Simply Dawn

Review: The Map Across Time

Book: The Map Across Time
Author:  C. S. Lakin
Publisher: Living Ink Books
Pub date: March 2011
ISBN: 9780899578897
Format: Paperback
Author website: www.cslakin.com

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The next installment in C.S. Lakin’s multi-part “Gates of Heaven” series, "The Map across Time" introduces readers to Sherbourne, a fairy tale land of mystic and wonder. The king’s teenage children, Adin and Aletha, use a magical map to travel back in time and find the cure for an ancient curse plaguing the kingdom. "The Map across Time" shows how those who feel they are insignificant and unworthy have merit and serve heaven’s purpose, even if that purpose is hidden.

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Last summer, I had the pleasure of reading the first book in the “Gates of Heaven” series, The Wolf of Tebron, which I loved.  Thankfully the book is part of a series and this year, I was able to read the next installment, “The Map Across Time”. 

Oh. My. Word.  Was it ever good!

I loved it!

I picked this up in the hospital and had to set it down for a couple of days…that was hard to do, because I was so intrigued by the first couple of pages…I didn’t even get to finish the first chapter.  Once I picked it up back at home, I couldn’t put it down!  The plot clips along, but not at so fast a pace that you can’t savor the setting and characters.  You will love the way that the author ties this book to the first in the series, without just picking up where she left off. 

Indeed C. S. Lakin is right up there with Lewis and Tolkien, in my opinion.  I heartily recommend this read to all readers, especially for a family read aloud, for which there are discussion points and scripture references included.  I think my Addie will be reading these books this summer…my very precocious first grader!

Let me know if you give it a try!

Review: Sherlock Holmes Detective Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Sherlock Holmes Detective Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

• The Sign of the Four
• A Scandal in Bohemia
• The Ring of Thoth
• A Case of Identity
• The Surgeon of Gaster Fell

These short stories kept my attention, but one was particularly disturbing.  The Sign of the Four was disturbing, not because of it’s plot, but because of the use of cocaine by our hero, Sherlock Holmes.  Doyle describes Holmes as having mood swings and in order to deal with the quiet times which are too much for our hero, he turns to cocaine to quiet himself until the thrill of the hunt comes again.

The Scandal in Bohemia , The Ring of Thoth and A Case of Identity are quite short, but intriguing enough to keep you engaged.

My favorite was The Surgeon of Gaster Fell.  The setting was much to my liking, misty moors and a little bit of a love angle.

What I am finding, now that I have read several Holmes stories, is that at a certain point they become predictable.  I almost had to trick myself into not paying attention when the plot unravels our villain and their methods.  It doesn’t make the stories worthless for reading, just leaves you a little disappointed when you already know how the story is going to end and you have several pages left to read.

So, I carefully recommend these stories for young readers…know that you are letting them read of the use of drugs to escape reality and be ready to answer their questions.  Otherwise, as for adults, these are a quick treat for a dark stormy night snuggled up on the couch.

Enjoy!

One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp–Chapter Two

Oh me, oh my, am I behind on this one.  You can read my post about Chapter One here.

Eucharisteo.

That’s pretty much so what Ann covers in chapter two.

What on earth is that?

Well, as Ann explains it, Eucharisteo is simply -- thanksgiving.

Being thankful in EVERYTHING.  Wow.  Can I really be thankful in EVERYTHING?

Can I be thankful that my parents were divorced when I was just starting to blossom?  Can I be thankful that some of my children have some symptoms that make others think “somethin’ just ain’t right with that one”?  Can I be thankful that my mom is dying of cancer?  Can I be thankful that the transmission is going out on the truck?

Maybe I can’t be thankful THAT any of those things happened or are happening…but what I can be thankful for is that ”And we know that in all things”…let that part sink in, ALL THINGS…”God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28.

Ann was challenged by a friend to create a list of a thousand things that she was thankful for.  This inspired me.  Especially because years ago I had set out to make a sort of list of my own, but the worries of this life and my perfectionism and I am sure quite a bit of spiritual opposition aided in my abandoning the project.

The project was a blog.  The intention was to daily, list three things I was thankful for.  I think at the time I was inspired by a gal in an online community that I was participating in.  It started out well, but as I mentioned before was short lived.  It was supposed to be simple…Simply Thankful.

I haven’t written on that blog for three years.  Three years!

Tomorrow I will post my first posts out there.  I will start my own list.  I will post as often as I want, but this time I will keep it simple and do my best not to let the perfectionism get in the way.  It will probably be like my Project 365, consistently sporatic.  But it’s a start.  If you want to follow along, there is a link above and I will put one to the left as well.  These posts will also show up in my Facebook feed.

Anyhow, I read Chapter 2 twice.  I really wanted to let it all sink in.  I am loving this book.  I love that the Lord is drawing me closer with it.

