Water's Edge by Robert Whitlow

Water’s Edge by Robert Whitlow was a good read.  The main character, Tom Crane, goes through a transforming series of events in this novel.  Tom’s father passes away and he returns to his hometown to settle the law practice his father has left behind.   As Tom experiences a series of additional losses he finds himself examining his priorities and opening his heart to the Father.   In this Job-like experience Tom finds more in the small town of Bethel then he bargained for and is transformed as an individual.  Whitlow blends an inspiring story of faith with a suspenseful story-line.  I enjoyed the book, although at times the clear doom coming Tom’s way was somewhat frustrating to me as a reader.  Some of the actions of Tom’s character seem overly trustworthy and unlikely.  Thus the 4 out of 5 stars.  However, the story is a good one and enjoyable for the reader and I recommend it.  The growth of Tom’s faith is inspiring and so well woven into the story throughout the book that I was impressed at its feeling of authenticity.  It was enjoyable to read a suspense novel and also have my faith inspired and fueled.  A good book.  Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

No Place Like Holmes by Jason Lethcode

In No Place Like Holmes Jason Lethcode has produced an enjoyable work of fiction for young adults.  In the story young Griffin Sharpe has traveled to England for the summer to spend time with his mysterious uncle.  The story carries the reader through the summer as Griffin gains confidence, survives an adventure, foils the plot of a mastermind criminal, and softens the heart of his uncle.  The story is well written and enjoyable.  It is a crime story however, and therefore might not be for the young preteen set.  There is a crime afoot and some violence results, so parents should be sure that their readers are ready for that sort of thing.  I decided not to share this book with my ten year old who has a tender spirit and I felt would be too upset by the actions of the villain in this story, especially those at the end of the novel.  That said, the character of Griffin models good morals, maturity, and a strong faith.  He provides a good example to readers of how to deal with a relationship with an adult who is not a believer.  These qualities make this book a good read for young readers.  Lethcode does a good job of weaving in Holmes traditional setting, character, and feel to the story.  This will provide a good introduction to later reading of the Holmes books by Doyle.  Normally I shy away from modern works for my kids, but this will likely be one I will happily let them enjoy in their late preteen years.   I am confident No Place Like Holmes will entertain and be an enjoyable experience for them.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nick of Time by Tim Downs

Nick of Time is the latest novel in the “Bug Man” series by Tim Downs.  The main character is a forensic entomologist by the name of Nick Polchak.  A socially awkward but gifted man who often says things we all wish we could, but never truly consider actually saying out loud.  This book opens with events leading up to Nick and Alena’s wedding.  From there it takes the reader on an exciting journey as Nick seeks to discover the identity of the murderer of a dear friend.  The characters are well developed and interesting.  I found the story engaging and enjoyable.  The plot was well written and the ending sent me straight to the author’s website hoping to see he is planning the next book.  If you love crime novels and enjoy a good story, you won’t be disappointed here.  I read this voraciously while on vacation, finishing it in one day- I just couldn’t put it down.  It was a fun read, perfect for a vacation break.  I previously enjoyed crime novels by a famous female author, but have given up reading them in recent years because the stories have been so consumed by inappropriate content I found them offensive no matter how good the “story.”  I was happy to be given the opportunity to return to the genre in a “clean” form.   Thanks, Tim Downs, for giving me the opportunity to enjoy a good fictional crime book without having to deal with offensive language and profuse sexual content.  

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

Max on Life

Max on Life by Max Lucado may or may not be what you are expecting.  It depends on what the title has led you to believe the book will contain.  The book is a collection of thoughtful answers to a variety of questions.  Organized by topic it is a collection of letters Max Lucado has received and his response.  Often he will guide the individual to scripture or use scripture to clarify and solidify his response.  Clearly he has given thought to the advice he is giving.   This collection is not going to provide the reader with an exhaustive theological essay on any topic, so if you are looking for in-depth study on an issue, this is not the reference book you seek.  Most responses are one page in length.   However, if you are looking for thoughtful answers to many of the common questions we ask as Christians many are here.  Often one doesn’t need the theological essay and its research, they need the concise answer to help them move along in their individual walk.  This book fits that bill.  It will give you food for thought.  It will give you his perspective.  It will reveal his heart for others.  You will need to study more, perhaps his suggestions will give you a place to start.  Remember God gave us the book we need for life, this one can’t (nor do I believe it was intended to) replace it.  A more apt subtitle might have been “Thought Provoking Responses to Your Most Important Questions.”  The “answers” can only be found in the Bible itself so let this collection lead you back there.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

Regret Free Parenting- Book Review

Note:  I recently signed up for a book review program through Booksneeze.com.  They provided me this book free of charge and in return I review it here, honestly and without any restraints or requirements on my comments.  My opinions are my own.

