In the small Colorado town of Summit View, a surprising multi-generational mix of women from Grace Church meet once a week to pass a hot dish and to pray. But the Potluck Club, as they call themselves, is a recipe for disaster when they send up enough misinformed prayers to bring down a church. And the funny thing: the more they pray, the more troubles seem to come their way. It isn’t until they invite God to the table that they discover friendship is the spice of life, and a little dash of grace, just like salt, goes a long way. With charming, down-home characters, humor, poignancy, and a recipe in every chapter, The Potluck Club will keep readers hungering for more.

My Review: I have had my eye on this series for a while, and when my local Christian bookstore reduced the price, I bought it!  Actually I started with the last book.  This didn’t matter except that I knew some things that were coming.  I grew to love these books more with each one I read.  The characters are definitely people I know, and the setting is of great interest to me, since I have a son living in CO.  Most of the main characters are about my age, with the exception of the sheriff’s daughter, so I think these books could appeal to almost all ages of women, but maybe especially those 35 and older.  The Potluck is a prayer group within a church that gathers together to pray and eat (right up my alley!).  Many recipes are included at the end of the book – which I also love.  The story includes drama, laughter, and tears.  Most women’s problems seem to be addressed through one or another of the characters.  This book is written about women from a woman’s point of view.  The Potluck Club series is Christian fiction as well as Christian chick lit, but someone of another faith could also read and enjoy it.  The Potluck Club is an enjoyable winter read!

When I was in college, I took a course called The Progress of Redemption.  I loved the course because it opened my eyes to the fact that the Bible is not only a collection of stories that tells us who God is and what He did.  Nor is it merely a book on how we should live our lives in order to please God.  Rather, it is one beautiful story from beginning to end that tells of God’s love for us and of His plan to redeem us through His perfect Son Jesus Christ.  From the beginning God knew that one day, out of His great love for us, He would send His Son to die in our place.

While teaching my children about God and His Word, I have often tried to illuminate the stories in light of the greater context of the entire Bible, as this college course did for me.  So when my children were given this storybook Bible as a gift last year, I was delighted.   The subtitle “Every story whispers His name” was exactly what I had been trying to teach my children all along.  To me, the fact that this children’s Bible hints at God’s plan for Jesus from the beginning is the best part about the book.  My children love that it is also written with a good deal of humor – we laugh as we read the author’s take on these age-old stories.  And that is good, too.  It’s always good to see a story you have a read a thousand times in a new light or different angle.  The illustrations (Jago) are also quite good and the length of each story is perfect for bedtime or to be read around the breakfast table.  Highly recommended.

So I have to admit.  I caved.  I’ve almost finished reading the first novel in the Twilight series.  And I actually plan to read all four books.  I watched the first movie when it came out and thought it was way too “teeny-boppy” for my taste and even at that pretty awful.  But then . . . I saw the second movie.  And while the second movie was only slightly better (because there was a bit more action!), it did make me want to find out what happens next and so here I am reading the novels.

What do you all think of these books?  I think the the vampire mythology is interesting and the story is somewhat creative, but the relationship between Edward and Bella is pretty dreadful.  As soon as they meet, life is not worth living if they are not together.  She is miserable when she is not with him.  I want to shout, “Get a life!”   These books will not be read by my daughters (when they are older of course!) without some serious discussion about what makes a healthy relationship.   Plus, how can she get so worked up about a guy who is so cold every time he touches her?  Brrr!

I’m not giving a real review here, because I haven’t finished the book.  I almost feel like I’m going to need to finish all four before I really know what I think about this series.  I’ve heard that the books are better than the movies, and the fourth book is the best.  Care to voice your opinion?

I haven’t spent a lot of time talking about ebooks despite the fact that it’s a hot topic in publishing circles at the moment. Sally, my mother and writer on this blog, got a Barnes and Noble Nook and I know she has enjoyed reading some ebooks on it.

But with the recent news that several publishers are moving to an agency model for pricing (this basically means different prices for different ebooks), I’ve been thinking more about it.

In the past, I considered that the advantage of an ereader would be the ability to store several books without having to worry about actual physical storage space. Additionally, I must admit the idea that ebooks themselves would be cheaper made the idea of paying a lot of money for an ereading device more attractive.

