The Girl in the Glass by Susan Meissner

Renaissance is a word with hope infused in every letter.

            The Girl in the Glass is about discovery, of places, people, of yourself and the strength that lies within. Meissner weaves a story about three women connected to the renaissance time period. These women are Meg, an editor for a travel book publishing company in California; Nora Orsini, a member of the Medici family in the Italian aristocracy; and Sophia Borelli, an aspiring memoir-writer. Their stories past and present collide with purpose and desire and their lives will be changed forever.

            Meissner’s story, on many levels, deals with disappointment, hope displaced and the determination to live daily with dreams in the present. She takes words like, Renaissance, rules of love and gives them new meaning for the heart.  This story will stir your artist heart; will stir the imagination of the writer, and the dreams of the historian.

            Susan Meissner created unique characters that are realistic and interesting. Although the story started out slow, possibly intentionally, I thought it would go in another direction entirely and it did not disappoint. I would recommend The Girl in the Glass to anyone, especially for those with a love of the renaissance, beautiful art, and all things Italian.

             I received this eBook from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in their Blogging for Books program for this review.                                                 

 MoreShow Less

God of All Creation: Life Lessons from Pets and Wildlife by James Robinson

 

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
—MATTHEW 6:26

God of All Creation recounts how a miniature dachshund taught her owner, James Robison, profound insights about life, faith, and God’s care for all of His creation. A devoted dog lover and co-host of the television program Life Today, James Robison, shares how the antics of his own dog Princess gave inspiration for this story.

Heart-warming stories and winsome line drawings bring to life the lessons Robison has learned. Through his inspiration and spiritual insights; from his pets and creatures living in the wild, you too, will learn to know God’s voice, to submit to Him, and to trust Him with your every need.

Written in an easy to read style, the book contains many scripture verses and explanations of God's provision for the animals of His creation. The stories that he shares in this book are both entertaining and educational.

James Robison manages to open a window that allows us to view a Heavenly Father who has created all living things for our enjoyment and enrichment. Robison uses his pet, Princess, to show the necessity to follow the Master's voice to avoid danger of this life.

I would recommend this gift size, hardback book for any animal lover and anyone who enjoys heart-warming stories of people and their pets.

I received this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing in their Blogging for Books program for this review.

Darkness Rising, East Salem Trilogy Series #2 By: Lis Wiehl, Pete Nelson

The evil in East Salem is no longer content to hide in the shadows. The stakes—and the darkness—are rising.

           Dani Harris thought there wasn’t much left that could surprise her after serving as a forensic psychiatrist. Tommy Gunderson has faced few challenges in his life that he couldn’t overcome by either physical strength or his celebrity status.

          They race to uncover what’s really happening behind the high walls of St. Adrian’s Academy, it becomes clear that supernatural forces have been at work here for generations. When the unseen becomes seen, faith is the only weapon strong enough to fight in a battle involving not just murder and betrayal—but angels and demons.

         Wiehl’s latest is a supernatural thriller guaranteed to keep you turning the pages and with just enough romance to keep it interesting. Just when you are able to take a breath and think you are at the end there is still about 20 pages still to go. As you are deeply interested to find closure the unthinkable happens…to be continued. I will have to buy the next book to see what happens.

         This book is scary enough to recognize how real it could be. I would recommend you read the book early in the afternoon and not right before bed.

          I received a free copy of book from Thomas Nelson as part of their Booksneeze Blogger program.

 

Grace More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine By Max Lucado

          In a Christianity Today 8/27/12 online interview Lucado was asked: Why another book on grace when there are many good ones already out there?

“The apostle Paul never seemed to exhaust the topic of grace—what makes us think we can? He just kept coming at it and coming at it from another angle. That's the thing about grace. It's like springtime. You can't put it in a single sentence definition, and you can't exhaust it. No other philosophy or religion has anything quite like this idea that God takes the initiative and comes after us—not just to save us, but also to sustain us.”

            If we are supposed to be captivated by this idea of grace, Lucado has done a great job in conveying Grace to his audience.  A great job in this book of weaving illustrations and biblical events. It is amazing that in walking with Christ, that we still may not understand his love for us. Max breaks it down to our basic human understanding, How GREAT the LOVE and GRACE of God is.

            You’ll find hope in the fact that God's grace extends to you an adoption invitation.  Lucado states that God offers us salvation even while we are still sinners (Romans 5:8). Lucado warms our hearts as he reminds us that we are adopted.                                                               

            I encourage you to Read, enjoy, and realize that grace is a gift from God and cannot be earned! It will lift your heart and make you smile. I found myself renewed and remembering God's great goodness and love.

            As always, Max Lucado has written an easily read book that gets to the point of how much Christ loves us. Grace is the voice that calls us to change and then gives us the power to pull it off.

I received this eBook from Thomas Nelson as part of their Booksneeze Blogger program.

 

 

Napoleon's Pyramids by William dietrich

           What mystical secrets lie beneath the Great Pyramids? Traveling with Napoleon's ambitious expedition, American adventurer Ethan Gage solves a five-thousand-year-old riddle with the help of a mysterious medallion.

            Gage seeks knowledge about the medallion and finds scholars that start him on a path that the medallion is more than a pendant, but perhaps a key to a lost society and greater knowledge. Along the way, he falls in love. The action in this book is nonstop. There is romance, historical figures vividly shown, and ancient cities explored. Ethan soon finds himself in constant danger from the men who want that medallion; possibly the key to powers so great, the owner could literally rule the world.

            An American adventurer who was an aide to Ben Franklin is in Paris after the French Revolution. He wins a medallion in a poker game, and it promises to be a "key" to the mysteries of the Egyptian pyramids. Napoleon hears of this just as he's planning to conquer Egypt in 1798, so he brings our hero along hoping to gain the power supposedly hidden in the pyramids. Many of Gage’s adventures he meets up with bad guys, who are trying to attain the power for themselves.
           
          While the ultimate story was good, even intriguing at certain points, it was a bit hard to get through the beginning, then the energy picked up. It was obvious that the ending was set up for a sequel. It tried too hard to be like Indiana Jones and didn’t quite make it.
          
            If you like stories that incorporate history, war, Egypt, math, symbols, secrets and treasures, then you may enjoy this story.  This would be good for teens and young adults.

I received eBook for my review