had comedy and a slight bit of romance woven through it as well, and the level of words and paragraphs isn't quite like I'm used to (a bit deeper in content is more what I prefer...but not too deep!). Most of the characters were telling lies throughout the book, so as I got deeper into the story, it became fun to figure out who was telling the truth - and who wasn't. By the time I finished reading Dying to Read, I had a good laugh or two, figured out some of the "whodunit" before the last page, and just all in all enjoyed reading this book. It is light reading, but fun! And while there are a few romantic threads woven in the book, I love how the author, Lorena McCourtney, chose to leave it with a kiss on the cheek, a hug, and maybe one other quick kiss, and not cross the line into inappropriate romantic details. Well done! And a fun read!
An excerpt from Dying to Read:
Book Club Discussion Guide:
Dying to Read is available August 2012 at your favorite bookseller - from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
I received one paperback copy of Dying to Read in exchange for my honest review of this book. No other compensation was provided.
Hi! I'm Julieanne!
You'll find me in the kitchen
trying new Trim Healthy Mama recipes, loving God, and carrying out that love as I bless my husband and teen daughters.
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