But with the reality that publishers can’t actually afford to make ebooks much cheaper, I’m reconsidering the advantage. I can’t help but wonder how often I would rather just spend that money on a physical book to hold in my hands. I think I would still find advantages to it, but I wonder if old habits die hard?

Do you have ereader? If so what kind? Do you find you use it more and more often? How much are you willing to spend on ebooks?

The Day it Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond is one of my favorite valentine’s day books for small children.   It is a simple story about a little girl named Cornelia Augusta who catches hearts as they fall from the sky and makes them into valentines for her friends.  Each valentine is made in a special way for each of her unique friends.  The endearing illustrations that accompany the story give the book an overall cozy feel.

Everyone loves a good Clifford story, and Clifford’s First Valentine is no exception.  In this story, Emily Elizabeth and Clifford make some valentine’s day cards together (Clifford tries to taste the glue and very quickly finds out that it is not so tasty!) and then have quite an adventure getting the cards delivered.  A sweet story, and the love between Emily and Clifford is always satisfying.

My mom got this book, ABC Valentine by Pamela Jane, for my girls a few years back.  I have always enjoyed reading it to them at this time of year.  ABC Valentine uses the alphabet to talk about all the different ways Valentine’s Day is celebrated- from cards to sweets to decorations.  The illustrations use lots of red and pink and show wintery weather outside.

Some other great choices would include The Berenstain Bears’ Funny Valentine by Stan and Jan Berenstain – always a good moral to be learned with Brother and Sister!  And also Franklin’s Valentines by Paulette Bourgeois.  Franklin learns that any day is a great day to show his friends how much he cares for them.

What are you reading with your kiddos this Valentine’s Day?

More than 4 million Top Secret Recipes books sold!

The kitchen clone recipe king is back with a new Top bestselling Top Secret Restaurant Recipes collection-the first book since his bestselling Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2. Wilbur takes readers behind the scenes, revealing the key ingredients in some of our favorite foods such as Starbucks’ Peppermint Brownie, Krispy Kreme’s original glazed donuts, Panera Bread’s cranberry walnut bagel and Wendy’s Garden Sensations Manadarin Chicken Salad. The book will feature 115 new recipes, including 40 previously unpublished recipes such as:

•Panera Bread French Onion Soup

•Burger King Onion Rings

•Chick-Fil-A Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce

•McDonald’s Cinnamon Melts

•Stouffer’s Macaroni & Cheese

•Chipotle Mexican Grill Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette

•Popeye’s Buttermilk Biscuits.

Forget takeout-with these fun recipes and blueprints, all using ingredients you can buy at your local supermarket, you can re-create your favorite restaurant signature dishes right in your own kitchen for a lot less!

My Review: This is such a fun book.  I have tried two recipes and one my daughters made once and I made once that is Panera’s broccoli and cheese soup.  It is yum and is really really close to the original.  I also like it because it doesn’t take long too make, and with my new food processor it’s a real snap!  The ingredients are easy to come by as well.  I’m very thankful to have this recipe because we no longer live close to a Panera (St. Louis Bread Company) and this is my husband’s favorite soup from there!  I can’t wait to try some of the other recipes!  Also included is Panera’s French Onion which I love!  I would have to also say that I haven’t heard of some of these places and/or recipes, but they all look user friendly and Todd Wilbur has made them as easy as possible as well as including pictures to help you assemble the finished product.  Also included are many Starbucks’ recipes.  I want to try my personal favorite which is gingerbread latte.  I wish it included the white chocolate peppermint mocha, but I’m happy with the gingerbread to begin with.  I’m looking forward to many hours of  happy cooking from this cookbook!

Mystery shopper Josie Marcus’s report about Danessa Celedine’s exclusive store is less than stellar, and it may cost the fashion diva fifty million dollars. But Danessa’s financial future becomes moot when she’s found murdered, strangled with one of her own thousand-dollar snakeskin belts-and Josie is accused of the crime.

My Review: I have really gotten into a cozy mystery mode.  I found this series of books at Christmas time when I read Murder With All the Trimmings.  The St. Louis setting makes it especially cozy to me because we lived there for 13 years and I love that city!  I’m learning shopping tips from these books which also makes it appealing to me.  Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved mysteries – it all began with Nancy Drew.  I also love series.  In fact I’m usually fairly type A about reading series in order.  This particular series, however, I’ve been reading out of sequence and it still works for me.  In fact I read Murder with all the Trimmings first, then because I received a Nook for Christmas I downloaded the Fashion Hound Murders which I believe is 5th in the series.  Unfortunately, those are the only two I could download on the Nook.  However, I’ve since ordered Dying in Style (first) and High Heels are Murder (second) in paperback form.