Regret Free Parenting by Catherine Hickem is an insightful, thought provoking book.  It provides insight to truly successful parenting and gives concrete information that will lead the reader to further study and thought on the content which is presented.  I found it refreshing and helpful.  Unlike many parenting books it is not promoting the latest strategy or innovative parenting technique, it is solid information that you can put into practice.  It is also biblical and encouraging to Christian mothers. This book will make you think.  It would be excellent for a women's study group.  What are you really hoping to achieve through your role as your child's mother?  What qualities do you desire in your child as an adult?  Knowing those answers can lead to goals in the present and she does ask you to put them down on paper.  She discusses intentional parenting and gives good discussion on the topic (I have often found others to say "be intentional" without going further to describe what they argue that means).  Hickem provides a thoughtful chapter on the topic.  One new point that I found helpful was the idea of becoming a student of your child.  As a homeschool mom I have a lot of time with my children, and feel I know them well but I have never really "studied" them.  I have done that over the last few weeks and have learned a lot more about them in the process.  I will benefit from this lesson for a long time.   In closing, I found the book to be helpful in my role as a Mom and I am thankful to the author for giving me lots of "food for thought".

North Face Coats and Timberland Shoes

We traveled around Germany for three months.  Two things were vital for us- good coats and good shoes.  We did not have a car and utilized walking and public transportation.  We walked several miles on an average day of touring and went in all weather conditions.  When we arrived home only my oldest son's Timberlands and their North Face coats survived the trip. 

We literally walked the tread off our shoes.  Two kids had to have their shoes replaced half way through the trip (not cheap with the current exchange rate).  We threw away our youngest son's shoes the day before we left, and he traveled home in crocs.  However, my oldest son is still wearing the Timberlands.  They outperformed 5 other pairs of shoes of various brands.  Love the Timberlands!

Their North Face Triclimate coats.... How can I express how much we love them.  We debated about the expense of the coats (we have four kids=FOUR coats), but I can honestly say they were well worth the money.  Yes, we do have the stress of not wanting to lose them.  We've put tags on the zippers and we try to make sure everyone is aware of where they take them off and we've done well so far.  We didn't go into this purchase without research.  My husband hiked the Appalachian Trail so he is a connoisseur of good outdoor gear.  He wanted the kids dry, comfortable, and able to adjust for whatever conditions we faced.  I can honestly say that I am thrilled with their performance.  This was the best purchase we made for our adventure.  If there is one thing I'd tell people to buy before going to Europe for the fall this would be it. We used the fleece liners on cool fall days.  The outer waterproof shell on rainy days and the combined coat once the weather turned cold.  My kids were never cold or wet- even when walking in heavy rains.  I am sold on North Face.  A few photos of them in their coats in various locales:

Homeschool Day Book

I recently decided to try the Homeschool Day Book to record our school activity. I have struggled with record keeping systems before because of the redundancy I felt it was considering I check off things in my MFW manual as we do them and the time it added to our day. However, with three kids in school this year some things just don't fit on the MFW "grid" and kid three's manuals have not come with a pre-printed spreadsheet from the MFW folks(K and 1st grade). I also attempted a journal last year- notice the word attempt- so I needed something new.

When the Homeschool Day Book encouraged bloggers to give it a try I decided to see how I'd do. I don't want a program that requires me to spend more than a few minutes entering data. I have looked into some online programs and found that to be the case. I am blessed to live in a state that gives me some latitude in how I document our work so the record keeping system has to meet my criteria, work within my day, and not add stress in order to be valuable to me. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Homeschool Day Book was not time consuming to use. I can enter in the information for each day in just a few minutes. I do wish the program would allow me to set up some sort of basic day. I would love for it to automatically load Bible, Math, and Reading for me each day I enter a day of school work because those are my priorities and the first to get done. If I could create a standard day to auto load and let me enter in specifics for that day it would be even more useful to me. However, in its current state it is still the best tool I have seen thus far. I believe I will be able to keep up with this more easily than the journal I attempted last year and record information in a more effective way than just making notes in my manual. I am looking forward to printing reports for our year end reviews!

Check it out for yourself at: http://www.homeschooldaybook.com/

They offer a free trial and for a limited time an excellent opportunity for bloggers to review their product. I am impressed.