Lovies, DJ

Review of Hans Brinker by Mary Mapes Dodge

Title: Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates A Story of Life in Holland
Author: Mary Mapes Dodge
Originally Published: 1865

This is a wonderful read aloud novel that the whole family will enjoy, or a great silent read for your 4th grade and above readers.  The characters of Hans and Gretel develop a storyline that is pleasing to male and female alike.  The culture, history and physical geography of Holland are beautifully illustrated by the authors words.  I also appreciated the theme of loving your fellow man despite his position in society.  I don’t want to spoil the ending, but I will say that the author thoughtfully took the time to give details of the afterlife of many of the characters.  This helps, even little ones understand that the consequences for our actions, carry farther than the next moment.

If you give it a go, leave a comment with your thoughts!

Lovies, DJ

Review of Tom Brown’s School Days by Thomas Hughes

I am having a hard time getting decent cover art for this book, so let’s just skip it for now.  After all, you can’t tell a book by it’s cover

Title: Tom Brown’s School Days
Author:  Thomas Hughes

Another piece of classic literature that I just loved!  I find these books, published in the mid to late 1800’s to be slow at the onset…and rightly so.  I mean think of it, these authors were writing to an audience that hadn’t even heard of the radio, let alone computers and PDA’s.

Anyhow, Tom Brown’s School Days is the fantastic story of a wealthy, young, English boy and his trip from his mother’s apron strings to public school life.  It follows his exploits, for good or evil, through the time when he leaves the school for university.  I think the best part was that Hughes wove in Tom’s relationship with the Lord throughout the story, and more so towards the end.  Hughes showed how Tom’s relationship with the Lord directly affected those around him immediately and in the years to come.

I would recommend this as a read aloud book at any age, and for the individual reader, it may be better suited for those with at least a 6-8th grade reading level.

There is a link to amazon in the Books 2011 list to your right.  Let me know if you give it a try, or have read it in the past!

Lovies, DJ

Review of The Promises She Keeps by Erin Healy

Title:  The Promises She Keeps
Author:  Erin Healy
Published:  February 2011
ISBN:  978-1595547514
Softcover, 343 pages

Wow!  I finished this book in less than 8 hours!  Fast paced and thrilling I loved the story of Promise, her battle with Cystic-Fibrosis and her quest to leave something behind that matters.  I especially loved the autistic character Chase, and felt a strong connection with the sister who cares for him.  The creepy Porta, sent chills down my spine as I remembered some brief dabbling I had had in the occult.  All of the characters are well developed and the plot has some unique twists and turns that leave you guessing until the end.

I highly, HIGHLY recommend reading The Promises She Keeps.  The story is geared toward women, however, I think both sexes would find it engaging.

I want to disclose to you that this book was sent to me by the publisher, free of charge, for the purpose of review.  I only review the books that I have an interest in.

I am going to include the entire press release because I couldn’t find the information out on Phenix&Phenix, so as to include a link…perhaps it is because this is such a new book.

About the Author & the book:
Erin Healy is an award-winning editor and bestselling co-author of the supernatural suspense novels Kiss (Thomas Nelson/2009) and Burn (Thomas Nelson/January 2010) with Ted Dekker.  Her solo debut, Never Let You Go (Thomas Nelson/May 2010), ushered in a new brand of fiction, building on her work with Dekker, that melds supernatural suspense with female-friendly relational drama.

Now with The Promises She Keeps, Healy continues to deliver a unique take on suspense with a little decidedly feminine point of view.

Healy is the owner of WordWright Editorial Services and specializes in fiction book development.  She has worked with popular authors such as Frank Peretti, James Scott Bell, Melody Carlson, Colleen Coble, L. B. Graham, Brandilyn Collins, Rene Gutteridge, Michelle McKinney Hammond, Robin Lee Hatcher, Denise Hildreth, Denise Hunter, Jane Kirkpatrick, Gilbert Morris, Lisa Samson, Randy Singer and Robert Whitlow.

Healy earned her bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in communication studies from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California and began her career as an editor for Christian Parenting Today during the mid-1990’s.  After advancing from assistant editor, to associate editor, to editor while working for the magazine, she moved on to serve as a book editor for WaterBrook Press.  She founded WordWright Editorial Services in 2002.

Healy began working for Dekker the same year, editing 12 of his well-known, heart-pounding stories, before collaborating with him as a co-author on Kiss and Burn.  Her solo debut, Never Let You Go, is a supernatural suspense tale about a single mother’s struggle to protect her daughter as threatening elements from her past un expectedly re-emerge.

On the differences between Never Let You Go and The Promises She Keeps, Healy says:

“Promises keeps the supernatural core, but without angels and demons this time, and without as much oppressive darkness.  The result is a spiritual conflict between characters that is more interpersonal than private.  I hope readers feel that Promises still does a great job of asking high-stakes spiritual questions in exciting, dramatic and mamorable ways while drilling a few more inches into the human heart.”

Healy currently resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with her husband, Tim, and two children.  She is a member of International Thriller Writers and the American Christian Fiction Writers.  Visit www.erinhealy.com for more information.

Review of God Gave Us the World by Lisa T. Bergren

God Gave Us the World: use this link for book details and if you click on the news/videos tab, you can find coloring pages.