If you enjoy Janet Evanovich, Joanne Fluke, and Leslie Meier; you will also enjoy these books.  They are humorous, informative, and very entertaining reads!

My girls received For the Love of Autumn by Patricia Polacco for Christmas this year.  It is a story about a school teacher, Danielle, who adopts a kitten, Autumn, and moves to Washington to accept a teaching job.  She lives in a little cottage by the sea.  Danielle loves her job and she and her kitten settle into life and routine in their little cottage.  But one day Danielle comes home from school in a raging storm.   Autumn is no where to be found.  Finally, Danielle hears a scratching at the door.  Autumn is on the back porch, badly hurt.  But as Danielle goes to bring her in, Autumn runs off into the dark night.  Days go by and Danielle cannot find Autumn.  But then one day Autumn returns.    Over the next couple of weeks, Autumn runs away a few times, but always comes back.  Where is she going to?  Read to find out this perfectly charming ending!

There are some children’s books that I don’t mind reading again and again.  This is one of them.  It is sweet and warm and I have to admit the story surprised me.  Highly recommended.

Calamity Jack is written by the husband and wife team of Dean and Shannon Hale. It’s a graphic novel that combines all sorts of fantastical elements with super heroes and ends up being just plain fun.

I’m a relative newbie to graphic novels, and I’m always a bit hesitant to read them. Sometimes I’m afraid I’ll misinterpret the pictures and misunderstand the story or miss something critical. But I had nothing to fear with that here, the pictures are absolutely lovely and I was even looking at them in black and white in the ARC, the finished copy includes full pictures. Also, I fell in love with the concept of the book almost immediately, I loved the clever retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk and the many interesting creatures that populate his world. I also really enjoyed the humor and found myself chuckling several times throughout.

It is a graphic novel so it takes substantially less time time to read but it’s completely enjoyable. The only small struggle in the plotline for me was not having read the first graphic novel Rapunzel’s Revenge. So when Rapunzel comes onto the scene there’s not much introduction. But knowing the other story exists helps to understand why that’s the case and has made me all the more eager to find it to read sometime in the future.

This review is part of a blog tour organized by Kidz Book Buzz. You can visit other participants and get their perspectives by following the links included below.
Sally Apokedak, Reading is my Superpower, firesidemusings.blogspot.com, Through the Looking Glass Book Review , Booking Mama, Cafe of Dreams, Becky’s Book Reviews, The Hungry Readers, The Friendly Book Book, My Own Little Corner of the World, Book Blather, GreenBeanTeenQueen, Book Crumbs , Abby (the) Librarian, Dolce Bellezza, Homeschoolbuzz.com, The Book Cellar, Carrie’s YA Bookshelf, Bookshelf Monstrosity, Everyday Reading, Frenetic Reader, KidzBookBuzz.com, Maw Books

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Beth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store, and serving as contact of sorts between Amish craftsmen and Englischers who want to sell the Plain people’s wares. But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart everyday as she still wears the dark garb, indicating mourning of her fiancé. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work–including Lizzy’s dry goods store. But she doesn’t know if her bishop will approve of the gorgeous carving or deem it idolatry.

Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after Lizzy hunts down Jonah, the artist, she is all the more determined that Beth meets this man with the hands that create healing art. But it’s not that simple–will Lizzy’s elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love work? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth the sleigh ride she’s always dreamed of and a second chance at real love–or just more heartbreak?

My Review: This book surprised me.  I wasn’t sure I would enjoy an Amish book about Christmas, but I did.  A secret which I couldn’t quite solve kept me reading. Of course it wasn’t exposed until near the end of the book.  The characters were not exactly your “typical” characters in Amish books; and I like that the characters were flawed – not perfect physically or otherwise.   I loved the fact that the two main characters were business women, and Beth seemed to have depth and real talent at what she did.  I read that Cindy Woodsmall had some best selling books, but I hadn’t read any of Cindy Woodsmall’s other books.  Now I plan to add them to my TBR list.