I'm Happy for You (Sort Of...Not Really) by Kay Wills Wyma

I'm happy for me (sort of...not really) that I read this book.  I struggled with it, and had to force myself to finish it. This book reminded me of those crime drama shows on TV.  They have a story to tell that is good, but it's really only a story that should be a half hour long and instead they stretch it out to be an hour or two long.  I start out attentive, but lose interest half way through.

I'm Happy for You (Sort Of...Not Really) is subtitled Finding Contentment in a Culture of Comparison. I felt that the author, Kay Wills Wyma, spent a LOT of time telling us how discontented we are and how much we compare ourselves to others, but not nearly as much time telling us what to do about it.  I'm pretty sure that anyone who purchases the book already knows they are discontent.  I believe they would be looking for solutions and I don't think Ms. Wyma really delivers.  Mostly she seems to preach the evils of Facebook, Pinterest and other social media, so I guess the solution would be to turn those off. 

This book is billed as "Christian living", but I found it to be very light on Scripture and very heavy on psychobabble. It is well-written and uses a lot of illustrations from real people, but I wish it relied way more on God's Word and way less on psychologists and doctors and other authors.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for my honest review.

Let's Pretend We're Normal: Adventures in Rediscovering How to Be a Family by Tricia Lott Williford

Because I read Tricia Lott Williford's first book, And Life Comes Back, I was very interested in reading her second book, Let's Pretend We're Normal.  The first book told the story of her sudden and unexpected plunge into widowhood and the daunting task she faced of raising two preschoolers alone.  This new book is a sequel to that first roller coaster year.  Although certainly still missing her husband daily, she is now able to function more normally, or at least to pretend to be more normal. 

This honest, humorous book is filled with beautiful examples of God's grace.  Tricia and her sons sometimes stumble, yet they manage to get back up to fight on.  They battle to be a balanced, emotionally healthy family, despite the fact that they will always grieve the loss of the husband and dad. Some days they manage well, others are filled with tears and tantrums. Yet through it all, they love well, forgive quickly and laugh often.

Tricia is a gifted writer, giving us glimpses of her family life--abnormal though it may be. This book about the Williford family is a true story of hope after despair.  It is also the bigger picture of the God's faithfulness and the way he redeems all things.  I was blessed by reading it and I think you will be too.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for my honest review.

Hiding in the Light by Rifqa Bary

Hiding in the Light is the memoir of Rifqa Bary, a Sri Lankan girl from a strict Muslim family. She, her parents and older brother moved to the United States in 2000 when she was eight years old. At first they lived in New York City, but three years  later moved to Columbus, Ohio.  It was at school in Ohio that Rifqa was befriended by a Christian girl named Angela who invited her to church. That invitation, to a Wednesday night church service, was what changed everything for Rifqa.
Rifqa's childhood was one that most American's can't quite imagine.  Born Muslim, she was required by age three to eat only certain foods and to memorize prayers during Ramadan.  At age seven, Rifqa fasted all day during the holy month and began memorizing the Qur'an. As a young student of the Qur'an she had no idea what she was saying when she recited from the holy book, only that they she was expected to say it perfectly. Any contact with non-Muslims was forbidden and a girl was taught early that her place was in the home.  Education for girls was unimportant and she held no authority or status.
Two traumatic events marked Rifqa's life: the first was when she was six years old and her brother angrily hit her with a metal toy, permanently blinding her in one eye.  Rifqa's vision loss caused her parents to disdain her, her value greatly diminished to them.  They began treating her with contempt and their hearts grew cold toward her. The second was when she was seven or eight years and she was sexually molested by an uncle. When Rifqa told her mother, despite threats from the uncle, she blamed Rifqa for shaming the family.
Thus began a cycle of abuse, both physical and mental.  Rifqa's parents beat her frequently and often without reason.  She was completely miserable and began cutting herself in an attempt to relieve her pain. Without friends or the love of her own family, the invitation from Angela was an unexpected lifeline.  Knowing she was risking much, Rifqa said yes.

That first "yes" led to Rifqa saying yes to an altar call at church, yes to surrendering her heart and life to Jesus, yes to a secret baptism, yes to a double life.  But that double life was doomed to failure.  Eventually Rifqa's parents found out that she had become a Christian.  She knew she was in grave danger she fled her home; forsaking her family and her heritage, with only the clothes on her back. 

I won't give away any more of the story, but it an exciting one. Exciting the way that Jesus wooed this sweet girl to himself from the time of her earliest memories. Exciting how God continually placed people in Rifqa's life just when she needed them. Exciting courtroom drama. Exciting healings, explained only by miracles. Rifqa's faith is inspiring, her story powerful.

Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for my honest review.

The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy

I liked this book very much!  I had not read anything by Sarah McCoy previously, but will now be checking out her other work.  The Mapmaker's Children was a fascinating read.  I loved the way Sarah wove together the stories of two women, one living in 2014 and the other in 1859. 

The story set in 2014 is that of a woman named Eden, living in New Charleston, West Virginia.  Eden has been struggling with infertility and it has wreaked havoc on her marriage to Jack.  They have only recently moved to New Charleston and Eden is both lonely and depressed. To her own surprise, her spirits are gradually lifted by a friendship with her 11-year old next neighbor, Cleo, and a growing love for a puppy that Jack brings home as unwanted surprise.