God Gave Us the World is a cute way to introduce your child to the diverse cultures that the Lord created.  The author uses the varied species of bear's in God's creation to help little ears understand the differences and alluded, to some extent, that we are all create equal.  I would recommend this book for the very young, with the caution to expand a bit more on the "we are all equal in the eyes of the Lord part", however differently He created us.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Book Reviews and Ad Networks

Just a little update about the book reviews.  I have read a book for Blogging for Books, and hopefully it won’t be in competition with anything on my BlogHer Ad Network.  You see when you sign up with an Ad Network, you can’t review or giveaway products that compete…unless you have a separate giveaway and review blog.  I don’t have that…yet.  I am looking into this and if/when it becomes reality…well the post will tell you all about it.

Why am I telling you all this?  Well, it is kind of interesting, especially if you aren’t a blogger and find the whole blogging thing kind of magical.  Also, that if you ever see a post “dissappear”, then you will know that it was not in accordance with my contract with BlogHer.  If/when I get the review and giveaway blog up and going, it will “reappear” over there with a post here linking to the reappeared post…hope that isn’t too confusing.

I have been with BlogHer for about a year and a half.  I had thought of dropping it, but then I received my first check.  It wasn’t much, but enough to make me say I need to take this blogging thing a bit more seriously.  Every time that one of you readers reads my blog, out here, not on facebook, an ad is displayed to the right.  I think I get some sort of revenue just for having you land on my blog.  Now, if you were to click on that ad (don’t do it if it doesn’t interest you) and complete a survey or print a coupon or read a post, then I think that generates revenue too.  I think that is how it works anyhow.  BlogHer tries to keep the content of the ads specific to each blog and I can opt out of certain ones…though I haven’t taken the time to do that on any yet.

So, does that explain the ads and popups and such?

Lastly, I do feel like I should let you know that I don’t review or giveaway or interview anything/one that I didn’t research after being contacted and decide that I wanted to do it.  While I try to find the good in a product or book or person, you will get my honest opinion about it.  If it’s tedious or boring I will tell you.  If it doesn’t taste good, I will tell you, but I may take into consideration what the retail price would be and factor that in.  If it doesn’t work, then I will tell you so.

OK, so enough disclosure today.

I just wanted you to know how I do things here and what may be coming in the future.

I love you guys and thanks so much for reading through this.  I will be blogging more soon!

Lovies,DJ

A Place to Call Home

Title: A Place to Call Home
Author: Faye Schreder

From the Back Cover:

A vivid and entertaining collection of memories of life in a large family in rural central Minnesota during the early 1940’s, as seen through the eyes of a child.

Faye Shreder raised a large family and returned to school when most of her children were grown.  She is a retired special education teacher living in Sartell, Minnesota with her husband, Lawrence Schuman.  She enjoys writing, sewing, gardening, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

I have known Faye since we moved in a little over 7 years ago.  We made friends quickly and have been passing back treats, and homemade goods and plant starts and good advice ever since.  Faye was the one who drove me to the hospital when my water broke with the twins.  We just love her, and Larry too!

Oh, I suppose I ought to tell you about the book!

I love stories of the 1940’s.  It was such a tumultuous time and it is really great that Faye shares these stories through the eye’s of her childhood.  Faye stole my heart as the middle child of eleven…eleven!  The short stories of farm life and one room school houses and outhouses mixed with the joys and sorrows of family life warm your heart.

This is a fabulous book and if you would like to get a copy, you can email Greenetree Press at greenetreepress@hotmail.com.

Lovies,DJ

Under Two Flags, Ouida

Title: Under Two Flags
Author: Ouida (Pen name of Marie Louise de la Ramée)

Ok, I thought I had posted before about this book maybe needing to be shelved, but I can’t find the post.

There is a lot of time in the first chapters spent developing our main characters, but as I trudged through I did get to the hook and flew through the rest of the book.  Oh my was it full of adventure and honor!

The dashing Bertie, favorite of his mother, scorned by his father leads a devil may care aristocratic life of a gentleman.  Never a care in the world until a crime is committed in his name and he must betray his honor or face his punishment.  Consigned to face his punishment, if handled in a quiet way he is once again betrayed and flees for his life.  His faithful companion and he enter the Chasseurs d’Afrique as exiles in Algiers.  Bertie spends many years in the service that sends many a gentleman to his death, emerging as a hero to his comrades but hated by his commanding officer.  His old life comes back to haunt him and he must once again choose between freedom and honor.

Oh my, oh my!  I am sooooooo glad that I finished this book…in fact at the end I was skimming through much of the description to finish the story…I just had to know how it ended!

I highly suggest this book to adventure lovers of all ages, with the following notes…there are themes of infidelity and drinking and some swearing.  I think my boys would like to hear it as a read aloud.  If you pick it up and give it a go, let me know your thoughts!

Lovies,DJ

This title was one of my cute, little, red-linen wrapped, garage sale finds from last summer, so I haven’t got the proper cover art to insert in this post…you can find a link to a more current edition of this book to the left in the Books 2011 list