The story set in 1859 is that of a woman named Sarah, living in North Alba, New York.  Sarah is the daughter of famous abolitionist John Brown.  She is even a part of his work in the Underground Railroad, using her artistic talents to make maps for escaped slaves to follow north to freedom. Her world is turned upside down when her father is executed for treason and murder after the raid at Harper's Ferry.

There are many twists and turns to both women's story and Ms. McCoy skillfully brings together clues to how the two are connected in a way that kept me wanting more at the end of each chapter. There are elements to The Mapmaker's Children that will please any reader: history, contemporary fiction, romance, suspense and more.

Crown Publishers provided this book to me for free in exchange for my honest review.

Reservations for Two: A Novel of Fresh Flavors and New Horizons by Hillary Manton Lodge

Reservations for Two is the second book in the series Two Blue Doors by Hillary Manton Lodge.  I also read and reviewed the first book in the series, A Table by the Window, and thoroughly enjoyed it, but I liked this book even more.  It was a delightful read and I can hardly wait for the third book to be released in May.

The thing that made this book so much fun was the letters interspersed throughout the book.  The main character, Juliette, discovers a treasure trove of letters to and from her grandmother, and learns bits and piece of family history that she never knew.  She gets to know her grandmother as a young woman, wife and mother, not just as the elderly lady that she grew up with.

But there is so much more going on in this novel than the letters.  Juliette is opening a restaurant in Portland with her brother and takes a trip to Europe to find suppliers.  While there she visits family in both Italy and France.  It is in Italy that she finds the letters, and it is there that her romance with her boyfriend, Neil deepens. 

However, when Juliette arrives back home she finds that their relationship is difficult to maintain long distance.  Neil is a doctor in Memphis and phone calls, emails and occasional visits are just not enough. Juliette is also dealing with the stress of starting a new business and her mother's cancer.  I won't spoil it for you, reader.  You'll have to read the book yourself to find out what happens to Juliette and Neil, and how Portland receives the new restaurant, Two Blue Doors (hence the series name).  I promise you'll love reading all about it for yourself! Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for my honest review.

The Pharaoh's Daughter by Mesu Andrews

Mesu Andrews, author of The Pharaoh’s Daughter, warns in her Note to Reader that “The names and themes of this book are complex” and she is right.  They are in fact so complex that even by the end of the book, I was still having a hard time keeping them straight.  It was not just the names of people that were complex, but the titles of people (mother, father, aunt), as well as the names of objects.  Ms. Andrews does include a genealogy and map of Egypt, but I would have very much appreciated a glossary as well.  The confusion of who was who and what was what actually took away from the enjoyment of the story for me.

That being said, however, the story was very good.  Of course the original story, straight from the pages of Scripture—the story of Moses and the Pharaoh’s daughter who rescued him from the Nile River is exciting all by itself.  The record of Moses’ birth and childhood is contained in the Bible in Exodus 2:1-10, with the history of what was happening in Egypt in that time recorded in Exodus chapter 1.  These 32 verses are the basis of the entire book, The Pharaoh’s Daughter.  

Ms. Andrews took the story a step further and (obviously) did much historical research to flesh the story out.  She includes many details about the culture and traditions of the day, the historical figures, their dress, work and food.  All her research and details really made the story and its characters come alive!  That’s what I love about historical Christian fiction that is based on actual Bible characters, it makes them very real to me.  Mesu Andrews did a wonderful job of that—making Moses and his adopted mother, the Pharaoh’s daughter come alive, not to mention their other family members and the rulers of day.  

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.

Pure Food: Eat Clean with Seasonal, Plant Based Recipes by Veronica Bosgraaf

Pure Food: Eat Clean with Seasonal, Plant Based Recipes by Veronica Bosgraaf is a great way to start incorporating more whole foods into your diet.  I have been trying to use much less processed food in my cooking and to eat more fruits and vegetables so this book seemed like it might be a good addition to my kitchen.  I read the book cover to cover and it was actually a very enjoyable and interesting read.

The author, Veronica Bosgraaf, is the founder of Pure Bar, an all natural snack bar.  She and her family live in Michigan and she bases her recipes on the midwest growing season. The book begins in January and works through each month of the year, providing recipes that are appropriate for each month and season.  The winter months are full of warm, comfort food; spring gives recipes using lots of herbs, greens and new vegetables; summer contains light recipes full of fruit and ideas for grilling out; autumn utilizes pumpkin, squashes and apples--all the bounty of the harvest.  Since I too live in Michigan, I know many of the towns she refers to in her book, which made it extra fun to follow along.

All in all, Pure Food contains many delicious sounding dishes for anyone who wants to eat and live healthier.  After reading the recipes, I can't wait to begin trying some of them for myself.  I won't be going vegan or even vegetarian, and I don't need to eat gluten free, but if you have any of those dietary restrictions, you'll find many great recipes here.  Or if, like myself, you just want to reduce processed foods and eat more whole foods, you too will find many great recipes here.
If this book had more colored photos of the recipes, I would have given it 5 stars, but it's still a good addition to my cookbook repertoire. 

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.